Junior Heats Continue - 2004 World Rowing Championships

By Melissa Bray

There is nothing like Junior Championship racing to create a lively atmosphere. From the music blaring in the boat park to the boisterous support in the grandstands to the emotional exuberance of athletes at the finish line – Banyoles, Spain had it all. On Lake Banyoles, home of the 1992 Olympics, rowers at the start line looked back over 2000 metres of calm water and buoys as far as the eye could see in preparation for a morning of racing.

Junior events opened the day and as junior means athletes 18 years and under, many of these rowers are racing internationally for the first time. Spectators at Banyoles could well be witnessing the start of the career of future Olympians.

Junior Men's Coxed Four

Canada's JM4+, Banyoles 2004
© Getty Images/Bryn Lennon

The coxswain is fitted snugly into the bow end of the boat steering and motivating the crew. The crew is sitting up using all the power their body will muster to drive the boat forward. An official launch follows the race carrying umpires. Day two is underway.

Current World Champions Australia opened the racing by leading the first of two heats. Their job was to finish first for a direct path to the final. However Italy had other ideas. Italy finished with silver last year and, although a completely new group of rowers raced today the coxswain, Jacopo Lanni has returned for his second year. Lanni's experience served him well. By the half way point Italy had pulled into the lead and together with Great Britain they were setting the pace. Despite feeling the British heat Italy kept their nose in front and now move directly to the final.

In their second year together South Africa put on a show of fine racing form in heat two. Starting out behind Canada, Ukraine and Romania, South Africa closed in on the leaders. However they were still in third with 500 metres to go. Cox Brendan Cole called for more and the sprint began. Canada, still in the lead, could not hold on and left it to Ukraine and South Africa to duke it out. It took until the final 50 metres for the Africans to find the lead and move directly to the final over a disappointed Ukraine.

Junior Women's Pair

Two heats, one to qualify from each race and 2000 metres to cover in one of the most challenging boat classes faced the next nine crews. To keep a pair moving in a straight line requires the two team mates to be in perfect synchronization. Germany's Sonja Ziegler and Pia-Sophie Zubrowski demonstrated how it was done. Not only did Ziegler and Zubrowski lead from the start, they opened up such a gap over the rest of the field that Great Britain in second had no show of closing this void. Germany, using long powerful strokes, finished very comfortably in first.

Heat two turned on an Australian-Italian tussle with the Aussies getting a jump on the start over Lavinia Tinelli and Cristina Romiti of Italy. By the 1000 metre mark Tinelli and Romiti had a smidgen of an advantage as these two crews moved further away from the rest of the field. In the final sprint Australia and Italy continued to match each other stroke for stroke. But it was Italy that managed to get their bow ball just in front for a direct path to the final.

Junior Men's Pair

Lithuania's Ritter & Skuodis (JM2-), Banyoles 2004
© Getty Images/Bryn Lennon

Coming first meant going directly to the semi-final in each of the three heats and Latvia opened up the proceedings by pulling out in front and keeping an eye on the rest of the field. Behind them a strong middle 1000 by Germany pulled them into second but they never got close enough to strike Latvia who remained in first.

Canada must have needed more time to wake up in heat two. With only 500 metres raced Michael Flight and Kurtis Boyd had a huge six second deficit on leaders Greece. But in the second 500 Flight and Boyd discovered another gear. They pushed past Yianis Tsilis and Pantazis Tsousis of Greece and moved from last place to first in the space of about 60 strokes. But Tsilis and Tsousis held on, pushing back into first and out-powering the higher rating Canadians. Greece now move to the semi-final.

Romania's Ciprian Nita and Leon Ani took command of heat three and were essentially in another league from their lead position. Croatia got within the closest striking distance, but Nita and Ani were in control and their longer, powerful strokes could not be matched by Croatia. Romania move on to the semi-final.

Junior Women's Four

The German junior strength shone again when stroke Maren Russe took her crew to an early lead and continued to extend it over Great Britain in second. With clear water over the rest of the field, Germany had no reason to sprint, easing off to 32 strokes per minute in the last 200 metres, for a direct path to the final.

Belarus finished eleventh in 2003 and return this year with the same crew to go after the medals. Leading heat two from start to finish put them in fine stead as they now move directly to the final. Romania, in second, struggled to stay in their lane and could not get close enough to challenge Belarus.

Junior Men's Four

The example set by Germany's women was not repeated by their men in heat one of three. Although getting off to a strong start, Germany soon found themselves challenged by Great Britain and then Croatia. Croatia finished fourth last year but they could not catch the British who raced at a strong 36 strokes per minute going into the final 500 metres. Great Britain earn a spot in the semi-final.

Heat two set itself out as a sprint to the 1000 as Canada and Belarus led the field over Austria. But Austria and the rest of the field, including World Champions Italy, must have decided to leave it up to Canada and Belarus. Coming into the final 500 metres Canada remained slightly in front rating 34 to the Belarusian's 38 strokes per minute. Belarus was unable to match the Canadians power and Canada win the semi-final spot.

Romania continued to demonstrate the strength of their men's sweep rowers by leading heat three. Marius Orosz in two seat returns for his second year after finishing third in 2003 and together they held Romania's colours at the front of the field to earn a spot in the semi-final with the fastest qualifying time.

Junior Women's Single

Australia's Sally Kehoe, Banyoles 2004
© Getty Images/Bryn Lennon

As the morning progressed Lake Banyoles turned to a tail wind which strengthened as the women's and men's singles progressed.

Lining up in three heats the aim of the women was a first place finish to ensure a direct path to the semi-final.

In heat one Australia's Sally Kehoe was the favourite after winning gold in the double last year. With this knowledge Kehoe got out to a handy lead over Chrysoula Bougla of Greece and had gained a length with 500 metres rowed. But Bougla stuck at her job working at Kehoe's lead so that as they came into the final sprint only one second separated the two scullers. In the final 200 metres Bougla moved her rating to 33 while Kehoe remained at 30. The higher rating paid off for Bougla who picked off Kehoe and crossed the line first.

Italy's Gisella Bascelli and Camelia Lupascu of Romania went head to head in heat two and in the process left the remainder of the field in their wake. Bascelli, in her first year on the international scene, follows World Champion bronze medalist sister Gabriella into the sport. Lupascu comes back for another year of junior rowing after winning gold in the quad in 2003. Lupascu and Bascelli traded the lead more times than Redgrave has won Olympic golds. This brought winning it down to the final sprint. Rowing square blade Bascelli was holding on while Lupascu anxiously looked out of the boat wishing for the finish line. It came to Lupascu first.

A similar picture played out in the final heat when Latvia's Kristine Gosa and Chile's Maria Orellana Gomez battled it out at the head of the field propelling them away from the rest of the rowers. Gosa, who finished fourth in 2003, stuck close to the slight lead that Gomez had developed. But a slow third 500 by Gomez gave Gosa the edge she needed and coming into the final 300 metres Gosa, rating a low 28 to Gomez's 32 strokes per minute, crossed the line first.

Junior Men's Single

The biggest event of the regatta, the men's single, had 27 countries lining up racing over six heats and demanding a first place finish for advancement to the semi-final as the tail wind continued.

Heat one was a race to the half way point between Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania and Aliaksandr Dudar of Belarus. Dudar, however, decided to concede at this point and Griskonis, who finished sixth in 2003, gained open water and an easy win.

Last year's silver medalist, Nathan Cohen of New Zealand, made easy work of heat two with a lead over the United States that got wider and wider as the race progressed. Cohen moves on to the semi-final. But the fastest qualifying time went to Daniel Frateanu of Romania in heat three. Frateanu had to overtake a fast start by Greece to move into the lead. Greece then appeared to back off after the 1000 metre mark and Franteanu rowed on to an easy win.

Milan Uzunovic of Serbia & Montenegro was not challenged in heat four when he gained open water in the first 500 metres and remained comfortably in the lead to qualify for the semi-final. Italy's Ciprian Cursaru followed this same strategy in heat five when he retained at least a boat length gap between him and Bulgaria in second. Cursaru moves on to the semi-final.

Following a false start by Colombia the final heat got away with Rodrigo Murillo of Argentina in the lead. Murillo remained there unchallenged by Ukraine in second.

Junior Women's Double

Three heats in the women's double required a first place finish to gain a spot in the semi-final and in heat one after overtaking Switzerland, Poland put themselves in that position. Despite a challenge through the second 500 by Lithuania, Poland remained in the lead and moved further ahead in the second half of the race to finish first.

Italy won silver last year and with Viviana Bulgarelli returning to the boat in stroke seat they led the field over Australia. The Italians then proceeded to gain enough of a lead to keep an eye on all other boats and gain first. But Italy will need to step it up for their next race as Germany in heat three recorded the fastest qualifying time.

Stephanie Schiller and Susanne Herbrand of Germany had a slight early lead over the Czech Republic who were sticking confidently to the German's pace. The order, however, remained the same and at the line Schiller and Herbrand were still in front – but only just over the Czech's.

Junior Men's Double

Giving it their all the Czech Republic took off at a cracking pace in the first of four heats. The goal was to finish first. But the Czech's could not maintain their pace and with 750 metres to go a piece by Australia changed the order on the leader board. The Czech's then decided it was all over and appeared to back off leaving Australia to easily qualify.

Italy and Germany went head to head at the front of the field in heat two. Then Domenico Montrone and Andrea Tranquilli of Italy, who have a Junior Championship silver from the eight, went through the boat park area of the course and boosted by cheers the Italians moved into the lead. Germany then decided it was all over and let the Italians row away to take an easy first.

Poland led heat three leaving the rest of the field to decide the minor positions. The only challenge to the Poles came from a late sprint by Greece who took advantage of boat stopping crab by Poland in the last 100 metres. But Poland recovered and moves on to the semi-final. Meanwhile heat four set the fastest qualifying time when Luca Manser and Christain Sperb of Switzerland took the lead over persistent challenges from Great Britain. But Manser and Sperb held their own and crossed the line first.