Women Make History at Henley Royal Regatta

Michelle Knox-Zaloom of the Potomac Boat Club was among the winners Friday as history was made at the 154-year-old Henley Royal Regatta when women competed for the first time over the full course.

The rower from the Washington, D.C., club defeated Helen Mangan of England by three lengths over the 1.3-mile course on the Thames River.

“Women have not been rowing all that long,” Knox-Zaloom said. “But I believe women’s rowing is finally coming up to the level where it can be promoted, and we can compete without making fools of ourselves.”

It was a good day for United States crews. Harvard and Brown both won twice and easily enough to conserve energy.

In the history-making events, Olympic champion Elisabeta Lipa of Romania defeated local sculler Guin Batten. “All the rest of the world has men and women rowing together, so it is nice that at last Henley has caught up,” Lipa said.

But the long-awaited innovation might not be permanent. Invitation races over a shorter distance were started 12 years ago, but were scrapped in favor of a separate women’s regatta.

No guarantees of permanence have been given this time, and none of the women’s events Friday was scheduled during the most popular session between lunch and tea.

The first female winner of a full race at Henley was Trine Hansen, a 20-year-old Danish student, who beat English sculler Alison Hall by four lengths during the morning session.