1998 World Junior Championships– Ottensheim Austria

1998 Gold Medal Winning Women's Junior Scull

Kelly Matthews

Full definition images from this regatta can be found on the Australian Rowing Images website under World Under 19 Championships.

Selections & Training

The team was selected after the National Championships at trials conducted on 10-12th April. The trials were conducted in excellent weather conditions and the crews named immediately therefater. All crews were selected on the basis of being from one State to allow training from their home State and so minimise disruption to education. Each team member had to contribute $4,950 to form part of the team.

A training camp was held at Hazewinkel Belgium upon arrival in Europe.

The results were good with four medals from six crews and finishing third in the medal count behind Germany and Romania.

Results – Men

Men's Junior Single Scull

E1: 1st AUT, 2nd IRL, 3rd CZE, 4th NED, 5th CRO, 6th HUN
E2: 1st USA, 2nd SUI, 3rd JPN, 4th SWE, 5th POR, 6th ESP
E3: 1st GER, 2nd GBR, 3rd DEN, 4th UKR, 5th GEO, 6th CYP
E4: 1st AUS, 2nd EST, 3rd ITA, 4th BLR, 5th ARG, 6th LTU
R1: 1st DEN, 2nd EST, 3rd SWE, 4th CRO, 5th LTU
R2: 1st GBR, 2nd JPN, 3rd NED, 4th ARG, 5th CYP
R3: 1st SUI, 2nd CZE, 3rd BLR, 4th ESP, 5th GEO
R4: 1st IRL, 2nd ITA, 3rd UKR, 4th POR, 5th HUN
SF1: 1st EST, 2nd USA, 3rd AUT, 4th IRL, 5th SUI, 6th JPN
SF2: 1st ITA, 2nd GER, 3rd AUS, 4 th GBR, 5th DEN, 6th CZE
Final D: 19th BLR, 20th ESP, 21st LTU, 22nd HUN, 23rd GEO
Final C: 13th UKR, 14th POR, 15th CRO, 16th SWE, 17th NED, 18th ARG
Final B: 7th DEN, 8th GBR, 9th CZE, 10th SUI, 11th IRL, 12th JPN
Final: 1st EST 7:11.11, 2nd GER 7:13.34, 3rd AUS 7:15.27, 4th AUT 7:17 02, 5th USA 7:19.87, 6th ITA 7:27.32

Tom Laurich started the final slowly and was 1.5 seconds off the pace in fourth placing at the 500m. Tom started to get into the race taking third placing by the half way mark however still a way off the leading German sculler. In the third 500m, the Estonian sculler burst through the field to take the lead in a blistering 500 metres of rowing. The Estonian then increased his lead over the final stages to win by 2.23 seconds from the German sculler with Tom a further 1.9 seconds further back in third placing.

Men's Junior Double Scull

E1: 1st NED, 2nd RUS, 3rd POL, 4th GRE, 5th AUS, 6th JPN
E2: 1st FRA, 2nd DEN, 3rd ESP, 4th SWE, 5th YUG, 6th CYP
E3: 1st ITA, 2nd TUR, 3rd SLO, 4th CZE, 5th LTU, 6th POR
E4: 1st GER, 2nd CRO, 3rd BUL, 4th CHN, 5th ISR, 6th SIN
R1: 1st CRO, 2nd SLO, 3rd AUS, 4th SWE, 5th SIN
R2: 1st GRE, 2nd POR, 3rd TUR, 4th ESP, 5th ISR
R3: 1st DEN, 2nd POL, 3rd CHN, 4th LTU, 5th CYP
R4: 1st RUS, 2nd BUL, 3rd CZE, 4th JPN, 5th YUG
SF1: 1st RUS, 2nd FRA, 3rd DEN, 4th NED, 5th SLO, 6th POR
SF2: 1st GER, 2nd ITA, 3rd CRO, 4th POL, 5th GRE, 6th BUL
Final D: 19th SWE, 20th CHN, 21st ISR, 22nd LTU, 23rd CYP, 24th SIN
Final C: 13th TUR, 14th ESP, 15th CZE, 16th AUS 6:49.92, 17th JPN, 18th YUG
Final B: 7th GRE, 8th POR, 9th NED, 10th SLO, 11th POL, 12th BUL
Final: 1st GER 6:38.08, 2nd ITA 6:39.27, 3rd FRA 6:41.25, 4th CRO 6:41.32, 5th DEN 6:41.88, 6th RUS 6:58.26

The Australians were not in the hunt at this regatta and finished well back in the large field of crews. Note the great battle for the bronze – three crews within 0.6 second.

Men's Junior Quad Scull

E1: 1st RUS, 2nd GER, 3rd ITA, 4th ROM, 5th MLD
E2: 1st UKR, 2nd CZE, 3rd NOR, 4th CRO, 5th EST
E3: 1st SLO, 2nd DEN, 3rd HUN, 4th FRA, 5th BLR
E4: 1st NED, 2nd BEL, 3rd POL, 4th ESP, 5th SUI
R1: 1st GER, 2nd FRA, 3rd SUI, 4th NOR
R2: 1st ESP, 2nd HUN, 3rd CZE, 4th MLD
R3: 1st DEN, 2nd ROM, 3rd POL, 4th EST
R4: 1st BEL, 2nd ITA, 3rd BLR, 4th CRO
SF1: 1st RUS, 2nd FRA, 3rd BEL, 4th DEN, 5th UKR, 6th HUN
SF2: 1st GER, 2nd SLO, 3rd ESP, 4th NED, 5th ROM, 6th ITA
Final D: 19th EST, 20th MLD
Final C: 13th POL, 14th CZE, 15th SUI, 16th BLR, 17th CRO, 18th NOR
Final B: 7th NED, 8th UKR, 9th HUN, 10th DEN, 11th ITA, 12th ROM
Final: 1st GER 6:04.50, 2nd RUS 6:05.80, 3rd SLO 6:08.35, 4th ESP 6:10.90, 5th FRA 6:16.35, 6th BEL 6:21.81

Men's Junior Coxless Pair

E1: 1st FRA, 2nd SLO, 3rd SUI, 4 th LAT, 5 th ESP, 6 th BUL
E2: 1st AUS, 2nd ITA, 3rd ARG, 4 th CRO, 5 th RUS, 6 th DEN
E3: 1st YUG, 2nd GER, 3rd BLR, 4th PAR, 5th RSA
R1: 1st SUI, 2nd ITA, 3rd PAR, 4th RUS, 5th BUL
R2: 1st SLO, 2nd BLR, 3rd CRO, 4th ESP
R3: 1st GER, 2nd ARG, 3rd LAT, 4th DEN, 5th RSA
SF1: 1st FRA, 2nd GER, 3rd AUS, 4th ITA, 5th BLR, 6th LAT
SF2: 1st SLO, 2nd YUG, 3rd SUI, 4th CRO, 5th PAR, 6th ARG
Final C: 13th ESP, 14th RUS, 15th RSA, 16th BUL, 17th DEN
Final B: 7th ITA, 8th BLR, 9th ARG, 10th PAR, 11th CRO, 12th LAT
Final: 1st YUG 6:47.00, 2nd GER 6:47.87, 3rd AUS 6:48.41, 4th FRA 6:50.90, 5th SLO 6:57.33, 6th SUI 7:04.53

The Australians had a good heat and semi final so were confident for the final. However the Swiss crew surprised all by leading through the 500 metre mark and Australia were left in third position. The Swiss crew tired early and by the 1000m, the Yugoslav crew took the lead and was never headed thereafter. However the Australian fell back to fourth placing where they stayed until the last 500 metres. They put the pressure on the other crews and the French crew tired under the strain and the Australians took third placing. The margins were 0.87 between first and second and 0.54 between second and third.

Men's Junior Coxed Pair

E1: 1st GER, 2nd ITA, 3rd RUS, 4th POL, 5th YUG
E2: 1st SLO, 2nd UKR, 3rd ROM, 4th CZE
E3: 1st ARG, 2nd GBR, 3rd USA , 4th CRO
R: 1st POL, 2nd CRO, 3rd YUG, CZE disqualified
SF1: 1st ARG, 2nd GER, 3rd RUS, 4th USA , 5th UKR, 6th CRO
SF2: 1st GBR, 2nd ITA, 3rd SLO, 4th ROM, 5th POL, 6th YUG
Final B: 7th YUG, 8th ROM, 9th UKR, 10th POL, 11th USA, 12th CRO
Final: 1st ARG 7:16.69, 2nd GER 7:19.33, 3rd GBR 7:20.09, 4th SLO 7:20.88, 5th ITA 7:21.58, 6th RUS 7:26.32

Men's Junior Coxless Four

E1: 1st GER, 2nd FRA, 3rd DEN, 4th NED, 5th POR
E2: 1st ROM, 2nd AUS, 3rd POL, 4th CZE, 5th BEL
E3: 1st ITA, 2nd SLO, 3rd CRO, 4th CHN
R: 1st POR, 2nd CHN, 3rd BEL, 4th CZE, 5th NED
SF1: 1st GER, 2nd AUS, 3rd DEN, 4th ITA, 5th CRO, 6th CHN
SF2: 1st ROM, 2nd POL, 3 rdSLO, 4th FRA, 5th POR, 6th BEL
Final C: 13th NED, 14th CZE
Final B: 7th POR, 8th FRA, 9th ITA, 10th CRO, 11th CHN, 12th BEL
Final: 1st ROM 6:13.18, 2nd POL 6:15.83, 3rd GER 6:17.22, 4th AUS 6:18.63, 5th DEN 6:25.59, 6th SLO 6:26.61

The Romanians dominated the final leading all the way. They were with the rest of the field until their move in the third 500 metres. The battle was then on for the minor placings. Poland broke up the field in the sprint home with a very fast last 500 metres taking the German crew with them in the adjoining lane. Australia was perhaps a little too far away from this race and narrowly finished out of the medals.

Men's Junior Coxed Four

E1: 1st GER, 2nd GBR, 3rd AUS, 4th ROM, 5th POL, 6th EGY
E2: 1st USA , 2nd CRO, 3rd RUS, 4th ITA, 5th YUG, 6th CZE
R1: 1st GBR, 2nd RUS, 3rd EGY, 4th YUG, 5th ROM
R2: 1st AUS, 2nd ITA, 3rd CZE, 4th POL, 5th CRO
Final B: 7th CRO, 8th POL, 9th EGY, 10th YUG, 11th CZE, ROM did not finish
Final: 1st GER 6:20.39, 2nd USA 6:23.24, 3rd GBR 6:27.99, 4th RUS 6:30.92, 5th AUS 6:31.89, 6th ITA 6:37.16

The Australians met the gold medalists in the heat and the Germans showed how dominating they would be in this event. In the final the Australians had to work far harder than expected to stay with the field in the third 500 metres due to an unexpected speed of the field through the first half of the race. The Australians found themselves with insufficient reserves in the sprint home to get a medal.

Men's Junior Eight

E1: 1st GER, 2nd USA, 3rd RUS, 4th CZE, 5th ITA, 6th FRA
E2: 1st ROM, 2nd RSA, 3rd POL, 4th GBR, 5th UKR, 6th LTU
R1: 1st USA , 2nd UKR, 3rd POL, 4th FRA, 5th CZE
R2: 1st RUS, 2nd RSA, 3rd GBR, 4th LTU, 5th ITA
Final B: 7th CZE, 8th GBR, 9th LTU, 10th POL, 11th FRA, 12th ITA
Final: 1st RUS 5:47.58, 2nd GER 5:49.93, 3rd ROM 5:50.64, 4th USA 5:52.91, 5th RSA 5:54.35, 6th UKR 5:55.02