Sarah Birch (rower)

Sarah Birch (* 13. January 1972 ) is a former British lightweight - rower . She was world champion in 2001.

Athletic career

Sarah Birch started her rowing career as a helmsman . In 1985 she finished fifth at the Junior World Championships with the four-man with helmsman . Five years later, as a rower at the Junior World Championships in 1990, she finished fifth in the foursome without a helmsman . In 1992 she won bronze in the lightweight double scull at the Nations Cup, a forerunner competition to the U23 World Championships , and in 1994 she took fifth place in the same boat class.

In 1997 Sarah Birch took part in the adult class for the first time at world championships. At the World Championships on Lac d'Aiguebelette , she finished tenth in the lightweight double scull. In 1998 the British lightweight double scull won the World Cup regatta in Hazewinkel with Tegwen Rooks , Jo Nitsch , Sarah Birch and Jane Hall . At the 1998 World Championships in Cologne , the British lightweight quadruple took sixth place.

In 2000 Birch won the lightweight quadruple scull with Malindi Myers , Helen Casey , Kirsten McClelland-Brooks and Sarah Birch at the World Cup in Munich. At the World Championships in Zagreb , the British lightweight quadruple finished fifth. In 2001 Sarah Birch and Jo Nitsch won the World Cup regatta in Munich in the lightweight two-man without a helmsman. At the 2001 World Championships in Lucerne, the two British women won in front of the boat from the United States and the Argentines. In 2002 the British lightweight double scull won the World Cup in Lucerne with Tegwen Rooks, Alison Eastman , Jo Nitsch and Sarah Birch. At the World Championships in Seville , the British rowed to fifth place. A year later, the British missed the A-final at the World Championships in Milan and finished in seventh place. In 2004 Sarah Birch finished eighth and last in her last international race with the lightweight quadruple at the World Championships in Banyoles .

Web links

• Sarah Birch at Worldrowing.com ( FISA database )