Germany's Huegel Regatta sets stage for Eton

Used by coaches and national team selectors from a number of European countries, the 93rd International Huegel Regatta in Essen, Germany, helped decide national crews for the first BearingPoint Rowing World Cup of 2005 set to race next week in Eton, Great Britain.

The two day regatta takes place every two years on Essen’s Baldensysee and last weekend 1,600 top rowers from 18 countries were tested. Some countries, including Germany, used these results to make last-minute entries for Eton with entries closing at midnight on 16 May. 

According to race organiser, Georg Romhanyi, weather conditions on both days were fair with some tailwind conditions on the first day.

Slovenia’s men’s four

Leading the list of surprise results was the defeat of the German men’s four. Regular medal contenders since Sydney, Germany failed to hold off Poland’s crew. The Polish boat included Jaroslaw Godek, Artur Rozalski and Marlusz Daniszewski who finished sixth in the four at Athens and Rafal Hejmej who raced in the eight. Behind Poland Slovenia boated their same Olympic line-up that finished ninth last year. Slovenia just piped the Germans to take second. The German four has not been named to race at Eton.

Ekaterina Karsten from Belarus

Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus had virtually no competition in the women’s single easily beating Poland’s Julia Michalska who won the lightweight single at last year’s BearingPoint Rowing World Cup in Poznan.

The men’s single went to Slovenia’s Iztok Cop on the first day and in his absence on day two André Vonarburg of Switzerland took out the top spot ahead of Serbia & Montenegro’s big hope in the single, Nikola Stojic. Stojic moves to the single after racing in the pair at the last two Olympic Games.

Gold medals eluded Germany in two of their star events, the men’s and women’s quad. A composite crew of German women were beaten by Ukraine’s line-up that included three of their Olympic crew back in the boat for another season. The top men’s quad medal went to Slovenia who had tucked Olympic double medallists Luka Spik and Iztok Cop into their boat. Second-placed Poland had three of their Olympic crew back again with the addition of Michal Jelinski who was Poland’s representative in the double. Ukraine took third.

The men’s double was led by Germany’s Olympic duo of Rene Burmeister and Christian Schreiber. Just behind them Poland’s Michal Sloma and Adam Wojciechowski stayed ahead of Gabor Bencsik and Tibor Petoe of Hungary. Bencsik, Petoe and Akos Haller are Hungary’s three fastest scullers with Haller currently on top of the speed table. Head coach Zoltan Melis has currently put Haller in the single for Eton but continues to look at the best double combination.

Danish lightweight single sculler Rasmus Quist

Denmark’s Rasmus Quist’s international rowing career has been dominated by competition in the lightweight double. But in Essen he fronted up in the single and won over Great Britain’s Zac Purchase who is moving up in the ranks after racing at the Junior World Rowing Championships last year in the double.

Germany came through in the men’s eight with coach Dieter Grahn trying out a new line-up for 2005. France finished second over Poland but had an open water deficit to Germany. Last year’s silver Olympians, the Netherlands, had a weak showing finishing in fifth behind University crew, Cambridge, from Great Britain.

“As the 93rd Internationale Huegelregatta is the first regatta after the Olympic Games and very early in the year after the hard winter, we are happy about the 18 nations that visited the regatta,” said organiser Romhanyi.

For a full list of results please go to: www.huegelregatta.de
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