ETON DORNEY, Great Britain – More than five thousand spectators turned out for the final day of competition Sunday at the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup #2. Conditions challenged even the most seasoned of veterans, as crews faced a cool, strong tailwind at the rowing site of the 2012 Olympic Games.
United States single sculler Eleanor Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) pulled through to win a bronze medal, and will now have the opportunity to compete in the event at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju, South Korea, August 25-September 1.
It is Logan’s second single sculls medal, in as many international competitions. The two-time women’s eight Olympic gold medalist won bronze earlier this spring at the 2013 World Cup #1 in Sydney, Australia.
Logan said earlier this year that transitioning from the eight to the single “is definitely a challenge, but something that I’m finding I enjoy. It drives me, and it’s fun to explore that area of my ability. I love the eight, but the single is completely different. The single exposes every weakness.”
Her relatively limited experience in the single was put to the test Sunday, as she lined up with accomplished scullers in the final including New Zealand’s Emma Twigg, who finished fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games, Sweden’s Frida Svensson and Germany’s Julia Lier.
At the start, it was Austrian newcomer Magdalena Lobnig who shot out of the blocks, with Twigg and Lier chasing hard. Twigg took a big push and moved into the lead and away from the competition. Logan was back in sixth place through the 1,000-meter mark, but was able to push through to third by the 1,500-meter mark.
Twigg crossed the line first for the gold medal, followed by Svensson in second. Logan finished third by 0.38 seconds in a 7:28.31.
The bronze medal was the second for the United States at this world cup. Saturday in adaptive racing, 2012 Paralympic bronze medalists Rob Jones (Lovettsville, Va.) and Oksana Masters (Louisville, Ky.) won a bronze medal in the final of the trunk and arms mixed double sculls. The world cup race served as an opportunity to test their speed against international competition, as U.S. Para-rowing crews will be selected at the Para-Rowing World Championship Trials July 7-9 in West Windsor, N.J.
“It always feels good to be back racing, and especially international racing,” said Masters. “It’s really cool to be back. I remember the finish line and hearing the audience and the crowd. It’s good to have those memories, and be able to come back to it.”
Three U.S. crews raced in the B finals Sunday.
In the men’s single sculls, John Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished third to Great Britain’s Jonathan Walton and Dani Fridman of Israel. The lightweight double sculls crew of Peter Alter (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Colin Ethridge (Laytonsville, Md.) also finished third in the B final for ninth place overall. Lightweight men’s single sculler Hugh McAdam (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished second to Jamie Kirkwood of Great Britain in the B final.
A full 2013 U.S. National Team roster will be announced August 9. The Senior World Championship Trials take place August 4-7 in West Windsor, while the men’s quadruple sculls will race at a separate trials event June 24-26.
Comments | Log in to comment |
There are no Comments yet
|