Karlson of U.S. Gets a Rowing Gold, but East Germany Wins Five Events

BLED, Yugoslavia —  The United States took the first gold medal, but East German rowers dominated the first day of finals in the World Rowing Championships Saturday, winning golds in five of the 11 events.

American Kris Karlson, the defending world champion, won the women’s lightweight single sculls. “There was a lot of pressure, but after the first 500 meters I knew I could win,” Karlson said.

She competes in her second final, the lightweight double sculls, with Carey Beth Sands today.

The East German women’s coxless four comfortably won their nation’s first gold by a margin of 2.64 seconds when they relegated China and Romania to the minor placings.

East German golds followed in the next two events, the women’s double sculls and the women’s coxless pairs.

The men’s coxless pair of Thomas Jung and Uwe Kellner then took their final, and Thomas Lange, the Olympic single sculls gold medalist, rounded off an excellent day for East Germany with a victory in the last race.

Other American rowers performed creditably but were unable to duplicate Karlson’s gold. Both the men’s lightweight coxless four and Anna Seaton and Stephanie Maxwell in the women’s coxless pairs were fourth in their respective finals.