Flowers For the Winners - Under 23 Regatta Finals

By Melissa Bray

As the A-finals took to the water a slight head wind began to develop under sunny skies. But still conditions remained fair in Poznan, Poland for the World Rowing Under 23 Regatta.

A-Finals

Lightweight Women's Single Scull 1 Czech Republic – 2 Russia – 3 Australia

Russia's Ksenia Potapova must have been out to make a successful transition from junior to senior B rowing as she took the lead in the first 500 metres. But her early lead was not big enough. An effective piece at the 900 propelled Daniela Nachazelova of the Czech Republic into the front. Potapova, however, was not giving up and the two scullers charged away at the head of the field.

This left Ibtissem Trimech of Tunisia holding on to third. Nachazelova, meanwhile, coming off a medal at last week's World Championships, was doing major damage at the head of the field. In the final sprint Nachazelova moved away from Potapova. In third Trimech was dieing and Australia's Mollie Hill took advantage of the situation and pulled into bronze medal position.

Lightweight Women's Double Scull 1 Canada – 2 Germany – 3 Spain

Following in the footsteps of their senior World Champions, Lindsay Jennerich and Luisanne Lavigne executed a start-to-finish domination of the final. Rating a consistent 34 strokes per minute Jennerich and Lavigne held off challenges from both Spain and Germany to keep in front.

But despite having the psychological advantage of the lead, Canada was not having an easy time and as Germany poured on the pressure moving closer and closer to Canada, Jennerich and Lavigne had to sprint. At the line Canada remained in front. Jennerich showed the strain on the medals podium getting support from partner Lavigne.

Women's Single 1 Germany – 2 Australia – 3 Serbia & Montenegro

Last week racing at the Junior World Championships Sally Kehoe of Australia became World Champion. With that confidence behind her Kehoe took off at a flying pace along with Poland's Julia Michalska. Michalska, who was last year's Junior Champion, then got into the lead and had built up three seconds over Kehoe going through the middle of the race.

Michalska still had the lead coming into the last 500 metres but Iva Obradovic of Serbia & Montenegro was beginning to move. Obradovic had overtaken Kehoe in a move that was followed by Germany's Magdalena Schmude. It was going to come down to the final sprint. As these scullers charged for the line four boats had a shot at gold. Schmude then showed her willpower. In an awesome sprint Schmude overtook a fading Michalska and held off the sprinting Kehoe. Schmude becomes Under 23 champion.

Bronze for Brown and Kelly of Australia
© FISA

Women's Double 1 Czech Republic – 2 Germany – 3 Australia

Australia again demonstrated their strong first 1000 when Tara Kelly and Suzanne Brown took off at the head of the field. Kelly rowed to gold in this event as a junior last year and as stroke today she was moving the boat at a solid 32 strokes per minute. But as the half way point came into sight Germany's Anne-Katrin Kochan and Ann Katrin Thiele had closed the gap on Australia and the Czech Republic and Latvia was also right in the mix. Just over one second separated these four crews. All would have to be decided in the second half of the race.

Everyone knew about the awesome sprint of Libuse Bruncvikova and Irena Neffeova of the Czech Republic but today they surprised by pouring on the pressure even sooner. Bruncvikova and Neffeova took the lead leaving Germany and Australia to fight it out for second. And that's exactly what Germany and Australia did. Taking the race to a photo finish Germany just snuck through to the silver with Australia winning bronze.

Women's Quad 1 New Zealand – 2 Romania – 3 Germany

They were out on the water early this morning, shaking off pre-race nerves and rowing with long, low rating strokes. They were part of the small New Zealand team and today they raced to victory. The race began with Romania bursting out of the start with Germany a bit back in second. Romania still held the lead by keeping their rating up at 34 strokes per minute. Then something in the New Zealand boat came alive. Taking their rating to 36 the Kiwis moved within striking distance of Germany in second and then went after Romania.

With 500 metres left to row New Zealand had found the lead, although slight, over Romania. Their confidence was lifted and coming into the final sprint the New Zealanders made the rest of the field look like they were standing still as they moved away to win gold.

Gold for Roenfeldt and Gerking of Germany
© FISA

Women's Pair 1 Germany – 2 Romania – 3 Great Britain

The head wind continued as Romania went out to defend last year's win for their country. Alina Poncisei and Ana-Maria Apachitei of Romania already have a number of international rowing medals between them and today they took off at the head of the field. But Germany and Italy were having nothing of it and going through the half way point Romania, Germany and Italy were well in touch with each other.

This is when Christina Gerking and Johanna Roenfeldt of Germany decided they'd had enough. Maintaining their pace Gerking and Roenfeldt moved clear ahead of Romania and Italy. The gold medal was now clear. But the race was not over. Jo Cook and Annie Vernon of Great Britain had been sitting back in fifth and must have been saving everything for the final sprint. Flying through the last 500 metres Cook and Vernon made up a huge deficit to finish with the bronze medal just behind Romania.

Women's Four 1 Great Britain – 2 Australia – 3 Canada

Great Britain have been going from strength to strength in their women's programme recently and today they stepped up to the plate by leading the women's four from start to finish. With 2003 junior medalist Natasha Page in bow the Brits already had an open water lead by the 1000 metre mark. Alison Knowles, in stroke, kept the rating up at a clipping 35 strokes per minute to stay solidly ahead of the rest of the field.

Meanwhile an Australian-Canadian battle was raging with the two crews so close at the 1500 metre mark that something special was necessary to secure the silver for their country. Coming into the closing 250 metres Canada was rating 37 over Australia's 36 strokes per minute while Great Britain remained in the lead. As crews slumped in their boats after the line, a photo finish announced Australia as silver medalists.

Gold for Miani of Italy
© FISA

Lightweight Men's Single Scull 1 Italy – 2 Germany – 3 Slovenia

An already accomplished group of scullers backed into the starting blocks. Bine Pislar of Slovenia was the 2003 champion. Italy's Marcello Miani became 2004 World Champion last week in the quad. Russia's Vladimir Varfolomeev also had World Championship experience. But it was Miani that grabbed the race by the horn by taking off at an aggressive high stroke rate from the outside lane. This left Germany's Erick Knittel and Pislar to pace each other for second.

Despite the pressure Knittel and Pislar were exerting on each other Miani remained in the lead moving further away from the battling German and Slovenian. Miani felt comfortable enough to take the pressure down in the last 50 metres while Knittel did the better sprint to take silver over Pislar.

Lightweight Men's Double 1 Hungary – 2 Portugal – 3 Canada

Canada have been having a great year and John Haver and Morgan Jarvis continued this trend by taking off at an opening fast pace. However, by the half way point Hungary's Peter Lorinczy and Kornel Szabo had caught up to the Canadians with Nuno Mendes and Pedro Fraga of Portugal also holding on to the pace.

Lorinczy and Szabo then switched gears and moved away from Canada and Portugal leaving the real battle on for second. Portugal had the better sprint to finish second and in the process won the first medal for their country at this regatta. A fading Canada did all that they could to stay in the medals over a last ditch effort by Poland.

Lightweight Men's Quad 1 Poland – 2 Greece – 3 Italy

Defending champions Poland wanted this one. With returning member Lukasz Pawlowski in bow the crowd wanted them to have it too, so when commentator John Boultbee announced that the Polish were in the lead, the crowd let their support be heard. Greece, meanwhile, had slipped into second and were trying to hold off Italy in third.

Coming into the final sprint Poland still had a solid lead. Greece, with identical twins Apostolos and Nikolads Goundoulas sitting in the middle of the boat, were in second. But with the real race going on for third. Germany had been holding on to the coat tails of Italy and they would not be shaken. The German's, however, ran out of water and Italy held on to the bronze with two seat Salvatore Di Somma adding another medal to last week's silver at the World Championships in the pair.

 

Yumrukaya and Vural win the first ever gold for Turkey in the lightweight pair
© FISA

Lightweight Men's Pair 1 Turkey – 2 Germany – 3 Great Britain

Turkey is not well known for their rowing prowess but today Ahmet Yumrukaya and Emre Vural put their country on the rowing map. Yumrukaya and Vural had been making waves through the initial races while Germany and Italy looked to be the favourites in this event. In typical Italian style Riccardo Ragona and Giuseppe D'Emilio had taken the lead at the start followed closely by Paul Kelly and James Clarke of Great Britain and Germany's Sebastian Husemann and Stefan Mlecko.

Italy remained in the lead through the middle of the race before Germany got their nose in front just after the half way point. This is when Turkey began to move. As the last 400 metres came into sight Turkey had found second and were going after Germany. Turkey held on to win gold, Germany silver and Great Britain sprinted past a fading Italy to take bronze.

Lightweight Men's Four 1 Germany – 2 Italy – 3 Canada

Germany's Otto Felix had won bronze in this event last year and today he stepped up a level when his crew led from the start. As they moved through the 1000 metre mark Germany remained at the head of the field with Denmark in second and Canada and Italy both vying for the final medal spot Canada holding on to a tenuous advantage.

As Denmark began to fade, Canada and Italy charged past to move their challenge up a notch in a bid for silver. Germany retained their healthy lead. In the final sprint Italy, with Marco Cecchin and Marino Goretti who won junior gold last year in the four, got the better of Canada.

Yes he's over 2 metres tall. Bokums wins the single.
© FISA

Men's Single 1 Latvia – 2 Great Britain – 3 Netherlands

It was all about Great Britain and Australia at the start of the race. Mitchell Punch of Australia and Colin Smith of Great Britain took off together both trying to establish some kind of dominance over the other. Neither was having any success. Then Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands decided to get in on the game. At the half way point nothing separated Punch, Smith and Hamburger.

Then Kristaps Bokums of Latvia started to come through from the back of the field so that with less than 700 metres left to row four scullers were now making an equal line. Bokums then began to pour on the power. In a photo finish, Bokums had won.

On the podium Smith was dwarfed by the statuesque Bokums who was feeling the worse for wear and could barely stand. Hamburger stood there beaming with delight. Are these the future fastest men in the world?

Men's Double 1 Germany – 2 Belarus – 3 Russia

The domination of Germany's Marco Spielau and Rene Burmeister continued into the final when they took the into the slight head wind conditions. In a perfectly judged race Spielau and Burmeister were able to control the race leaving Belaurs and Russia to fight it out for second. And they did. Going through the half way point barely half a second separated Aliaksandr Novikau and Dzianis Mihal of Belarus. Novikau and Mihal had finished just outside the medals last year in the quad and today in the double they tried to maintain an edge over Russia.

The final 400 metres turned into a procession as Belarus had managed to break free of Russia but were too far back to challenge Germany for first. The German national anthem played again.

Men's Quad 1 Germany – 2 Poland – 3 Australia

The German men's sculling tradition continued as Steffen Blaettermann, Simon Gawlik, Karsten Brodowski and Stefan Massanz stood in the rain collecting their medals. Germany had led from start to finish. But Poland did not allow them to completely dominate.

Last year's bronze medalist Poland was making the most of their home course and working on fighting off the feisty defending champions, Australia. Going through the 1500 metre mark Poland had managed to inch away from Australia and go after Germany. But the Germans had just enough of a lead to hold them off. Poland's Rafal Abrahamczyk and Konrad Wasielewski add silver to their Under 23 collection.

Men's Pair 1 France – 2 Germany – 3 Poland

This race was all about handling the weather. Strong blustery winds and a little rain had some boats coming to a virtual standstill with thunder adding to the excitement as the race advanced. Going through the half way point Florian Schercher and Urs Kaeufer of Germany were handling the conditions the best and had a small lead over Benjamin Rondeau and Germain Chardin of France. But there was not a lot in it and Poland was in on the action as well.

Germany had a first place to defend while France won bronze last year and these two rowing powerhouses started to move away at the head of the field. Coming into the final sprint the weather had gotten the better of Germany and a very happy France takes gold.

Men's Four 1 Croatia – 2 Australia – 3 Spain

After a delay for the weather to pass, Malta regatta course turned to a millpond of calm, perfect rowing conditions for the men's four. A tight race at the head of the field came down to a close sprint between Croatia and Australia.

Croatia had just enough power to hold off the high rating Australians.

Men's Coxed Four 1 Australia – 2 Great Britain – 3 Germany

Four boats all wanted the three available medals. Four boats were still neck and neck with half of the race rowed. Four boats remained within whispering distance of each other and the sprint was on to the line. In a photo finish Australia, Great Britain and Germany had pulled away from Romania to put themselves on the medals podium.

Men's Eight 1 Germany – 2 Canada – 3 Belarus

Germany led from start to finish in a day that saw the strength of their country in rowing. The Germans had a boat length over the rest of the field and left Canada and Belarus to battle for second.

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