Crabs and a dead heat at the World Rowing Champs
Strong tail wind conditions and choppy water caused some
of the best to falter at the 2006 World Rowing Championships
in Eton, Great Britain. On the first day of semifinals the
final 500 metre sprint for many turned to mayhem as crews
struggled to take their stroke rate up in the rush to qualify
for the final. Germany’s Hacker stuttered, South Africa’s
men’s pair lost their rhythm, Sens and Bertram of Germany
lost their spot in the final, Canada’s men’s four
also missed out following a bad stroke.
Adding to the excitement the first semifinal of the men’s
four ended in a brutal two-boat re-row when the United States
and New Zealand crossed the line with identical times.
Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (LW1x) –
Semifinals
It was nothing short of thrilling for the opening semifinal
race when a four-boat fight took the race to a photo finish.
Cuba’s Ismaray Marrero Aria had the early lead with
her unique two-part stroke style, but was soon overtaken by
reigning World Champion Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands.
Then Switzerland’s Pamela Weisshaupt pushed ahead to
take the lead. The gap between the leaders remained tight,
so tight in fact that coming into the last 500 metres barely
half a second separated the top four crews with Spain’s
Teresa Mas De Xaxars now the challenger for the lead.
With just six buoys to go van Eupen, Marrero, Mas De Xaxars
and Weisshaupt were absolutely dead even. All four rowers
were glancing out at each other. All four boats charged. Who
had the ending sprint? There was nothing in it at the line
as officials consulted the photo finish. All four boats waited
for the announcement. Weisshaupt looked the happiest. Marrero
had missed out. Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain advance
to the final.
If this is a sign of things to come, the final is going to
be electrifying.
Semifinal two was totally different and all about one rower,
Germany’s Berit Carow. Carow, in her fifth year of international
competition, took off at a 41 stroke rate pace and after overtaking
a fast start by Thailand, Carow established enough of a lead
for herself that she was able to settle into a 28 stroke rate
through the body of the race. This left Erika Bello of Italy,
who last raced internationally at the 1996 Olympics, to hold
on to second with France and Lisa Schlenker of the United
States fighting it out for the final qualifying spot. A piece
at the 1100 metre mark accelerated Schlenker into third as
France totally ran out of steam. Still rating 28 Carow crossed
in first, Bello comes through in second and Schlenker takes
the third and final qualifying spot.
Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) –
Semifinals
Zac Purchase of Great Britain is definitely the top medal
contender coming into these World Rowing Championships and
with the home crowd behind him, last year’s under 23
champion is loving it. But at the start of the first semifinal
it was Greece’s Elias Pappas in the lead. Pappas comes
to senior competition after being a B Final finisher at the
2004 under 23 regatta and his challenge to Purchase is a major
step up. By the half-way point Purchase had pushed into the
lead and moved away from Pappas.
Meanwhile a slow-starting Duncan Grant of New Zealand pulled
out a piece just before the 1000 metre mark to move into third
and ahead of Germany. The order stayed the same with Purchase
prepared to come down to a comfortable 28 in the close of
the race and let Pappas close the gap in second with Grant
making further headway to qualify for the final from third.
Juan Zunzunegui Guimerans of Spain established himself as
a force to be reckoned with when he took bronze at the Rowing
World Cup in July. Today he continued to show his power by
leading the second semifinal ahead of Oleksandr Serdiuk of
Ukraine with Slovenia’s Bine Pislar sitting in third
and holding a close battle with Gerard van der Linden of the
Netherlands. As the final sprint came into view, the Spaniard
was doing just enough to hold his position while Pislar sprinted
to stay ahead of a charging van der Linden who in turn was
being challenged by former World Champion (2000) Michal Vabrousek
of the Czech Republic. Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands
advance to the final.
This is going to be a close and exciting final with all finalist
boats qualifying in a time of seven minutes or less with a
spread of only four seconds. Purchase is the favourite.
Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Semifinals
It may look easy for Ekaterina Karsten, but Belarus’s
most accomplished rower works to get her results. Today Karsten
took off in semifinal one at an impressive 45 stroke rate
to take an early lead keeping her rating at 40 for the first
200 metres. This left Frida Svensson of Sweden to slot into
second keeping a wary eye on Michelle Guerette of the United
States who followed in third. As these top three athletes
settled into the body of the race, Svensson retained a low
30s rating similar to Guerette and Karsten and coming into
the final sprint nothing had changed in the order of these
three qualifying spots.
Karsten, her work done earlier in the race, then settled
to a 29 pace while Svensson and Guerette faced a late race
charge by Italy’s Gabriella Bascelli. Getting within
a stone's throw of qualifying, the unlucky Bascelli stuttered
just before the finish in these trying conditions. Karsten,
Svensson and Guerette will go to the final.
After the finish Svensson said: "She’s a big girl
(Karsten). She’s a lot older than me and a lot more
experienced than I am, but I am pleased with my race today.
I know I am smaller than the other girls, but I think I’m
competitive. I think I’m rowing with good technique."
Leaping out at the start of the second semifinal, Mirka Knapkova
of the Czech Republic, last year’s silver medallist,
took to the lead stamping her authority on this race and leaving
France’s Sophie Balmary to contemplate the role of being
second. Balmary, sporting her trademark bright yellow socks,
tried to challenge but appeared to run out of steam and under
no threat from Julia Levina of Russia in third, France’s
top single sculler remained well back in second. The race
remained a procession as Knapkova, with the fastest qualifying
time, crossed the line easily in first. Balmary takes second
and Levina moves on to the final from third.
Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Semifinals
Marcel Hacker of Germany took off like a man possessed in
the first of two semifinals. With his shaven head, dark glasses
and a large cross dangling around his neck, Hacker was described
by the commentator as a trifle sinister. This race plan was
working for Hacker as he got a full boat length lead over
current World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand. Hacker
kept the power on, his rating at a high 38 stroke rate with
every indication that he is well recovered from a recent hernia
operation. Drysdale, rating 34, tried to stay in touch.
Meanwhile a close battle was going on between Belgium’s
Time Maeyens, Switzerland's Andre Vonarburg and Sweden's Lassi
Karonen, leaving the final qualifying spot completely open.
With 500 metres left to row Hacker was still holding on to
first, but a more evenly paced race by Drysdale was paying
dividends. Drysdale had overlap and was pulling ahead of Hacker.
In the heat of the moment Hacker had just one bad stroke.
It was all that Drysdale needed. Pulling into the lead, Hacker
was shaken. Drysdale takes first, Hacker second and a very
impressive final sprint by Maeyens gave the Belgian a spot
in the final.
There’s no hiding Great Britain’s Alan Campbell’s
powerful start. Taking off in the high 40s Campbell had the
lead as he settled into the body of the race. But Ondrej Synek
of the Czech Republic, who had taken off out of the start
at a 49 stroke rate, was looking good, looking confident and
looking like his new cobweb hair style was helping him keep
his cool. By the half-way point Synek had grabbed the lead
as Norway’s Olaf Tufte came back from a slow start to
move ahead of Campbell and into second.
Synek remained in the lead, Tufte followed in second while
Campbell found himself in a battle with Cuba. Coming into
the final sprint Campbell remained outside of the qualification
position as he began to wind. Cuba’s Yoennis Hernandez
Arruez couldn’t react. Synek takes first, Tufte second
and, much to the crowd’s delight, Campbell takes third
to qualify.
After racing Synek said: "I am happy to be in the final.
But it is (to be) a very different race because today was
difficult because it was trying with the wind. I didn't expect
to be ahead of Olaf."
Men’s Pair (M2-) – Semifinals
Yongquiang Zhang and Xiangdang Wang of China have made the
rest of the field take note. They finished fourth at both
Rowing World Cups that they entered this season and today
they shot out in the lead giving current World Champions Nathan
Twaddle and George Bridgewater of New Zealand something to
think about. But Twaddle and Bridgewater kept their cool and
by the half-way point had pushed a canvas ahead of the Chinese
with South Africa’s Ramon Di Clemente and Don Cech following
in third.
The early effort by Zhang and Wang was starting to take its
toll and coming into the final sprint Germany’s Jochen
Urban and Andreas Penkner had pushed through to second with
South Africa taking chase. Zhang and Wang shortened their
stroke to get their rating up, Urban and Penkner looked exhausted,
Di Clemente and Cech then caught a boat-stopping crab, Twaddle
and Bridgewater handled the conditions the best. New Zealand,
China and Germany will be in the final.
Semifinal two opened, maybe not surprisingly, with Australia’s
Drew Ginn and Duncan Free in the lead doing a Karsten-style
get-your-nose-in-front and hope-you-don’t-have-to-sprint-at-the-end.
Ginn hails from Australia’s celebrated Oarsome Foursome
and won the pair at the Athens Olympics. Free has spent his
international career as a sculler and raced the quad at Athens.
Together they remained in the lead watching first Italy slip
off the pace and then Great Britain’s Colin Smith and
Tom James and then Canada’s Kevin Light and Malcolm
Howard challenge for the lead.
In the final sprint Australia tried to maintain a 33 stroke
rate to hold off the British and Canadian charge. Australia
had enough of a lead to stay in front. Great Britain qualify
from second and Canada hangs in there, literally, to earn
the final qualifying spot.
Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Semifinals
It was another day at the office for current world and Olympic
Champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell of New Zealand.
Following their formula race plan, the Evers-Swindells took
the lead at the start rating a very solid 41 stroke rate.
China attempted an early challenge, but the higher rating
(a steady 35 stroke rate) New Zealanders soon left the Chinese
behind. Australia (Liz Kell and Brooke Pratley) then found
their stride and moved up to challenge the New Zealanders
with Ukraine’s Natalia Ryzhkova and Yana Dementieva
following suit.
In the final sprint New Zealand kept their rhythm even to
cross the line first, Australia, struggling in the conditions,
take second and Ukraine sprint through to take the third and
final qualifying spot.
Britta Oppelt and Susanne Schmidt of Germany came through
to these semis as a definite force to be reckoned with, but
in semifinal two, in similar style to their heat, they were
at the back of the field with Yuliya Bichyk and Volha Berazniova
of Belarus the force at the front. Oppelt and Schmidt then
appeared to find their stride and tried to catch the Belarusians
as Annie Vernon and Anna Bebington of Great Britain joined
in.
Bichyk and Berazniova kept their rating at a steady 35, handling
the conditions the best with Oppelt and Schmidt struggling
to sprint in the conditions, their rating dropping to 29 while
Vernon and Bebington remained in the qualifying spot. Belarus,
Germany and Great Britain will be in the final.
Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Semifinals
Semifinal one opened with Jean-Baptiste Macquet (Athens Olympian
from the men’s eight) and Adrien Hardy (Athens Olympic
Champion from the double) of France in the lead over Germany’s
Robert Sens and Rene Bertram. As races turned into who could
best handle the conditions, France kept their rating in the
mid to high 30s as Belgium’s Stijn Smulders and Christophe
Raes showed that they knew all about rough water racing. But
then flying up the outside Bulgaria’s Yanakiev brothers,
Martin (never won an international medal) and Ivo (Olympic
bronze medallist in the single), had already overtaken Croatia
and Ukraine and were going after a qualifying spot with a
44 stroke rate at the 1500 metre mark. The sprint was on.
France got to 37, Bulgaria continued to rate high, Germany
caught a boat-stopping crab with 50 metres to row and Belgium
sprinted past at 39. France, Bulgaria and Belgium will meet
again in the final.
Cop and Spik are the names that have become synonymous with
the double. Cop and Spik: also the names synonymous with the
latest in Slovenian hair styles and colours. Cop, Slovenia’s
most medalled athlete. Spik Slovenia’s youngest Olympian.
Cop and Spik, FISA’s male team of the year for 2005.
Out in front in semifinal two, Cop and Spik kept their rating
at a 35 stroke rate to ward off any challenges. The first
challenge came from Norway who did their best to hold the
pace. The second challenge came from Michal Sloma and Marcin
Brzezinski of Poland with a strong middle 1000 that really
put the heat on the Slovenians. The third challenge arrived
when Great Britain’s Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham
decided to move up from their third place position.
Cop and Spik held them off and move on to the final with
Poland and Great Britain.
Men’s Four (M4-) – Semifinals
What started off to be an average race with a reasonable
spread of boats going through the half-way point, turned into
a full-on fight for positions as four boats closed their eyes
and charged for the line to a very unusual dead heat result.
This is how semifinal one panned out.
The United States got off the line at a blistering pace in
with the more experienced Dutch tracking closely in semifinal
one. A squeeze in the second 500 gave the Netherlands the
lead, but the United States weren’t giving up and hung
on with France trying to close the gap. As the final 500 metres
came into view New Zealand joined in the chase for a top three
finish and coming through the last 100 metres there was nothing
between these four crews. France handled the pressure the
best and crossed the line first, the remaining three crews
waited for the call. Time went by. The crews waited. The Dutch
had come second. More time passed. The finishing photo was
revisited. A dead heat between the United States and New Zealand
was called: 5:51.24 each.
FISA Rule 75 calls for a re-row that same day between the
two crews. The United States; Brett Newlin, Josh Inman, Mike
Blomquist and Matthew Schnobrich would race against New Zealand;
Eric Murray, Selwyn Cleland, Carl Meyer and Hamish Bond at
the end of the day.
The last semifinal of the day featured Great Britain’s
star crew of Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and
Andy Hodge. In their usual style the Brits continued their
two-year winning streak by taking off at the head of the field
with a 46 stroke rate pace. This shook off Canada, but didn’t
shake Germany who looked to be improving as the race progressed.
Coming into the final sprint Germany went for broke. Great
Britain held them off, but their leading margin was less than
half a boat length. Great Britain, Germany and a strong finish
by Slovenia gave them the qualifying spots.
Men’s Four Re-Row
Following the dead heat at the finish in the first semi-final
of the men’s four, FISA Rule 75 called for a re-row
that same day between the two crews. The United States’
Brett Newlin, Josh Inman, Mike Blomquist and Matthew Schnobrich
raced against New Zealand’s Eric Murray, Selwyn Cleland,
Carl Meyer and Hamish Bond three and a half hours after racing
their semifinal.
On paper the New Zealand crew had the better score card this
season already having picked up a Rowing World Cup medal earlier
this season. The United States, coached by Mike Teti has a
link with the New Zealand crew as their coach, Chris Nilsson,
used to coach with Teti. But today the rivalry was clear.
In this brutal two-boat race, the United States handled the
situation better getting out to an early lead and, despite
catching an early race crab, the United States kept in front.
Maintaining a 37 stroke rate, the New Zealanders seemed unable
to react. The United States will move on to the final.
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