Lucerne 1962: The first World championships were a popular success lx: 1. URS -2. GBR 3. USA 4. NED 5. SUI 6. NZL Ivanov, Olympic champion in 1956 and 1960, trailed the field, as was his wont, before turning on the pressure in the last quarter of the race, and going clear in the last 200 metres. His chief opponent, MacKenzie, now representing Great Britain, finished two lengths behind. 7. TCH 8. FIN 9. GER 10. AUS 11. DEN 12. NOR 2 + : 1. GER 2. ROM 3. URS 4. DEN 5. USA 6. POL The favourites, the Germans Jordan and Neuss, proved that they were still the best. 7. TCH 8. SUI 9. NED 10. HUN 11. SWE - ITA (Not rowed out) 4-: 1. GER 2. FRA 3. AUT 4. ITA 5. SUI 6. ROM The German crew, a Luebeck-Kiel combination, were easy winners, untroubled by a French spurt which was begun too late. 7. URS 8. TCH 9. CAN 10. GBR 11. YUG 12. BEL 2x: 1. FRA 2. URS 3. GER 4. TCH 5. GBR 6. NED Duhamel and Monnereau finally justified the hope placed in them over the previous few years. 7. SUI 8. DEN 9. USA 10. BEL 11. NOR 12. AUT 8 +: 1. GER 2. URS 3. FRA 4. ITA 5. AUS 6. CAN A splendid final, dominated by the superb rhythm of the famous Ratzeburg eight. Five crews finished in under six minutes. With this victory, the Germans completed a grand slam of all the sweep-oared events. This day was one of the high peaks in the career of Karl Adam, the crew’s coach, and of his helpers. 7. TCH 8. YUG 9. GBR 10. DEN 11. JPN 12. SUI The gamble had paid off. The regatta organisers were particularly pleased by the popular success of the cham pionships. On the first day there were 8,000 spectators, the number rising considerably at the weekend, to reach 45,000 on Sunday, the finals day. In addition to the spectators who were physically present, there was the vast number of T.V. viewers who, thanks to Eurovision, had been able to watch a whole day’s rowing, from the start of racing at 10am until 5.30pm. The national television networks in many coun tries screened the whole day’s coverage. At the suggestion of the president, Thomas Keller, the morning had been given over to the finals for places 7 — 12, i.e., for those crews which had not made the last six. 1962: Duhamel and Monnereau (FRA) Finally, mention must be made of the considerable changes effected in the medal ceremony. There was no more hoisting of national flags, and no more playing of national anthems. Some people missed the former ceremonial; and yet there is nothing less appropriate to sporting contest than an excess of nationalism. Full marks to those responsible for that initiative, which ought to have been adopted by all concerned with sport, and in other fields too. Part 4 129
