Gold for Brazil in Hamburg finals

Racing was delayed for an hour due to passing thunder. Once racing commenced athletes on the Allermoehe regatta course had flat conditions for most of the first half of the race moving to a bumpy, tail-cross wind situation for much of the second half.
 

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Final

The first final of this regatta was the six women of the lightweight single and it saw Brazil’s Fabiana Beltrame shake up the status quo. Beltrame set off from the start as she intended to finish – in the lead. The Brazilian started her international rowing career nine years ago and is yet to win a medal. She wanted to put that straight today. Beltrame had finished fourth at the first World Cup last month and it had given her a taste of what she wanted to achieve. Today she earned her first World Cup medal and she did it by winning gold.

The only sculler to get anywhere close to Beltrame was Lena Mueller, the second German entry. Mueller tried her best but could not close the open water lead that Beltrame had created. Mueller managed to maintain second with Emma Fred, Sweden's second entry, sprinting for her life to get close to overtaking Mueller. She didn’t quite make it despite rating 34, but a bronze medal still came her way. 

Beltrame received a huge cheer as she stood at the centre of the medals podium with her baby.

Results: BRA, GER2, SWE2, GER1, ALG, SUI

Fabiana Beltrame (BRA) – Gold
"I can’t believe I won here. I have no words to describe my happiness. This is the first gold in World Rowing Cup history for Brazil and the first time my daughter Alice has come with me. I want to thank the President of the Brazilian Federation for allowing my husband and Alice to come with me. They give me lots of strength."

Emma Fred (SWE) – Bronze
"I felt really nervous at the beginning of the race but then felt very strong. The side wind conditions were really difficult but I am happy with the 3^rd place. It is my first World Cup in the single so my goal was to participate in the final. I think Hamburg is a very nice location. I was here for the Junior World Rowing Championships some years ago."

 B-final 

Mexico’s number one boat of Lila Perez Rul rowed an aggressive race in these tail wind conditions which saw her hold a 36 stroke rate for a good chunk of the second half of the race. Perez Rul’s aggression was forced by her fellow team mate Fabiola Nunez Zurita of Mexico's second boat. Nunez Zurita held the lead for the first half of the race but Perez Rul got the better of her in the second half. A huge finishing push by Ka Man Lee of Hong Kong China gave her a third place finish.

Results: MEX1, MEX2, HKG, SWE1, UZB

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Final

Henrik Stephansen of Denmark is the World Record holder on the indoor rowing machine but he is yet to win a World Cup gold. Stephansen changed all this today. Despite coming out of the start behind Azerbaijan and New Zealand’s Duncan Grant, Stephansen remained cool. As Azerbaijan dropped off the pace Grant and Stephansen began a two-way battle at the head of the field which saw them move away from the rest of the competitors. Going through the third 500 Stephansen had got the better of Grant and not only moved into the lead but moved clean away.

In the final sprint Stephansen looked like he was absolutely relishing the lead. His full power, 36 stroke rate pace was ripping his oars through the water. There was nothing that Grant could do. Back in third Jonathan Koch of Germany had the crowd support egging him to stay ahead of Norway. He managed and therefore gained the bronze.

Results: DEN, NZL, GER, NOR2, USA, AZE

Henrik Stephansen (DEN) – Gold
‘I have focused on starts all spring and I was happy with my start today which was a good base for my race. This race is really important to me. Hamburg is a good venue and I like coming here.’

Duncan Grant (NZL) – Silver
“It’s nice to be back. Conditions were tricky but it was good, hard racing. This year I will be in the single again. Who knows for the future – it’s up the selectors.”

Jonathan Koch (GER) – Bronze
‘It was really exhausting and I felt a lot of pressure from the Norwegian sculler.’

B-final

Racing through from the back of the field Uzbekistan’s Artyom Kudryashov came through strongly in the middle of the race to take the lead. Kudryashov was in the lightweight double for the first World Rowing Cup this season, but has now moved to the single to better his results. Juan Jumenez Regules of Mexico really pushed Kudrayashov hard, but the Uzbek managed to just stay in front, rating a speedy 39 across the finish line.

Results: UZB, MEX2, MEX1, BRA, HKG2, HKG3

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Final

This event was scheduled to race on Saturday – and it did, but with one boat missing. Hong Kong China suffered boat damage rowing to the start line and never made it to the start. Hong Kong protested and so the race was rerowed as the first race on Sunday.

Yesterday Germany’s Bastian Seibt and Lars Wichert dominated the race. Today it was much tighter. Seibt and Wichert led from start to finish, but a hyped up Hong Kong China of Chiu Mang Tang and Ki Cheong Kwan followed closely. Tang and Kwan, however, had a tough act in front of them. Wichert raced in three events at last year’s World Rowing Championships and scored gold in two of them while the very popular Seibt is an Olympian and also won gold at the 2010 World Champs.

As the finishing line grandstand came into view the crowd was relishing seeing their boat in the lead. Seibt and Wichert kept it that way, rowing at a solid 35 stroke rate. Austria, in third, gave a big kick at the end to try and catch Tang and Kwan, but they had left it too late. Hong Kong China earn a World Cup silver medal.

Results: GER, HKG, AUT, MEX

Lars Wichert (GER) – Gold
"It was special to win the same class twice in 12 hours. It was a very good exercise for us".

Alexander Rath; Christian Rabel (AUT)– Bronze
"It was fair to race again, but the referee should have known before that the race yesterday must be cancelled. We are happy with our performance today. We are professional enough to cope mentally with the situation."