Dutch ?hell? doesn't hinder rowing duel

Women's singles line up in the snow

The falling snow and chilly conditions for the MPC Hel van het Noorden, the Hell of the North, in Groningen, the Netherlands didn't stop the world's current fastest woman rower Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus from turning up. Nor did it stop the ongoing duel between Holland's Dirk Lippits and Sjoerd Hamburger to be the best Dutch sculler from taking place.

Over 400 competitors, including the Dutch National Team, braved the weather and lined up in pairs and singles including Olympic medallist Jueri Jaansen of Estonia and Tim Maeyens of Belgium (Olympic and World Championships finalist) along with US national team members Caryn Davies and Anne Browning.

?No, it's not a popular race to row,? says organiser Rink Bakker. ?A lot do it because their coach makes them.?

In the men's single Jaansen started first with Lippits starting after Hamburger. At the finish line Lippits had won, his time five seconds faster than Hamburger who finished second. Maeyens finished third with Jaansen further back in eighth.

?We thought Maeyens would win,? Says Bakker. ?But the competition between Lippits and Hamburger to compete for Dutch sentiment is intense. It's really exciting the contest between them in Holland and every race is a different result.?

Until this year Lippits, 28, had reigned as the fastest single sculler in Holland, competing at the 2004 Olympics for the Netherlands. But earlier this year he was relegated to number two by the younger Hamburger.

Karsten sets the course record

In the women's single Karsten set a new course record, knocking 23 seconds off her own record set in 2004 and winning over the world's current fastest lightweight rower, Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands.

Karsten commented after the finish that she enjoyed the race and it fitted into her training which includes three long distance races over the winter. Karsten said having Marit racing made it tougher compared to last year as over the long distance the difference between light and heavyweight rowers was smaller.

An estimated 1,000 coaches and spectators ? with really cold feet ? followed the race on bike or in cars, stopping at strategic viewing spots on the dykes to yell out encouragement and stroke rates to the competitors.

The Hell of the North is raced over 6km beginning with an 11km row to the start line followed by a 5km row back to the Groningen Rowing Club. Coaches use the race as part of their selection criteria with the men's pair event used as one of the selection races for the Dutch men's eight.

For a full list of results go to; www.nlroei.nl/hel/

The World Rowing team values feedback