Ireland’s Zoe Hyde and Margaret Cremen have been crowned world champions after a superb victory in the women’s double sculls final at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam on Friday (28th) evening.
The Irish rowers produced a devastating finish, overturning the Netherlands’ advantage over the closing stages to claim gold after a closely fought 2,000-metre final. Hyde and Cremen had underlined their medal credentials by winning Wednesday’s semi-final, and they carried that form into the championship decider.
Ireland Stays in Touch
Racing from lane one, Ireland made a solid start and were fractionally behind the Dutch crew at the 500-metre mark.
The Netherlands increased the pressure approaching halfway, but Hyde and Cremen responded to stay firmly in contention, with Switzerland in third place. The Dutch remained ahead with 1,500 metres completed, leaving the Irish pair with work to do over the final quarter of the race.
Stunning Irish Finish
Hyde and Cremen then launched their challenge. A powerful final 300 metres steadily ate into the Dutch advantage before the Irish double swept through to take the world title.
The victory prompted emotional celebrations, with U2's Beautiful Day playing over the tannoy as the newly crowned Irish world champions celebrated. The gold represents another significant step for a partnership that had already reached the podium this season, taking bronze at World Cup I in Seville in May.
"It's unbelievable, we just worked hard all winter," Cremen told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"We just made every session count. Just in such shock right now, to be honest." "From the second we got to Amsterdam, we just had this undeniable belief in ourselves and in each other. We just kept that momentum throughout the week."
"It's just paid off, and it's incredible."
'We Just Horsed It Down the Course'
Hyde was equally stunned after their dramatic finish. "We're in complete disbelief," she said. "World champion! Whaaat?
"We knew it was going to be a fight. In the last 250, I had a look — and I think Mags did too — and saw they're [the Dutch] right there. We can do it, we can go." "We just horsed it down the course, and we got over first!"
The result gives Ireland a world title in the women’s double sculls after a final in which Hyde and Cremen remained within striking distance throughout before producing their decisive move when it mattered most.
