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history of australian rowing at world championships

1983 World Championships- Duisburg Germany

Photos 1983 World Championships Photo Gallery

Men's Eight

Men's Eight

bow Sam Patten, 2 Bruce Keynes, 3 lan Edmunds, 4 David Doyle, 5 Jim Battersby, 6 Tim Willoughby, 7 Ion Popa, str John Quigley, cox Gavin Thredgold

The ARC decided to reduce the number of people who would be able to travel to twenty-four, and the selectors were then given the difficult task of selecting this group. The restriction was based on financial grounds as the recent large teams had proven to be beyond the resources of the ARC and the State Associations. Simon Gillett now joined the National Selection Panel.

The preparation again involved two trips with the first tour racing at Vichy (FRA), Ratzeburg (GDR) and Nottingham (GBR). In the first two regattas, the eight and single sculler performed excellently. Tim McLaren at the Ratzeburg Regatta got within 1.9 seconds of the current World Champion Peter-Michael Kolbe. Clyde Hefer was originally selected in the men's eight but had to withdraw due to back injury. Graham Jones entered the team as reserve.

Tim McLaren suffered back problems also which contributed later to his missing out on a deserved place in the final. Jim Battersby writing in Australian Rowing stated that his final ranking of seventh should be seen as one of the finest achievements of the Australian team after the difficulties and hardships endured.

Tim McLaren

Tim McLaren

However the highlights of the Regatta went to the heavyweight eight winning a bronze medal and to the lightweight eight who picked up a silver medal. The heavyweight eight had high expectations and unfortunately drew a bad lane in the final being sheltered from the advantageous tail breeze. Added to this was a bad start and it was only at about the one thousand metre mark did the eight settle down. Unfortunately New Zealand was well past them at that stage.

Australia finished well over the last five hundred but were 3.5 seconds behind the winners result which was disappointing to all members of the team. However it was a significant achievement considering the inexperience of the crew and they looked forward to the 1984 Olympic Games.

The lightweight eight led through the first thousand metre mark but Spain moved ahead by one second in the third five hundred. Australia eventually won the silver medal.

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

Results—Women's

Women's Single Scull

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th BEL, 9th NOR, 10th FRA, 11th NED, 12th AUT
Final: 1st GDR 3.36.51, 2nd URS, 3rd USA, 4th DEN, 5th CAN, 6th ROM

Women's Double Scull

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th NOR, 9th SWE, 10th USA, 11th FRG, 12th CAN
Final: 1st GDR 3.13.44, 2nd URS, 3rd ROM, 4th HUN, 5th NED, 6th BUL

Women's Quad Scull with Cox

Final B: 7th DEN, 8th FRG, 9th BUL, 10th ROM, 11th USA, 12th NED
Final: 1st URS 3.02.48, 2nd GDR, 3rd BUL, 4th ROM, 5th USA, 6th NED

Women's Coxless Pair

Final B: 7th USA, 8th NED, 9th IRL, 10th BEL
Final: 1st GDR 3.26.38, 2nd ROM, 3rd CAN, 4th FRG, 5th URS, 6th BUL

Women's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th POL, 8th GBR, 9th FRA, 10th TCH
Final: 1st GDR 3.11.18, 2nd ROM, 3rd URS, 4th CAN, 5th USA, 6th BUL

Women's Eight

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th GBR
Final: 1st URS 2.56.22, 2nd USA, 3rd GDR, 4th CAN, 5th ROM, 6th BUL

Australian Team

Men's Single Scull - Seventh
Tim McLaren (NSW)

Men's Lightweight Single Scull - Fifth
Allan Pollock (NSW)

Men's Eight - Bronze
Bow: Sam Patten (VIC)
2: Bruce Keynes (SA)
3: lan Edmunds (QLD)
4: David Doyle (VIC)
5: Jim Battersby (NSW)
6: Tim Willoughby (SA)
7: Ion Popa (VIC)
Str: John Quigley (SA)
Cox: Gavin Thredgold (SA)
Cch: Reinhold Batschi (ACT)
Res: Graham Jones (NSW)

Men's Lightweight Eight - Silver
Bow: Brian Digby (VIC)
2: Paul Harvey (TAS)
3: Greg Raszyk (WA)
4: Richard Hay (WA)
5: Peter Antonie (VIC)
6: Bruce House (TAS)
7: lan Jordan (TAS)
Str: Stephen Spurling (VIC)
Cox: Graham Barnes (VIC)
Cch: Rusty Robertson (NSW)

Manager: Don Croot (NSW)
Doctor: Bill Webb (NSW)
Selectors: William Hay (SA), Don Croot (NSW), Simon Gillett (VIC), Reinhold Batschi (ACT)

Results—Men's

Men's Single Scull

Final B: 7th AUS, 8th FIN, 9th NED, 10th BEL, 11th NZL, 12th BUL
Final: 1st FRG 6.49.88, 2nd GDR, 3rd USA, 4th URS, 5th TCH, 6th POL

Men's Double Scull

Final B; 7th URS, 8th YUG, 9th AUT, 10th FRA, 11th ITA, 12th TCH
Final: 1st GDR 6.20.17, 2nd NOR, 3rd FRG, 4th FIN, 5th CAN, 6th USA

Men's Quad Scull

Final B: 7th USA, 8th NED, 9th NOR, 10th URS, 11th BUL, 12th HUN
Final: 1st FRG 5.45.97, 2nd GDR, 3rd ITA, 4th CAN, 5th TCH, 6th FRA

Men's Coxless Pair

Final B; 7th ITA, 8th USA, 9th TCH, 10th SUI, 11th FRA, 12th FIN
Final: 1st GDR 6.35.85, 2nd URS, 3rd NOR, 4th NED, 5th CAN, 6th ESP

Men's Coxed Pair

Final B: 7th BUL, 8th ESP, 9th POL, 10th FRA, 11th BEL, 12th USA
Final: 1st GDR 6.49.75, 2nd URS, 3rd ITA, 4th YUG, 5th TCH, 6th SUI

Men's Coxless Four

Final B: 7th ROM, 8th DEN, 9th NED, 10th GBR, 11th ITA, 12th POL
Final: 1st FRG 5.57.02, 2nd URS, 3rd SWE, 4th GDR, 5th TCH, 6th USA

West German crew

Winning West German crew of Hedderich, Hormann, Wiedemann and Dursch

Men's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th USA, 8th ITA, 9th POL, 10th BUL, 11th HUN, 12th NED
Final: 1st NZL 6.13.89, 2nd GDR, 3rd URS, 4th FRG, 5th TCH, 6th GBR

Men's Eight

Final B: 7th USA, 8th CAN, 9th FRG, 10th DEN, 11th GBR
Final: 1st NZL 5.34.39, 2nd GDR, 3rd AUS, 4th URS, 5th FRA, 6th TCH

Men's Lightweight Single Scull

Final B: 7th ESP, 8th NOR, 9th BEL, 10th JPN, 11th ITA, 12th CAN
Final: 1st DEN 7.07.35, 2nd GBR, 3rd FRG, 4th USA, 5th AUS, 6th AUT

Men's Lightweight Double Scull

Final B: 7th SWE, 8th NOR, 9th AUT, 10th USA, 11th ESP, 12th BEL
Final: 1st ITA 6.25.42, 2nd FRA, 3rd SUI, 4th FRG, 5th DEN, 6th CAN

Men's Lightweight Four

Final B: 7th IRL, 8th SUI, 9th FRG, 10th USA, 11th FRA, 12th SWE
Final: 1st ESP 6.16.46, 2nd GBR, 3rd DEN, 4th NED, 5th CAN, 6th ITA

Men's Lightweight Eight

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th SWE, 9th JPN
Final: 1st ESP 5.45.05, 2nd AUS, 3rd DEN, 4th ITA, 5th USA, 6th FRG

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