Over 650 athletes from 21 countries and 83 universities took part in the European University Rowing Championships (EUSA) in the various boat classes, including many top athletes who were just in Linz / Ottensheim for last week’s World Championships in Ottensheim. RV Wiking Linz, the main sponsor for the JKU women's team, sent 6 of the 10 athletes and training was organized by Coach Boris Hultsch.

The regatta could not have gone better for the JKU women’s team:

W 4-: Mira Steinbeck, Klara Hultsch, Katja Brabec and Marie Steinbeck. The four JKU students from RV Wiking Linz fought hard against UNI Hannover. The Austrian team pulled ahead during the last 500 m of the race and their perfect teamwork gave them the victory. Third place went to Imperial College London, one of Europe’s top universities.

W 8+: Philumena Bauer (Ister Linz), Louisa Altenhuber (LIA), Lena-Maria Hofmayr, Marika Rodinger, Mira Steinbeck, Klara Hultsch, Katja Brabec and Marie Steinbeck (all Wiking Linz) and Stm. Brian Lindner (Ister linz). The core Bundesliga team of eight (that also included the current Austrian champion) made up the majority of this team. Right from the start, the JKU Wiking Linz team showed just why they have surpassed teams in the German rowing league. ETH Zurich and UNI Erlangen tried to challenge the Linz 8 as long as possible but with a consistently high distance stroke of 38 strokes per minute and a dynamic rowing technique in very demanding, undulating conditions, the JKU students pushed ahead and won with a 6-second lead over the ETH and the Uni Erlagen. The Polish and French teams came in towards the end.

In women’s singles, Birgit Pühringer made it to the B finale with a solid performance, winning a third place medal.

The number of medals placed the JKU ex aequo with three other universities at #1 on the medal podium.