1979 World Championships- Bled Yugoslavia

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four

Coach Rusty Robertson, Geoff Webb, Graham Hefer, Clyde Hefer, Michael Smith (men's lightweight eight crew member) & Graham Wearne

The Australian team sent to Bled in Yugoslavia was to that date the largest ever to compete in Europe. The results achieved were not commensurate with its size, as no crew was to win a medal. However this was not to create any dismay in view of the very promising performance of the men's eight and women's four.

The men's team was put through stringent testing prior to selection as had been done the previous year. The women's crews were again selected by separate selectors. This was the first season of Reinhold Batschi as the National Director of Coaching and he devised a very tough training program for all crews.

The work load was far higher than any previously established for any Australian team. There was a series of changes to the originally selected Team.

Unfortunately Colin Smith was forced to withdraw from the lightweight eight due to business commitments. The same fate befell David Boykett the coach of the women's four, but David Palfreyman was able to take over immediately.

Finally Robert Lang had to withdraw from the eight suffering back problems. Rob Lang was replaced by Ted Hale in the eight even though Ted was selected as the single sculler. Finally, Vaughan Bollen badly damaged his ankle and had to return to Australia from Europe. He was replaced by Michael Smith in the lightweight eight and the lightweight double scull with Steve Spurling was disbanded.

The eight was unfortunate not to do better. Their semi final race was one of the highlights of the Championships with the Australian crew finishing just under a second from Russia and New Zealand.

The start in the final was upset with equipment breakages in the American crew. The race was stopped shortly after the start after Australia had begun brilliantly. Unfortunately the second start was not a reproduction of the first and Australia was in third place most of the way down the course until New Zealand began a brilliant last five hundred metres rowing through Australia and the USSR to a silver medal.

It is also worth noting that in 1979 Australia named its first lightweight women's team which competed at the American National Championships and the Canadian Henley.

Results—Men's

Men's Single Scull

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th BZL, 9th YUG, 10th SUI, 11th FRA, 12th ARG
Final: 1st FIN (Pertii Karpinnen), 2nd FRG, 3rd GDR, 4th SWE, 5th GBR, 6th URS

Men's Double Scull

Final B: 7th USA, 8th CAN, 9th URS, 10th POL, 11th ESP, 12th AUT
Final: 1st NOR, 2nd TCH, 3rd GDR, 4th GBR, 5th SUI, 6th FRG

Men's Quad Scull

Final B: 7th URS, 8th POL, 9th DEN, 10th TCH, 11th AUT, 12th NED
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd FRA, 4th YUG, 5th USA, 6th BUL

Men's Coxless Pair

Final B: 7th CAN, 8th NED, 9th SWE, 10th USA, 11th TCH, 12th BUL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd SUI, 4th GBR, 5th FRG, 6th DEN

Men's Coxed Pair

Final B: 7th ITA, 8th URS, 9th POL, 10th HUN, 11th ESP
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd USA, 4th YUG, 5th ROM, 6th BUL

Men's Coxless Four

Final B: 7th FRA, 8th TCH, 9th NOR, 10th SWE, 11th DEN, 12th POL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd GBR, 4th URS, 5th NED, 6th SUI

Men's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th IRL, 9th TCH, 10th POL, 11th NOR, 12th FRA
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd FRG, 4th USA, 5th ESP, 6th BUL

Men's Eight

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th FRA, 9th FRG, 10th BUL, 11th YUG, 12th HUN
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd NZL, 3rd URS, 4th AUS, 5th USA, 6th GBR