The first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup series saw Great Britain win a total of 11 medals, 9 of them gold, in 14 of the World Cup events racing today on Lake Banyoles, the 1992 Olympic regatta course near Barcelona, Spain.
Great Britain won the first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup and now leads the points table with 94 points, followed by Italy (38 points) and Poland (28 points).
Katherine Grainger, Great Britain's most medalled female rower, competed internationally for the first time in the women's single sculls and took gold.
Coming from the 2008 Olympic Champion men's four, Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge are now the new British combination in the men's pair - they won gold ahead of South Africa and Canada.
By winning gold in the men's four, Great Britain's completely new line-up of Alex Partridge, Richard Egington, Alex Gregory and Matthew Langridge proved its potential to perpetuate their country's legacy in this boat class.
Annie Vernon is the only remaining athlete from the 2008 Olympic silver medal British women's quad; today she rowed in this boat class and also in the women's double, winning gold in both events.
Great Britain's Alan Campbell was an Olympic finalist in Beijing last year in the men's single and today lined up against two-time and reigning Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte of Norway; taking the lead from the start, Campbell held on until the line, winning ahead of Norway and Belgium. Great Britain also won gold in the women's pair, men's double and women's eight.
Close to 400 athletes from 30 nations competed in 14 World Cup events and three international events. Among them was a stream of new, young blood to replace the Olympic stars who have either taken a year off or retired, and a lot of crew and team re-shuffling to start out in the new Olympic cycle.
Italy will take home a total of six World Cup medals, two of them gold (LM2x, M8+), while Poland have four World Cup medals, one of them gold. Poland's 2008 Olympic Champions and three-time World Champions in the men's quadruple sculls have not lost their form over the winter and started the season with a win. Their goal will clearly be to win another title at the World Rowing Championships hosted this year by their home country.
France raced three men's double crews against each other at this Rowing World Cup, with the better of the three being selected as the boat to race at this year's World Rowing Championships. Today, the French crew of Julien Bahain and Cedric Berrest (2008 Olympic bronze medallists in the quad) won silver ahead of national counterparts Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet, 2006 World Champions and World Best Time holders. The British crew of Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham won gold in this event, less than one second ahead of France.
Denmark's lightweight men's four has a history of Olympic gold medals. Only one rower remains from the Beijing crew - Morten Joergensen - but today Denmark proved that even with a new crew it has what it takes to stay true to its reputation. They won gold in commanding style.
Host country Spain medalled in two events: the women's single sculls with Nuria Dominguez Asensio taking bronze and the lightweight women's double sculls with Teresa Mas De Xaxars and Ursula Grobler winning silver.
The Finals in the international boat classes were held yesterday, Saturday 30 May. Greece won two gold medals (LW1x, LM1x) while Italy won gold in the lightweight men's pair. No World Cup points are attributed for international boat classes.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee, came to Banyoles today to watch the Rowing World Cup Finals. "I think the Banyoles Lake is one of the nicest places in the world and that the organisation of the first stage of the 2009 Rowing World Cup went very well. Rowing is a very important sport in the Olympic programme and you have a great President. Rowing is doing very well!" says Samaranch.
The Rowing World Cup series was launched in 1997 and includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall Rowing World Cup winners are determined after a series of three regattas. Germany has dominated the series since its beginning twelve years ago, but Great Britain has led the medals table for the past two years. This year, the three stages of the series are held in Banyoles, Spain (29-31 May), Munich, Germany (19-21 June); and the final in Lucerne, Switzerland (10-12 July).
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