Good oar in Russia: SPbU student

Kirill Goriachev, a second-year student in Physical Culture, and his peers finished in 06:30.189 – 9 seconds faster than their competitors. Kirill Goriachev said that the competition was OK, and their competitors were strong enough.  “Our main competitors are we ourselves and the time to overcome the stretch, — said the athlete.  – The competition was the first time when four of us had worked together. So, probably we didn’t work as smooth as we wanted. Still, unlike the Big Moscow Regatta, which is an international competition, it was easier. The Cup of Russia is a sort of an intermediate stage; the key events are further forward in time: Championship and Contest of Russia. I am happy that we are winners and we had a chance to check out our competitors from the regions”. In June 2017, Kirill Goriachev took part in the Big Moscow Regatta and won silver in the lightweight double sculls.

In the Cup of Russia, there were 235 athletes from 13 regions. The three days saw men’s single sculls, men and women’s coxless pairs and fours, double sculls and coxless fours, and men’s coxed pairs. Besides, there were lightweight men and women’s single sculls, double sculls, men’s coxless pairs and fours. The stretch was the same for all: 2 kilometres.  

The results of the team championship: gold – Moscow (382 points); silver – St Petersburg (278 points); and bronze – Kaluga region (203 points).

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St Petersburg University is the first university in Russia to develop rowing skills in students and create a student team in 2010, which is regarded as one of the strongest in Russia. SPbU Rowing team has won the European Universities Rowing Championship, Kingston Regatta (UK), Golden Blades of St Petersburg International Regatta, and has been three times in the semi-finals in the Henley Royal Regatta (UK).