U23 Lightweight Women's Quadruple Sculls - (BLW4x) - Final

Two crews in this race had two members that were in medalling boats last year. Italy’s Valentina Rodini and Greta Masserano were part of last year’s silver medal winning crew. They helped their boat qualify directly for this A-Final from their heat with the fastest qualifying time. Switzerland won bronze in this event last year, and Adeline Seydoux and Pauline Delacroix were part of this feat. They were back again this year, hoping to better their result.

But it was France out in front in the first quarter, with Germany in second and closing in on the French fast. Italy were in third while Switzerland were struggling back in sixth.

Italy put on the pressure in the second 500m, overtaking Germany, then France. The Italians did not slow down, increasing their lead ahead of Germany. With one quarter of the race left to go, Italy had secured a nearly two-second lead over the Germans – one boat length. France was in third and began to up their rate to overhaul Germany. There was nothing between the second and third crews in the fight for silver and bronze.

At the line, it was Italy in gold, with the efforts of the French in the final strokes paying off and awarding them with silver ahead of Germany in bronze.

Results: ITA, FRA, GER, GBR, SUI, DEN

Giorgia Lo Bue (s) – ITA – Gold 

“It’s amazing to be World Champion, I have no words to describe it. The under-23 worlds are different from the juniors. The level is much higher and everything is more complicated and specific here. I want to dedicate this victory to my sister, with whom I won the two junior world champs in the pair and today she isn’t here because she is injured. But she is always with me and she was with me from the first stroke to the last. I love her so much.”

Laura Tarantola and Selma Dhaoudi – FRA – Silver

“Our strong point was always the first thousand so we said we should do a second start at the bridge. It worked really well, we went away from GBR and we felt all the worked paid off.” 

Lena Daniel (b) – GER – bronze

“It’s my first medal and my first World Championships, it feels so great. We had a slow start, but then we found some speed and we were really good together.”

B – Final

With three boats racing for positions seven to nine, Austria decided to be the leaders from the outset in the B-Final of the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls. The United States followed in second with Hungary in third. At the half-way mark, the positions remained unchanged and the boats stayed in that order until the line.

Results: AUT, USA, HUN