Drysdale and Karsten in the money at Holland Beker

It took three appearances at Amsterdam’s annual Koninklijke-Holland Beker Regatta for Drysdale to finally win the first prize cash of €3000. Competing in both 2005 and 2007, the three-time World Champion from New Zealand had never been able to reach the top spot. This year Drysdale showed that he is well on track to be the Olympic favourite in the men’s single by winning the prestigious Dutch race.

The women’s single Ladies Trophy went to Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. This is a regular event on Karsten’s racing calendar. She has won the event seven times and with it become an honorary member of the Amsterdam Student Rowing Club Skoll. On the Bosbaan course, under slight tail wind conditions, Karsten demonstrated her typical fast start but was pushed the whole way by Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Only a second separated the two scullers at the finish with Knapkova pushing Karsten to a new course record of 7:09.78. Rika Geyser of South Africa finished third.  

Drysdale in the men’s single got into the lead by the first 500m and remained there for the rest of the race with the main challenge for first coming from 2006 Holland Beker winner, Lassi Karonen of Sweden. Earlier in the day, during the semifinal, Drysdale had a tough battle with Belgium’s fastest single sculler, Tim Maeyens. In the final Maeyens finished third after pulling ahead of top Dutch lightweight sculler, Jaap Schouten.

After the race Drysdale said this was a great lead up to racing at the third Rowing World Cup in Poznan, Poland, in two weeks’ time. Drysdale comes to the Holland Beker after finishing second at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup a week ago. Marcel Hacker of Germany was to have raced but pulled out at the last minute.

In the lightweight women’s double, Olympic hopefuls Kirsten van der Kolk and Marit van Eupen won easily. The 2004 Olympic bronze medallists came back together in October 2007 and they are hoping to qualify for Beijing at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in a week’s time. Van der Kolk and van Eupen’s time of 6:59.64 was a new course record.

Canada’s lightweight women (Melanie Kok and Tracy Cameron) entered in the open women’s double and finished first in 6:56. Although Kok and Cameron are yet to be finalized as the Olympic boat for their country, this race will help put them one step closer to the Canadian Olympic team announcement at the end of this month.

The Netherlands’ men’s four that finished second at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup had no competition in their race. They still managed to finish in only one second short of the course record.

For a full list of results go to www.hollandbeker.nl