1974 World Championships- Lucerne Switzerland

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four

str Campbell Johnston, 3 Andrew Michelmore, 2 Geoff Rees, bow Colin Smith

This was a momentous year for world rowing. Women's and lightweight men's events were introduced for the first time in international rowing competition and the World Championships became an annual event.

The European Championships, held since 1892, were abolished. The women's events were held separately from the men's events at Lucerne. The lightweight men's events were held as FISA Championship events and were conducted contemporaneously with the men's events. Finally the new Men's Quad Scull event was introduced.

It was a momentous year for Australian rowing with our first ever gold medal in a sweep event at this level. The tour was also notable in that the men's lightweight four took their own boat in which to race in Europe. The same boat was used by Australian lightweight crews until 1978.

It is interesting to note that at this time there were no selection trials for choosing the team. Crews were required to perform at the national championships, King's Cup regattas and also at state championships.

In 1974 the NSW State Championships were regarded as an unofficial selection trial. The lightweight four's selection is credited to a third placing in the heavyweight coxed fours at those championships.

A small number of images of this regatta can be found at: 1974 World Championships (australianrowingimages.com)

Racing

The lightweight four won its heat and led the whole race in the final.

The eight finished a creditable second in the petite final. The eights final was a great race with three seconds splitting the first five crews.

The Landvoight brothers of East Germany won the first of five World Championship and Olympic gold medals in the coxless pair.

The East German and powerful Soviet crews dominated the regatta. Future FISA President Denis Oswald (SUI) and future Vice President Roland Weill (SUI) competed in the men's quad sculls.

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

Results—Women's

Women's Single Scull

E1: 1st FRA, 2nd TCH, 3rd SUI, 4th NED, 5th AUS
E2: 1st BUL, 2nd HUN, 3rd AUT, 4th CAN, 5th GBR
E3: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd BEL, 4th USA, 5th URS
R: 1st URS, 2nd USA, 3rd NED, 4th AUS, 5th GBR
SF1: 1st FRA, 2nd FRG, 3rd BUL, 4th SUI, 5th AUT, 6th NED
SF2: 1st GDR, 2nd BEL, 3rd URS, 4th USA, 5th HUN, 6th TCH
Final B: 7th USA, 8th HUN, 9th TCH, 10th NED, 11th AUT, 12th SUI
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd BEL, 4th FRG, 5th FRA, 6th BUL

Women's Double Scull

E1: 1st URS, 2nd BUL, 3rd TCH, 4th FRA, 5th SUI
E2: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd DEN, 4th BEL, 5th CAC
E3: 1st 1st NED, 2nd POL, 3rd AUT, 4th USA
R: 1st FRA, 2nd BEL, 3rd USA, 4th CAN, 5th SUI
SF1; 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rd POL, 4th DEN, 5th TCH, 6th USA
SF2: 1st FRG, 2nd BUL, 3rd NED, 4th AUT, 5th FRA, 6th BEL
Final B: 7th DEN, 8th TCH, 9th AUT, 10th FRA, 11th USA, 12th BEL
Final: 1st URS, 2nd FRG, 3rd GDR, 4th POL, 5th NED, 6th BUL

Women's Quad Scull

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd POL, 3rd DEN, 4th BUL, 5th CAN, 6th GBR
E2: 1st ROM, 2nd URS, 3rd USA, 4th NED, 5th NOR
E3: 1st FRG, 2nd TCH, 3rd HUN, 4th FRA, 5th SWE
R1: 1st USA, 2nd POL, 3rd FRA, 4th CAN
R2; 1st URS, 2nd HUN, 3rd BUL, 4th NOR
R3: 1st TCH, 2nd NED, 3rd DEN, 4th SWE, 5th GBR
SF1: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd URS, 4th NED, 5th POL, 6th BUL
SF2: 1st ROM, 2nd HUN, 3rd TCH, 4th USA, 5th DEN, 6th FRA
Final B: 7th USA, 8th NED, 9th POL, 10th DEN, 11th BUL—FRA scratched
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd ROM, 3rd URS, 4th FRG, 5th TCH, 6th HUN

Women's Pair

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd USA, 4th FRG, 5th BUL, 6th GBR
E2: 1st ROM, 2nd URS, 3rd CAN, 4th AUS, 5th HUN
R1: 1st TCH, 2nd FRG, 3rd GBR, 4th CAN, 5th HUN
R2: 1st USA, 2nd URS, 3rd BUL, 4th AUS
Final B: 7th BUL, 8th HUN, 9th GBR, 10th CAN, 11th AUS
Final: 1st ROM, 2nd GDR, 3rd URS, 4th TCH, 5th USA, 6th FRG

Women's Coxed Four

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd NED, 3rd NZL, 4th URS, 5th BUL, 6th GBR
E2: 1st FRA, 2nd ROM, 3rd FRG, 4th POL, 5th USA,
R1: 1st NED, 2nd URS, 3rd FRG, 4th USA, 5th GBR
R2: 1st ROM, 2nd POL, 3rd BUL, 4th NZL
Final B: 7th FRG, 8th BUL, 9th NZL, 10th USA, 11th GBR
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd NED, 3rd ROM, 4th FRA, 5th URS, 6th POL

Women's Eight

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd HUN, 3rd BUL, 4th POL, 5th USA
E2: 1st URS, 2nd ROM, 3rd FRG, 4th NED
R1: 1st FRG, 2nd POL, 3rd HUN
R2: 1st ROM, 2nd NED, 3rd BUL, 4th USA
Final B: 7th HUN, 8th BUL, 9th USA
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd ROM, 4th FRG, 5th NED, 6th POL

Results—Men's Lightweight

Men's Lightweight Single Scull

E1: 1st GBR, 2nd BEL, 3rd JPN, 4th SWE, 5th FIN
E2: 1st USA, 2nd NED, 3rd SUI, 4th FRG
E3: 1st MEX, 2nd CAN, 3rd NOR, 4th TUR
R: 1st FRG, 2nd SWE, 3rd FIN, 4th TUR
SF1: 1st USA, 2nd SUI, 3rd GBR, 4th CAN, 5th JPN, 6th FIN
SF2: 1st NED, 2nd MEX, 3rd FRG, 4th BEL, 5th NOR, 6th SWE
Final B: 7th CAN, 8th NOR, 9th BEL, 10th JPN, 11th FIN, 12th SWE
Final: 1st USA (William Belden) 7:33.72, 2nd NED (H Punt), 3rd SUI (Renato Wyss), 4th GBR, 5th FRG, 6th MEX

Men's Lightweight Four

E1: 1st NED, 2nd USA, 3rd SWE, 4th FRG, 5th NOR, 6th TUR
E2: 1st AUS, 2nd DEN, 3rd CAN, 4th GBR, 5th MEX
R1: 1st USA, 2nd NOR, 3rd GBR, 4th CAN, 5th TUR
R2: 1st FRG, 2nd SWE, 3rd DEN, 4th MEX
Final B: 7th GBR, 8th DEN, 9th CAN, 10th TUR, 11th MEX
Final: 1st AUS 6.38.12; 2nd NED; 3rd USA, 4th FRG, 5th SWE, 6th NOR

Men's Lightweight Eight

Final: 1st USA 6.15.25; 2nd NED, 3rd FRG, 4th CAN