Former Washington coxswain Katelin (Snyder) Guregian '09 led the United States women's eight back to the top of the rowing world Sunday as the Americans won gold on the final day of the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
 
The U.S. women had dominated the event for more than a decade before finishing fourth at the 2017 World Championships. Guregian, who was a coxswain for the men's team during her college career, built on her lengthy list of career accomplishments, adding the 2018 gold medal to world titles in 2014 and 2015, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2016.
 
Also Sunday, Washington's Anna Thornton '19 finished fourth in the world in the women's double sculls, representing Great Britain.
 
In the women's eight final, Australia rowed out to the lead over the first 1,000 meters, but the Americans never let the Aussies get more than a deck-length ahead. After the halfway point, the U.S. crew made its move, passing Australia and then building on its advantage with each stroke. Heading into the final 250, the U.S. led by about six seats as Canada caught the Australian shell and moved into second.
 
Down the stretch, the U.S. commanded the race and regained the world title in a time of 6:00.97. Canada was second and Australia took the bronze medal. Great Britain, with former Husky Fiona Gammond '15 rowing in the four seat, finished sixth in the world.
 
"We just had so much belief and so much trust, and that's what we did all the way down the course," Guregian told USRowing.org. "If anyone had let go of their belief or their trust, it would have been over. I think that's what carried us through. The conditions were crazy out there – headwind, tailwind, crosswind, just coming from every direction. We believe in each other with our whole hearts, and we just followed that down the course. It feels amazing to have won that race."
 
In the women's double sculls final, Thornton and her partner, Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne, who won the Under-23 World Championships earlier this summer, led through the first 500 meters, and were still in silver medal contention at 1,000, but Lithuania rowed the victory, followed by New Zealand and the U.S. in second and third.
 
Two Huskies rowed in the men's eight B final as Simon van Dorp '20 was in the four seat for the Netherlands and Conlin McCabe '11 stroked the Canadian men. The Dutch men led most of the way for the win, claiming seventh place in the world, while the Canadians took second in the B final.
 
In the men's double sculls C final, Washington's Ben Davison '19 finished in second place.
 
Two other Huskies competed in the women's double sculls Sunday. Sofia Asoumanaki '21, representing Greece, finished fifth in the B final while Italian Valentina Iseppi '20 took third place in the C final.
 
Saturday, on the next-to-last day of the regatta, two UW rowers earned medals. American Danielle Hansen '17 won the gold medal in the para-rowing women's pair and the silver in the mixed coxed four, while Jacob Dawson '16 and his Great Britain men's four won the bronze medal.
 
Here's the full list of UW rowers who participated at the 2018 World Rowing Championships, with their final results.
 
Men's Eight (M8+)
Simon van Dorp (NED) – First in B Final
Conlin McCabe (CAN) – Second in B Final
 
Men's Four (M4-)
Bram Schwarz (NED) – Fourth in A Final
Jacob Dawson (GBR) – Bronze Medal
 
Men's Double Sculls (M2x)
Ben Davison (USA) – Second in C Final
 
Women's Eight (W8+)
Katelin Snyder (USA) – Gold Medal
Fiona Gammond (GBR) – Sixth in A Final
 
Women's Four (W4-)
Phoebe Spoors (NZL) – Third in B Final
 
Women's Quad Sculls (W4x)
Carmella Pappalardo (ITA) – Sixth in B Final
Chiara Ondoli (ITA) – Sixth in B Final
 
Women's Double Sculls (W2x)
Anna Thornton (GBR) – Fourth in A Final
Sophia Asoumanaki (GRE) – Fifth in B Final
Valentina Issepi (ITA) – Third in C Final
 
Para Rowing Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 M4+)
Danielle Hansen (USA) – Silver Medal
 
Para Rowing Women's Pair (PR3 W2-)
Danielle Hansen (USA) – Gold Medal
 
Alternates
Jessica Thoennes (USA)
Kirstyn Goodger (NZL)