Olivia Bates secured gold in the lightweight women’s single sculls final at the World Rowing Cup held at Lake Varese, Italy. This victory marks Great Britain’s first gold medal of the championship and Bates’ maiden senior title.
Bates crossed the finish line in a remarkable time of seven minutes and 41.82 seconds, surpassing Maia Lund of Norway and Tosca Kettler of the Netherlands. Reflecting on her achievement, Bates expressed, “It feels fantastic; it’s gratifying to kick off the season on a high note.” She credited her success to refining her race strategy from the previous day, resulting in a more successful performance.
Great Britain anticipates additional medal opportunities on the final day of the championships, including competitions in the men’s and women’s pairs, lightweight women’s double sculls, men’s and women’s four, quadruple sculls, eight, and the men’s single sculls final, with George Bourne representing the team.
