2005 World Rowing Championships
World Champions Crowned - Day one of finals
Gifu, Japan – 29 August to 4 September 2005
New Zealand looked unstoppable on the first day of finals
at the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan. In
four of the seven Olympic class events New Zealand crews won
gold.
The winning spree for New Zealand began with men’s
single sculler Mahe Drysdale beating Olympic Champion Olaf
Tufte of Norway as well as this season’s favourite,
Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. This is the first year
that Drysdale has competed in the single and he won using
the race plan repeated by his fellow teammates, leading from
the start of the race until the finish.
New Zealand also took gold in the men’s and women’s
pair and the women’s double.
Dominating the women’s single scull, Byelorussia’s
Ekaterina Karsten outclassed the field and gave the 27,000-strong
spectators a demonstration of textbook sculling. Second placed
Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic was given a run for her
money by single sculling newcomer Michelle Guerette of the
United States. Guerette’s bronze medal is the first
medal for the United States in this event in 17 years.
Great Britain continued where they left off at the Athens
Olympics as the top boat in the men’s four. This new
British crew came together earlier this year and wrapped up
an unbeaten season with gold at Gifu.
The racing schedule for the remainder of the finals has been
changed for Sunday 4 September in anticipation for potential
adverse weather conditions. Racing will begin with the B Finals
(raced at 5-minute intervals) at 8:45 a.m. instead of 9:30
a.m (local time). A Finals will begin at 9:30 and be raced
at 15 minute intervals.
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