World Best Times Fall in Round One of 2005 World Rowing
Championships
Gifu, Japan – 29 August to 4 September 2005
Two World Best times fell today at the 2005 World Rowing
Championships in Gifu, Japan. During the first round of racing,
the heats, Denmark’s Bo Helleberg and Thomas Ebert broke
an eleven year record when they recorded a new World Best
time in the lightweight men’s pair event. This is especially
sweet for the Danes who plan to retire from a long and successful
rowing career, at the end of the season.
Also setting an new World Best time, Canada’s lightweight
women’s quadruple sculls smashed a staggering eight
seconds off the previous record and spelt a new era in Canadian
rowing led by this new line-up.
Racing, which started yesterday with the first round of heats,
saw Slovenia’s most successful athlete, Iztok Cop competing
in the double scull with partner Luka Spik. Cop and Spik finished
first in their heat to move on to the semi-final. The duo
then raced again today in their country’s men’s
quadruple scull. They won and the duo earn a spot in another
semi-final.
But Cop and Spik will be up against some of the most talented
and experienced rowers in the world when they race again in
the quadruple scull. Two former Olympic medallists in the
single scull and both in their second decade of international
of racing, Jueri Jaanson of Estonia is racing this year in
the quadruple scull and the Czech Republic’s most successful
rower, Vaclav Chalupa has joined his country’s quad.
Estonia and the Czech Republic both won their respective
heats to advance to the semi-finals.
The United States showed the strength of their men’s
sweep (one oar) programme when they won their heat in the
men’s four yesterday and the the same four rowers joined
their teammates to race again today to win their heat of the
men’s eight.
This is the first time that the World Rowing Championships
have come to an Asian country. Racing was postponed by one
day due to the potential threat of Typhoon Mawar, the typhoon
changed course and racing began without a hitch on Monday
29 August.
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