Australia topped the medal table for the first time in Europe at the recent World Rowing Cup in Poland with SASI's Alex Hill, Molly Goodman and Olympia Aldersey playing a big part in the success

AUSTRALIA again showed its enormous fighting spirit on the water when it won both the medal and points table at the World Cup II in Poznan, Poland, with SASI's Alex Hill, Molly Goodman and Olympia Aldersey right among the action.

The historic acheivement was the first time Australia had finished top of the medals table in Europe, while the previous time it had led the points table also was  in Poznan in 2006.

Hill and Goodman were in gold medal teams, while Aldersey was a member of the bronze-winning women's fours. Hill teamed with Josh Booth (Victoria) for the first time to take out the men's pair from New Zealand and Canada after leading throughout, while Goodman was part of the gold-medal team which won the women's eight.

Hill said it was a big thrill to win.

"We managed to get a good lead and then it was just about maintaining the gap," Hill said.

"This is our first international race together and we were against a really good field.''

In the women's eight Australia produced a spirited effort to overcome reigning world champion the US after the US had qualified fastest in the heats.

In the final Goodman was urged to up the stroke rate which she did to help her team hold on to beat the US and Great Britain.

Australia's success could prove a boost for the SASI trio with a chance to impress again at the final world cup for the season in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, between July 12 and 14.

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