Borch and Crow shine in Head of the Schuylkill Gold Cup sprints
When Kjetil Borch and Kim Crow staked claim to Gold Cup titles at the 2014 Head of the Schuylkill Regatta on a crisp autumn day, the stakes were high.
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When Kjetil Borch and Kim Crow staked claim to Gold Cup titles at the 2014 Head of the Schuylkill Regatta on a crisp autumn day, the stakes were high.
On Saturday, one year before the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, they were even higher. And to meet those heights, both athletes raised their levels to successfully defend their crowns against elite fields.
Borch, of Norway, covered the 750-meter sprint in 2 minutes, 16.09 seconds to hold off New Zealand's Mahé Drysdale (2:19.06) and Ondrej Synek (2:20.54) of the Czech Republic in the men's event. Crow, who won silver and bronze at the London Olympics, crossed the buoy first in the women's race in 2:35.68, slightly ahead of Canada's Carling Zeeman (2:37.11). The United States' Gevvie Stone finished third (2:41.39).
Both Borch and Crow pocketed $10,000 for their victories.
"This year, I knew the stakes were high because this is a pre-Olympic year," Borch said. "These two guys [Synek and Drysdale] have been battling it out all year. I knew they were going to be on fire, so I had to watch my back. I really focused toward this race because none of these guys wanted to lose."
For the rowers, this was their last opportunity to make a true statement as 2015 slips away. Borch, who finished seventh in the doubles at the London Games, has spent most of this season racing doubles, so he was anxiously awaiting the chance to mix it up with Drysdale and Synek, both of whom have concentrated on singles races.
Top American lightweight Andrew Campbell finished fourth.
Crow, like most of the participants more used to racing lengths of 2,000 meters and up, said that it was rewarding to come back to Philadelphia and defend her crown. She said that the short nature of the sprint adds an element of excitement that longer races simply don't provide.
"Very rarely do we get a chance to race the sprints," Crow said. "So it's great for the spectators, and it's great for us, too, because we get a chance to show our skills. It's great to just have the chance to really mix it up and get the burn in your muscles.
"But this, you have to remember, is very competitive," she continued. "It's fun, but it's a chance to send a message."
The regatta concludes on Sunday with high school and masters races.
@JmitchInquirer