The year that was … men’s double sculls

Best race:  The Olympic final.  Croatia may have been the out and out favourites but Lithuania was not going to hand them Olympic gold on a plate.  Mindaugas Griskonis and Saulius Ritter stuck with the Sinkovic brothers to the 1000 metre mark before taking the lead in the third quarter.  Valent Sinkovic noticed his rivals tiring as they went into the final quarter and Croatia surged ahead, eventually taking the race by just over a second – the closest margin that the Sinkovic’s have had to contend with.  In third place, former single sculling Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte with partner Kjetil Borch struggled through the choppy conditions to take third over Italy, Great Britain and France.

End of season surprise:  The Sinkovic brothers are quitting the double in search of a new prize.  They are switching to the men’s pair – a class dominated by New Zealand’s Eric Murray and Hamish Bond for the past eight years.  Murray and Bond are taking a break from rowing in 2017 but the prospect of the two crews battling it out is bound to delight many rowing fans

Quotes:
 “It is an incredible feeling, we can’t be happier. It was a very tough race. They (Lithuania) were very good in 3^rd 500, but we managed to pull something special in the last 500. We saw Lithuania was tiring and we pushed all the way.” – Valent Sinkovic (CRO)

“It is Olympic Games (that is how we found something special). The tears are coming now. I am so happy. It’s incredible.”  – Martin Sinkovic (CRO)

“I am happy to be on the podium, but disappointed in not making the best we can. I knew we couldn’t beat the Croatians, but we wanted more. To be back in a team boat, I am really happy about that. I am really happy about the 4 months we had together. I had to change my bad habits. I think I improved, but maybe not enough.”  – Olaf Tufte (NOR)

The year in review:   This year was the Sinkovic brothers’ year from start to finish.  The two were World Rowing Champions in the double in 2014 and 2015 and hold the World Best Time of 5:59.72, the first crew to go under six minutes in this class.  They won World Cup gold at Lucerne and, despite a valiant challenge from Lithuania, went on to take gold at Rio. 

Lithuania’s Griskonis and Ritter, gave it everything to take Olympic silver. They had been bronze medallists at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup.  Former single sculls World Champion, Tufte, returned to the double sculls, a boat he won Olympic silver at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.  He was joined by first time Olympian and 2013 World Champion, Borch.   The two had to qualify for Rio in the last chance regatta in Lucerne in May this year. They then went on to prove they were more than worthy of their spot with a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup regatta in Poznan before the Rio bronze. 

The New Zealand crew of Robert Manson and Christopher Harris provided one of the big shocks of the year.  They won at Poznan (Croatia did not race) and came second in Lucerne but failed to make the final at Rio after finishing fourth in their semifinal.  Italy and Great Britain both has strong seasons,  each medalling throughout the World Cup regattas, but could not covert that into Olympic glory.

Photo pick: 

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