The men’s and women’s eights both placed on the podium at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, continuing their dominance in the PR3 mixed coxed four.
For the first time since winning Paralympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024, the PR3 mixed coxed quartet of Frankie Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Ed Fuller, and Josh O’Brien, along with newly chosen cox Tom Bryce, were competing together.
Rakauskaite became the joint most decorated woman in the category by taking her career total to six world golds in PR3: five in the mixed coxed four and one in the women’s pair.
The Dutch also won the women’s eights, with the GB crew coming in third place, but the men’s eights were unable to defend their crown, finishing in second place behind the Netherlands.
Because I now have a record, this means a lot. Rakauskaite, 34, who also holds two Paralympic gold medals in the PR3 mixed coxed four, is “so proud of that – it’s a big one for me.”
She and fellow Briton Naomi Riches, Norway’s Birgit Skarstein, and Corne de Koning from the Netherlands, all have six world titles in PR3.
Germany came in third, seven seconds ahead of China, while the British team came in seventh.
Allen once said, “The nerves on the start line stay the same despite being unbeaten.” I believe you have a target on your back if you win more. So it encourages us to keep moving as quickly as possible and also pushes the limits.
Will Stewart, Archie Drummond, David Bewicke-Copley, Fergus Woolnough, Miles Beeson, Sam Nunn, Matt Aldridge, Matt Rowe, and cox Will Denegri, the British men’s eight team, fought it out in the final seconds to take silver.
After the race had to be re-started due to a technical issue, a much-changed boat showed calm heads to maintain their form.
We put up a good fight, Aldridge said, and we could have rolled over. I’m really happy for these guys and look forward to what comes next because it’s a young crew with little international experience.
Eleanor Brinkhoff, Juliette Perry, Amelia Standing, Martha Birtles, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Heidi Long, Megan Slabbert, and cox Jack Tottem also had a strong performance to earn their first world medal in the event since 2011.
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