Sanna Stén and Minna Nieminen row to bronze medal in Japan

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The pairing of Sanna Stén and Minna Nieminen put Finland back on the medals standard at the World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan on Sunday, after an absence of eighteen years. They took a bronze medal in the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls event.
      Finland's most recent previous medallist at the World Championships was Olympic multiple champion Pertti Karppinen, who also took a bronze in 1987. At the time, Stén was just 10 years old and Nieminen 11.
     
The Finnish pair started briskly, and they upped the pace so that between 500 metres and 1,500 metres they were the fastest boat on the course.
      With 500 metres to the finish they enjoyed a clear 1.6 second lead.
      However, over the final 250 metres the early pace began to tell, and the Finns slipped back to 3rd behind Germany's Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise Dräger and the U.S. pair, Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols.


Links:
  World Rowing Championships, Gifu, Japan

Helsingin Sanomat