Course records fall at Armada Cup

Tucker sets new course record

A flight from the United States, a speeding ticket and 32 minutes, 36 seconds of rowing later, American Steve Tucker had broken the course record for the BKW Armada Cup in Bern, Switzerland. In his first attempt at this nine kilometre, mass start single sculling race, Tucker knocked half a minute off the previous record.

In the women’s event Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, returning for a third year, also broke the course record when she smashed a minute off the 10 year old women’s record. World and Olympic Champion Karsten finished in 35.40 and twentieth overall.

Fine weather with slight tail wind conditions helped the fast times with more than 160 singles lining up in rows of 25 boats across at the start. Both Tucker and Karsten started in the front row. But it was Germany’s World Champion (men’s quad 2002), Robert Sens that got out to an early lead. Sens, who finished eighth last year at the Armada Cup, was then chased down by Tucker and finally caught and overtaken with about half the race rowed.

Sens then had to hold off a strong challenge from Allar Raja of Estonia. Raja has recently come through to the senior rowing ranks after finishing eighth at last year’s World Rowing Under 23 Regatta.

Tucker’s win continues the tradition of lightweight rowers finishing first in the men’s event. Last year Italy’s four-time lightweight World Champion (double and quad) Elia Luini won while in 2003 Germany’s lightweight single World Champion Ingo Euler finished first. Five foot eight (172cm) tall Tucker is a World Champion medallist in the lightweight single and under-weighs Sens by about 29kg (64lb).

Karsten wins the women’s event

In the women’s event Karsten led Michelle Guerette of the United States to successfully defend her 2004 title. This was Guerette’s first attempt at the Armada Cup and finishing second continues her single sculling success after she burst onto the scene this year taking bronze at the World Rowing Championships last month. Guerette has spent most of her international rowing career as a sweep rower but moved to sculling last year to compete at the Athens Olympics in the quad.

The real battle in the women’s single, meanwhile, went on behind Karsten and Guerette. A very tight four-way race was being fought between Dutch Olympic lightweight medallist Marit van Eupen, Germany’s Peggy Waleska, Frida Svensson of Sweden and Australian Catriona Sens-Oliver (now rowing in Germany). Van Eupen prevailed to finish third.

Both Tucker and Karsten receive CHF1,500 ($US 1,160) in winnings.

FISA journalist Melissa Bray spoke to Tucker after his race.

What do you attribute your great result to?
Tucker: This kind of race suits me. I arrived on Thursday and had enough time to go over the course but I still didn’t know what to expect. The mass start was new to me ? overlapping oars with World Champions! I think long distance races evens up the difference between being lightweight and heavyweight rowers.

Physiologically I’m good at the long stuff. I had a good course because by the time I got to the tricky part I was in the lead, so I wasn’t being pushed by anyone else.

How did you handle the mass start?
Tucker: Ingo (Euler) had given me some tips: ?set your watch exactly to Swiss time to the second.? One minute before the start time the gun went off. I didn’t expect it but I was in a good position. Don (Cech) was taking a drink when the gun went off. He had a GPS but didn’t have time to set it. You start in rows of 25 and I was in the front row, number nine.

Did you run into anyone?
Tucker: I did hit Robert Sens. He blasted off the start and led for the first half of the race and rowed exactly in front of me. I came up behind him and ran into him. I had to pull out to get around him.

What was your stroke rate?
Tucker: Thirty-nine at the start and then I moved down to a 34 ? 35 for about the first 1,000 metres, then 32 ? 33 for most of the way. Once I got past Robert I rowed at about 32. 

Why did you choose to race at the Armada Cup?
Tucker: Michelle (Guerette) and I were invited and Ingo said it was a good race to do.

What kind of training have you been doing in preparation?
Tucker: I have been doing long distance rows ? nine kilometres.

And your next race is the Head of the Charles (22 October, Championship single). What will you do to prepare?
Tucker: I will do a practice race over the course one day next week. But I’m pretty sore from today. It was a good practice for the Head of the Charles.

What do you plan to spend your winnings on?
Tucker: Swiss speeding tickets and parking tickets. I haven’t figured out the parking rules yet. This is the first day I haven’t gotten lost!

Sculler at the 6km corner

Top five results
Men’s single
1st Steve Tucker (USA) 32.36
2nd Robert Sens (Germany) 33.14
3rd Allar Raja (Estonia) 33.19
4th Andreas Penkner (Germany) 33.27
5th Leonardo Pettinari (Italy) 33.41

Women’s single
1st Ekaterina Karsten (Belarus) 35.40
2nd Michelle Guerette (USA) 36.09
3rd Marit van Eupen (Netherlands) 37.13
4th Peggy Waleska (Germany) 37.15
5th Frida Svensson (Sweden) 37.17

For full results go to: www.bkw-armadacup.ch

Related Links
Race information
Armada Cup 2004

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