A pair for Ballarat rowers have continued their dominant run of form in 2019, taking home top honours at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria on Saturday.
Former Ballarat Clarendon College student Katrina Werry and former Ballarat Grammar student Lucy Stephan won gold alongside fellow Australians Sarah Hawe and Olympia Aldersey in the Women's Coxless Fours competition.
The quartet went undefeated throughout the competition, capped off by a gold medal winning performance which saw Australia overcome Netherlands and Denmark.
The two second victory was the pair's second World Championship win after Stephan and Werry seized gold in 2017. The pair also took home silver in 2018.
As a result of qualifying for the A-grade final, the Ballarat pair have gained automatic qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo will be the women's first opportunity for Olympic glory as the Women's Coxless Fours has not been an Olympic event since Barcelona in 1992.
After the victory, Stephan and Werry's teammates spoke about the competition and their joy following the win.
"We really worked as a crew to get here and it's a credit to all of us for delivering our roles to get us over the line," Olympia Aldersey said.
Sarah Hawe added, "The field was so strong today so it's really amazing to come away with the win.
"Last year we won silver, so we had a lot of determination to do better this year. I've never been to the Olympics before, so it would be really amazing to have the chance to go."
Australia finished sixth overall at the competition, also taking home gold in the Para 2 Women's Single Scull. Australia also took home three silver and three bronze medals.
The success at the weekend comes after the crew took home gold at the 2019 World Rowing Cup 3 in July, again besting Denmark in the final.
Ballarat Courier
