Sprint success in St Petersburg

Attracting international crews in eights and singles, the 2011 Golden Blades of St Petersburg City Sprints Regatta ended successfully under beautiful blue skies.

The programme saw international athletes in singles and eights events racing one-on-one over the 250m, going through quarter-finals, semi-finals and then finals spread out over the Sunday along with masters crews, university eights and various types of alternative rowing boats showcasing the total spectrum of the sport for the citizens of St. Petersburg.

Current World Champion, Frida Svensson proved that she knows how to rate high and dash, full-tilt for the line when she successfully made it through quarterfinals and semifinals against top Russian scullers before meeting the Czech Republic’s Mirka Knapkova in the final and winning the “Princess Olga” Cup.

Commentator Robert Treharne Jones said that despite the short distance Svensson won convincingly. Svensson will now prepare for the second Samsung World Rowing Cup which begins in Hamburg, Germany this Friday.

In the men’s single, Kleshnev ousted four-time World Champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand in the quarterfinal then downed fellow Russian Anatoliy Kremarenko in the semifinal before reaching top seeded Russian, Mikhail Fedorov in the final. Fedorov had to beat Slovenian Olympic Champion, Luka Spik to get through to the final.

Racing in front of a large number of early evening spectators, Kleshnev had the crowd support in the final as St Petersburg is his home town. Kleshnev got the better of Fedorov and thus took home the “Peter the Great” Cup.

Both Kleshnev and Fedorov are the sons of former Russian national champions in the single with Kleshnev’s father, Valeri an Olympic medallist from the 1980 Games.£

In the men’s eight Germany and St Petersburg met in the final. Germany gave it their all, but with local knowledge and huge local support, St Petersburg managed to down the Germans to win the 250m dash winning the “Alexander Nevsky” Cup.

The women’s eight final turned into an all foreign affair with the Netherlands facing Canada. The Netherlands, who had to call in a last minute replacement (FISA Council member and former Olympic medallist, Guin Batten from Great Britain), were the faster crew and won the “Ekaterina the Great” Cup.

In the student eights racing the eight of Hamburg University won the University Women’s eight and St. Petersburg University won the University Men’s eight.

At the end of the regatta all of the athletes declared it a success, enjoying the VIP treatment.

Great support from the title sponsor Gazprombank and the main sponsor Parmigiani, the Swiss Master Watchmaker, along with the patronage of Sir Steve Redgrave, plus the full support of the St. Petersburg government made this exciting new event possible. It is planned for the St Petersburg Sprints to become an annual event.