The Romanian lightweight double after their A final
© Dominik Keller
By Melissa Bray
Constanta Burcica of Romania makes it a hat trick by winning every Olympic Games that the lightweight double has existed. Greece wins their first ever Olympic rowing medal when Vasileios Polymeros and Nikolaos Skiathitis sprinted from behind to take bronze. The Danes came back to gold medal form and continued the guldfireren legend. Kathrin Boron of Germany joined the elite by winning her fourth Olympic gold. Russia wins their first gold in the quad. Elisabeta Lipa of Romania becomes the only woman to win five Olympic gold medals in rowing. The United States breaks the 40 year drought.
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls
Different expectations mean a huge range of reactions to results. Some crews are happy just to be in the final. Others are devastated to finish with bronze. Today in the early morning final of the lightweight women’s single three crews crossed the line in medal winning positions. All three crews cried for joy.
For the winners, Olympic Champions Constanta Burcica and Angela Alupei of Romania it meant an unprecedented comeback and the third Olympic gold for Burcica. For current World Champions, Germany’s Claudia Blasberg and Daniela Reimer it meant a successful conculsion to a long and bumpy season and a second silver for Blasberg. For Kirsten van der Kolk and Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands, bronze meant a successful conclusion to a long journey that began with sixth at Sydney.
It was disappointment however for Australia’s Amber Halliday and Sally Newmarch. They started their Olympic Regatta with an impressive World Best time and looked like the crew to beat. Coming out of the start Halliday and Newmarch had put themselves in the position of that crew by taking a handy lead over Blasberg and Reimer. The Australians then extended this lead to almost a boat length over the Germans going through the middle of the race.
Then Romania, who had been sitting back in third, started to move. With every stroke Burcica and Alupei were closing the gap. The smooth Romanians, at a lower stroke rate, were gaining and gaining. By 1450 metres Romania had found the lead.
This was not the end of it for Halliday and Newmarch. Coming into the view of the crowd, Blasberg and Reimer were winding and had pushed past the Australians with 300 metres left to row. Australia was hanging precariously on to the edge of the medals podium when van der Kolk and van Eupen, who had slowly been working their way up from the back of the field, started to put themselves in serious medal contention. With 60 metres left to row the Netherlands had found bronze position.
A sea of orange rose to their feet in the main grandstands. Some of that sea converged on Lake Schinias to swim out to their compatriots. From Romania with gold, through Germany with silver and the Netherlands with bronze, everyone had something to celebrate.
Three-time Olympic gold medallist Burcica admitted recently that she liked the limelight, “If I couldn’t do rowing I would have become an actress.” The 33 year old Burcica said she didn’t think she would be able to continue in the sport. “I have a six year old son and I want to be a wife and mother.” When asked how to win gold Burcica said, “Work hard, give up your private life and believe in yourself.”
Dutch Bow seat van der Kolk said after the race, “I had a dream last night that I was winning a medal but I didn’t see what colour it was. We have always been unlucky in the important regattas in not getting a medal. We knew the Romanians would win so we followed them through the race. We started slow and went faster as the race went on. Before we always got something wrong, but this time it went right.”
The three best lightweight double during the A final
© Dominik Keller
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls
Daiska Takeda sat in the starting blocks kissing his wedding ring. Mads Rasmussen hummed his favourite song. Nikolaos Skiathitis looked cool. Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz just sat. Thirty seconds later their bodies would be going anaerobic.
Like Lance Armstrong, Kucharski and Sycz of Poland just pop up occasionally for the big one. Hardly seen this season Kurchaski and Sycz are the current Olympic Champions but do not often participate in international races. No one truly knew their capabilities.
Today they surprised the other five lanes by taking their rating to 45 strokes per minute and leaping out to an early lead. Settling to a strong and steady 35 strokes per minute, Poland were now in a fine position to underrate closest competitors, Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark who were clipping along in second at a high 40 strokes per minute.
Meanwhile, France’s Frederic Dufour and Pascal Touron had slipped into third. But no one seemed to be anywhere close to reining in the Poles. Denmark was still high at 39 strokes per minute with Poland sitting on a constant 35. Denmark’s early pace was beginning to show as France put the pressure on moving into second with 600 metres left to row.
Dufour and Touron then went after the Poles. Following the French example, Nikolaos Skiathtis and Vasileios Polumeros of Greece were improving their position as the race progressed. By the 1700 metre mark the Greeks were in medal contention. At the line Poland had won their second Olympic gold, France had silver and the Greeks had made history by winning the first ever medal in rowing for their country.
A disappointed Touron said at the finish, “We had a very bad start. The Polish started far in front and we stayed with the other boats. They had a great start. Poland was the only boat that we’ve never raced this season. They were hiding their game. We wanted to beat the Polish today.”
Dufour said he is happy and disappointed, “At the finish we weren’t far from the Polish so it’s a shame. We knew that we could win gold. I am definitely continuing until 2008. Others have been preparing for the Olympics for four years. For me it was 10 years.”
Sycz said the lead up had been difficult, “Thomasz was suffering from injury after Sydney. We had to train very hard after the injury. This gold medal was much harder to achieve and it counts more for us. Many people back in Poland didn’t believe in us. We are very happy to have made it.” Sycz said that even with their lead at the start of the race they were not sure of winning, “I was in pain at 200 metres before the finish, I was thinking, ‘four years of work and now the medal might be lost.'”
Kucharski, “I’m too tired to talk. Robert can read my mind.”
The Danish lightweight four after winning the A final
© Dominik Keller
Lightweight Men’s Four
Denmark got it right in the semi-finals when they took off at a leading pace and sat on an aggressively high 40 strokes per minute through the body of the race. Today they went for a repeat performance by using 43 strokes per minute out of the blocks and finding a slight lead by the 150 metre point. They then “settled” to a high 39 stroke rate with a line for second of Australia and Ireland forming behind them.
Coming into the half way point Italy had joined the Australian – Irish line. The race for medals was only just beginning. Ireland then found the heat too much and Australia took up the battle with Italy while Denmark held on to the lead. Then, with 600 metres left to row, Italy started to sprint. Taking their rating to 41 the Italians went after the Danes. Australia followed suit.
But the race was not over, Out of nowhere, from the outside lane, the Netherlands had suddenly woken. Denmark realised the charge going on behind them and upped the tempo to 43. Italy and Australia held on. At the line Denmark had regained their guldfieren status, Australia had held off Italy for second and two crews waited for the photo finish verdict for bronze. The Netherlands and Italy waited, and waited. Italy had won bronze by a mere 0.05 of a second.
Glen Loftus, bow for Australia said after the race, “We tried to compare to the Danes. We knew they were fast starters so we knew we had to have a fast first 1000, but they didn’t leave us much to work with.”
Two seat for Australia Anthony Edwards added, “It took a lot to come back at the end.”
Thor Kristensen, bow seat for Denmark, said after the finish, “During the season we weren’t very stable. We had ups and downs. Now I’m really happy because we succeeded in finding the speed again. We really wanted to prove here that we are the fastest in this boat class.” Kristensen said there was no secret to their winning strategy, “Just a lot of hard work and training.” And the future? “Thomas and Eskild will probably retire, but myself and Stephan will continue on until the next Olympics.”
The German women’s quad rowing for gold
© Dominik Keller
Women’s Quadruple Sculls
There was a lot at stake for Germany’s bow Kathrin Boron – a history-making fourth Olympic gold medal. With that the crew took off out of the start and had found the lead in the first six strokes. The Germans, following stroke Kerstin El Qalqili, looked completely in control, underrating the rest of the field with smooth, relaxed, powerful upright strokes.
Behind them Australia and Russia were going at it neck and neck and in the process had closed some of the German gap. By the 800 metre mark Australia had got the upper hand on Russia while a major struggle for third developed. Great Britain, Russia and Ukraine all wanted a medal.
Meanwhile Germany had moved to an open water lead and there was no indication that they were slowing down. Then at the 1250 metre mark Great Britain did a push that released them from the line and took them ahead of the slowing Australians. The final sprint was on and the British were flying. Ukraine then did a mighty push with 300 metres left to row.
Boron had won her fourth gold medal, Great Britain had secured the silver and Ukraine pushed ahead of Australia to take bronze.
Bow seat for Ukraine, Olena Morozova said after the finish, “We were very happy with our start. This result means three years of hard work. This was the maximum we could do as everyone was in their best shape physically and mentally. All the stress was going in a positive way into the boat, not against it.”
Stroke, Yana Dementyeva for Ukraine added, “This is my first Olympics and I had a lot of stress, a lot of adrenaline. But in the team we really worked together thinking positive before this race.”
Boron said, “It was a super race. I said at the beginning anything else but gold would have disappointed me. I hope for more medals in the future.”
The leading boats in the A final of the men’s quad
© Dominik Keller
Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Pulling off one of the bigger upsets for the day Russia’s Sergej Fedorovtsev, Igor Kravtsov, Alekseij Svirin and Nikolai Spinev won the first medal for their country in a polished race where they never relented to the strong challenges from the Czech Republic.
The race started with a four boat line of Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany all moving together. The Czech Republic then found a slight lead but it was barely enough to make any kind of impact. Through the 800 metre point the Czech Republic, Russia and Poland were still together with the Germans falling back. Through the 900 metre point the story was the same. Through the half way point none of the three leading crews had yielded. Was this to be the medal winning crews?
Russia then decided enough was enough and took the edge, moving into the final sprint with the biggest advantage. But coming through on the outside lane Ukraine had suddenly come alive and had taken their rating up into the 40s. They were challenging the leaders.
At the line Russia had held on for gold, the Czech Republic were right behind with silver and Ukraine had thrown down the best sprint for bronze.
After the finish three seat for Russia, Alekseij Svirin said, “We had trust in our boat and confidence in ourselves but we knew the Czech Republic and Germany were going faster than us. The race really started at the 1000 metre mark and when we saw we were in front at the 500 to go we gave everything to stay in front.”
Leonid Shaposhnikov stroke for Ukraine said, “We tried to take this as a normal regatta and not have the stress. This is my fourth Olympics and my first medal. I am very satisfied. I have a lot of respect for the Russians.”
Elisabeta Lipa in the Romanian eight
© Dominik Keller
Women’s Eight
Romania came into the race intent on making rowing history. Sitting in six seat was four-time Olympic gold medalist Elisabeta Lipa. Winning gold meant Lipa would join the ranks of Sir Steve Redgrave and become the only woman to win five Olympic golds. Sitting in two seat Viorica Susanu had added a second Olympic gold to her collection on Saturday in the pair and was going for three. Her pair partner, in seven seat, Georgeta Andrunache was after her fourth Olympic gold.
But despite the Romanian pedigree, they knew the race would be tough. Sitting one lane over from them the young United States crew had beaten the Romanians in the heat earlier this week, set a World Best time in the process and had not lost an international race all season.
The United States and Romania were the crews to beat. It was no surprise when these two crews took the edge at the start with the United States holding a fraction of a lead. At this stage all six crews were still well and truly within medal grasp. Going through the half way point nothing separated the United States and Romania with Australia holding on tightly to the Romanians.
With the United States still in the lead Romania moved into a piece that put their nose ahead of the Americans. Both boats sat on 37 strokes per minute but the Romanians were more effective. Every stroke took them further and further into the lead. The United States tried to hang on. Then, from nowhere, the Netherlands started to charge. China, now sitting in third, could not hold the pace.
The pressure of racing spelt disappointment for Australia. In the final 300 metres Sally Robbins collapsed and the crew limped home.
At the line Romania’s Lipa had made history. The United States had held their wits and finished with silver. The Netherlands had the race of their lives to finish with bronze as a sea of bright orange leapt from the grandstands to swim to the Dutch boat.
A relieved Lianne Nelson, stroke seat for the United States, said, “This is the toughest race I ever had. Now we have a chance to enjoy Greece and have some fun.”
The A final of the men’s eight in Athens
© Dominik Keller
Men’s Eight
Canada came into the Olympic Games on a roll. Three World Championship wins in a row and no international race loss in the past three years. Apparently that is a curse. In the heats earlier in the week the Canadians lost their first race in an incredibly tight fight with the United States that produced a Word Best time. Then in the repechages they only just stayed ahead of the charge and in the process stroke Jeff Powell pulled a shoulder muscle.
The final began with the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany all wanting to dominate. Canada was rating 48 strokes per minute and Australia was right up there on 45. But it was the United States that got the edge. Once broken free of the pack the United States never looked back. Stroke by stroke they outrowed the rest of the field so that by the half way point they had an astounding full boat length lead over Australia, Germany and Canada who were left to fight it out for second.
The United States had created such a commanding lead that the fastest crews in the world could not respond. But then, rank outsiders and last minute Olympic qualifiers, the Netherlands unleashed their aggression.
Pushing ahead of Australia, Germany and Canada, the Dutch, rating 37 strokes per minute, went after the Americans.
The US lead however was too dominating. They looked comfortable on 36 strokes per minute.
At the line, the United States had broken a 40 year eights winning drought. Coach Mike Teti’s gamble of putting his best rowers in the biggest boat had paid off. The curse of losing in Sydney had been broken.
A photo finish for second had the Netherlands and Australia sitting quietly. The announcement was made – the Netherlands with silver could not believe their good fortune. Australia rowed their second international race ever as this crew and had finished with bronze.
The high expectations on Canada had not been met. No men’s eight will ever want to win a World Championships the year before the Olympic Games. Watch out in 2007 – the crews will all be racing to be second.
Jason Read, bow of the US eight, could not stand still after the race. His wide smile said it all, “I am very happy. The competition was severe. We had to be on our best form. Our object was clear. We wanted to be the best.”
Stroke Bryan Volpenhein looked emotional, “We really respected each other and really worked well together and everyone committed to the eight after Sydney. We never doubted ourselves.”
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