United States flourish at Under 23s

The United States finished second overall behind perennial winner, Germany, and in the process set a couple of firsts.

The United States ended up with a total of seven medals which is the most medals that the country has ever won at an under 23 regatta. The previous record was in 2002 when the nation won four medals. The US set a further record by winning the first medal ever in single sculling at the under 23 level. Olympian Lindsay Meyer, 21, finished third in the women’s single. 

The gold medals for the United States were all won in women’s sweep events. They made a clean sweep of these events by winning the women’s pair, four and eight. The women’s pair of Ashley Kroll and Felice Mueller was the only crew to set a new World Best Time at this year’s regatta. Kroll and Mueller set the time when they raced last year’s Under 23 World Champions, Romania in the final.

Germany was the most successful nation overall at the event earning 12 medals out of the 21 events. Gold for Germany came in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls and the women’s quadruple sculls, the men’s single sculls, the women’s double sculls and the men’s eight. Karl Schulze was particularly impressive in the men’s single. Schulze won by open water over former Junior World Champion, Aleksandar Aleksandrov of Azerbaijan. The 12 medal haul was slightly down on Germany’s tally in 2009.

Italy was third overall and their medal tally included three gold medals won in the men’s coxed four and men’s four and the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls.

Although many countries were unsuccessful in defending their 2009 Under 23 World Champion titles, three crews managed to retain their titles with the same rowers. Croatia’s men’s quadruple sculls romped away with a second title under the power of brothers Valent and Martin Sinkovic, David Sain and Damir Martin. Greece’s Triantafyllia Kalampoka and Christina Giazitzidou defended their lightweight women’s double sculls title and Mohsen Shadi Naghadeh of Iran became the Under 23 World Champion in the lightweight men’s single sculls for the second time.