Danish Juniors Dominate Nordic Championships

Nordic Champions Stephansen and Stene

More than 1,300 rowers came together for the 2005 Nordic Championships at the start of July in Soro, Denmark. Rowers participated from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark in sunny conditions with a light wind from behind.

The Championships were in conjunction with the 78th Sororegatta and rowed on a natural lake. Being a nature reserve the rowing facilities only remained in place during the regatta week. 

Number of teams: 762
Number of seats:  1358
Number of heats: 89

This is an increase of over 25 percent on last year and is a record participation for the regatta.

Competition was in senior, junior and masters events and for the Danish junior rowers this was the selection regatta for a place on their country’s Junior World Championship team. Finland held their qualification races in Tampere, Finland, so their strongest rowers could not compete in the Nordic Championships.

The championships were opened by the Mayor of Soro, Ivan Hansen and regatta head organiser, Malene Silbo Raft. This was followed by a flag ceremony and the playing of national anthems.

The number of entries meant that race days were over 10 hours long starting at 7.30 in the morning.

Former top Danish rower, Anna Helleberg (today a priest and married to current Danish national team member Bo Brask Helleberg) was the speaker on Saturday. On Sunday Danish Olympic Champion Victor Feddersen spoke. Both Helleberg and Feddersen gave very personal and engaging reports from the motorboat.

Junior rowers from Denmark, Henrik Stephansen and Niels Henrik Stene both won three gold medals and will be strong contenders at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Brandenburg, Germany next month. Martine Hilbrand is also a promising name in Danish junior rowing.

The overall winning nation went this year to Denmark with 78 points followed by Sweden with 66 points then Norway, 59, and Finland, 20.

Norway’s Tufte against Sweden’s Karonen in the men’s single

Results:

JM2x: Henrik Stephansen and Niels Henrik Stene. Denmark: 6:34:43

JM2-: Emil Kerri and Jacob Sogaard Larsen, Denmark:  6:53:33

JW1x:Martine Hilbrandt, Denmark. 7:51:27

JM4-: Christian Asmussen, Emil Flindt, Jacob Soegaard and Emil Kjerri. Denmark 6:24:70

JM4x: Christian Nielsen, Martin Skosgaard, Henrik Stephansen and Niels Henrik Stene. Denmark 6:05:19

JW4x-: Katrine Martinsen, Stine Lierhagen, Frida Schneider and Desiree Karlsen, Norway. 7:15:64

JW2x: Cathrine Oesterberg and Martina Hilbrandt, Denmark. 7:22:18

JM/JW8+: Sebastian Alsing, Frederik Maanson, Nikolaj Skjolstrup, Christian Nielsen, Martin Skovsgaard, Henrik Stephansen, Niels Henrik Stene . Cox Jens Bakhoj. Denmark. 6:09:43

W1x: Frida Svensson, Sweden. 7:33:50. 

LW2x: Lena Karlson and Sara Karlson, Sweden. 7:07:36

M1x: Olaf Tufte, Norway. 6:53:18
Lassi Karonen, Sweden. 6:54:72

M4x: Peter Sylvest, Jacob Jespersen, Christian Østergaard and Anders Moustgaard, Denmark 5:47:60

M4-: Tobias Karlson, Henrik Liljedahl, Marcus Johansson and Anders Holmberg, Sweden. 6:21:61

W4x-: Hilde Gudem, Tine Schoyen, Marianne Nordahl and Heidi Veeser, Norway. 6:32:80

Copy thanks to Lis Nielsen of  the Danish Federation

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