1991 World Championships- Vienna Austria

1991 was an exciting and successful season highlighted by two gold medals and seven finalists. It was the largest Australian rowing team to race in Europe with 74 members.

Further, two crews raced at the Lucerne Regatta with great success, three crews undertook altitude training at St Moritz and the men's four had a successful two month tour of Europe.

The men's four once again won at Lucerne and at the World Championships making them the hot favourite for the 1992 Olympic Games. The lightweight quad scull raced a heartstopping race rowing through the field to win by 0.23 seconds.

Special mention must be made of Peter Antonie's fourth place in the single scull. For a person of his height and weight his result in the final was unbelievable particularly after one of the toughest semi final races ever seen. Peter was still very stiff and sore from the semi-final when the final was raced two days later.

Also with a sensational semi final was the men's double scull which was won by Australia. Australia led the whole way but with 100m to go four crews were in a line before Austria stopped rowing to the horror of the home crowd. Australia went on to record a win in that race. In the final our crew led to the 1000m but was unable to withhold the opposition in the second half of the race.

The Australian lightweight crews were very strong but it appeared that the standard had risen across the board internationally since 1990 as well.

The altitude camp was undertaken under the stewardship of Thor Nilsen, the successful coach of Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Irish crews. Alan Hahn from the AIS joined the tour as a consultant, continuing his work into physiological aspects of rowing performance. Much was learned from the altitude experience, though it was not repeated in 1992.

Index to Results on this Page
M1x	M2x	M4x
M2-	M2+	M4-	M4+	M8
W1x	W2x	W4x
W2-		W4-		W8
ML1x	ML2x	ML4x
		ML4-		ML8
WL1x	WL2x
		WL4-

Results

Men's Single Scull

Final C: 13th SWE, 14th USA, 15th FIN, 16th MEX, 17th YUG, 18th LIB
Final B: 7th NOR, 8th ARG, 9th GRE, 10th ITA, 11th SUI, 12th URS
Final: 1st GER 6.41.29, 2nd TCH 6.45.26, 3rd POL 6.48.91, 4th AUS 6:52.35, 5th NZL 6:53.71, 6th AUT 7:00.08

World Champion Thomas Lange

Peter finished third in his heat and second in his repechage. In this author's opinion, his greatest race ever was in the semi-final where he qualified. He raced against far stronger and bigger opposition and had to row through them to get third place. However this race was to drain him completely and so his final result of fourth was sensational.

Men's Double Scull

Final D: 18th BUL, 19th JPN
Final C: 13th POR, 14th MEX, 15th FRA, 16th GBR, 17th GRE
Final B: 7th AUT, 8th FIN, 9th HUN, 10th TCH, 11th ITA, 12th BEL
Final: 1st NED 6:06.14, 2nd URS 6:07.49, 3rd GER 6:08.36, 4th NOR 6:09.71, 5th AUS 6:12.09, 6thUSA 6:16.52

The Australians finished second in their heat and won both their repechage and semi-final. The Semi was against the silver and bronze medallists and so the final result would have been a disappointment.

Men's Quad Scull

Final C: 13th TCH, 14th AUT, 15th HUN, 15th ISR
Final B: 7th POL, 8th SUI, 9th FRA, 10th DEN, 11th ESP, 12th AUS
Final: 1st URS 6:08.39, 2nd ITA 6:11.21, 3rd HOL 6;13.03, 4th GER 6:14.08, 5th USA 6:16.00, 6th SWE 6:17.66

The Australian crew had experimented with altitude training along with the men's double and single. The crew finished third in their heat, third in the repechage and fifth in the semi-final. The result was disappointing in a pre Olympic year.

Men's Coxless Pair

Final D: 18th JPN, 19th BUL
Final C: 13th DEN, 14th ITA, 15th FIN, 16th MEX, 17th POL
Final B: 7th CAN, 8th USA, 9th NZL, 10th BEL, 11th HUN, 12th ROM
Final: 1st GBR 6.21.35, 2nd YUG 6.24.18, 3rd AUT 6.24.51, 4th URS 6:24.59, 5th FRA 6:25.85, 6th GER 6:31.75

Men's Coxed Pair

Final C: 13th CUB, 14th BUL, 15th BRA
Final B: 7th ESP, 8th FRA, 9th USA, 10th GBR, 11th AUT, 12th GRE
Final: 1st ITA 7.34.39, 2nd POL 7.35.83, 3rd TCH 7.38.02, 4th ROM 7:38.97, 5th GER 7:42.19, 6th YUG 7:46.61

Another great win to the Abbagnale brothers.

Men's Coxless Four

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th DEN, 9th FIN
Final: 1st AUS 6.29.69, 2nd USA 6:32.2, 3rd GER 6.34.43, 4th ITA 6:35.82, 5th HOL 6:38.04, 6th FRA 6:42.36

The Oarsome Foursome won despite being penalised a false start for a traffic infringement the day before.

Men's Coxed Four

Final C: 13th BUL, 14th YUG
Final B: 7th USA, 8th CHN, 9th CUB, 10th ITA, 11th BEL, 12th TCH
Final: 1st GER 5:58.96, 2nd ROM 6:00.29, 3rd POL 6:01.30, 4th GBR 6:01.50, 5th FRA 6:02.13, 6th URS 6:03.37

Men's Eight

Final B: 7th URS, 8th USA, 9th ITA, 10th AUS, 11th TCH
Final: 1st GER 5:50.98, 2nd CAN 5:51.68, 3rd GBR 5:52.74, 4th ROM 5:53.12, 5th CHN 5:58.50, 6th NZL 6:00.50

Women's Single Scull

Final B: 7th HOL, 8th BUL, 9th MEX, 10th GRE, 11th CYP
Final: 1st CAN 8.17.58, 2nd ROM 8.20.53, 3rd BEL 8.21.96, 4th USA 8:24.31, 5th SWE 8:30.13, 6th GER 8:36.71

Another great result for Silken Laumann of Canada.

Women's Double Scull

Final B: 7th AUS, 8th USA, 9th HUN, 10th SWE, 11th AUT, 12th BEL
Final: 1st GER 6.44.71, 2nd ROM 6.46.40, 3rd URS 6.47.36, 4th CHN 6:50.18, 5th BUL 6:56.02, 6th GBR 6:59.47

The Australians finished third in both heat and repechage and therefore were relegated to the B final.

Women's Quad Scull

Final B: 7th CHN, 8th DEN, 9th USA
Final: 1st GER 6.55.85, 2nd URS 7.00.37, 3rd ROM 7.04.86, 4th HOL 7:06.67, 5th BUL 7:13.98, 6th TCH 7:17.63

Women's Pair

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th AUS, 9th JPN
Final: 1st CAN 6.57.42, 2nd GER 6.59.55, 3rd GBR 7.02.28, 4th FRA 7:05.48, 5th ROM 7:12.10, 6th USA 7:14.56

Women's Four

Final B: 7th FRA, 8th AUS, 9th URS, 10th BUL
Final: 1st CAN 6.25.47, 2nd USA 6.27.39, 3rd GER 6.30.30, 4th CHN 6:30.30, 5th GBR 6:33.89, 6th ROM 6:36.00

The Australians disappointed in their repechage finishing last and being relegated to the B final.

Women's Eight

Final B: 7th CHN, 8th NZL, 9th BUL, 10th TCH, 11th AUS
Final: 1st CAN 6.28.20, 2nd URS 6.28.73, 3rd ROM 6.34.07, 4th USA 6:34.55, 5th GER 6:36.66, 6th FRA 6:41.40

The Australian eight finished fourth in their heat and repechage and last in their B final.