Warren’s Dan Noonan is looking forward to success at the 2012 London Olympics after captaining the Australian men’s team to a bronze medal in the men’s quad skull on day six of the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand.
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In rough, cross-head wind conditions on the North Island, the men’s quad scull, stroked by Noonan claimed the bronze in a high-class field while the women’s four won a silver medal.
Along with Noonan (NSW), the crew also consisted of James McRae (SA), David Crawshay (VIC) and Karsten Forsterling (VIC) who all came home strongly to win the bronze medal.
Gold medal favourites Croatia took the gold medal ahead of Italy, while Australia was a boat length back in a time of 6:18.93.
The men’s bronze medal comes off the back of a silver medal in 2009 and sets up a good platform for the crew to build on ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
“It was very tricky conditions today but at the end we’re just really happy to get a medal,” Noonan said.
“It was one of those races where you were just hanging on and making sure that you limited the mistakes in the tricky water.
“Australian sculling is really coming along the last few years and this year proves that we’re heading in the right direction.”
The women’s four of Kate Hornsey (TAS), Pauline Frasca (VIC), Sarah Cook (ACT) and Sarah Heard (VIC) added to the medal tally with silver in a tough battle against the Netherlands.
Netherlands, the defending world champions, had too much for the Australian crew over the
second 1000m to cross the line
a boat length clear of Australia,
who recorded a time of
7:23.99.
The four-crew field had to contend with choppy water that was making the blade work very difficult and the silver medal was a strong result for the crew consisting of Beijing Olympians.
The women’s quad scull of Sally Kehoe (QLD), Kim Crow (VIC), Brooke Pratley (NSW) and Kerry Hore (TAS) finished in fourth place in their A Final, an effort that
was matched by Hannah
Every-Hall (QLD) and Alice McNamara (VIC) in the A Final of the lightweight women’s double scull.
Earlier in the afternoon Australia qualified its twelfth crew for an A Final when Jared Bidwell (QLD) and Nick Hudson (NSW) finished second in semi-final 1 of the men’s double scull.
Bidwell and Hudson finished second behind New Zealand in a time of 6:46.73, while France claimed third to also qualify.
Australia’s men’s four of John Linke (VIC), Fergus Pragnell (NSW), Bryn Coudraye (SA) and Joshua Booth (VIC) wrapped up their regatta with a win in the B Final.
