ROWING : U.S. Gets Fast Start, Wins Featured Eight

The U.S. men’s eight-oared shell defeated reigning world champion Germany in the final day of competition at the 1994 World Rowing Championships on Sunday.

The Americans got off to a fast start, and by the halfway point of the race, 1,000 meters, the U.S. team had a full boat length lead over the crew from Romania, and the German crew, unable to match the brutal pace, had slipped to fourth place.

The United States started off the day with a silver medal in the men’s four with coxswain, behind Romania, matching the best U.S. finish in this event since 1984. Close on the heels of this race was the women’s four-without coxswain, which was another silver-medal finish for the United States, this time behind the Netherlands.

The biggest upset of the regatta came in the women’s single scull, when favored Silken Laumann of Canada, Olympic medalist and world champion, had two false starts charged against her and was disqualified from the race. Trine Hansen of Denmark went on to win the race.

The United States claimed its first gold medal in the women’s lightweight four-without coxswain. Great Britain made a mad rush to catch the Americans in the last 500 meters of the race but with a furious sprint, the Americans held on to win.

The regatta marked the first time that the World Rowing Championships have been held in the United States. The last major regatta in the United States was the 1984 Olympics at Lake Casitas.