A Second Chance ? World Cup Repechages

Poland’s Julia Michalska looking for lightweight double success
© FISA

By the end of the day some of these crews would face the prospect of their World Cup Regatta coming to an end as athletes returned for their second chance through the repechages. The pressure was on.

Predicted bad weather was minimal with conditions turning calmer as the day progressed. Throughout the afternoon the wind changed several times and athletes had to work through tougher conditions near to the start that improved as the 2000 metre course progressed.

Men’s Single

Six repechages indicated the sheer volume of singles as athletes battled for one of the top two spots. Significantly faster times were recorded through the afternoon demonstrating the change in weather conditions.

Saving the best for the sixth repechage, Austria’s number two sculler qualified with the fastest time from heat six. Raphael Hartl had already challenged World Champion Olaf Tufte earlier in the day and continued to show his fighting spirit. He led Adrien Hardy of France who comfortably qualified from second position. Hardy’s World Champion doubles partner, Sebastien Vieilledent also qualified from repechage number two, taking second behind Rene Burmeister of Germany. However this came at the expense of Olympic qualifier, Dirk Lippits of the Netherlands. Lippits stopped before the line when his arm seized up due to trying to keep his boat straight in the windy conditions.

Austria’s number one sculler, Ralph Kreibich showed that Hartl was not the only sculling talent in his country. Kreibich, who last year finished sixth in the world, qualified today along with Davor Mizerit of Slovenia.

Sweden advanced two scullers through to the final with Sweden number one, Lassi Karonen winning the third repechage in a close sprint over Ian Lawson of Great Britain. Mikael Nilsson rowing as Sweden Two qualified by taking second in the fourth repechage behind Hungary’s Gabor Bencsik.

Tim Maeyens of Belgium and Jan Ziska from Slovakia round out the final qualifiers both finishing comfortably ahead of any challenge.

Men’s Pair 

Even though both first and second placed crews would move onto semi-final from these four repechages, in the opening race both Denmark and Slovenia looked like they had something to prove. Despite being in the two qualifying spots the two crews matched each other through the 1000 metre mark rating a high 36 strokes per minute. A late challenge by France did nothing to change the final order with Denmark and Slovenia moving on.

The second race followed a similar pattern when the two front-runners, Great Britain and Poland kept within shouting distance throughout the race and it was only a final sprint by the Brits that put them into first. Both boats continue onto the semi-final.

Germany added another boat to the semi-final list when their number two crew qualified via the third repechage. Toni Siefert and Gergor Hauffe have been described as up-and-comers in German rowing and they go to the semi-final along with Poland who paced the Germans right through to the closing sprint.

But it was the last repechage that served up the fastest qualifying time when Denmark’s Stephan Moelvig and Mads Andersen looked like they had something to prove to their coach. Both are current World Champions as lightweight rowers ? Moelvig in the four and Andersen in the pair. Today they showed the speed of lightweight rowing leaving Spain to close a six second deficit from second position. Both crews move onto the semi-finals.

Women’s Double

Three repechages with the top three boats moving to the semi-final was the formula for these athletes facing their second race of the day. Great Britain’s new line-up of Elise Laverick and Sarah Winckless were teamed together after finishing fifth and sixth in the single at their country’s Olympic trials and today they rowed through Lithuania and held off China to finish first in repechage number one. All three countries will continue to the semi-finals tomorrow.

There was nothing between the top three crews as France, the Netherlands and Romania crossed the halfway point with the Dutch holding a slight advantage. But a lower rating, more relaxed, France were out-powering their competitors and going for first place. At the line all three boats will continue onto the semi-final.

Peggy Waleska and Kerstin El Qalqili of Germany faced the unprecedented position of racing a repechage after losing to their country’s number three crew this morning. Both are multiple time World Champions with El Qalqili also an Olympic gold medallist. This afternoon they were making no mistakes and qualified with the fastest time by leading Hungary and Belarus’ number two crew who will also move on to the semi-final.

Lightweight Women’s Double

Four repechages put 18 crews back on the water all vying for a first or second qualifying position. The Netherlands opened up the charge by winning race number one. Marit van Eupen and Kirsten van der Kolk should have no excuses as their current ranking of six in the world ranks them well ahead of the rest of the field. Following the Dutch was France rowing a very consistent race that kept them in second and also qualifying.

Hungary and China One qualified through the second race by holding off two Swiss crews who were left to battle each other in the non-qualifying positions.

Denmark’s Juliane Rasmussen and Johanne Thomsen go into their third season together still wanting to qualify for this year’s Olympics. They move one step closer by recording the fastest time through the third repechage. In the process they beat seventh ranked Great Britain. Both boats move on to the semi-final.

China’s second crew also qualified. Qian Le and Dongxiang Xu’s strategy of sticking with the Germans paid off and the two boats crossed in qualifying position well ahead of the rest of the pack. The contrast in styles was clear as China demonstrated a long layback at the finish of the stroke, while Germany stuck to their signature upright position.

Lightweight Men’s Double

Spain’s Ruben Alvarez Hoyos and Juan Zunzunegui Guimerans launched the first of three repechages with a hiss and a roar by out-rating their competition. Clocked at 39 strokes per minute going through the 1000 metre mark commentator Robert Treharne-Jones wondered if they could keep this pace up. They did, holding off two new line-ups from Great Britain and Switzerland. All three crews qualify.

Russia’s Vladimir Varfolomeyev has rotated between the single and double in the last couple of years, but today he lined up with Denis Moiseyev and now the two of them hold the honour of the fastest qualifying time when they outraced Belgium and the Czech Republic in repechage number two.

This left the final qualifying spots to repechage number three which featured last year’s fifth place finishers, Ingo Euler and Manuel Brehmer of Germany. Euler and Brehmer have been together since 2001 and have consistently been in the final but are yet to medal. Today they continue on to the semi-final along with Slovakia and Slovenia.

Lightweight Men’s Four

With just one repechage crews had to finish in the top three spots and it was Serbia & Montenegro that took command. But Great Britain, at a slightly lower stroke rate stuck with them with Poland in hot pursuit. The order remained the same throughout the race with Serbia & Montenegro demonstrating a superior sprint to finish comfortably ahead.