Heats Continue in Cooler Conditions – World Rowing Championships

The U.S. M8+ qualifies in the fastest time

Cooler conditions from the previous evening’s electrical storm still meant warm temperatures at the Idroscalo course in Milan, Italy. The heat has forced some countries to reduce their training sessions with a number of German crews choosing to do one lap of the 2000 metre course compared to the normal two.

Round two of heats began at 9.30am under slightly hazy skies and perfectly flat water. The aim for crews today was to finish first in all races except the women’s quad where a top three placing was required to move onto the final or semi-final.

Men’s Coxed Four

The coxswains were tucked away into the bow of each boat using a speaker system to allow the crew to hear commands and motivational comments. Steering the boat down the buoyed 2000 metre course the cox aims to use their rudder as little as possible for any movement on the rudder creates drag and potentially slows the boat.

In the second of two heats, in this non-Olympic event, the United States looked by far to be the tidiest crew. Despite a slight early lead by New Zealand, the US soon took command and it’s there they remained. In the first heat Great Britain continued to increase their early lead, however the Brits did not look as smooth as the Americans despite their handy lead. Great Britain and the United States go directly to the final both clocking nearly identical times.

Lightweight Men’s Pair

Italy had demons to shake. At the Milan World Cup earlier this season, World silver medallists, Carlo Gaddi and Franco Sancassani finished a disappointing sixth. Today 42 year old Gaddi and partner Sancassani dispersed the demons finishing with clear water in the first of two heats. This leaves the fast starting Canadian crew to return for the repechage.

Bo Hellegerg and Mads Andersen of Denmark were solid racers throughout 2003 and today recorded the fastest qualifying time for the final after being challenged by Germany who kept close contact through the first 1000 but could not match Denmark’s second half speed.

Lightweight Women’s Quad

Heat one of two heats was led by China from the start. Coached by Nicolae Gioga the crew included the late addition of 18-year-old Quan Li who raced to first yesterday in the lightweight single. Also in the boat is Li’s doubles partner from the Munich World Cup, Meiyun Tan. Together with Yanping Deng and stroke, Weijuan Zhou they had a clear five-second lead by the finish over World Champions Australia whose slower second 1000 did not offer any threat to China.

But the Netherlands will not be giving China an easy ride. In the second heat the Dutch crew of Judith van Os, Danielle Broekhuizen, Anne van Drumpt and Mariel Pikkemaat kept enough distance between themselves and second-place holders, the United States, to win. The Netherlands and China will go directly to the final with virtually identical qualifying times.

Lightweight Men’s Quad

In the first of two heats a flying start by the Italians gave them an early lead that they continued to increase on their home course. Ahead of the Netherlands, Italy were leaving nothing to chance as they kept their rating high reducing it only in the last 70 metres of the race.

A close tussle between Australia and Germany in the second heat had Australia keeping their bow in contact with the leading Germans throughout the race.  But Germany was in control and will go directly to the final along with Italy.

Lightweight Women’s Double

As an Olympic event it was not surprising to see four heats line up aiming for a first place finish to give them a day off and a direct path to the final. It was no surprise when Marie-Louise Draeger and Claudia Blasberg of Germany stepped out in front in the first heat. They last raced internationally in June at the second World Cup and then had to pull out of the third World Cup while Draeger recovered from an injury. Draeger and Blasberg led over Hungary and by the close of the race were content to bring the rating down into the mid 20s and watch the higher rating Hungarians hold onto second.

Kirsten van der Kolk and Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands have been battling Germany all season and took gold at the third World Cup in the absence of the Germans. Today they kept ahead of the United States to qualify for the semi-final.  

However Germany and the Netherlands cannot sit on their laurels. The fastest qualifying time goes to Camelia Mihalcea and Constanta Burcica of Romania who not only qualified with the fastest time but did it by beating World Champions, Australia’s “lightychicks” Sally Causby and Amber Halliday. Australia will now get another chance to qualify through the repechage.

In their second year together, Helen Casey and Tracy Langlands of Great Britain did just enough to keep their boat ahead of Poland. Casey and Langlands heat win earns them a spot in the semi-final.

Lightweight Men’s Double

The starter lined up 28 countries spread over six heats and, unlike previous races, winners did not conform completely to plan. But two-time World Champions, Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari of Italy opened the event and set the tone. In stroke Pettinari demonstrated sculling form that gave them the World Record last year and, along with Luini, they led over Australia throughout the race to qualify with clear water and the fastest time of the heats.

On paper the second heat should have been all about Japan. With Olympian and single sculling medallist Daisku Takeda in stroke the duo had finished second at the third World Cup. But Juan Zunzunegui Guimerans and Ruben Alvarez Hoyos of Spain decided differently. The Spanish finished seventh in 2003 and today they showed their faster form under new coach, Gianni Postiglione leading throughout the race and holding off Japans attack in the last 500 metres.

Upsets continued when French crew, Fabrice Moreau and Frederic Dufour in their first season together threw out the gauntlet. After a solid start Moreau and Dufour moved into first with half the race gone. But Greg Ruckman and Steve Tucker of the United States have come from behind before and with 500 metres to go they were neck and neck with France. For the next 400 metres both boats attacked and counterattacked, in the process moving clear of the rest of the field. Today Moreau and Dufour had the superior fight. Both crews, exhausted buttoned off before the finish line with France qualifying.

Gearoid Towey has handed in his pair riggers and joined single sculling champion, Sam Lynch of Ireland in the double and today they demonstrated that time in the boat is helping their speed. They led the fourth heat over last year’s bronze medallists, Denmark.

Heat five represented a further upset when unknowns from Belgium, Justin Gevaert and Wouter van der Fraenen decided they wanted to debut in style. The Belgians had a lead over Hungary by the half way and held onto a slight edge with Hungary choosing to button off in the closing 200 metres of the race. Hungary came into this event as a crew to watch after a season full of medals. But they now must return to race the repechage

And the final upset came in the last heat. Current Olympic Champions, Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland have been quiet all season as making weight for Sycz is difficult so he chooses to limit the stress on his body. The Poles started well, pacing the higher rating Manuel Brehmer and Ingo Euler of Germany. But by half way Brehmer and Euler had the advantage and Poland continued to slip back to be then overtaken by New Zealand. In a very unusual display at this level of rowing, Kucharski caught a crab with 200 metres to go pushing them further back. Germany moves on to the semi-final while a gutsy finish by New Zealand puts them in good stead for the repechage.

Lightweight Men’s Four

The only sweep event for lightweight men at the Olympics, the four, saw four heats line up. Unlike the previous event, the lightweight double, everything went to plan for the favourites – nearly.

Russia threw down the challenge in the first heat leading at half-way over favourites Canada and Australia. With the experience of Olympic silver medallist, Tasmanian farmer Simon Burgess, took his crew to the front and reserved a place in the semi-final. Canada held onto Russia but finished just behind in third.

The three fastest times of all the heats were recorded in the second heat when Italy, Ireland and Chile challenged each other throughout the 2000 metre course. In a tight and fierce race Italy took the qualifying top spot while the demonstrated speed of Ireland and Chile will put them into a favoured position for the repechage.

Heat three was all about the Netherlands, but not without contest. In the first half of the race both Japan and Spain challenged for the lead with both Germany and then Great Britain testing the leaders. The Netherlands, in the advantageous lead position, held off the final German charge and will move onto the semi-final.

Denmark’s “goldfierer” come back from a shake up at the third World Cup when they lost the gold medal spot. The Danes took a handy lead at the start and continued to cultivate it over second-place holders, the United States.

A positive drug test earlier this month by two members of Austria’s crew kept the 2001 World Champions out of this event and under provisional suspension.

Women’s Quad

Both the United States and Australia have worked on squashing Germany’s domination of this event throughout the season. However today the Germans restated their case, qualifying for the semi-final by coming first in the second of three heats. This crew has five members all vying for the four spots with Peggy Walseka gaining her bow seat back over Christiane Huth who becomes the spare.

This is the only event of the day in which the top three boats move onto the semi-final, thus joining Germany from heat two will be Denmark and Ukraine.

But the fastest qualifying time goes to heat three winners, Australia who welcome junior single sculling champion, Amber Bradley back into the boat after injury prevented her from racing at the third World Cup. Glued to Australia’s stern throughout the race were the British crew, full of Sydney Olympians but from a variety of different events. Russia also qualifies by finishing third.

In heat one Belarus, featuring single sculling champion, Ekaterina Karsten in bow overtook a fast starting United States crew to take the lead by the 1000 metre mark. The United States have seen gold this season but today was not their day. The Americans, paying for their fast start could only watch the longer strokes of New Zealand push into second place. With the World Champion double of Caroline and Gerogina Evers-Swindell making up the stroke pair the Kiwis will also qualify. At the line Belarus remained in front, New Zealand in second and United States in third.   

Men’s Quad

The Russians have made only one change from their crew that finished fifth in 2002. Aleksei Svirin comes into three seat and today he helped propel their boat into the lead of the first of four heats. By half-way Russia had worked clear of the Czech Republic. But the Czechs continued to pressure holding onto Russia right to the final sprint. However Russia held them off and successfully move on to the semi-final.

Special mention must be made of the new entry from Uruguay who came back from a slow start to complete a very strong second 1000. They finished in third behind the Czech Republic.

World Champion silver medallists, Poland missed the third World Cup because of illness but they are definitely back in form today and took the second heat with the fastest qualifying time. However it was not without challenge. Belarus continued to nip at Poland’s heels until the line.

Although Italy have disbanded their Olympic gold crew, the replacement proved its worth today by comfortably winning the third heat. All that remains from the Sydney crew is Simone Raineri in stroke. Agostino Abbagnale has chosen not to race and the remaining two, Alessio Sartori and Rossano Galtarossa, have moved into the double.

In the fourth and final heat Germany overtook Estonia and kept ahead of Great Britain to win a closely fought race.

Women’s Eight

The wife sits in seven seat as one of four changes to the 2002 World Champion United States crew. Coached by Tom Terhaar, wife Jen Dore has a string of rowing accomplishments behind her including World Championship gold in 1995. A close variation of this crew has already seen gold at the first two World Cups of 2003 and today they used a flying start to grab the lead over Australia and extend it throughout the race. The United States will now go directly to the final.

But yet to race the Americans this season is the newly constituted Romanian eight which has brought back some old fire. Although pushed hard by Germany, the Romanians remained in front and look to be back in contention for the spot that they held at the Olympic Games – first. Germany, meanwhile, has closed the gap on Romania, improving their boat speed since the third World Cup and they will be hard to beat in the repechage.

Men’s Eight

Three heats closed the day of racing and there were no surprises in the winners. If the heats are any reflection of the final winners Germany, Canada and the United States will be in the medal winning spots. But in what order?

The United States qualify in the fastest time with a crew that sees two changes from last year’s bronze medal winners. Jason Read, who tasted success in the pair when he made the Henley Royal Regatta final earlier this season, sits in stroke seat and veteran Jeff Klepacki comes back into six seat.

World Champions Canada, have made one change from last years crew. Dave Calder joins the boat in five seat. Together they won the third heat today with their only real challenge coming from a higher stroking Great Britain crew.

Last year’s silver medal winners, Germany have kept the 2002 crew completely in tact. Today they had to work their way through France then Egypt to find the lead in the first heat. In the only photo finish of the day, Germany watched a second 1000 charge from the Netherlands that propelled them from fourth to level with Egypt and into second.

With Germany, the United States and Canada all qualifying for the final, the pace looks intense for Tuesday’s repechage. Egypt, Great Britain, Australia, Romania and the Netherlands all look to be in contention.

On Tuesday racing moves onto the second chance day as crews line up in the repechages for a final opportunity to move on towards the finals of the World Championships. The pressure will mount as Olympic qualifying spots begin to narrow down.