Asian rowers narrowed down to finals

By Melissa Bray

Rowers from 20 nations have been whittled down to the A finalists at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Racing opened on the weekend with head winds and choppy waters in the first round of heats. This produced slow times in the demanding conditions.

China came through winning all but one of the heats they entered. Japan’s Olympian Daisaku Takeda owned the only upset when he comfortably beat Chongkui Wu of China in the men’s lightweight single.

Takeda said afterwards that he was fully prepared for the choppy conditions having recently trained on rough waters.

Wu made up for his loss to Takeda in the heats the next day by winning his repechage and advancing to the semi-final with the fastest qualifying time. Wu’s time clocked in at a full minute faster than that recorded in the rough conditions of the heat.

Today’s semi-final draw again pitted Takeda and Wu against each other. Tracking three-time Olympian Takeda, 33, closely, Wu, 17, who is already a World Champion after winning the lightweight four at Eton, managed to hold Takeda’s pace for the first half of the race before Takeda slipped away. Both Takeda and Wu advance to the final.

Following the heats and repechages China has qualified for the final in every event minus the men’s lightweight double in which they did not enter. But China, who won all but one race at the last Asian Games in 2002, will face some tougher competition this time.

India’s men’s four won their semi-final with the fastest qualifying time, nearly two seconds faster than China in the second semi-final. China’s four did not have an easy run in their semi-final after being pushed the entire 1000 metre distance by Indonesia who had the lead at the half-way point before slipping into second. Japan will also be a strong contender in this four boat men’s four final.

Korea’s Eun Chul Shin is setting up the men’s single to be a strong battle against Zheng Chen of China. Shin, 19, and Chen, 26, both won their respective semi-finals in almost identical times.

Dongxiang Xu of China has replaced her World Champion lightweight double for a single and at Doha is the hot favourite to win the women’s lightweight single. Xu won her semi-final over Phuttharaksa Nikree of Thailand who has also qualified in the open women’s single. But Xu’s toughest competition may come from newcomer Kum Suk Ro, 22, of North Korea.

For many of these rowers the Asian Games is their first taste at an international event indicating the growth of rowing in the region. The racing is taking place on the salt water course of Doha’s West Bay Lagoon over a four-laned 1000 metre distance.

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