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history of australian rowing at world championships

1979 World Championships- Bled Yugoslavia

Photos 1979 World Championships Photo Gallery

men's lightweight four

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four

Coach Rusty Robertson, Geoff Webb, Graham Hefer, Clyde Hefer, Michael Smith (men's lightweight eight crew member) & Graham Wearne

The Australian team sent to Bled in Yugoslavia was to that date the largest ever to compete in Europe. The results achieved were not commensurate with its size, as no crew was to win a medal. However this was not to create any dismay in view of the very promising performance of the men's eight and women's four.

The men's team was put through stringent testing prior to selection as had been done the previous year. The women's crews were again selected by separate selectors. This was the first season of Reinhold Batschi as the National Director of Coaching and he devised a very tough training program for all crews.

The work load was far higher than any previously established for any Australian team. There was a series of changes to the originally selected Team.

Unfortunately Colin Smith was forced to withdraw from the lightweight eight due to business commitments. The same fate befell David Boykett the coach of the women's four, but David Palfreyman was able to take over immediately.

Finally Robert Lang had to withdraw from the eight suffering back problems. Rob Lang was replaced by Ted Hale in the eight even though Ted was selected as the single sculler. Finally, Vaughan Bollen badly damaged his ankle and had to return to Australia from Europe. He was replaced by Michael Smith in the lightweight eight and the lightweight double scull with Steve Spurling was disbanded.

The eight was unfortunate not to do better. Their semi final race was one of the highlights of the Championships with the Australian crew finishing just under a second from Russia and New Zealand.

The start in the final was upset with equipment breakages in the American crew. The race was stopped shortly after the start after Australia had begun brilliantly. Unfortunately the second start was not a reproduction of the first and Australia was in third place most of the way down the course until New Zealand began a brilliant last five hundred metres rowing through Australia and the USSR to a silver medal.

It is also worth noting that in 1979 Australia named its first lightweight women's team which competed at the American National Championships and the Canadian Henley.

Index to Results on this Page
M1x M2x M4x    
M2- M2+ M4- M4+ M8
W1x W2x W4x    
W2-     W4+ W8
ML1x ML2x      
    ML4-   ML8

Results—Men's

Men's Single Scull

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th BZL, 9th YUG, 10th SUI, 11th FRA, 12th ARG
Final: 1st FIN (Pertii Karpinnen), 2nd FRG, 3rd GDR, 4th SWE, 5th GBR, 6th URS

Men's Double Scull

Final B: 7th USA, 8th CAN, 9th URS, 10th POL, 11th ESP, 12th AUT
Final: 1st NOR, 2nd TCH, 3rd GDR, 4th GBR, 5th SUI, 6th FRG

Men's Quad Scull

Final B: 7th URS, 8th POL, 9th DEN, 10th TCH, 11th AUT, 12th NED
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd FRG, 3rd FRA, 4th YUG, 5th USA, 6th BUL

Men's Coxless Pair

Final B: 7th CAN, 8th NED, 9th SWE, 10th USA, 11th TCH, 12th BUL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd SUI, 4th GBR, 5th FRG, 6th DEN

Men's Coxed Pair

Final B: 7th ITA, 8th URS, 9th POL, 10th HUN, 11th ESP
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd USA, 4th YUG, 5th ROM, 6th BUL

Men's Coxless Four

Final B: 7th FRA, 8th TCH, 9th NOR, 10th SWE, 11th DEN, 12th POL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd TCH, 3rd GBR, 4th URS, 5th NED, 6th SUI

Men's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th IRL, 9th TCH, 10th POL, 11th NOR, 12th FRA
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd URS, 3rd FRG, 4th USA, 5th ESP, 6th BUL

Men's Eight

Final B: 7th TCH, 8th FRA, 9th FRG, 10th BUL, 11th YUG, 12th HUN
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd NZL, 3rd URS, 4th AUS, 5th USA, 6th GBR

Australian Team

Men's Lightweight Single Scull—Eliminated in repechage
Stephen Spurling (VIC)

Men's Coxless Pair—Eliminated in repechage
Bow: Stephen Shirrefs (VIC)
Str: Alex Sloan (VIC)
Cch: Chris Dane (VIC)

Men's Coxless Four—Eliminated in repechage
Bow: Anthony Anisimoff (NSW)
2: Phil Winkworth (NSW)
3: lan Clubb (NSW)
Str: Gordon Clubb (NSW)
Cch: Michael Morgan (NSW)

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four—Sixth
Bow: Geoff Webb (NSW)
2: Graham Hefer (NSW)
3: Clyde Hefer (NSW)
Str: Graham Wearne (NSW)
Cch: Rusty Robertson (NSW)

Men's Eight—Fourth
Bow: John Bolt (SA)
2: Tim Young (VIC)
3: William Magennis (VIC)
4: Andrew Withers (VIC)
5: Ted Hale (NSW)
6: Jim Lowe (VIC)
7: Steve Newnham (NSW)
Str: Brian Richardson (VIC)
Cox: Noel Donaldson (VIC)
Cch: Christopher Dane (VIC)
Res: Rob Lang (SA)

Men's Lightweight Eight—Sixth
Bow: Phil Gardiner (VIC)
2: John Hawkins (VIC)
3: Dennis Hatcher (VIC)
4: Michael Smith (NSW)
5: Peter Antonie (VIC)
6: Andrew Michelmore (VIC)
7: Geoff Rees (VIC)
Str: Simon Gillett (VIC)
Cox: David England (VIC)
Cch: Peter Philp (VIC)

Women's Single Scull—Ninth
Mary Renouf (VIC)
Cch: Terry Poole (VIC)

Women's Coxed Four—Fifth
Bow: Anne Chirnside (VIC)
2: Verna Westwood (VIC)
3: Pam Westendorf (VIC)
Str: Sally Harding (VIC)
Cox: Susie Palfreyman (VIC)
Cch: David Palfreyman (VIC)
Res: Shanne McGinniss (TAS)

Manager: John Boultbee (NSW)
Asst Manager & Women's Manager: Wal Oakley (VIC)
Doctor: Lindsay Walker (NSW)
Selectors: Jim Howden (VIC), Roger Moore (SA), Bruce Evans (NSW)

Results—Women

Women's Single Scull

Final B: 7th URS, 8th HUN, 9th AUS, 10th TCH, 11th DEN, 12th FRG
Final: 1st ROM, 2nd GDR, 3rd NED, 4th CAN, 5th USA, 6th BUL

Women's Double Scull

Final B: 7th GBR, 8th TCH, 9th NOR, 10th CAN, 11th FRG, 12th HUN
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd BUL, 3rd ROM, 4th URS, 5th USA, 6th POL

Women's Coxed Quad Scull

Final B: 7th NED, 8th POL, 9th FRG, 10th DEN, 11th BEL
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd BUL, 3rd ROM, 4th URS, 5th HUN, 6th USA

Women's Coxless Pair:

Final B: 7th URS, 8th FRA, 9th FRG, 10th HUN, 11th TCH, 12th CAN
Final: 1st GDR, 2nd ROM, 3rd POL, 4th NED, 5th USA, 6th BUL

Women's Coxed Four

Final B: 7th CAN, 8th FRA, 9th USA, 10th GBR, 11th TCH, 12th POL
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rd ROM, 4th BUL, 5th AUS, 6th FRG

Women's Eight

Final B: 7th NED, 8th FRG, 9th GBR
Final: 1st URS, 2nd GDR, 3rd USA, 4th ROM, 5th CAN, 6th BUL

Results—Men's Lightweight

Men's Lightweight Single Scull

Final B: 7th NOR, 8th ITA, 9th FIN, 10th YUG, 11th NED, 12th JPN
Final: 1st USA, 2nd CAN, 3rd AUT, 4th FRG, 5th ESP, 6th SUI

Men's Lightweight Double Scull

Final B: 7th FRG, 8th GBR, 9th DEN, 10th DEN, 11th AUT, 12th IRL
Final: 1st NOR, 2nd NED, 3rd ITA, 4th USA, 5th SUI, 6th ESP

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four

Final B: 7th ESP, 8th NOR, 9th ITA, 10th YUG, 11th SWE, 12th CAN
Final: 1st GBR (including Stuart Wilson who later represented AUS), 2nd NED, 3rd SUI, 4th FRG, 5th DEN, 6th AUS

Men's Lightweight Eight

Final: 1st ESP, 2nd USA, 3rd NED, 4th FRG, 5th GBR, 6th AUS

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