Launching the 2003 International Season

Chinese women’s quad finished 3rd in their heat on day one of racing
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Milan woke gently to the first day of the BearingPoint World Cup nursing a collective hangover after yesterday’s football success. But it was all go at the Idroscalo where daybreak saw the boat park alive with activity as athletes prepared for pre-race outings on the 2000 metre course. Perfect rowing conditions saw the only movement of water coming from the painted blades of 45 nations.

With humidity around 50 percent, cloudy skies, temperatures in the mid 20s and no wind throughout the course, the Idroscalo confirm its worth.

The red light turned to green for the first heat on the first day of the first World Cup for 2003 and it was the lightweight women single scullers that opened the proceedings. Two heats with the top boat only advancing directly through to the final saw Sinead Jennings of Ireland and Tunisia’s Ibtissem Trimech taking the honours.

The lightweight men followed. Their aim was to be in the top three spots which would take them directly to the semi-final and avoid a second race this afternoon in the repechage. It was Csaba Denes of Hungary in the third race that recorded the fastest time and he will go directly to the semi-final.

Two heats in the lightweight men’s pair had the Netherlands and Italy progress directly to the final with the Netherlands pair of Joeri De Groot and Karel Dormans recording the fastest time.

Women’s Single

Favourite in the women’s single, Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria, controlled her heat rating a comfortable 30 strokes per minute as she crossed the finish line to secure a position in the final on Saturday. She will be joined by Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski who was well in control of the second heat. Both scullers recorded almost identical times opening up speculation for an exciting final. The rest of the field will race again in the repechage on Friday.

Men’s Single

Thirty-two male single scullers made up the biggest number of entries of the regatta. The top boat would qualify directly to the semi-final while all other entries return for an afternoon repechage. The line up in each heat is decided by a system that ranks athletes on past results and distributes them throughout the heats so that top rowers are not clumped together in one race.

Just as the first heat got underway a light rain began – sometimes problematic as rowers hands can slip on the handles – but racing continued with Dirk Lippits of the Netherlands comfortably in control of heat one. Last year’s bronze medallist, Norway’s Olaf Tufte looked at ease leading the field in the second heat. Colorful World Champion, Germany’s Marcel Hacker, emphasized his flamboyancy as thunder rumbled and heavy rain fell in time for his heat. Hacker established first position early in the race and was content to cross the finish line rating a low 25 strokes per minute. 

The rain returned to a slight drizzle as Valclav Chalupa of the Czech Republic took out the fourth heat. Slovenia’s Luka Spik’s aggressive rowing put him into the fifth spot in the semi-final and securing a double header for Slovenia, Iztok Cop, took the final place in the semis by winning his heat.

Women’s Pair 

The same formula for the women’s pair had position one going directly to the semi-final. Romania led the way in the first heat with Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu continuing where they left off at the World Champs in 2002 – in first place. No surprises in heat two as 2002 bronze medallists, Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh of Belarus, crossed the line in the lead and with the same qualifying time as Romania. Great Britain’s Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger showed promising comeback form to take out the third heat and final qualifying spot.

Men’s Pair 

Niksa and Sinisa Skelin set the pace in the opening heat of the men’s pair. They secured a spot in the semi-final by leading from the start. But it was the battle for second that made for the first true race of the day. Pride or practice? Lithuania led the charge ahead of France and Egypt with a mere second separating the three crews at the finish line. All indicators point to an exciting semi-final.

World Champions, James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent of Great Britain easily controlled the second heat bringing the rating down to 30 strokes per minute in the closing moments of the race. 

A mid-race tussle between the United States and South Africa had the two boats cross the 1500 metre mark together. But it was the superior sprint of Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech that showed they had recovered from any jet lag in their travels from Johannesburg to take first place. The men’s pair heats closed with Djordje Visacke and Nikola Stojic of Yugoslavia controlling their race as they move towards their second Olympic Games together.

Women’s Double

Fastest qualifying time went to Irina Fedotova and Larisa Merk who ended last season with a World Championship silver medal. They will be joined in the semi-final by the fast starting United States crew of Sarah Jones and Danika Harris and Great Britain’s new combination of Deborah Flood and Rebecca Romero who earned her spot in the boat by winning last months British team trials in the single. Germany’s Kathrin Boron will be breathing a sigh of relief knowing that her return to rowing is looking promising. Boron and partner, Britta Oppelt, who placed fifth last year, also take a spot in the semi-final.

Men’s Double

The top three boats in each heat would gain a spot in the semi-final and France’s combination of Sebastian Vielledent and Adrien Hardy have placed themselves in an enviable position of qualifying with the fastest time. This will give the 2001 silver medal duo confidence after a rocky season last year saw them relegated to the B final. Two time World Champions, Akos Haller and Tibor Petoe of Hungary came back from a slow start to take out their heat. Also qualifying directly to the semi-final was Norway, Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland and Brazil.

Men’s Four

The top three crews from 2002 – Germany, Great Britain and Italy – look set to battle it out for another season after taking out the top spot in each heat. Crew line-ups have remained identical to last year and strong rivalries continue. Germany’s World Champion status may be up for grabs as both Italy and Great Britain qualified with faster times.

The depth of talent carries on into the semi-final with impressive showings from Slovenia, the United States, France, Egypt, Romania and Poland.

Lightweight Women’s Double

Strongly contested, this race started with 21 boats all aiming for a direct path to the semis by finishing in first place and therefore avoiding another weigh-in session that precedes every race.

There’s going to be no easy path to the final as all four semi-final qualifiers finished within two seconds of each other. At this stage it looks like last years bronze medallists, Tracy Langlands and Helen Casey of Great Britain are the crew to beat making the most of their long strokes and high rating. Germany’s new combination of Claudia Blasberg and Marie-Louise Draeger will have their work cut out for them to match this duo with their qualifying spot.

Also qualifying for the semi-final was France’s Emmanuel Bergeret and Adeline Maddaloni-Gouelle and accomplished single scullers – now double – Marit van Eupen and Kristin van der Kolk of the Netherlands.

Lightweight Men’s Double

Position one through three qualified directly for the semi-final so the race was on not to be in fourth spot. Italy’s World Champions and world record holders, Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari look set to dominate the 2003 season by comfortably winning their heat ahead of Ireland and the Czech Republic who will also qualify for the semi-final.

But it’s Hungary’s Zsolt Hirling and single sculler, Tamas Varga who qualify with the fastest time. They led the race ahead of second and third qualifiers, France and last year’s bronze medallists, Denmark. Finishing off the semi-final qualifiers were Greece, Russia and Great Britain.

Lightweight Men’s Four

Italy’s fast start put them in the leading qualifying position in the lightweight four. The 2002 silver medallists have retained the same line-up and will take on World Champions, Denmark, in the semi. The Danes have one change from last year’s crew – Bo Brask Helleberg joins the crew in place of Stephan Moelvig who moves into the pair. Denmark stayed ahead of a fast finishing Great Britain to also qualify.

In the third heat France took line honours despite a late challenge from the new Irish line-up that were being hotly challenged by Chile and China’s sprint for second. Ireland, China and Chile will meet again this afternoon to contest the repechage.

Women’s Quad

Two heats meant the race was on to make it directly through to the final by coming first and there were no surprises today when World Champions, Germany, took the first spot with the same line-up as 2002. Stroked by Kerstin El Qualqili the crew was pushed by Belarus who captured an early lead but could not hold off the German sprint.

In the second heat Ukraine led from the start and looked solid coming into this season with two new members – Yana Dementyeva and Olena Olefirenko – who join Tetyana Kolesnikova and Olena Ronzina.

Men’s Quad

Nineteen boats meant first place only would go directly from the heat to the semi-final and in the absence of World Champions, Germany, 2002 silver medallists, Poland look like the crew to beat. They controlled the race from the start and with the same line-up as the last two years Poland looked very comfortable in the closing minutes of the race.

But it’s the Netherlands that move onto the semi-finals with the fastest time after being pushed by a strong Belarusian crew. Also qualifying is Russia and the 2000 Olympic gold crew from Italy stroked by Alessio Sartori.

Men’s Eight

There’s only one change from the 2002 silver medal winning crew from Germany. Jan Broeer joins the boat in three seat and together they secured a win in the first heat and a spot in the final. Croatia also qualifies directly to the final with a crew full of 2000 Olympic bronze medallists.

Racing continues in the afternoon with crews returning for repechages.