Former local rower Paige Barr won a gold medal last Sunday as part of the Australian Women’s Eight at the World Cup I in Seville, Spain.
The Australian Rowing Team has opened its 2026 international campaign in sensational fashion, with the eight leading for much of the race to claim Australia’s first women’s international A-Final victory of the new Olympic cycle.
It was an impressive display by the Australian team in its first regatta since leaving the cool climate of Australia for the heat of Europe on May 21.
The Australian crew — consisting of Georgie Gleeson, Eliza Gaffney, Lily Triggs, Ella Bramwell, Samantha Morton, Paige Barr, Jaime Ford, Laura Gourley and coxswain Hayley Verbunt — got off to a terrific start and sat second at the 500-metre mark, just 0.62 seconds behind Romania.
Barr and her teammates were confident they would be strong in the final stages based on their preliminary race efforts.
“We wanted to really make the most of that and hit it even harder, and I think we did a pretty good job of that,” Barr said.
For Barr, it was a cause for double celebration, with Sunday marking her birthday.
“It’s a very good way to celebrate my birthday — best birthday ever. It’s great to do it with the girls,” she said.
The Ellen Randell-coached Australians powered through to take the lead by the 750-metre mark. They held a slim 0.16-second advantage over the Netherlands at the 1000-metre marker, with Great Britain, coached by Randell’s brother Andy, sitting in third.
As tight as the race was, Australia responded superbly to the pressure of the field. Instead of waiting for the challenge, Australia unleashed a major effort in the third 500-metre split under the call from Verbunt, extending their lead by the 1500-metre mark to 0.84 seconds over the Netherlands and 1.08 seconds over Great Britain.
Australia’s reward for their calm, control and courage was a terrific victory in a time of 6:08.35, ahead of the Netherlands (6:09.76) in second and Great Britain (6:10.25) in third. Romania (6:12.20) and Germany (6:20.71) followed in fourth and fifth places respectively.
The performances are a direct result of their preparation at the National Training Centre on the banks of the Nepean River at Penrith, New South Wales.
Rowing Australia performance director Paul Thompson was delighted with the result.
“The women’s team have shown both their class and potential here,” Thompson said.
“The racing always gets tighter as the season progresses, and the women can prepare for that with confidence from what they achieved.”
