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First-ever Paralympic rowing medals awarded in Shunyi
Thursday, September 11, 2008
World Rowing
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Clear blue skies and a slight headwind set the scene for the fiercely fought Finals on the last day of racing at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. The day saw crews racing for their final rankings, and Great Britain, China and Italy entering the record books as the first-ever Paralympic Rowing Champions.

The third session of the regatta began with the B Finals, where crews raced for rankings 7 to 12 in the four boat classes, the AW1x, AM1x, TAMix2x and LTAMix4+.

In the first gold medal race of the day, Helene Raynsford of Great Britain and Laura Schwanger of the United States lined up as favourites in the Arms Only Women's Single Sculls, having qualified directly from the heats. Raynsford stamped her authority on the race from the first stroke and took the first Paralympic rowing gold medal in grand style. Schwanger fought back strongly in the second half, moving up from fifth, but it wasn't enough to catch Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus, who took the silver medal. Schwanger took bronze.

In the Arms Only Men's Single Sculls, the gold and silver medals were decided in the first 100m, as reigning World Champion Tom Aggar of Great Britain took control of the race with no intention of relinquishing it. Newcomer from Ukraine Oleksandr Petrenko hung on to Aggar and the two boats moved away from field. The race was then on for third and, at the line, Eli Nawi from Israel came through.

The Final of the Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Sculls was one for the home crowd. 2007 World Champions Brazil took the lead from the start, but by the 750m mark it was China and Australia battling it out for gold and silver. China took gold by a canvas, with Australia and Brazil taking the silver and bronze medals.

In the final race of the day, the Leg, Trunk and Arms Mixed Coxed Four from Italy took control of the race early on and powered impressively through to the finish, leaving the United States and Great Britain to battle it out for silver and bronze. In a big push at the finish, the USA moved ahead of Great Britain to take the silver medal.

The first Paralympic rowing regatta ended with nine nations winning medals in the four medal events. Great Britain was on top of the medal table with three medals - two golds and one bronze - followed by the United States with two medals and then seven countries with one medal each. This concludes the 2008 Paralympic Rowing Regatta.


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