A Final at the 2013 World Rowing Championships

Lucy Strack and Julia Edward put in a fantastic showing in the women’s lightweight double scull finishing up in fifth. They had a hard race with a head wind.This place positions Julia in the top 50% of the New Zealand Elite Crews.

New Zealand entered 14 crews, finishing with 7 entries in A Finals.The New Zealand rowing crews bagged a total of five medals – one gold, three silver and one bronze.  The men’s pair won gold, women’s double scull, men’s lightweight four and the women’s single scull took silver while the women’s pair picked up bronze.

The Italian crew which won the event, have only been together for a year, but  30 year old Sancassani and 28 year old Milani  have both been rowing for two decades. Until 2012 Sancassani was rowing at heavyweight grade. Milani was 3^rd in the Lightweight single at the 2010 World Rowing Champs at Karapiro. The Italian crew won Gold at the 2013 WRC III in Lucerne, also winning Gold ahead of the Silver Olympic medal winners from Greece at last year’s 2012 European Championships and Gold at the same event this year.

Germany's Lena Mueller and Anja Noske have been at the forefront of the field this year, with a Silver from the 2013 European Rowing Champs in Seville and a gold from the  Eton Dorney World Cup (2013 WRC II).

Great Britain's Kathryn Twyman and Imogen Walsh also presented serious competition, having won Bronze in Sydney (2013 RWC I) and silver at Eton Dorney (2013 WRC II).The Brit crew was the only crew which had not changed from their 2012 London Olympic entry.

This year Julia won Gold in Sydney at the WRC I in Sydney and Bronze at the WRC III (did not attend WRC II.)Last year Julia won a Gold at WRC III in Munich and a silver at WRC II in Lucerne.( did not attend WRC I).

Last year Julia Edward and Louise Ayling competed in the Olympics, finishing 9^th.

World Rowing Championships; Chungju, Korea - LW2x 

31.8.13 Final A

1              ITA          7:17.31    Laura MILANI, Elisabetta SANCASSANI

2              USA        7:20.73    Kristin HEDSTROM, Kathleen BERTKO

3              GER        7:22.24    Lena MUELLER, Anja NOSKE

4              GBR        7:24.64    Kathryn TWYMAN, Imogen WALSH

5              NZL         7:27.33    Julia EDWARD, Lucy STRACK

6              NED        7:34.36    Elisabeth WOERNER, Maaike HEAD