World body backs Baker on medal line

Press, 23 September 1987, Page 51

World body backs Baker on medal line

PA Hamilton The claims by the Cambridge lightweight sculler, Philippa Baker, of unfair conditions in the world rowing championship finals at Copenhagen last month have been backed up by the sport’s governing body. F.I.S.A. — the international rowing federation — says in its latest information bulletin, that boats in lanes one and two on the first day of finals had little chance of winning a medal because of the conditions. Both Baker and the men’s heavyweight sculler, Eric

Verdonk, were in one of i those two lanes for their < respective finals that day and i according to Baker, both lost medal chances as a result. s Baker finished fifth and ! Verdonk sixth in their six- i boat finals. Their lanes were < exposed to head winds which j the other lanes were pro- < tected from by trees. i F.I.S.A. in its September i bulletin, said that almost windless conditions marked 1 both the start and finish of 1 the week-long championships, s “In the meantime, how- 1 ever, there were winds and < waves aplenty, and the waves i

of excitement at times even splashed over on to the land,” it said. "Lake Bagsvaerd is unsuited as a world championship course. That was a widely held opinion. In all the deciding races on Saturday, August 29, the boats in lanes one and two had practically no chance of winning a medal.” The bulletin concluded that the Danes were simply unlucky with the weather, but said F.I.S.A. in future would have to look more closely at candidates vying to host the world championships.