Racing for Seventh at the 2004 World Rowing Championships (B-Finals)

Great Britain prepares to race the lightweight women's quad
© Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

By Melissa Bray

B-FINALS

Racing for places seven to twelve in the world, the B-finals set the tone for the rest of the day with close racing and photo finishes, as the crowds began to build in the Lake Banyoles morning heat.

Women's Four

Defending World Champions the United States saw themselves relegated to the B-final after a sub-par performance in the heats. Today they stepped up the pace and went after the front position. Stroked by Megan Cooke the United States had a slight lead over Canada right from the starting zone. They continued to hold on to the lead moving away from Canada and then holding off a late sprint by Australia. The United States become seventh in the world.

Germany did not start due to medical reasons.

Men's Coxed Pair

It was a tussle at the front between reigning World Champions the United States and Great Britain with the lead swapping and changing between these experienced crews. Stroke of Great Britain's pair, Kieran West has an MBE for winning Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics and Dana Schmunk, stroking the United States boat, won silver in this event in 2002.

Great Britain ate away at the early United States lead and continued to develop a slight advantage through the middle of the race. Coming into the final sprint the unrelenting United States had a bow ball lead with 30 metres to go, but the Brits came back and a photo finish on the line awarded Great Britain first place, the United States second and Slovenia finishes in third.

Lightweight Women's Single Scull

Number two in the world Mirna Rajle of Croatia did not have a good semi-final which relegated her to the B-final. Today she controlled the lead over a fast early start by Daniela Nachazelova of the Czech Republic. With half the race gone Rajle had opened up a handy gap on the rest of the field and only Denmark's Kirsten Jepsen was posing any threat. At the line Rajle took first, Jepsen second and France?s Adeline Maddaloni-Gouelle finished third. An exhausted Nachazelova was helped from her boat by medical personnel.

Lightweight Men's Single Scull

Denis Moiseyev of Russia missed out on Olympic qualification in the double but kept his 2004 racing season going by competing in the single and today he headed the B-final. Moiseyev had the lead over Austria for the majority of the race and was going for a comfortable win when Ireland?s Tim Harnedy attacked in the final sprint. Harnedy, at 38 strokes per minute, first overtook Austria, then Portugal and went after Moiseyev. Moiseyev held on to finish first. Harnedy gained second and Portugal's Luis Teixeira Ahrens finished third.

Lightweight Men's Pair

Great Britain gained the upper edge coming out of the start closely followed by Poland's Robert Urbanski and Cezary Mrozowcz and last year's bronze medalists the United States. Urbanski and Mrozowcz had found the lead by the half way point but there was nothing in it between Great Britain, the United States and Poland. The race continued to be tight and at the line Poland had the edge with the United States and Great Britain finishing second and third respectively.

Ireland withdrew for medical reasons.

Lightweight Women's Quad

They hold the current World Best time and last year they won bronze, but today Australia contested the B-final against Great Britain and the two went at each other for the full 2000 metres. As they came into the final sprint Australia, rating 37 strokes per minute, kept their bow ahead of Great Britain rating 36 and crossed the line first.

Lightweight Men's Quad

Great Britain did not contest this event last year. Today they went after seventh in the world by leading the B-final. Followed by Ireland, Great Britain had broken away to a boat length advantage with half the race gone. Ireland, stroked by Under 23 bronze medalist Brian Young, continued to pace the British but did not have enough in the final sprint to overtake and finish second. Brazil finished third.

Men's Coxed Four

Moved to the end of B-final racing to prevent a clash of racing for Romania's coxswain Marin Gheorghe who competed earlier in the day in the men's coxed pair, this race got under way with the Romanians in the lead. After the success of their junior men yesterday, the senior Romanians wanted to show what they could do. But Germany had different ideas. With only one change from the crew that won bronze last year the Germans had gained the lead as the last 500 metres came into view followed closely by a charging Lithuania and Denmark. At the line the Germans became seventh in the world, Lithuania eighth, Denmark ninth and the Romanians slipped back to tenth.