EIV: 1. YUG 2. GER 3. POL RI: 1. GBR 2. ROM 3. GER 4. URS RII: 1. NOR 2. AUT 3. DEN RIII: 1. TCH 2. NED 3. SWE 4. POL 1/2 FI: 1. ITA 2. FIN 3. NOR 1/2 Eli: 1. SUI 2. GBR 3. YUG 4. TCH 2x: 10 started - TUR (scratched) El: 1. SUI 2. GBR 3. URS 4. BEL Eli: 1. GER 2. TCH 3. DEN 4. SWE Fill: 1. FRA 2. NED The French double, Mercier and Delacour, had trouble in holding off the Dutch veterans, the ex-European champion, Neumeier (35) and Reiding (40)! RI: 1. URS 2. SWE RII: 1. DEN 2. BEL 1/2 FI: 1. SUI 2. URS 3. TCH 4. FRA 1/2 Eli: 1. GER 2. GBR 3. NED 4. DEN 8 + : 11 started El: 1. DEN 2. NED 3. SWE 4. FIN Eli: 1. YUG 2. ITA 3. FRA 4. EGY Fill: 1. URS 2. TCH 3. ROM RI: 1. ROM 2. EGY - SWE (scratched) RII: 1. FRA 2. FIN 1/2 FI: 1. URS 2. DEN 3. ITA 4. ROM 1/2 Eli: 1. YUG 2. TCH 3. NED 4. FRA Finals 4 + : The Bosbaan was one of the first regatta courses where spectators could follow the races on a moving grand stand. The Dutch depicted this innovation with some humour. 1. URS 2. DEN 3. TCH 4. SWE From the start, the Czechoslovakian European tide- holders went into the lead, which they clung on to for 700 metres. However, they could not hold out against the Soviet and Danish crews, who took first and second places. 2-: 1. DEN 2. URS 3. GBR 4. BEL The Danes, having finished in third place the previous year, took their revenge over the 1953 winners, after a bitter stroke-for-stroke battie between 500 and 1,100 metres. Christopher Davidge, a future senior FISA offi cial, won the bronze medal with David Macklin. lx: 1. SUI 2. POL 3. URS 4. FRA Alain Colo mb, a physics graduate from the Federal Poly technic in Zurich, won easily. On January 1st 1954, he was still a junior. A real force of nature, he immediately outclassed the very best international scullers. 2 +: 1. SUI 2. FRA 3. BEL 4. SWE After a sensational start, the Swiss pair, Koffman and Streuli, led at 250 metres, striking 44. They went on to become clear and impressive winners. 4-: 1. ITA 2. GBR 3. SUI 4. FIN The Swiss tried to repeat the tactics which had been so successful in the 2 +. At 250 metres, they were neck and neck with Italy and Great Britain. For another 100 metres there was little to choose between the three crews, then a Swiss oarsman caught a crab. Moioli, the out standing Italian stroke (three times European champion and Olympic champion in 1948) immediately took ad vantage of the situation. He raised his crew’s rate of strik ing to over 40 strokes a minute, to establish an unassaila ble lead. 2x: 1. GER 2. SUI 3. URS 4. GBR Stebler and Schiever, the Swiss title holders, seemed likely to win. Two hundred metres from the finish they held a lead of one and a quarter lengths, but the young Germans, Schneider and Haege, with an easy, impecca ble style, put on a fantastic spurt, to pip their opponents at the post. 8 + : 1. URS 2. DEN 3. YUG 4. TCH The Soviet crew retained their title by seven seconds. Part 3 109
