The best race of the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette was the men’s senior single sculls final. This pitted the favourite, Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, against the 2014 world champion, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic, with double Olympic champion Olaf Tufte of Norway and Angel Fournier Rodriguez also contending. Lithuania’s Mindaugas Griskonis set the early pace only for Synek to take over. Drysdale rowed him down and passed him in the final quarter. Game over. But it wasn’t. From somewhere, Synek produced a closing burst. He gained purchase on Drysdale metre by metre and then passed him coming up to the bubbles on the line. A stunning win in a memorable race.
Griskonis was third and Tufte, who has qualified for his fifth Olympics, fourth.
Listen to Drysdale, Tufte and Fournier Rodriguez talk about the friendly rivalry in this most difficult of all disciplines in the run up to the World Championships.
Published in Rowing
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