Courageous comeback
Redgrave wins record eighth world title; Waddell suprises in single sculls
Posted: Saturday September 12, 1998 05:56 PM
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Redgrave, who has competed internationally for 19 years, has collected a record eight world titles
Simon Bruty/Allsport |
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) -- Four-time Olympic champion Steve
Redgrave collected a record eighth world title Saturday when
Britain claimed victory in the coxless four at the world rowing
championships.
After a tense struggle, Redgrave with James Cracknell, Tim
Foster and Matthew Pinsent prevailed, crossing first in a time of 5
minutes, 48.06 seconds, to defend their title.
France, silver medalists at the Atlanta Olympics, came home 1.38
adrift to once again finish runner-up, just .02 ahead of Italy.
The victory allowed the British foursome to remain undefeated
since coming together 15 months ago.
The only blemish on its record is a fourth place at the Munich
World Cup in May, when the crew substituted in Luka Gurbor after
regular Foster injured his hand.
For Redgrave, who has competed internationally for 19 years, the
joy of winning world titles has slightly faded over the years.
This gold medal, however, was a benchmark of sorts for Redgrave,
marking the 36-year-old's first world title as a diabetic.
Redgrave was diagnosed with the disease in November, and his
struggle to return to the top of rowing's elite was an arduous one.
"It's not the thrill my first title was but this one is a
statement for me," said Redgrave, who has a spectacular collection
of 11 Olympic and world gold medals. "I came close to chucking it
in this year, it was just so difficult. After coming down with
diabetes it took so long to get it back."
New Zealand's Rob Waddell was the surpise winner in the men's
single scull, powering his way to victory in 6:39.65, ahead of
red-hot favorite Olympic and 1996 world champion Xeno Mueller of
Switzerland, almost two seconds back.
Waddell, who performed miserably at the worlds last year due to
illness, led for most of the race, only briefly dropping back when
Czech Vaclav Chalup nipped in front at the 1500m mark. Chalup
finished third in 6:43.89.
In her first season racing in single scull Russia's Irina
Fedotova - who swept all three World Cup races this year - won the
women's title, crossing in 7:25.0.
Germany's Katrin Rutschow, a two-time junior world champion, was
second in 7:26.67, followed by 1995 world champion Maria Brandin on
Sweden, 5.90 back.
In the men's lightweight eights, host Germany took gold,
crossing in 5:36.28, edging the American shell by a maddening .28
seconds. It's the United States' best result in the category since
it took silver 10 years ago.
"My initial reaction is disappointment, we were so close to
winning," said American eights rower William Carlucci, third in
Atlanta in the lightweight four. "But considering the youth of the
team and that four are new to the national team, I'm extremely
proud."
Triple Olympic gold medalist Marnie McBean became the first
woman to climb onto Olympic or world championship podiums in six
different boat classes, when the Canadian coxless four took silver
behind the Ukrainian boat.
McBean, who has 11 Olympic and worlds medals, also medaled in
the single, double and quadruple sculls, eights and coxless pair.
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