Germany's Lars Hartig
Lars Hartig of Germany races in the lightweight men's single sculls A-final at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Miani has been rowing internationally since 2002 and has rowed in a whole range of lightweight boats since that time. But the race opened with Germany’s top lightweight single sculler, Lars Hartig in the lead. By the middle of the race Hartig still had the lead with Miani following in second. Then came winner of the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Michael Schmid of Switzerland in third.

These three scullers had moved away from the rest of the field by the second half of the race with Miani looking to have the best sprint. As the race closed Miani had shown his sculling superiority and taken the lead. Schmid looked like he was just holding on. Miani had not only become the new World Champion, but he had set a new World Best Time. The standard in the lightweight men’s single sculls is now 6:43.37.

Results: ITA, GER, SUI, IRL, AUS, POR

Gold – MIANI, Marcello (ITA)
Today I felt good. I love the conditions, the wind and the waves.

Silver – HARTIG, Lars (GER)
I am happy. It was my first time competing at an international level in a single.

Bronze – SCHMID, Michael (SUI)
It was hard, it was my fifth final and this is my first time on the podium. It’s great.

B-final

The times in the semifinals were incredibly close meaning that China and Slovakia missed out on racing the A-final by less than a second. Today China’s Jingbin Zhao took off the fastest with Denmark’s Steffen Jensen holding his pace. Zhao raced earlier this season in the lightweight pair while Jensen is part of Denmark’s powerful lightweight squad. Jensen then pulled ahead of Zhao, but Zhao held on and managed to get back into the lead with just five strokes to go.

Results: CHN, DEN, SVK, GBR, HUN, JPN