Aug. 16, 2012

World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships

STANFORD, Calif. - Junior Will Robins and the U.S. Lightweight Eight finished fifth in Thursday's repechage at the World Rowing Senior and Junior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The boat needed a top-two finish in order to qualify for the Championship Final. The fifth-place effort relegates it to the B Final.

The U.S. got off in third position after the first 500 meters Thursday before sliding back. Sitting 1.69 seconds behind second-place Hungary after the first quarter of the race, the U.S. dropped to fifth but only four seconds out of second at the 1,000-meter mark.

The pace quickened but the U.S. could not gain any ground on the rest of the field, crossing the line fifth in 6:12.57, just under 11 seconds out of the second spot.