Two OSU rowers earned top 10 finishes at the Under-23 World Championships last
weekend at Brandenburg, Germany.
David Weir, a junior from Folsom, Calif., rowed in the bow seat of the men’s heavyweight four with coxswain finishing fifth in the world, while John Wainwright, a senior from Alameda, Calif., rowed in the bow seat of the men’s lightweight four which finished third in the B final for an overall finish of ninth.
During the night before the final races, a large weather system moved in effecting the lane assignments and damaging the hull and riggers of the Weir’s boat. With the help of all of the American coaches (each of whom also had crews and races to worry about), Weir’s crew was able to repair the boat in time for its race.
The Americans stayed with the pack through the first 500 meters before dropping back. The US boat made a big move at the 1,000-meter mark, walking back into the field and were only 2.5-seconds off the medal stand going into the final 500. The Americans continued to battle back and forth with Croatia for fourth place before settling for fifth, ahead of Serbia.
“In rowing, we talk about the best races being the ones where you look back and have nothing else to give,” Weir said. “When we crossed the finish line there was some disappointment with our finish but we knew we had given our absolute all, in one of the most demanding races in the world, against the world’s best rowers.”
The USA lightweight four along with boats from Denmark and France kept the heat on throughout the race pushing the the favored Romanians to the limit. In the end a huge sprint by Denmark wasn’t quite enough to pull off the upset with Romania earning the win. Wainwright’s crew finished third to earn a ninth place finish overall.
“Having the opportunity to row on Boathouse Row with Penn AC has been a huge thing for me this summer,” Weir said. “Walking into the trophy rooms, seeing pictures of guys who have been here before and have made a name for themselves; it makes getting up at 5:30 in the morning to work out twice a day a very easy commitment. It has helped me realize that the hardest worker and the most determined guy always wins in the end. John (Wainwright) is the best example of that. He is by far the hardest working guy and one of the most determined guys you can find. This entire experience has been a huge honor for me. I’m thankful that the fire department gave me the time off to experience this.”
-OSU SI
Leave a Reply