After a typhoon interrupted days four and five of competition, rowing continued Wednesday morning in Japan with its first A finals of the Tokyo Games.
Australia and the Netherlands each won four medals apiece, highlighted by two golds in the coxless fours for the former and a gold for the latter in the men's quadruple sculls.
The Dutch, without coach Josy Verdonkschot, who tested positive for COVID-19, also captured two silvers in the men's double and women's four, and a bronze in the women's double.
The Aussies added two bronze medals in the men's and women's quadruple events.
Women's Double Sculls
Nicolete Ancuta-Bodnar and Simona Radis, the 2019 world silver medalists, earned Romania its first women's double sculls medal since the 1992 Barcelona Games, improving from silver to gold to take down an Olympic record in 6:41.03 and beat reigning world champions Brooke O'Donoghue and Olivia Loe of the Netherlands.
The duo, who was victorious at World Cup II in May, bested Britons Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger's 6:44.33 mark from the 2012 London Games.
Americans Kristi Wagner and Gevvie Stone took fifth place about 12 seconds back.
Gold: Romania, Bodnar/Radis, 6:41.03 – OR
Silver: New Zealand, Donoghue/Osborne, 6:44.82 (+3.79)
Bronze: Netherlands, De Jong/Scheenaard, 6:45.73 (+4.70)
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5th: United States, Wagner/Stone, 6:52.98 (+11.95)
Men's Double Sculls
In a photo-finish, Hugo Boucheron and Matthieu Androdias of France, the 2018 world champions, hung on to take gold in the men's double sculls with the second Olympic record of the day, clocking 6:00.33 to edge the Netherlands' Melvin Twellaar and Stef Broenink and defeat reigning world champions Liu Zhiyu and Zhang Liang of China, who claimed bronze in 6:03.63.
The French last won a medal in the event 17 years ago when Sebastien Vieilledent and Adrien Hardy captured gold at the 2004 Athens Games.
Gold: France, Boucheron/Androdias, 6:00.33 – OR
Silver: Netherlands, Twellaar/Broenink, 6:00.53 (+0.20)
Bronze: China, Liu/Zhang, 6:03.63 (+3.30)
Women's Four
Women's four favorite Australia, winner of the 2017 and 2019 world titles, curbed a late surge from the Dutch to win in an Olympic-record 6:15.37, a mark it previously lowered in the heats.
Gold: Australia, 6:15.37 – OR
Silver: Netherlands, 6:15.71 (+0.34)
Bronze: Ireland, 6:20.46 (+5.09)
Men's Four
Great Britain's dominant streak of five straight Olympic golds in the men's four came to an end in Tokyo, as the rookie crew finished off the podium for the first time since the 1992 Barcelona Games, drifting out of its lane and nearly crashing into Italy's boat at the very end.
Australia, winner of the last title before GBR's decades-long run and three previous Games silvers, claimed gold in 5:42.76 to take down its own Olympic record from the 2012 London Games.
The U.S. boat of Andrew Reed, Anders Weiss, Michael Grady and Clark Dean placed fifth, about six seconds back, matching its finish at the most recent world championships.
Gold: Australia, 5:42.76 – OR
Silver: Romania, 5:43.13 (+0.37)
Bronze: Italy, 5:43.60 (+0.84)
4th: Great Britain, 5:45.78 (+3.02)
5th: United States, 5:48.85 (+6.09)
Men's Quadruple Sculls
Reigning world champion Netherlands, competing in the Olympic men's quadruple sculls for the first time since 2000, broke the event's world record from 2014 to win gold in 5:32.03.
Gold: Netherlands, 5:32.03 – WR
Silver: Great Britain, 5:33.75 (+1.72)
Bronze: Australia, 5:33.97 (+1.94)
Women's Quadruple Sculls
Reigning world champion China also broke a world record from 2014 in the women's quadruple sculls, claiming gold in 6:05.13 for the nation's second-ever medal in the event.
Gold: China, 6:05.13 – WR
Silver: Poland, 6:11.36 (+6.23)
Bronze: Australia, 6:12.08 (+6.95)
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5th: Germany, 6:13.41 (+8.28)
Rowing's penultimate Day 7, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, features four A finals in the men's and women's pair and lightweight double sculls.
