Medallists at the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup 2005 (Eton, Great Britain)

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

Final A
The first final of the day contained a plethora of Olympic and World Championships medallists, the competing athletes sharing twenty-three between them. By 700m gone the Belarusian sculler Karsten, silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games had opened up a commanding lead with the legendary Kathrin Boron of Germany, gold medallist in the quad in Athens, and Knapkova of Czech Republic sculling to build on her fourth place in Athens. At halfway Karsten was sculling at thirty-two strokes per minute starched her lead and looked dominant at 1500m gone. Knapkova upped her stroked rate to thirty-four just before 1500m and sculled through Boron to take the silver. Boron faded within the last 500m but still easily held on for the bronze over the Russian sculler in fourth.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

Final A
With FISA shuffling the lane order to give the seeded athletes the favoured sheltered lanes protected from the crosswind, it was Synek and Hacker from the Czech Republic and Germany in lanes five and six who led the field through the first 1000m with Synek leading by around one and a half lengths at halfway. It was the red-haired Cop of Slovenian who was in third in a straightforward field. At 1500m Synek had begun to assert and increase his lead over Hacker to over two lengths of clear water with Cop still back in third. Although Cop closed slightly on Hacker in the last 250m their positions remained unchanged. The impressive Synek took a clear victory, looking like a force to be reckoned with over the rest of the season.

Women’s Pairs (W2-)

Final A
At 400m the third Australian pair and Germans vying for the lead and it was the Australian pair who had a lead of 1.5 seconds at 500m with the remaining two Australian pairs fighting for third. As the crews approached half way the Australian pair of Outhwait and Bale had stamped their authority on the race and at 1000m had extended their lead to 5.5 seconds. Behind them the Germans began to fall back dramatically and the Australians established a 1,2,3 order with a challenge forming from the savvy Romanians who had moved to fourth at 1500m gone. Inside the last 250m the Romanians dug deep and moved into third but the Australian pair Frasca and Selby Smith had other ideas and struck back and snatched third at the line in this breathtaking race. So 1,2,3 for Australia 3, Australia 4, and Australia 2 clearing the table of all of the medals.

Men’s Pairs (M2-)

Final A
Rating fifty strokes per minute the Croatian Skelin brothers were determined to lead from the outset and did so by 150m – they just held that lead over the second Canadian pair of Rutledge and Hamilton with Frandsen and Williams just back in third. At 1000m the Croatian Olympic medallists had extended their lead to a couple of lengths with the Canadian crews assailing each other with driven-out purposeful strokes. In the middle 1000m the newly formed Great Britain pair of the unrelated Cambridge men West and West sought to put themselves into the race and attacked the duo of Canadian pairs in second and third. They made no impression, as Williams and Frandsen attacked their compatriots in second. With 250m they broke through them by the smallest of margins, while the Skelin brothers crossed the line first with a commanding victory befitting of their pedigree. The epic contest between the Canadians saw both digging ever deeper to find previously unknown gears with Canada 2 finding the line first just ahead of their nation’s other entry.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

Final A
The Bulgarian pair containing the bronze medallist in the single at the 2004 Athens Olympic games powered out to an early lead over the German double and opened that up to two lengths by 500m with Germany in second and Australia just behind in third. At halfway the Bulgarians still maintained their lead with the Australian and German doubles engaged in a hammer and tongs battle for second. With 500m to go it was the German who had prevailed and had opened a one-length lead over the Australian double. These three crews were well clear of the Great Britain double in fourth. Inside the last 500m the positions remained static as the Bulgarian sculled home to win quite comfortably with Germany capturing the silver and Australian getting the bronze.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

Final A
Four crews were in line with 250m gone, Russia, Norway, Switzerland and Poland. At 500m gone the Russians pressed out to a lead of one and a half lengths with the Norwegians giving full measure over stroking the field to command second place ahead of the Romanians and Swiss with the Poles fading slightly to fall back to fifth. At 1500m gone the Russians still held their clear view of the field behind them while the Norwegians, both of whom had professed that after last season’s first ever seventh in an Olympic Finals, this year would be different, fighting with increasing cadence to keep the Romanians and Swiss at bay. These two shared a private battle for the final position on the medals rostrum. The Romanians got the better of this contest and snared the third position.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

Final A
It was the Danes who were the first to show in the first few hundred meters but it was the French who overhauled them to take the lead with Great Britain back in third. At halfway the Spanish, who had put in a stirring 500m to go into second, pushed the Danes back into third place with Great Britain just off the pace in fourth. In the third 500m the Spanish fought bravely to maintain overlap on the Danes and approaching the last 250m the French opened up, rating a lively 40 strokes per minute to take an impressive three-length win. The Danes closed slightly on the Spanish but could never get there and finished in third.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

Final A
After 500m it was the first German double containing 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist Daniela Reimer, who were out front ahead of the plucky Chinese entry that had been the talk of the grandstand and media marquee all week. At halfway the margin remained three quarters of a length with the second German double emerging as a clear third. In the third 500m the Chinese refused to lie down and demanded more from themselves and of the Germans as they cut the leader’s margin to half a length with 600m to go. At one point it looked like the Chinese might give the Germans a real headache but inside the last 250m the experience of the Germans showed through the fatigue of the headwind and distance as they held on to win by just over half a length with the second German double taking the bronze medal home for the black yellow and orange.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Final A
After 500m of this final it was Canada and France who went through vying for the lead separated by 0.4 of a second with Hungary back in third. At halfway, the Canadians had eked out a lead, but a huge move by the French and Hungarians brought all three levels again with the Japanese, also trying to invite themselves to the party in the front of the field. At 1500m gone it was the Hungarians who grabbed the headlines as they created a lead of over one length despite a crab in the last 250m. They held on to win gold with the Canadians who rallied to take silver. The Japanese saw this year’s World Rowing Championships host country take bronze ahead of the French crew that faded badly in the last 750m. This result was later amended by the FISA jury who excluded the Canadian crew for a violation of the Advertising Rules, moving the French entry up to the bronze medal slot.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Final A
This was a race full of pressure for the new look British four who badly needed a win in front of the expectant home crowd. By 300m gone they had powered out to a lead of almost a full length rowing intensely for their country’s first place in the middle of the Eton medals stand. The Dutch chased in second with the Danes, Poles, and Czechs fighting for third place. At halfway the increasingly confident and purposeful British four lead by 5 seconds, with the Dutch in second, and the Czechs gaining clear control of third. In the third 500m the Czechs snared the Dutch’s second position with a battle ensuing for third as the Dutch fell back. The British crew won comfortably starting the new Olympic cycle with a resonant performance. A dramatic last 500m from the Danes saw them snatch Silver from the Czech crew who settled for Bronze, while it was the Dutch who must return home empty handed.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

Final A
A four-boat race for this women’s quadruple sculls medals final both the Russian and the Great Britain entry blasted out to a one-length lead after only 200m. At 500m both crews were still dead level with the Ukrainians three seconds back in third. As the British strode out to lengthen into the body of the race they took one third of a length’s lead over the Russians with the Ukrainians sill in third at the halfway mark. As they crossed into the second half the Russians pushed hard and refused to concede anything to the home crew. In the face of this challenge the British crew had to fight hard to extend their margin to almost one half-length at 1500m. The tenacious Russian quad again raised the stakes to test the resolve of the British crew who found themselves almost level with the Russian entry. With 100m to go the British combination attacked again to gain a fighting victory by just one third of a length, with the Ukrainians a distance back in third.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Final A
The Czech quad raced out to a lead of nearly a length at 500m gone with the Poles and the Danish just behind. At 1000m the situation remained static, with the same trio of crews from the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Denmark all racing for the gold medal, with the Estonian’s assault particularly effective as they moved through the Czechs. With 400m to go the Estonians lifted again to take the lead for the first time in the race. It was the Estonians who took the spoils by just over one half-length over the Czechs over the gallant Poles who captured the bronze.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

Final A
In the cavalry charge that is the start of the women’s eight final the Chinese seized a narrow lead over the Romanians. In the second 500m the Romanians started to inch back whilst in third the British fought off the attentions of the Australian eight. The Australian exhausted after their clean sweep of the medals in the pairs event threw down a challenge to the Brits as they approached the 1500m marks. With 500m to go the Chinese were bitterly defending a third of a length lead over the closing Romanian crew while the Australians relegated the British to last place. The Chinese hung on for the gold medal just ahead of the Romanians, while the British buoyed by the support of the home crowd charged down the Australians in the last 200m to snatch the bronze medal.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Final A
The Germans in their pink boat fired out of the blocks to a half-length lead with only 200m gone. At 500m the Italians in front followed them in second with the Great Britain crew in third. In the second 500m the Italians did not lie down, they continued to harass the Germans while the British clung to their coat tails in third. With 500m to go the Italians were only one half length back and the British had fought back to only one half length behind the second place Italian, no doubt spurred on by the Dutch eight that had begun to rally. Inside the last 250m the class of the Germans captured gold by three quarters of a length ahead of the Italians while the British did well to take the bronze medal.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

Final A
All scullers had trouble aligning in the tricky cross breeze but once the race was underway way Naomi Hoogester of Great Britain in her first international competition sculled exceptionally well to take a narrow lead by 500m gone over the Chinese and Cuban scullers. She fought off the close attentions of this world-class field and still maintained her lead over the Chinese sculler. The German sculler, Matilde Pauls, had managed to move into contention and held third at halfway. Shortly after the 1000m a huge effort from the Cuban sculler saw her take the lead moving from fourth to first. At 1500mthe Cuban had taken a length lead with the Chinese sculler back in second. Hoogester of Great Britain dug in and refused to be cowed by the German sculler with 250m to go. As the buoys changed color and the Cuban could not fight off a massive challenge by the Chinese sculler who came even and traded strokes all the way to the line and ultimately capturing the win. At the finish the World Cup’s first medals were awarded to China, closely trailed by Cuba, with the German stroke of Cambridge’s Women’s Blue Boat moving clear of Hoogester and taking the bronze.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

Final A
In this final it was the experienced Olympian Time Male who blasted out to lead after 250m from Mads Rasmussen of Denmark in second. At 500m Rasmussen had moved to draw level with Male with the other Danish sculler Rasmus Quist one length back in third. At halfway Rasmussen had taken a one length lead but Qusit started to make his move on his former Olympic doubles partner, first drawing level with Male of Great Britain. As Male dropped back with 750m to go the medals stand looked booked for a Danish 1-2. However Male refused to lie down, determined to make the home crowd proud. It was not enough and as Male folded in the last 100m the Danes in the stands enjoyed seeing their athletes with Gold and Silver medals around their necks leaving the British to clap appreciatively for Male’s Bronze.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-)

Final A
With 250 gone the Egyptians rating thirty-five strokes per minute had snatched a three quarter length lead racing with a passion that posed the questions whether they could hold onto their speed and this early lead in the second half of the course. At 1000m the writing was on the wall for the Egyptians as the second pack of pairs containing the seasoned multiple World and Olympic champion Thomas Ebert of Denmark mounted a confident challenge along with the second British pair who trailed closely behind. With 500m to go the Egyptians still clung desperately to a narrow lead but the Danes pushed and made a race-winning move. The Egyptians hung heroically onto second place with the two Great British entries just behind. It was the second Great Britain pairs of English and Harte who held off the rapidly closing Great British pair to secure the bronze.

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