Women’s Quad A-Final – Paris Olympic Games
There might be an element of bias creeping into my analysis here but this was a blockbuster of a final between two boats at the very top of their game. The British arrived into Paris as world and European champions and comfortable winners of their last meeting with arch-rivals from the Netherlands, who themselves were world silver medalists. Behind them, the fight for bronze was fierce between Ukraine – who won the first 2024 World Rowing Cup – and Germany, who were winners of this event in 2012 and 2016. From the first until the penultimate stroke, the Dutch quartet led, fighting off numerous attacks from a hungry British outfit, whose final sprint had seen them overhaul their nemeses in Belgrade ten months earlier. As the two crews came down to the line, driving each other deep into the red zone, it was the Brits who found the most marginal of gear changes to sneak their bows ahead and claim a first-ever gold in this category.
London Rowing Club vs Thames Rowing Club, Thames Challenge Cup – Henley Royal Regatta
The final came essentially a day early in this year’s edition of the Trophy for club men’s eights as favourites London – who had put ten seconds into Thames just two weeks prior – rocked up for what was expected to be a premature coronation. Thames had other ideas though and rowed the exemplar Henley race, getting out to an early lead and simply repelling any effort from London that came their way. As the two crews made their way into the Enclosures and the navy of London raised their rate, it looked fleetingly like they may regain terms. Unfazed, Thames called upon their campaigns of Henley-winning experience to open the gas canisters and row away from a despondent London. 24 hours later, Thames were crowned victors for the second year in a row.
Marlow Rowing Club vs Thames Rowing Club, Wyfold Challenge Cup – Henley Royal Regatta
If the latter race was a clinic in how to hold off charging opposition, the final of the Wyfold Challenge Cup was the opposite. Thames – who were defeated in the final of this competition in 2023 – went out with a vengeance, establishing a lead off the end of the Island in an attempt to quash Marlow early. The Wyfold final debutants stuck in there, clinging on when it looked as if all hope might have been lost through the middle of the race, before launching a closing sprint that saw the crews find common ground in the middle of the course. A clash ensued, from which Marlow emerged as the better of the two boats, taking the win in a final that ticked all of the boxes we seek at Henley Royal Regatta; fierce racing, drama, clashing and counteracting.
Newcastle University vs University of London, Island Challenge Cup – Henley Royal Regatta
So often we see the same playbook deployed at Henley Royal Regatta. One crew jumps out of the start (Crew A) to establish a lead of just under a length. Realising that clear water is power on the binary boomed course, their opposition (Crew B) claw that deficit back and take the lead around the Fawley marker. Typically, Crew B go on to win with Crew A unable to find the reserves of physical or mental strength to bite back. But, what happens if Crew A do? In Newcastle’s case, this was a rare example of a leader being overhauled before rowing down their opposition through the Enclosures. To couple this, the stakes were incredibly high – the winner would secure passage through to the final of the Island Challenge Cup. UL were worthy opposition but unable to hold on to a lead they worked hard to create in the opening 1000m.
Championship Girl’s Eight, A-Final – National Schools’ Regatta
This was a race that had everything; a stunning performance from the winner, a razor-thin margin between the minor medals and formbooks flipped in flabbergasting fashion. Hinksey Sculling School – whose own meteoric rise to the top of the junior rowing community is its own remarkable tale – were exquisite in victory here, biding their time in a peloton of pretenders before unleashing a devastating halfway move to carve upon the race. Behind them, the sprint for silver was on between St Edward’s School, Headington School and Henley Rowing Club, who themselves had led the race at halfway. 0.06 of a second separated Teddies and Headington at the line, with the former taking second and displacing both Henley and Headington from the top two of a National Schools’ Regatta girl’s eight final for the first time in over a decade.
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