CUWBC athletes from this year’s crews were competing at the European Universities Rowing Championships in Sweden. It was fantastic to see them bring home some medals.
It was an unforgettable experience racing at the European Universities Rowing Championships in Jönköping, Sweden. We arrived a couple of days prior to the start of racing, allowing us to get some valuable training time on the course. The conditions were challenging, with high winds causing the water to be very rough, and a bridge with pillars crossing the course close to the finish adding to the wash!
After the training days and opening ceremony, we had three days of side-by-side racing. On the first day we raced in the heats of the women’s pairs, coming second and progressing to the repechage the following day. From this, we were able to qualify for the A final, going into the final in fourth position.
The final was an exciting race, with us sitting in 5th for the majority of the race. With about 150m to go before the line, we were still sat in fifth, however we knew that we were
only marginally behind two other crews and that 3rd place was not out of sight. Having crossed the finish line, we, as well as the commentator, had no idea who had won the bronze medal. We were delighted when it was announced that we had managed to take it on the line, with only 0.8s separating 3rd and 5th place. It was definitely one of the closest races we’ve had, and it felt incredible to have come back from behind to get into the medals.
The event was rounded off with a gala dinner closing ceremony, where everyone was able to celebrate the achievements of all the crews who had attended the event. Great Britain, with crews from 11 different universities, managed to top the medals table and received the EUSA Salver.
Overall, it was excellent to experience such tight racing alongside international crews from all over Europe.