Mist still hung over the river when the starter’s flag dropped at 7:30 on Saturday morning, and by the time it lifted, Elmbridge University’s men’s eight had won the autumn regatta for the third year running. Here is the weekend in rowing, rugby and athletics.
Rowing: Elmbridge make it three
On calm, cold water, the Elmbridge eight covered the 2,000-meter course in 5 minutes 52 seconds, finishing a length and a half ahead of Riverton Rowing Club, with Lakeshore third. In the women’s eight, Riverton reversed last year’s result and beat Elmbridge by less than a second after a thrilling final sprint.
The water was perfect, glassy, almost silent. You do not get many mornings like that, so we wanted to make it count.
Jonas Ekberg, Elmbridge stroke
More than 600 rowers from 28 clubs took part across the weekend, the biggest entry in the regatta’s history.
Rugby: Port Alden stay perfect
Port Alden Sharks kept their unbeaten start to the season with a 31-17 home win over Westmoor. Winger Samir Haddad scored two tries in the second half after Westmoor had led at the break. Northvale beat Riverton 24-20 in the weekend’s tightest match, settled by a penalty two minutes from time.
Athletics: a junior record in the rain
At the autumn throwing meeting in Cedar Falls, 17-year-old Freya Lindholm broke the national junior discus record with a throw of 54.82 meters, adding almost a meter to a mark that had stood for eleven years. She did it in heavy rain, with her final attempt.
I almost did not take the last throw because my hands were so cold. My coach told me to try anyway.
Freya Lindholm, discus thrower
Elsewhere, the road running season closed with the Lakeshore half marathon, where more than 3,000 runners took part. Ana Sousa won the women’s race and Daniel Okello the men’s.
Coming up
Next weekend the national cyclo-cross series begins in the Greywater foothills, and the rugby league pauses for the national team’s two autumn test matches.
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