Synek – Drysdale clash at Holland Beker

Racing in the premier race of the regatta, the men’s single sculls, Synek had to reel in Drysdale who led through the middle stages of the race. This is Drysdale’s second major race of the 2011 season. Last week he finish

ed first in the men’s single at the Samsung World Rowing Cup in Hamburg, Germany. Synek did not race in Hamburg, delaying the showdown until Amsterdam.

Behind Drysdale, Lassi Karonen of Sweden was third. Karonen finished second to Drysdale in Hamburg and is a regular at the Holland Beker regatta. Also a regular competitor, Tim Maeyens of Belgium came in fourth.

The women’s single scullers competed for the Ladies Trophy and rowing stalwart, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, won the title for the eleventh time. New Zealand’s Emma Twigg came in second repeating the finishing order from Hamburg. Behind Twigg former Ladies Trophy winner, Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic, came in third.

Both Synek and Karsten won their respective events in 2010.

 The Holland Beker regatta saw the return to the international stage of Beijing Olympic medallists, Scott Frandsen and Dave Calder of Canada. Frandsen

 and Calder last raced internationally together in 2008 when they picked up silver in the men’s pair in Beijing. The duo won their pair’s event both days beating out the Australian pairing of William Buckland and William Lockwood on the first day and the Netherlands’ Vincent and Tyco Muda on the Sunday.

Frandsen told Rowing Canada: "It was a great starting point and good to be back racing side by side; we know what we're going to work on heading into the World Cup in Lucerne.”

“Beijing was our last international race together, so we have high expectations on ourselves,” said Calder.  “The reality is that we have to take things one step at a time in order to slowly work our speed back to a high standard.”

Great Britain’s top women’s pair – Heather Stanning and Helen Glover raced both days winning easily over Canadian national team crews. British national team members were also successful in the women’s double sculls with lightweights, Sophie Hosking and Hester Goodsell coming first both days. They pushed reigning World Champions Tracey Cameron and Lindsay Jennerich of Canada into second. Cameron and Jennerich then finished fourth on Sunday.

A clash between the Dutch national women’s eight and Canada’s top women’s eight ended in the Netherlands winning on both days. This was much to the delight of the Amsterdam audience, some of whom were able to follow the race in an open truck while many others biked along the side of the course.

For full results: www.hollandbeker.nl