A-Finals Continue at the World Rowing Junior Championships

By Melissa Bray

After a lunch break, the final six races of the 2005 World Rowing Junior Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, began with the fastest crews being changed from the middle two lanes to lanes five and six as cross winds made for a difference in conditions across the course. The lane change began with the women's double.

But first this is how the women's and men's single panned out.

Twigg celebrates winning the single for New Zealand

Junior Women's Single (JW1X)

Barring disaster this race had Emma Twigg of New Zealand written all over it. She had dominated her heat and semi-final and today she comfortably led right from the beginning green light. This is Twigg's third year competing as a junior, the last two years she sat in the eight. Now on her own, Twigg is making waves and already has an Under-23 Championship fourth place behind her.

This left Gisella Bascelli of Italy (3rd in 2003, 6th in 2004) and the rest of the field to fight for the lesser medals. By the second half of the race Bascelli had taken over second and an open water gap had opened up with Liene Bertasjus of Latvia way back in third. This procession, led by Twigg continued until the finish line. Twigg finishes as Junior World Champion never having to sprint a finish. Bascelli picks up silver and Bertasjus finishes with bronze in her first international season.

Junior Men's Single (JM1X)

There was no doubt about Milan Uzunovic of Serbia & Montenegro's talent. Uzunovic had dominated his heat and semi-final and come into this regatta with only one acceptable finishing position. But Stefan Krueger of Germany knew of Uzunovic's plans and was well prepared to throw a spanner in the works.

Despite Uzunovic getting the better start, Krueger stuck with him only giving Uzunovic a slight edge. But the stronger Serbian & Montenegrin was not content just to hold Krueger off. By the half way point Uzunovic had an open water lead with Kaspar Taimsoo of Estonia working his way up to third.

Meanwhile the smoother stroking Uzunovic moved further away from Krueger who was using a higher stroke rating and an aggressive, yanking at the finish, stroke. As the procession crossed through the finishing zone, Uzunovic had over seven seconds on Krueger, in second, with Taimsoo (who raced in the double in 2004) a couple of seconds back in third. Keep an eye out for these rowers in the future.

Junior Women's Double (JW2X)

After a lunch break, the final six races began with the fastest crews being changed from the middle two lanes to lanes five and six as cross winds made for a difference in conditions across the course.

This meant that defending champions, Jitka Antosova and Gabriela Varekova of the Czech Republic and winner of the semi-final, got lane five and winners of the second semi-final, twins Lisa and Melanie Baues of Germany, were in lane six.

As expected, Antosova and Varekova took off at the head of the field with the Baues sisters slipping into second, followed by Romania's Mihaela Coteata and Adelina Cojocariu (gold medalists from the eight in 2004) in third. Local knowledge must have been working to the advantage of the lighter, 56kg each, Baues twins over their bigger competition as the Germans held tightly on to second. But there was no doubt about the leaders.

Turning into a procession, the Czech Republic earn their second junior gold medal, Germany take second and Romania add bronze to their collection.

men's double winners celebrate

Junior Men's Double (JM2X)

Croatia's Hrvoje Jurina and Tomislav Holi, came through to the final after a photo finish in their semi-final and at their first ever Junior Championships they were leading the final, but only a smidgen ahead of Germany's Tim Bartels and Hans Gruhne and Daniel Karena and Joseph Sullivan of New Zealand with them on the pace.

Going through the half way point Jurina and Holi had dropped back with Karena and Sullivan pushing into second and Bartels and Gruhne finding the lead. These three crews continued to battle it out for medal colours at the head of the field.

Meanwhile semi-final winner Slovenia was trying to come back from a 900 metre boat-stopping crab that left them at the back of the field.

Coming into the final sprint Germany had an edge. The stroke rates began to rise into the high 30s, the three leading crews charged. At the line Bartels, 17, and Gruhne, also 17 had won in their first Junior Championship title with Jurina and Holi taking silver and a very happy Karena and Sullivan, from New Zealand's small coastal town of Picton, winning bronze.

Franzen and Hoffmann listen to the German national anthem

Junior Women's Quad (JW4X)

Defending champions Germany have retained Anna Kluchert and Mandy Reppner from last year and with Christin Hoffmann and Nora Franzen on board they have been dominating the heats and semi-finals. Belarus decided that if this was the case they would have to have an awesome start. And they did. But Germany was having none of this. Using a higher stroke rate the Germans overtook Belarus had the lead with half of the race gone going through the 1,000 metre mark rating 36.

Belarus, with two returnees from last year's Junior Championships, tried to hold on with Great Britain having a battle with Italy back a bit in third.

In the final sprint Belarus tried to catch Germany and in the process pulled ahead of Great Britain who was still trying to shake off Italy. At the line Germany had defended their championship title, Belarus earn silver and Great Britain win bronze.

Germany gets pipped at the line by Italy in the junior men's quad

Junior Men's Quad (JM4X)

Ukraine took a flying start to get ahead of defending champions, Germany with Slovenia holding on to the pace. Germany has retained just Martin Gulyas from the crew that took gold in 2004 and sitting in three seat Gulyas was working hard to get his crew into the lead.

A strong middle 1,000 worked a treat for the Germans and Ukraine was forced to settle for second. But winners of the semi-final Italy then started to find their rhythm and practically out of nowhere they were moving on the leaders. Coming into the final 400 metres Jacopo Palma (11th in the quad in 2004), Bruno Rosetti, Mattia Boschelli (5th in the coxed four in 2004) and Andrea Messina (11th in the quad in 2004) of Italy had found the lead.

The crowd was going wild. Would Germany be able to come back?

At the finish Italy had beaten the champions. Germany finished a close second and Ukraine held on over a fast finishing Slovenia, to take third. Palma gets the award for the happiest winner both on and off the medals podium.

Junior Women's Eight (JW8+)

An impressive line of five boats going through the first 500 showed that this was going to be a close race. Germany, in favoured lane six, had a slight lead. Romania followed closely in second and the USA, in land 3, held on to third with Great Britain right on the pace in fourth.

A piece at the 900 by the United States worked a treat and they moved past Romania closing the already small gap on Germany. Romania attacked back with Great Britain following suit. Again a five boat line crossed the half way point practically together with only the Czech Republic off the pace.

Coming into the final sprint Germany still had a slight margin with Romania and Great Britain turning into the strongest challengers. At the line Germany had beaten defending champions Romania who raced to second and Great Britain, with their first junior eight in five years win bronze.

The US waited until the end of the day to win gold in the men's 8+

Junior Men's Eight (JM8+)

New Zealand and Germany came into the race as the chosen crews after winning their respective semi-finals. The United States had other ideas. An aggressive start saw the Americans get their nose in front of the favoured Germans. But the field was oh so very tight that barely a breath of air was being spared between the crews.

At the half way point less than a bow ball separated the US and New Zealand with just inches back to Germany and defending champions, Romania very much in the pack. A piece by Germany saw them take a smidgen of a lead at the 1,200 but the United States attacked back regaining the lead 250 metres later. The question was going to be, what crew still had it for the sprint?

The United States and Germany were clocking 38 strokes per minute but Romania, at 40, had closed the gap. At the line the United States had won their only medal of the day and a Junior Champion title. The rest of the field sat there waiting for the photo finish results. Germany had bettered their 2004 bronze medal and finished with silver. Romania, with six members of their crew racing for the second time today, had won bronze.

Germany and Romania wait for their medals during the closing speeches

This wrapped up the 13 races at the 2005 World Rowing Junior Championships and just in time as the rain moved in. The FISA flag was then formally handed to Amsterdam, hosts of the 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships, by FISA's president Denis Oswald.

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