Holland Beker goes live

This weekend Amsterdam’s Koninklijke-Holland Beker regatta will be broadcast live on the internet via video streaming. The 120th edition of this historic event has attracted a strong field from many nations with the highlights being the Holland Beker Cup for the men’s single and the Ladies Trophy for the women’s single.

Featured in the men’s single are the three medallists from the Athens Olympics, Ivo Yanakiev of Bulgaria, Estonia’s Juri Jaanson and Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte of Norway. Also going after the top prize of €3.000 is Sweden’s Lassi Karonen who finished third, and ahead of Tufte, at the first Rowing World Cup in May. The Netherlands will be well represented by Dirk Lippits and 2005 Under-23 Champion Sjoerd Hamburger. Holland Beker’s 2004 winner, Tim Maeyens of Belgium rounds out the impressive line up.

Going for the Ladies Trophy is current World Champion and five times Holland Beker winner Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. Karsten’s nearest challenge is likely to come from Sweden’s Frida Svensson and World Champion from the quad, Peggy Waleska of Germany.

Dutch Olympic Champion Nico Rienks has played an important role in inviting athletes to compete in the Holland Beker and this year’s line up is a reflection of his work says press officer Tjerk Gualthérie van Weezel.

Gualthérie van Weezel is expecting crowds of between 2 – 3000 at the Bosbaan rowing venue and then many more watching the video streaming.

“I was in the university library studying last year and I could see all of the rowers not working,” says Gualthéie van Weezel, “instead they were all watching their screens. The clarity was very good.”

The men’s single will go live on the Holland Beker website at 15.45 (CET) on Sunday and the women at 15.15.

For more information please go to: www.hollandbeker.nl

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