Repechages Bring Rowers Back to the Water - Under 23 Regatta

Trimech qualifies through the reps
© FISA

By Melissa Bray

Slightly less wind but still a head wind meant slow times especially for the lightweight events as rowers came back to the Malta regatta course in Poznan, Poland for a second chance repechages at the World Rowing Under 23 Regatta.

Final qualifying spots were often won or lost on the line leading to an afternoon of exciting racing.

Lightweight Women's Single Scull

Each of the four repechages demanded a top two finish to keep advancement hopes alive and Tunisia's Athens representative Ibtissem Trimech made sure she moved on by leading repechage one. Trimech became Tunisia's first rowing international medalist when she won bronze at the World Cup in 2003 and today she qualifies for the semi-final ahead of Mar Bosch of Spain. Both Trimech and Bosch qualify.

Eeke Thomee of the Netherlands and Denmark's Sine Christiansen moved away at the head of the field in repechage two giving every sign, bar disaster, that they would be the qualifying boats. They struck no disaster with Thomee finishing first and Christiansen second.

Lithuania's Edita Minkeviciute and Claudia Schad of Germany dominated race three closing out the rest of the field from a qualifying chance as they swapped leads several times. The fourth repechage played out a similar scenario, this time with Natallia Hrihalchik of Belarus and Mollie Hill of Australia leading the field by a healthy margin. Hrihalchik and Hill, despite Hill catching a bad stroke with 60 metres left to row, move on to the semi-final.

Women's Single

It was all about being in the top three to make this one repechage successful and four boats were in the running ? Slovenia's Majda Jerman was there along with Inene Pascal-Pretre of France, Greece's Paraskevi Dimitria Di and Spain. Coming in to the final sprint a slower Spain meant that Jerman qualified along with Pascal-Pretre and Dimitria Di.

Women's Double

One repechage required a top three finish which meant one boat would drop off and at the half way point the heat was on as all four were still in contention. Coming into the final sprint it looked like Hungary would miss out. But Zsuzsanna Hajdu and Aliz Konya of Hungary were saving their best for last and in a show of complete determination Hajdu and Konya sprinted past Italy to take the third and final qualifying spot. Ahead of Hungary, Russia and Lithuania qualify from first and second respectively.

Lightweight Men's Single Scull

Slow times continued as rowers pushed into the steady head wind as the lightweight men felt the pain of longer race times. Many events were therefore won in the second half of the race. Four repechages required scullers to finish in the top two positions to advance and after a close start Bine Pislar of Slovenia ? last year's champion ? began to move away. Valeriy Chykyrinda of Ukraine tried to stick with him and the two began to leave Denmark behind. Pilsar and Chykyrinda tussled with each other and both move on to the semi-final.

Turkey's Mete Yeltepe finished sixth last year and had enough of a lead to keep an eye on David Currie of Great Britain. These two scullers remained in the qualifying positions, unchallenged by Switzerland in third.

France, Slovakia and Russia were tight but only two would qualify in repechage three. Half the race had gone. France, Slovakia and Russia were still tight. Who would tire first? Coming into the final sprint Slovakia was starting to falter. Russia's Vladimir Varfolomeev and Mathieu Mallein of France took advantage of the situation and go on to qualify.

The final repechage was a Latin American showcase plus Serbia & Montenegro. Leading the field from the start was Santiago Esparza of Mexico who seemed more concerned about what his competitors were doing as he constantly looked out of the boat. His competitors were well enough back that a procession was forming with Argentina in second. The two qualifiers remained in front with a late challenge from Peru taking him from the back of the field to third but still out of qualifying. Esparza and Jose Czcy of Argentina both qualify.

Lightweight Men's Double

The top three would advance in these three repechages and rowers knew the heat was on as repechage one and two finished in a four boat photo finish. Repechage one had Spain, Belgium, Hong Kong and France all leading contenders. The field started to spread going through the 1500 metre mark with Spain clearly in the lead and Hong Kong slipping back off the pace. However in the final sprint an awesome effort brought Hong Kong up on the field. In a four-way photo finish Spain, France and Hong Kong qualify pushing Belgium out by a whisker.

Despite tiring in the second half of the race Poland stayed in the lead of repechage two and go to the semi-final along with Great Britain and Japan in another photo finish that had Germany pipped by Japan at the line.

Repechage three left the starting blocks in a line but by the half way point the top three boats, Austria, Slovenia and Portugal, were clearly in the lead and moving together. Portugal decided to sprint it and qualify from first, Slovenia in second and Austria in third.

Lightweight Men's Four

With three to go through four crews took off in qualifying contention, Greece a little off the pace. But as in so many races this afternoon, the qualifiers would not be revealed until the final buzzer and going into the last 500 metres four boats were still in contention. Austria and Ireland had a small lead while Greece and Switzerland were neck-and-neck for third. Switzerland wore out first and Greece moves on to the final with Austria and Ireland.

Men's Single

Four repechages required a top two finish for advancement to the semi-final and Mitchell Punch made the most of it in repechage one. Leading over Chrostophe Raes of Belgium, Punch kept the power on and the stroke rate up until the end to go through to the semi-final along with Raes.

France set off at a cracking pace in repechage two and had a very handy lead at the 1000 and the 1500 metre mark. Then he blew up. This gave Estonia's Allar Raja a boost and moving with Matej Rodela of Slovenia, the two scullers went from being out of contention with 500 metres to go to being the two qualifiers.

Lithuania's Sigitas Klerauskas and Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands paced each other at the head of repechage three. No other crew could touch them and they move on to the semi-final. A similar situation developed in repechage four. Falko Nolte of Germany and Vladimir Radenkovic of Serbia & Montenegro led the field. Hong Kong's Olympic representative Hiu Fung Law put up a fight but Nolte and Radenkovic were far enough in front to hold off Law's final challenge.

Brezezinski and Stepka advance for Poland
© FISA

Men's Double

One repechage and three to advance was the formula and the decision would not be made until the line with five boats in the running. Poland had a bit of an advantage with Australia and Argentina moving together and Slovenia hanging in a little bit back. In the final sprint Slovenia took advantage of a tired Argentina to overtake and earn the third qualifying spot behind Australia and Poland.

Men's Pair

A top two finish was needed for advancement to the semi-final and as the day closed the races remained just as exciting. Three boats sprinted for the line in repechage one with Argentina the unlucky one. France and Spain had been at the head of the field and the late sprint from Argentina was not enough. France and Spain qualify.

Repechage two came down to a photo finish for second between Croatia and Canada. Canada got off to a good start establishing themselves firmly in second behind Latvia for the first half of the race. They remained comfortably in second going through the third 500. But then Croatia pulled out a sprint. As the crowd roared, Croatia bolted for the line, overtaking Canada in the final stroke and taking qualifying spot number two.

Repechage three was even closer. Russia had a slight lead with Italy and Lithuania going head-to-head for second. The pressure and closeness remained through the middle of the race with Italy and Lithuania still locked together, the lead switching back and forth. As the three boats charged for the line Russia lost their advantage. In a photo finish Russia held on to first with Italy nosing ahead of Lithuania in the last 30 metres to take the second qualifying spot.

In keeping with the trend repechage four also went to a photo finish. Great Britain had started off as the early leaders and probably thought they had first place wrapped up when Slovenia and Estonia came charging for the line. Great Britain just held on to keep second while Estonia found first place in the last 20 metres.

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