Five weeks to go to the start of the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta, the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup series has come to a close after the third and final stage was held in Munich, Germany.
Great Britain won the overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup trophy with 199 points, followed by Germany (134 points) and New Zealand (97 points).
Today, both New Zealand and Great Britain won three gold medals in the Olympic boat classes with Great Britain winning a total of eight medals and New Zealand winning a total of six. Host nation Germany took one gold (in the men's single sculls), two silvers and two bronzes.
The Samsung World Rowing Cup A-finals on the 1972 Olympic regatta course in Munich offered a preview of what could be expected at the Olympic Rowing Regatta.
Women's Pair (W2-)
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning from Great Britain have dominated this event all season, winning gold at each stage of the series. New Zealand's World Champions Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown took silver in Munich after winning bronze in Lucerne. Romania's multi Olympic Champions Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu are back in the boat this year, after taking Olympic gold in Beijing. Today, the Romanians improved from their B-final finish in Belgrade to take bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GBR, USA, NZL
Men's Pair (M2-)
Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand continued their winning streak into their fourth year of consecutive first-place finishes in the men's pair. Today, they affirmed their position, taking gold ahead of Australia who win silver with a new-look crew of James Marburg and Brodie Buckland. France's Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette just qualified their boat at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, and here in Munich finished in bronze-medal position.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: NZL, GER, GRE
Women's Double Sculls (W2x)
Great Britain's Katherine Grainger and her partner in the women's double sculls Anna Watkins won three out of three stages of the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup series and seek to become the first British female rowers to win Olympic gold. Finishing in silver position were Kim Crow, who qualified the women's single sculls for the Olympic Games just a few weeks ago, with partner Brooke Pratley, who had just come back to racing after suffering an injury earlier this season. Poland, World Champions in 2009, take bronze - their second World Cup medal of the season.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GBR, GER, POL
Men's Double Sculls (M2x)
Norway put on a show of force in the men's double sculls with Nils Jakob Hoff and Kjetil Borch winning gold ahead of a field that included each World Champion crew from the past Olympic cycle. The Norwegians had finished in the B-final at both initial stages of the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup series, but are improving markedly in the lead up to the London Olympic Games. 2011 World Champions New Zealand moved up the field from sixth position to grab silver and 2009 World Champions Germany took bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GER, GBR, FRA
Men's Four (M4-)
Australia, with triple Olympic Champion Drew Ginn back since last year from a post-Beijing break, put a halt to the winning streak of Great Britain in the men's four. Australia beat Great Britain in their semi-final and again today in the A-final. Belarus finished in third, taking their second bronze medal of the season.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GBR, AUS, BLR
Lightweight Women's Double Sculls (LW2x)
New Zealand impressed the world of rowing with a new World Best Time set in the lightweight women's double sculls in their heat at the second stage of the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne. Louise Ayling and Julia Edward are a new combination and have known success from the start. Following up from a silver in Lucerne, today the Kiwis finished ahead of the field with gold. Denmark's Juliane Rasmussen is a world bronze medallist from 2007 and two-time Olympian. Coming back to rowing last year following a post-Beijing break, she and partner Anne Lolk Thomsen qualified their boat for London at the 2011 World Rowing Championships. Today the Danes took their first medal of the season, silver. Germany's duo of Lena Mueller and Anja Noske (who just qualified their boat for the Olympic Games a few weeks ago in Lucerne) took bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: NZL, CHN, GRE
Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (LM2x)
A new French crew took the field by surprise in Lucerne when Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou won gold in their first international regatta together in the lightweight men's double sculls. Today, the French proved their strength again, this time taking silver behind New Zealand's multi world medallists and 2009 World Champions Peter Taylor and Storm Uru. World Champions from 2006 and 2007 and Olympic bronze medallists from Denmark, Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist, took their second bronze of the season.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: NZL, FRA, DEN
Lightweight Men's Four (LM4-)
Great Britain's crew mastered their final in commanding style taking the lead in the lightweight men's four after the half-way mark and holding off Australia's reigning World Champions who finished with silver. Olympic Champions from Denmark, take bronze. Great Britain won their first gold and third World Cup medal of the season having previously won silver in Belgrade and bronze in Lucerne.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GBR, DEN, CHN
Women's Quadruple Sculls (W4x)
Ukraine has made it three out of three in the women's quadruple sculls finishing here in Munich with clear water ahead of the rest of the field. Germany took their third silver of the season and Great Britain won a second bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: UKR, GER, GBR
Men's Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
Croatia finished the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup as firm favourites for Olympic gold in the men's quadruple sculls having won all three stages of the series. The Croatians were World Champions in 2010 and world bronze medallists last year. Following behind in silver for the third time this season was Germany and then, in bronze, Italy.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: CRO, GER, EST
Women's Eight (W8+)
Canada led the race from the start in the women's eight and took gold here in Munich, ahead of a challenging Romanian crew which finished with their second silver of the season, and Great Britain, who take their second bronze of the season.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: NED, CAN, GBR
Men's Single Sculls (M1x)
In the absence of five-time World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand and 2010 World Champion Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic, it was Germany's Marcel Hacker who dominated the men's single sculls field on home waters finishing with gold. Sweden's Lassi Karonen raced his first A-final this season and took silver, while Great Britain's Alan Campbell took his second medal of the season, bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: CZE, GBR, GER
Women's Single Sculls (W1x)
Two-time Olympic Champion and multi World Champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus was back on the scene of women's single scullers at her first World Rowing regatta of the season after injury prevented her from racing at the previous stages of the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup. Her experience was evident as she moved to the front of the field in the last half of the race, finishing ahead of New Zealand's world medallist Emma Twigg and Lithuania's Donata Vistartaite, who improved from two B-finals this season to take bronze.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: CHN, AZE, CZE
Men's Eight (M8+)
Poland took the early lead in the men's eight and held off challenges from Australia while Great Britain were unable to move up from third. Poland take their first medal of the season, gold, while Australia also take their first medal, silver, and Great Britain take their third, a bronze. Three-time World Champions Germany were not able to race in Munich due to illness.
Overall 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup Boat Class Standings: GBR, GER, POL