Pound Ridge Rowers McDonough and Petreski Win Henley Gold

Pound Ridge residents Kris Petreski and Liam McDonough won a gold medal rowing for Norwalk River Rowing at the 132 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario. The Canadian Henley is widely regarded as the premier amateur rowing event in North America. This year, the regatta was held from August 3 to 10 and attracted 2,173 crews from 136 teams in ten countries, including the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Great Britain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Mexico.

McDonough and Petreski won their gold medal in the mens’ under 17 double (a boat where two rowers each use two sculling oars). Their double was took first place in every qualifying race. The final was held in a strong headwind and choppy conditions that caused them to “catch a crab” (where an oar gets stuck in the water and slows the boat dramatically) in the last ten strokes of their sprint, but they were able to regain both their composure and the lead. This is the first Henley Gold won by Norwalk River Rowing in the prestigious Canadian Henley Regatta, and the only Henley Gold won by a Connecticut crew this year. McDonough and Petreski also rowed the final of the mens’ single dash (an open age category) with Petreski taking third.

It was a record year for Norwalk River Rowing at the Canadian Henley, with Petreski and McDonough also making finals in the mens’ under 17 singles race. Norwalk River Rowing also advanced four other boats to the semi-finals. Pound Ridge resident Kaare Andersen qualified a single for the semis in the mens’ under 17 singles category. Norwalk River Rowing also qualified for the semi-finals a mens’ under 19 four plus coxswain in which McDonough and Petreski also rowed, a mens’ under 19 pair that missed making finals by only nine-tenths of a second, and an under 19 womens’ double.

Head Coach Yuri Kolomiets remarked that “Our rowers were up against some of the finest rowers in the world. A Henley Gold is an impressive achievement. All of our athletes worked hard mentally and physically to get to this point and brought their ‘A game’. They should be very proud of their results. If they continue to master their technique, they should have a very good fall season.”

The Norwalk River Rowing Association is a community-based rowing organization promoting a lifelong passion for the sport of rowing – regardless of age or income. Rowing is a sport that people generally only begin in late middle school or high school or even after. If you are interested in joining the team or learning to row, check out the team at www.norwalkriverrowing.org.

Photo: NRRA’s Liam McDonough (left) and Kris Petreski with their 1st Place Gold Medal Trophy. Credit: Norwalk River Rowing Association.