Minor Finals Open the Day – BearingPoint World Cup Lucerne, Switzerland

Poland, Romania and the Netherlands in the B final of the men’s four.

Fast times were expected and perfect conditions continued at the Rotsee.

Men’s Single C and B-Final

Volodimir Pavlovskij of Ukraine came thirteenth last year and today stepped up a notch by not only winning the B-final but also beating Bulgaria’s Ivo Yanakiev in the process. Pavlovskij had to work his way through Italy and Austria to find the lead, going under seven minutes in the process. Behind him Italy was second and Austria third. Number five in the world, Dirk Lippits of the Netherlands was unable to start due to illness.

The C-final was won by Australia’s number two boat, Scott Brennan followed by Croatia and Finland.

Lightweight Men’s Double C and B-Final

Russia’s Denis Moiseyev goes into his third season in the double with new partner Vladimir Varfolomeyev and today won the C-final after finishing eighth in 2002.

Lightweight Women’s Single B-Final

Denmark’s Kirsten Jepsen is a regular competitor at the World Cup and today led the B-final from start to finish. Behind her an Australasian clash was unfolding. Zita Van De Walle of Australia forced New Zealand’s Carolyn Steele into the repechage on the first day and again today the two scullers paced each other. But it was Steele who had the upper hand at the line finishing in second, Van de Walle in third.

Lightweight Men’s Single B-Final

Russia’s Andrej Chevel has moved out of the double and into the single winning the B-final by passing Australia, Germany and the Netherlands in the second half of the race. Markus Hartung of Germany finished second and Roy Delis third.

Lightweight Men’s Pair B-Final

The Netherlands and Australia spent the whole 2000 metres pacing each other neither gaining any significant advantage and matching each other’s pace through the entire race. But a slightly faster middle 1000 gave the Netherlands enough edge to keep them in the lead with Australia second and Hungary third.

Lightweight Men’s Quad B-Final

The winner was not clear until the final beep sounded as each crew gave it their best. First Japan inched ahead to a tenuous lead holding it through the first half of the race. But Australia’s second boat was finding their pace and Great Britain were moving with them. At the line Australia took first followed half a second later by Great Britain with Japan in third.

Women’s Single B-Final

The crowd watch Switzerland gain their first win of the day when Lucerne native Caroline Luethi crossed the line at the end of the Rotsee course. But the other crews did not give in easily to Luethi who jumped to an early lead. Latvia challenged, then Italy’s Elisabetta Brugo took up chase whittling away at a five second deficit. Luethi and Brugo, side by side, sprinted for the line with Germany’s second boat finishing third.

Women’s Pair B-Final

Italy left it to China and New Zealand to fight for first and despite a fast start by China it was the Kiwi’s that kept the race alive moving into the lead in the third quarter. At the line Jackie Abraham and Kate Robinson of New Zealand had an easy first with clear water.

Men’s Pair B-Final

Egypt’s style is to grab an early lead and hold on. They demonstrated the early lead but the holding on part was not keeping them there. By half way Germany’s Ike Landvoigt and Jan Herzog had taken the lead. Landvoigt and Herzog make up Germany’s number one crew and had something to prove after watching their number two compatriots move on to the A-final from yesterday’s semi.

Meanwhile Slovenia were working from last position and although most of the race had been rowed, they weren’t looking back. Passing three other boat Slovenia’s bow Matija Pavsic looked over to Egypt and poured on the power, pulling into second at the line, behind Germany and ahead of Egypt. Australia ended at the back of the field after taking the pressure off early in the race.

Women’s Double B-final

Full credit to single sculler, Alex Beever of Great Britain. When Rebecca Romero became ill Beever joined Deborah Flood in the double and gave a solid performance by finishing first in the B-final. France however spent the whole race sitting on their tails and there was no pause in the final beep. Behind them the Netherlands took third.

Men’s Double B-Final

When the Olympic gold medallist is in the b-final, you know you’re watching a tough event. Both the Netherlands and Slovenia missed out on the A-final by a fraction of a bow ball in two of the tightest races of yesterday’s semi-finals. Both crews must have given it all they could yesterday. Today Germany’s second crew, Austria and Poland, using a middle 1000 attack strategy, took the top three spots of the b-final.

Men’s Four B-Final

It looked like a sea of boats coming into the last 200 metres as Poland, Romania and Denmark all fought for the lead. Romania had a slight edge but this was not enough. With just a bit of extra energy Poland pushed to the front winning over Romania in second and Denmark in third. Only 0.5 second separated these three boats.

Lightweight Women’s Double B-Final

Spain’s Teresa Mas De Xaxars was the toast of Seville last year at the World Championships when she won bronze in the single. She has now moved to the Olympic class boat with Eva Mirones Sola who is not new to the international scene having raced the double in 1995. Today they won the b-final with high rating and determination. Poland finished in second and Finland in third.

Lightweight Men’s Double B-Final

These guys are on their third day of having to weigh no more than 72.5 kg and often it comes down to the crew with the most energy who wins. Greece’s Nikolaos Skiathitis and Vasileios Polymeros are inching towards a spot at Athens when they won their race in a clear two-second advantage over France’s number two crew. Switzerland finished in third. Although Denmark was near the head of the field for most of the race, they did not finish when heat and exhaustion forced them to stop rowing just a few hundred metres from the finish line. 

Lightweight Men’s Four B-Final

A sea of international colours with nations spanning the world headed for the orange buoys with vengeance. Throughout the race Russia and Japan had been battling for supremacy while the remainder of the field tussled with each other. Serbia & Montenegro were holding onto third but didn’t bargain on a fast sprinting Irish contingent. At the line Japan nosed into first with Russia and Ireland following.

Women’s Quad B-Final

Denmark just missed out on the a-final but proved their superiority over the rest of the field today when they got ahead of Poland and Italy and continued to increase their lead in a race that ended in a procession.

Men’s Quad B-Final

Youth led experience out of the blocks when Australia number two shot off the line ahead of their senior crew and ahead of the whole field. But Australia’s senior lads were having none of this. By half way stroke Shaun Coulton had brought his boat into the lead ahead of Australia Two with France and Switzerland in hot pursuit. As the race came to a close Australia One remained in front with France in second and Switzerland in a close third.

Men’s Eight B-Final

Great Britain’s eight had to adapt to a new stroke, Phillip Simmons when an injured Tom James had to withdraw. Olympian Kieran West was also added to replace an ill Alex Partridge and along with the rest of the boat they brought their team to a first place in the b-final. But their margin was small. Egypt was with them for most of the way, then Poland and France. At the line France earned second and Australia’s under-23 crew in third.