Final World Rowing Champions Crowned for 2005

Flowers for the winners

By Melissa Bray

A spread of medals covering four continents wraps up finals day at the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan. In tail wind conditions and some current, crews raced in fast conditions for gold. 47,000 spectators gathered to cheer the athletes on.

As the decision was made that, due to the level of current, no World Best times could be set, the fast recorded times did not change the status of current record holders.

Men's Coxed Four (M4+)

Bronze medallists Germany ready to receive their medals.

In the race for lanes two days ago France finished first, but today it was the United States that took off at the head of the field. France followed in second using a shorter stroke than the United States who had 2.10 metre tall Brett Newlin in stroke seat to follow.

At the half way point the United States had a handy boat length lead and the look of being unbeatable. But coming through the third 500 metres France was swallowing up the United States lead and they continued to move on the Americans in the final sprint. While the French-US battle was waging, a separate German-Canadian battle was going on for third.

In the final sprint the 39-40 stroke rate of the French gave them gold in the last 50 metres. The United States, rating 34, finish with silver and Germany just sneaked ahead of Canada to take bronze.

Lightweight men's pairs get ready to recieve their medals

Lightweight Men's Pair (LM2-)

By the statistics all signals pointed to a two-way race between Denmark and Chile. Denmark's World Champion Bo Helleberg and partner and friend, Olympic Champion Thomas Ebert, were easily the most medalled crew in the race. Ebert is also on the FISA list of top 10 current male athletes. In the Chilean boat Miguel Cerda (2002 World Champion) and Olympian Felipe Leal's rowing pedigrees did not look quite as impressive as the Danes, but the Chilean's had beaten the Danes at the final BearingPoint Rowing World Cup in July.

At the start, however, it was no surprise to see Egypt out in front – in the tactic they have used all week – with their long stroke and powerful start. The Danes and Chileans seemed unperturbed at Egypts lead, even with half the race gone, Denmark and Chile were still sitting back in third and fourth respectively. Salvatore Amitrano and Catello Amareante of Italy had meanwhile been chugging away in second.

Amitrano and Amareante are no slowpokes. They both went to Athens and finished fourth in the lightweight four. Going through the third 500 metres Egypt then began to fade and Italy took the lead. But, as expected, the final sprint came down to Leal and Cerda against Ebert and Helleberg. Pushing past Italy, Denmark gained the leaders' advantage. Had Chile left their sprint too late? Denmark sat on 37, Chile charged at 40 strokes per minute. The gap closed.

With the last stroke made, Helleberg and Ebert will now retire from rowing in the same spot they began over a decade ago, rowing together. The Danes leave on top as 2005 World Champions. Cerda moves closer to being one of South America's most successful rowers adding silver to his collection. Leal wins his first World Champion medal. A happy Amitrano and Amareante make a successful transition to the pair winning bronze.

Lightweight Women's Quad Sculls (LW4x)

Canada came through from the heats as the crew to beat and they staked their claim on the lead right from the start with only Great Britain challenging the leaders' pace. The British crew includes stroke Naomi Hoogesteger, 24, in her first international season which had her racing up until now in the single.

At the half way point Canada still held the lead with Great Britain under increasing threat from Denmark. Sitting in two seat for Denmark, Maria Pertl comes to her third World Rowing Championships after a 2004 break. Pertl finished first this year at the Indoor Rowing Championships clocking 7:11. The Danish endurance was beginning to show as they worked their way past Great Britain and closed the gap on Canada. This forced Canada to increase their steady stroke rate of 34 into the high 30s with Denmark on 40.

The Canadians held on finishing first. Denmark wins silver and Great Britain takes away the bronze. Although the finishing time of 6.19 was well under the World Best Time, this would not be recorded, but it definitely indicated the higher standard in this event this year.

Lightweight Men's Quad Scull (LM4x)

Italy has dominated the lightweight men's quad for the last four years and Filippo Mannucci, Luca Moncada and Daniele Gilardoni all took gold in 2003 with Gilardoni looking towards his sixth World Champion title. Were there any crews that could challenge this record?

Mannucci took his crew into the lead over Austria and moved out to a boat length advantage by the 1,000 metre mark with Canada taking second. Canada has Morgan Jarvis in stroke (bronze from this year's World Rowing Under 23 Championships) and the crew came together for the first time just four weeks ago.

Italy continued to stay in front and it appeared that only a disaster would deny them of the gold. That disaster looked like it was coming in the form of Belgium. Sitting for most of the race in fourth the Belgians suddenly came alive and in the last 500 metres had swallowed up Canada and were challenging the Italians. Rating 40, Belgium ran out of race. Rating 36, Italy had held them off.

Mannucci, Moncada and Gilardoni make it four consecutive World Champion titles. Pellolio makes it one. Belgium wins silver and Canada takes bronze.

Lightweight Women's Double Scull (LW2x)

Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany can now call themselves the most successful German crew this season. That is no small order from such a powerful rowing nation. This is how they won Germany's sole gold medal at the 2005 World Rowing Championships.

Reimer and Draeger jumped out at the start with Finland's Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen hot on their tail. Sten and Nieminen are the only Finnish crew at these World Rowing Championships and they have made their mark this season as a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight double, such a force that by the 600 metre mark Sten and Nieminen were in the lead.

The Germans tried to stick with the Finns but Draeger and Reimer looked to be losing their grip. As the last stretch of water came into view Finland still had an edge and the sprint was on. Finland took their rating up to 35, Germany matched with 36. But, sitting in third for the entire race, Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols of the United States had suddenly found another gear. Completely out-rating the Finns and the Germans by about five strokes per minute, Hykel and Nichols had the lead with 200 metres left to row.

Draeger and Reimer attacked back. With only two strokes left to row the Germans regained the lead, United States second and Finland finished with bronze.

Hykel and Nichols' coach, 72 year old rowing icon, Ted Nash usually has a somber face. As he biked to the finish area, Nash displayed a huge grin. Nash has seen 11 Olympic Games and uncountable World Championships, first as a rower, then as a coach. He was happy. On the medals podium Reimer cried for joy. The Germans were happy. Finland's Sten and Nieminen smiled contentedly. This medal had been a long time in coming for Finland.

Lightweight Men's Double Scull (LM2x)

The final six crews had been narrowed down from an original 24 starters and it looked like a who's who of the best in current lightweight sculling mixed with a couple of new faces. The 12 rowers sat in silence in the starting blocks.

Right from the word "go" Hungary's Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga wanted to show their competition that they had ownership of this season. Taking off ahead of Denmark's Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist, the Hungarians kept the Danes in check.

There was still very little between the two leading crews at the 1,000 metre mark with Hungary underrating Denmark's 37 strokes per minute by one beat. Meanwhile, on opposite sides of the course, the race for third was going on between Poland's Pawel Randa and Robert Sycz and Italy's Leonardo Pettinari and Stefano Basalini.

Hungary and Denmark charged for the line. Poland and Italy did the same. Hirling and Varga become World Rowing Champions. Rasmussen and Quist, with silver, receive their best World Rowing Championship ranking to date. Sycz and Randa are pushed to a photo finish with Italy and win bronze.

Close finish in the lightweight men's four

Lightweight Men's Four (LM4-)

Coming into the final there was no doubt about the talent of France. The French, stroked by tall and lanky Fabien Tilliet, had by far the fastest start. Then settling into a solid 38 strokes per minute, the French aimed to hold off any challengers.

First Germany gave it a bash, and then dropped back. Then Ireland took chase and made more of an impact. But France, coming into the final sprint, was still in control.

Sitting in second the Irish found a bigger problem than their goal to reach the French. Storming up behind them the Italians had come through from the back of the field and had overtaken the Germans, then Australia to take on the Irish. At the line France claimed gold. A photo finish for second had Ireland just holding on with Italy taking bronze.

Women's Quad Sculls (W4x)

Germany came to the World Rowing Championships not having medalled all season long. Great Britain came with three medals from three BearingPoint Rowing World Cups this season. The new German line-up, however, had Kathrin Boron back in the boat and they had already shown their new form by winning their heat.

Great Britain also won their heat last Tuesday and the two crews met for the first time today in the final. Great Britain got off the line first but there was barely anything in it between all six crews. Coming into the second 500, Germany took over the lead from Great Britain. Then the unexpected happened. For the first time in her long rowing career Boron stumbled, losing her oar. The crew quickly recovered and retained the lead. But had this upset the German rhythm?

Germany still had the lead coming into the final sprint with Great Britain a very close second and Lucerne Rowing World Cup winners Russia fighting it out for third. A rise in stroke rate at the 1,700 metre point propelled the British into the lead. Germany had no reply.

At the line Great Britain had secured gold, Germany win silver and Russia take bronze. After the finish a very upset four-time Olympic Champion, Boron was comforted by five-time Olympic Champion Sir Steve Redgrave. This was the first time in a race that she had ever lost her oar. It came, Boron said, at the end of what she called her worst season ever. The colour of silver was completely unacceptable for Boron.

Poland's quad celebrates victory

Men's Quad Scull (M4x)

Throughout the week and throughout the season all six finalists had shown that they had the potential to be medallists. But from the start the mixture of new and experience, Konrad Wasielewski, 21, Marek Kolbowicz, 34, Michal Jelinski, 25, and Adam Korol, 31, of Poland looked like they wanted gold the most.

Poland's fast start gave them the edge over Cop and Spik's Slovenian crew. The edge, however, was slight and at the half way point all six crews were still within striking distance of the gold. Surprisingly the Czech Republic then began to slip back as Poland and Slovenia managed to get a small break on the rest of the field.

In Poland's first year together as a quad they became World Rowing Champions. Slovenia, winning silver, looked very relieved as Spik stood up in the boat to salute his crew. Estonia also looked pleased. Bow man, thirty-nine year old Jueri Jaanson had added bronzed to his huge collection.

Australia's seven seat Outhwaite discuss the gold medal with teammates

Women's Eight (W8+)

The United States last raced five days ago in the heats. Today they met their perennial rivals Romania and, following a false start, the Americans attacked this race with a flying start that gave them nearly a full boat length lead and only about 65 strokes had been rowed.

Romania sat in second, a little overwhelmed by the hot US pace. Coming through the 1,000 metre mark, however, Romania had moved up on the US. Then Australia, who had qualified for the final through the repechage, made a move. The move was brutal. Australia had overtaken Romania and sat in second behind the United States. With new-found confidence the Aussies were not stopping.

Rating a powerful 36 strokes per minute, Australia pushed into the lead with 400 metres left to row. Could they hold on to the until the finish line? As red-faced coxswain's urged their crews on the Netherlands came out of nowhere from the back of the field and made the finish line a four-boat battle. With just three buoys left to row, the Dutch overtook the Americans. Australia had won gold. Romania finished with silver and the Netherlands won bronze.

The Australians couldn't have been happier. They had shaken off the demons that had followed the crew since last year's Olympics. A very somber Romanian crew, who only see gold as success, got congratulated by their five-time Olympic gold hero, Elisabeta Lipa at the finish. The tall Dutch crew must be wondering; what if we'd had a faster start?

Italy's cox Iannuzzi and stroke Mornati wait to receive their silver medal

Men's Eight (M8+)

The United States used the same strategy as their women's crew, flying off the start to take the lead with the nearest threat coming from Russia. US coach Mike Teti had done a bit of tweaking to the line-up. Last year when the Americans raced to gold at Athens, Bryan Volpenhein had sat in stroke and Beau Hoopman in seven seat. Here at Gifu the order had been reversed.

Hoopman, in stroke, with new coxswain Marcus McElhenney holding the reigns, continued down the course at a 37 stroke rate, inching away from the fading Russians. But the Americans now had a new challenge. Italy had moved through Russia, then Poland and finally overtaken their rivals from this season, Germany, to find second. Could they catch the US?

The Italians charged. The Americans held them off. United States become 2005 World Rowing Champions. Italy wins the first eights medal in 18 years. Germany step up from their fourth place finish last year to win bronze.

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