1978 World Championships- Lake Karapiro, New Zealand

The Selectors, Jim Howden, Roger Moore and Bruce Evans, took the opportunity to trial candidates for selection through exhaustive land and water trials. Physiological and psychological testing was conducted at the Footscray Institute of Technology in Melbourne. The selectors also determined that all events would be entered subject to satisfactory times in the trials.

The eight was selected after the King's Cup Regatta and the remainder of the squad selected following trials at West Lakes (SA) late in September of that year.

The women's crew was selected by separate selectors namely Peter Philp, Peter Shakespeare and Colin Smith. At this stage the men's and women's rowing federations had not yet been combined. Accordingly the women's selectors were appointed by the Australian Women's Rowing Council.

The women's selectors initially selected an eight and five scullers to form a quad and single scull. Sue Gaskin (VIC) was originally selected but found she could not spare six months away from Melbourne to train in Sydney.

In order for the eight to compete, three of its members, namely Pauline Kahl (now Coates), Dale and Barbara Henrich, who were all US citizens had to be nationalised as Australian citizens prior to the event. The women's selectors deliberately planned their representation in 1978 on the basis of finding a crew of sufficient ability for the Olympic team in 1980. Their farsighted plans paid off with the women's four being selected for the 1980 Olympic Games and finishing fifth.

The best performing crews were the men's eight and the men's coxed four. The men's eight started off with a second place in the heat behind the eventual silver medallist, a third place in the repechage and in the final being edged out by New Zealand which, as host nation, won its only medal at these Championships.

The coxed four finished second in their heat behind the eventual gold medallist and managed fourth place in the repechage to make it through to the final where they finished fifth.

These were the first Championships at which the Team had its own doctor, physiotherapist and boatman. Managers had for many years sought the inclusion of medical support in the team without success.

These Championships, conducted in November, were the first held in the southern hemisphere and were a great success. Much credit goes to Don Rowlands, President, and Cyril Hilliard, Secretary of the organising committee on behalf of the New Zealand Rowing Association.

President Keller of FISA described the Championships as fantastic and the greatest rowing regatta he could recall. The spectator support was excellent and worthy of the work undertaken.

Fortunately for the New Zealanders they were able to win one medal for their Championships but unfortunately for the Australians it was at the expense of the Australian men's eight. Australia left Lake Karapiro with no medals.

A PDF copy of the 1978 regatta program can be found through this link. 

A PDF copy of the 1978 crew names, draw sheets and result sheets can be found through this link.

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

Results—Men's

Men's Single Scull

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd ARG, 3rd USA, 4th URS, 5th GBR
E2: 1st FRG, 2nd YUG, 3rd FIN, 4th AUS, 5th JPN
E3: 1st NZL, 2nd SWE, 3rd ITA, 4th FRA, 5th SUI
R: 1st URS, 2nd AUS, 3rd GBR, 4th SUI, 5th FRA, 6th JPN
SF1: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd FIN, 4th SWE, 5th GBR, 6th USA
SF2: 1st YUG, 2nd URS, 3rd ARG, 4th NZL, 5th AUS, 6th ITA
Final B: 7th SWE, 8th NZL, 9th USA, 10th AUS, 11th GBR, 12th ITA
Final: 1st FRG (Peter-Michael Kolbe) 7.06.01; 2nd GDR; 3rd YUG, 4th URS, 5th ARG, 6th FIN

Men's Double Scull

E1: 1st NOR, 2nd GBR, 3rd GDR, 4th NZL, 5th CHI, 6th ESP
E2: 1st SUI, 2nd USA, 3rd AUS, 4th YUG, 5th AUT, 6th JPN
R1: 1st GBR, 2nd NZL, 3rd AUS, 4th AUT, 5th ESP
R2: 1st USA, 2nd GDR, 3rd YUG, 4th CHI. 5th JPN
Final B: 7th AUT, 8th YUG, 9th AUS, 10th CHI, 11th JPN, 12th ESP
Final: 1st NOR (Hansen brothers) 6.51.23; 2nd GBR (Baillieu & Hart); 3rd SUI, 4th GDR, 5th USA, 6th NZL

Men's Quad Scull

E1: 1st BUL, 2nd GBR, 3rd ESP, 4th AUS, 5tn JPN
E2: 1st GDR, 2nd FRA, 3rd FRG, 4th TCH, 5th NZL
R1: 1st FRG, 2nd TCH, 3rd GBR, 4th JPN
R2: 1st FRA, 2nd ESP, 3rd NZL, 4th AUT
Final B: 7th AUT, 8th NZL, 9th JPN—GBR not rowed out
Final: 1st GDR 6.08.94; 2nd FRA; 3rd FRG, 4th TCH, 5th BUL, 6th ESP

Men's Coxless Pair

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd NED, 3rd GBR, 4th IRL, 5th BUL
E2: 1st YUG, 2nd FRA, 3rd AUS, 4th CAN, 5th AUT
E3: 1st NOR, 2nd USA, 3rd NZL, 4th URS
R: 1st IRL, 2nd CAN, 3rd URS, 4th BUL, 5th AUT
SF1: 1st GDR, 2nd GBR, 3rd USA, 4th YUG, 5th AUS, 6th URS
SF2: 1st IRL, 2nd NED, 3rd FRA, 4th NOR, 5th CAN, 6th NZL
Final B: 7th YUG, 8th URS, 9th AUS, 10th NOR, 11th NZL, 12th CAN
Final: 1st GDR (Landvoight brothers)7.00.92; 2nd GBR; 3rd FRA, 4th NED, 5th IRL, 6th USA

Men's Coxed Pair

E1: 1st BUL, 2nd FRG, 3rd POL, 4th USA, 5th CAN
E2: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd IRL, 4th AUS, 5th NZL
R1: 1st FRG, 2nd IRL, 3rd NZL, 4th USA
R2: 1st TCH, 2nd POL, 3rd AUS, 4th CAN
Final B: 7th USA, 8th NZL, 9th AUS, 10th CAN
Final: 1st GDR 7.27.43; 2nd TCH; 3rd POL, 4th FRG, 5th BUL, 6th IRL

Men's Coxless Four

E1: 1st GBR, 2nd FRG, 3rd TCH, 4th URS, 5th AUS, 6th FRA
E2: 1st GDR, 2nd NZL, 3rd SUI, 4th NED, 5th ESP, 6th CAN
R1: 1st FRG, 2nd FRA, 3rd AUS, 4th SUI
R2: 1st URS, 2nd TCH, 3rd NZL, 4th ESP, 5th CAN
Final B: 7th NZL, 8th SUI, 9th AUS, 10th ESP, 11th NED, 12th CAB
Final: 1st URS 6.19.25; 2nd GDR, 3rd GBR, 4th FRA, 5th TCH, 6th FRG

Men's Coxed Four

E1: 1st FRG, 2nd USA, 3rd BUL, 4th CHN
E2: 1st GDR, 2nd AUS, 3rd NZL, 4th YUG
R: 1st BUL, 2nd USA, 3rd NZL, 4th AUS, 5th YUG, 6th CHN
Final; B: 7th YUG, 8th CHN
Final: 1st GDR 6.30.25; 2nd FRG; 3rd BUL, 4th USA, 5th AUS, 6th NZL

Men's Eight

E1: 1st GDR, 2nd NZL, 3rd BUL, 4th FRA
E2: 1st FRG, 2nd AUS, 3rd GBR
R: 1st NZL, 2nd BUL, 3rd AUS, 4th FRA, 5th GBR
Final: 1st GDR 5.54.25; 2nd FRG; 3rd NZL, 4th AUS, 5th FRA, 6th BUL

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Men's Eight Training

bow Steve Handley, 2 John Sivewright, 3 Kerry Jelbart, 4 Athol McDonald, 5 Gary Uebergang, 6 Gordon Clubb, 7 Ian Clubb, str Islay Lee, cox Stewart Carter

Reg Stride, Boatman