The 2009 World Rowing Championships concluded today in Poznan, Poland, in front of a very enthusiastic crowd of Polish and international spectators. A total of 945 athletes from 53 countries competed in the final regatta, the highlight of the World Rowing season.
Host nation Poland finished the regatta with a total of four medals, including two gold. The 2008 Olympic Champions in the men's quadruple sculls (M4x) extended their winning streak, winning a fourth World Championship gold medal on their home waters. New sculling star Julia Michalska of Poznan (world junior and under-23 champion) grabbed her first title at senior level in the women's double sculls (W2x) with partner Magdalena Fluarczyk in front of hometown fans. Poland also won silver in the lightweight women's double sculls (LW2x) and bronze in the lightweight men's four (LM4-).
Germany tops the medals table with a total of nine medals: four gold medals, one silver and four bronze. The new German line-up in the men's eight (M8+) finished the regatta in style, winning ahead of Canada and the Netherlands. Germany's Eric Knittel and Stephan Krueger strategically moved up the field from behind and won gold in the men's double sculls (M2x). The Schoemann-Finck and Kuehner brothers earned gold in the lightweight men's four (LM4-), in one of the most exciting finishes of the regatta, just 25 hundredths of a second ahead of Denmark. Germany also won the World Championship title in the lightweight women's quadruple sculls (LW4x).
New Zealand came in second on the overall medals table, with four golds and one bronze. Legendary men's single sculler Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand won his fourth consecutive World Championship title and set a new World Best Time. The new powerful combination of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray continued to master the men's pair (M2-) as they did throughout the 2009 Rowing World Cup season, winning comfortably ahead of Great Britain's Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge. Duncan Grant won his third world gold in a row in the lightweight men's single sculls (LM1x), while Storm Uru and Peter Taylor took the world title in the lightweight men's double sculls (LM2x).
Great Britain finish in third position, with three golds, five silvers and one bronze. Two of the gold medals were earned in the adaptive boat classes (ASM1x and TAMix4+). The men's four (M4-) perpetuated the British winning streak in this boat class, winning gold ahead of Australia and Slovenia.
Doubling up in the women's pair (W2-) and in the women's eight (W8+), Zsuzsanna Francia and Erin Cafaro of the USA won two World Championship golds each. Olympic Champions in Beijing last year, this is the USA's third consecutive World Championship title in the women's eight.
Italy's Daniele Gilardoni keeps on winning, taking a tenth consecutive world title in the lightweight men's quadruple sculls (LM4x).
Paralympic rowing saw the level of competition rise at these World Rowing Championships with four new World Best Times set in the Adaptive men's single sculls (ASM1x), Adaptive women's single sculls (ASW1x), Adaptive double sculls (TAMix2x), as well as the Adaptive coxed four (LTAMix4+). A new boat class was added to the World Championship adaptive programme this year: the intellectually disabled coxed four (LTAIDMix4+). The International Paralympic Committee will decide later this year whether intellectually disabled events will be added onto the Paralympic Programme.
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