It was the first day of finals and Mercs was there. Three of our para crews won silver medals including a Mercantile crew comprised of Alex Vuillermin and Al Viney. Rowing Australia repprted: The PR3 Women’s Pair of Al Viney and Alex Vuillermin had a rhythmic race and took the Silver Medal behind Great Britain.  Post-race, Viney and Vuillermin said, “We started well and managed to hit a good race rhythm.  We went for it and this is a great result. It really means a lot to us.”  

Viney in the stroke seat and Alex in bow

Also racing yesterday was the men's eight with Gus Widdicombe in the five seat. They won their repecahge well and are well paced for the final. Rowing Australia reported: There was a mature and measured race in the repechage of the Men’s Eight from the young Australian crew, which has five World Championship debutantes. Setting a strong rhythm, they pushed away from the field and took the win to qualify for the A-Final.  Coach Mark Prater said: “I’m happy with the result but most pleased with how we rowed today, it was a good step up from the heat, where we learnt a lot. The A-Final will be another step up but I’m feeling positive and excited for Sunday.” 

Plenty of other Australian crews raced. Rowing Australia reported as follows.

It was a solid set of results for the Australian Rowing Team on the first day of A-Finals at the World Championships. The Para crews were the first to represent and didn’t disappoint by claiming three Silver Medals in the PR2 Women’s Single, and the PR3 Men’s and Women’s Pairs. 

In the PR2 Women’s Single Final, Kat Ross came out hard and fast but was unable to match Ireland’s powerful start. Even though Ross trailed Ireland by over six seconds at the 1000 metre mark, she fought right to the line to win the Silver Medal.  

Post-race, Ross said, “I had the race of my life, I did what I could out there and I am pretty happy with what I have come up with as I had a pretty hard time leading up to this, as I had covid the week before starting racing.” 

Nicholas Neales and James Talbot raced in the PR3 Men’s Pair and won Silver in the said category. Talbot said “It was a pretty solid race. We have been rowing together for a week in the pair as we had a little bit of the injury in the team. So Nick had to swap positions in the boat.” James Talbot will race again in the PR3 Mixed Four on Saturday. 

The PR3 Women’s Pair of Al Viney and Alex Vuillermin had a rhythmic race and took the Silver Medal behind Great Britain.  Post-race, Viney and Vuillermin said, “We started well and managed to hit a good race rhythm.  We went for it and this is a great result. It really means a lot to us.”  

There was a mature and measured race in the repechage of the Men’s Eight from the young Australian crew, which has five World Championship debutantes. Setting a strong rhythm, they pushed away from the field and took the win to qualify for the A-Final.  

Coach Mark Prater said: “I’m happy with the result but most pleased with how we rowed today, it was a good step up from the heat, where we learnt a lot. The A-Final will be another step up but I’m feeling positive and excited for Sunday.” 

Tara Rigney had a solid race where she hit second through the 500m and held onto that position all the way to the line, despite big efforts from the Chinese and Swiss sculler to take her spot. Tara will race in the A-Final having qualified in the faster of the two A/B Semi-Finals. She will race on Sunday against the Olympic Champion from New Zealand and for her overall world ranking in her debut at the World Championships. 

Post-race, Rigney said, “The positive is that I qualified for the A Final.  It will be my first final at the World Championship level.  I am going to enjoy the experience and give it a red-hot crack.”  

PR1 Men’s Single Scull representative, Erik Horrie OAM, duelled with the Great Britian sculler all the way down the course in his A/B Semi-Final. Horrie finished second to qualify for the A-Final.   

Jack Cleary raced in the Men’s Single in the faster of the two A/B Semi-Final heats, he was in third through 750m but a push from the Kiwi single that triggered a push from across the field, pushed Cleary into fourth and then sixth by the half-way mark, a position maintained until the line. He will race in the B-Final in an attempt to obtain the best possible ranking (7th to 12th). 

The crew schedules for today (Saturday 24th September) from 10:48am GMT+2/6:48pm AEST are A-Finals of the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (9:18pm), Men’s Pair (9:51pm), Women’s Four (10:39pm), Men’s Four (10:54pm) and Women’s Quad (11:10pm). With B-Finals of the Women’s Pair (7:48pm) and Women’s Lightweight Double (8:04pm) and the C-Final of the Men’s Lightweight Double (6:48pm).