Lead Story

Western Australia Extend Queensland’s Drought

Photo: Western Australia celebrate their win in The Kings Cup © 2005 James Worrell

Western Australia spoiled the Queensland script at Penrith today when it won the coveted King’s Cup for interstate men’s eights for the first time since 1999, and in so doing extending by another year one of the longest droughts in Australian sporting history.

Following strong performances in smaller boats during the national interclub regatta earlier in the week, Queensland were clear favourites to win Australian rowing’s best-known trophy for the first time since 1939.

But demonstrating neither respect nor sympathy the Sandgropers blasted out from the start, and were never headed, covering the 2000-metre Sydney Olympics course in five minutes 35.31 seconds.

A boat length back were Victoria, stroked by Athens Olympics pairs champion Drew Ginn, while the dejected Queenslanders had to be content with third place, a further 2.91 seconds in arrears.

An elated WA coach, Antonio Maurogiovanni said his race plan had worked to perfection.

“We aimed to be in front from the first stroke and to be in front at the finish,” the Italian-born mentor said.

There was consolation for the dark blues in the women’s interstate eights race for the Queen Elizabeth 11 Trophy, won by Victoria, by the largest margin of the day.

The Vics cruised home in six minutes 13.15 seconds, almost eleven seconds ahead of New South Wales and a further second ahead of third-placed WA.

In the women’s single sculls the anticipated showdown between reigning champion Amber Bradley of WA and the new young pretender, Queensland’s Sally Kehoe, did not materialise.

Sculling in lane one on the far side of the course Bradley appeared to suffer steering problems in the early part of the race and dropped out of contention.

Kehoe took full advantage by surging to the lead at half way, only to be narrowly overhauled by Tasmania’s Dana Faletic with 500 metres remaining.

But demonstrating the grit that has been a feature of her performances all week she dragged herself past Faletic in the closing stages to win by a fraction under two seconds in seven minutes 36.50 seconds.

Third was Sonia Mills of the ACT, while Bradley hauled herself back to fourth.

The corresponding men’s race was won by Scott Brennan of Tasmania, from Chris Morgan of South Australia and Victoria’s Alister Taylor.

Taylor was a late replacement for national interclub champion David Crawshay, who opted to race only in Victoria’s King’s Cup crew.

There was another win for the Apple Isle in the men’s lightweight fours when the state won the Penrith Cup for the seventh year in a row.

For dual Olympic silver medallist Simon Burgess the race was a personal triumph.

Burgess has been in the crew all seven times and thus made history by becoming the event’s most prolific winner.

Second were the ACT and third Victoria.

The men’s youth eights was won by South Australia, for the first time since 1984 and only the second time ever, while Victoria easily won the women’s youth race.

Victoria also won the women’s lightweight quad sculls.

For host state New South Wales the regatta was proved to be less then successful on the water, not one win being recorded.

Multimedia/Interactive Coverage