Raise your glass to the new world champions
Crews confronted the strong tail wind conditions in a variety
of ways for the remaining finals at the 2006 World Rowing
Championships in Eton, Great Britain. Russia’s women’s
quad did it by slogging it. Denmark’s lightweight men’s
Rasmussen and Quist did it by keeping controlled and consistent.
The United States women’s eight did it by knocking a
full second off their World Best Time. China’s lightweight
quad women also broke their own World Best Time record that
they set earlier this season.
Men’s Coxed Four (M4+)
New Zealand’s race plan; Get out fast and hang on.
They got out fast, they maintained a 38 stroke rate and they
hung on. But hanging tightly to the New Zealanders coat tails
were the Canadians, made up of under 23 rowers and Germany.
There was very little in it and at the half way point barely
half a boat length split the top five boats. Only Italy had
fallen off the pace. This was going to be a full 2000 metre
race. With just 500 metres left to row you could still throw
a blanket over the top five boats with Germany now gaining
a bow ball of an edge over the field.
In the mad dash to the line water flew, ratings went high,
Germany and New Zealand hit 43 strokes per minute, Canada
held in there. Germany’s Florian Eichner, Philipp Naruhn,
Matthias Flach, Jan Martin Broeer and coxswain Martin Sauer
had won gold. The rest of the fleet sat there waiting for
the call. Canada had taken second and New Zealand with bronze
gain their second medal of the season, adding to their under
23 gold last month.
New Zealand’s James Dallinger: “I’m definitely
happy about the race and it’s great to win a medal at
the world champs.”
Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)
Germany’s Ole Rueckbrodt and Felix Otto have had a
great season coming to their first senior championships as
winners of two gold and one silver Rowing World Cup medal.
But the duo have far from dominated coming into this final.
Today they rowed the race they wanted. Starting out in the
lead Rueckbrodt and Otto held off early challenges from Australia
with Spain and Italy fighting it out for third. Germany, holding
a steady 35, remained in the lead with the higher rating Juan
Manuel Florido Pellon and Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez of Spain
starting to make a huge impression on the leaders.
The sprint to the line was on. Australia had run out of gas,
Spain rated higher while Salvatore Di Somma and Andrea Caianiello
of Italy let loose down the outside lane. Rueckbrodt and Otto
held on to get gold. Spain belted through for silver and Italy
take bronze.
Di Somma: “We started really well and we did not want
to lose this medal. It was a wonderful race. This is my second
medal this year.”
Lightweight Women’s Quadruple sculls (LW4x)
They broke the World Best Time earlier this season at the
Poznan Rowing World Cup. They did it again today at Eton,
knocking a staggering six seconds off their own record (old
6:29.24, new 6:23.96). Hua Yu, Haixia Chen, Xuefei Fan and
Jing Liu took to the lead right from the starters gun and
instead of going crazy, they maintained a very composed 35
– 36 stroke rate in these tail wind conditions.
Denmark took chase holding China’s pace. The Danes
practiced for these World Champs by racing in the open weight
class for the World Cup series and it was now helping in their
challenge against China. As China stretched to an open water
lead Great Britain fought to get into the medals by staging
a fierce closing sprint. At the line China had gold, Denmark
silver and Great Britain sprinted through to bronze.
What will these Chinese do if they’re really pushed?
With 15 year old Fan in the boat, the crew have many years
to find out.
Stroke for Great Britain, Sophie Hosking: “We were
selected three and a half weeks ago. We knew we had to work
hard to get a medal and it’s a great result in front
of our family and friends.”
Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x)
This was Daniele Gilardoni of Italy’s for the taking.
A staggering six World Championship titles hang around his
neck and, coming through the race for lanes earlier in the
week, Italy was surely the favourite. But getting off the
line first was Great Britain taking the bull by the horns
and driving hard. Italy’s new stroke, Daniele Danesin
seemed unconcerned, biding his time, pushing at a solid 35
pace. Behind him were the three reigning World Champions;
Luca Moncada in three, Gilardoni in two and Gardino Pellolio
in bow.
By the half way point Italy had found the lead, keeping their
pace steady to make further gains on the field. Germany then
started to wind it up from their fourth place position overtaking
first France and going after the Italians. A small stutter
by Germany’s bow in the final sprint did not stop their
charge and at the line Germany had closed the gap. Gilardoni
becomes seven-time World Champion, Germany take silver and
France earn bronze.
Moncada: “We determined at the beginning not to be
surprised by our opponents. We know that if we kept the same
level as the earlier race, we could make it. This is my fifth
World Championship title. I’m really happy.”
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)
Dongxiang Xu and Shimin Yan of China sent out a clear warning
earlier in the season when they broke the World Best Time
at the second Rowing World Cup. Xu is no stranger to top racing.
She finished fifth at the Athens Olympics in this event and
with new partner, Yan, the duo look formidable. In their recent
domineering fashion, Xu and Yan took to the head of the field
coming out of the starting blocks at a 41 stroke rate pace
to take a slight lead
But Australia’s stroke Amber Halliday was having none
of this. Halliday last met Xu in the Athens final finishing
one spot ahead in fourth and then retired until this year.
Today, with new partner Marguerite Houston, Halliday went
after the Chinese. Settling into a hot 37 pace Australia was
rating just a fraction higher than China. It had no impact.
Xu and Yan remained in the lead with Houston and Halliday
under threat from Canada.
Then Greece’s Chrysi Biskitzi and Alexandra Tsiavou
appeared to find another gear and took off after the leaders.
In the final sprint Xu and Yan managed to hold on to the gold,
Halliday and Houston take silver and Biskitzi and Tsiavou
charge through to bronze.
Biskitzi: “I’ve tried to win a medal since 1998
and this is the best result of my career.”
Halliday: “It felt like a re-run of Athens. It doesn’t
feel like I’ve been out of it (rowing). Marguerite was
the spare in Athens.”
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)
Coming through this season there’s no doubt that all
eyes were on Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark. Rasmussen
and Quist used the Rowing World Cup season to refine their
skills dictated under the guidance of new coach Thomas Poulsen
and today they put it all into practice in a race that was
nothing short of complete domination. In the company of class,
Rasmussen and Quist got into the lead within the first 100
metres, settled into a comfortable 36 stroke rate which had
the incredible effect of moving them absolutely clear of the
rest of the field and to an open water command.
No one in the field had an answer. Not two-time Olympic medallists,
Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland. Not four-time
World Champion Elia Luini of Italy with under 23 champion
Marcello Miani. Not France’s Olympic silver medallist
Frederic Dufour with new partner Fabrice Moreau. Instead these
crews, along with Australia and Germany, formed a virtual
equal line.
Rasmussen and Quist win their first World Champion title
since they came together in 2001 dominating at the end by
an incredible 3.48 seconds. Luini and Miani push through to
take silver. Dufour and Moreau win bronze.
Moreau: “We’re sad that we weren’t in front
of the Italians, but in the end what is the most important
is to get a medal.”
Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)
China has a new coach. Former United States coach Igor Grinko
has been given the task of getting the Chinese up to speed
for Beijing. The lightweight women have been doing their bit.
What about the men? Earlier in the week the newly formed Chinese
crew of Zhongming Huang, Chongkui Wu, Lin Zhang and Jun Tian
had shown their boat speed, but the question remained, could
they do a repeat performance in the final?
The Chinese four hail from four different provinces and include
17 year old international newcomer Wu in two seat keeping
the crew lively.
Leading the final at the start was last year’s silver
medallists, Ireland. The Irish shot out at a high rating keeping
their beat in the high thirties. China took chase and by the
half way point had daken the lead. The Irish saw China coming
and held on with defending World Champions France fighting
back. Ireland sprinted first, taking their rate to 44 then
45, France charged at a 41, China held on to cross the line
in first. A photo finish between France and Ireland gave the
French silver and Ireland bronze.
Two seat for France Jeremy Pouge: “It’s a small
disappointment but in the end we’re happy to be second
in the photo finish. Now we have to take into account this
Chinese team towards Beijing.”
Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)
Ten years ago at the Atlanta Olympics Irina Fedotova, Larisa
Merk and Oxana Dorodnova of Russia finished seventh in the
quad. They raced again together in at Sydney and finished
third. Last year they came together again along with Olga
Samulenkova and were incredibly disappointed with their bronze
medal result. Earlier in the week they had given reigning
World Champions Great Britain a run for their money. Today
the Russians were after one result alone.
Taking off in the lead Russia settled into a powerful 31
stroke rate to stay ahead of Great Britain at 35 with Australia
no far behind in third. The margins between these three crews
was small and an aggressive third 500 gave Great Britain the
lead. Russia pushed back, In the last 100 metres they had
the lead. Russia win gold, a completely devastated Great Britain
take silver and Australia hold on for bronze.
Samulenkova: “We were in good shape and determined
and really happy because it’s my first World Championship
medal.”
Australia’s bow Catriona Sens: “Bronze is the
wrong colour.”
Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
Ukraine decided if they were going to do some damage they
had better do it at the start. Shooting out at a 43 stroke
rate Ukraine gained a slight margin, but there was little
in it going through the first 500 with all six crews still
very much on the pace. Margins began to stretch out going
through the half way point as reigning World Champions Poland
took to the head of the field. Poland’s two seat Marek
Kolbowicz, 35, and stroke Adam Korol, 32, have been racing
together for 10 years and took a bronze in 1998 in the double.
Together with Konrad Wasielewski and Michal Jelinski they
set a new World Best Time earlier this season at the second
Rowing World Cup.
Today, as the wind increased and the swell mounted, the Poles
seemed unstoppable. Ukraine held on, Estonia charged, Italy
gave it their best shot. Poland defend their World Champion
title, an ecstatic Ukraine take silver and Estonia win bronze.
Estonia’s bow Allar Raja: “Our race was not perfect
but the result is a good surprise. We are all happy.”
Women’s Eight (W8+)
Last year at the World Champs the United States led the race
only to finish fourth in the final strokes. This year they
were making no mistakes. Charging off the line at a 43 stroke
rate, the United States had an amazing boat length lead over
Germany with only 500 metres rowed. Stroked by Caryn Davies
with Caroline Lind in seven seat, the US continued to increase
their lead. What could the Germans do?
Meanwhile behind them defending World Champions Australia
was having a right old tussle with China, while Canada and,
never been seen before, Romania dropped off the pace.
The United States continued to lead. Germany fought back.
China went to half slide and got their rating up to a 49.
United States win gold, Germany take silver and Australia
stay inches ahead of China to take bronze. The United States
better their World Best Time (set at the Athens Olympics),
setting the new time one second faster at 5:55.50.
Lind: “It was an amazing race and an amazing boat.
These girls are the best, only champions can do this.”
US coxswain Mary Whipple: “It was really messy out
there (wind and water conditions). We just kept believing
in ourselves.”
Men’s Eight (M8+)
Germany had a plan. Three of their crew rowed in Great Britain
this year for Cambridge University including stroke, Bernd
Heidicker. They had local information. Under the watchful
eye and voice of coxswain stalwart Peter Thiede, the Germans
took off in the lead with both Italy and the United States
holding on. The United States are the defending World Champions
but today didn’t look to be going their way as Germany
pulled out to a full boat length lead by the half way point.
No one could chase down the Germans who kept at a steady
37 through the race to win gold. Italy comes through to silver
and the United States take bronze.
Bow seat for Italy, Carlo Mornati: “We hoped for success
because all of the leading boats were within a second coming
into this race. Our boat is good technically so the waves
are fine for us.”
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