Repechages Give Crews a Second Chance – World Rowing Championships

A handy tail wind met the rowers this morning. The slightly choppy conditions turned to rough, white caps as the morning of repechages progressed. The task of the rowers favoured technique and experience as crews strived to reserve a berth in the semi-finals.

Women’s Four

One crew would drop out of the game in the sole repechage of the women’s four. That crew was the young Romanians. Meanwhile, China, New Zealand and the United States traded positions several times as they worked their way down the 2000 metre course. Both the United States and China are making their 2002 international debut at Seville and both showed the work they have been doing in their home country has paid off. They took first and second respectively. New Zealand secured third ahead of Germany who will also qualify for the final.

Men’s Coxed Pair

Looking confident in the closing metres of the race, Dana Schmunk and Daniel Beery of the United States pushed through from third position to first by the 1200 metre mark. They crossed the finish line ahead of 2001 bronze medallists, Romania who led for the first half of the race. This is Schmunk’s second year in the coxed pair after finishing fifth in 2001. Also heading for Saturday’s final are last year’s silver medallists, Italy and, to the joy of the home crowd, Spain. The only crew to drop out of contention was Argentina.

Lightweight Women’s Single

A large field had four repechages lining up in the lightweight women’s single. The tension increased for the competitors as only the top two crews would move on to the semi-finals. For all others their World Championships would end in a C or D-final.

Maria Mas de Xaxars Rivero of Spain clocked the fastest time of 7.41. From Banyoles, Mas de Xaxars Rivero showed her confidence rough water and made the most of the tail wind conditions. Joining her in the semi-final will be 38-year-old Lisa Schlenker from the United States who finished fourth last year in this event and competed earlier in the season in the double. Canada’s Gen Meredith raced in the double to fourth position in 2001 and today made handy work of her repechage to move on to the semi-final. Daniela Nachazelova of the Czech Republic took out the fourth rep in a comfortable time of 7.45.

Also moving onto the semi-final are Greece, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland who all finished second in their respective repechage.

Lightweight Men’s Single

The trip from Central America to the Banyoles training camp in northern Spain, to Seville has paid off for Edgar Nanne of Guatamela. Not only did he qualify for the semi-final, but he did it with style. Starting in last position, Nanne was still last at the half way point. But the sculler showed that his pre World Championship training paid off as Nanne switched gear and overtook three boats to move into third and qualifying position.

The trip from Central America also paid off for Mexico’s Romulo Bouzas Rodriguez who finished first in the same race. Ross Hawkins of South Africa, in his World Championship debut, took the second spot to continue onto the semi-final. Disappointment struck Llias Pappas of Greece. He led for the first 1000 and then faded to fifth position and into the C-final.

Women’s Single

Spain's Nuria Dominguez wins her repechage
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With the top single scullers in the world already qualified from the heats, the field was open for a second chance the remainder of the field in the sole repechage. Latvia grabbed the race by the horns and got away to a flying start. But, in a race that had positions changing several time, challenges came from all sides.

First Hungary took over, moving through the half way point in first place. Then Nuria Dominguez of Spain challenged and did not look back. Meanwhile Hurnet Dekkers of the Netherlands was working her way up from last place. As she got used to the testing conditions, she pushed through to the third and final qualifying position, denying Latvia of a semi-final berth.

The final result was Spain, Hungary and the Netherlands moving on to the semi with all other boats returning later in the week for the C-final.

Vaclac Chalupa advances to the semis
© Getty Images

Men’s Single

A number of top rowing names came back to go for the second chance in the repechage of the men’s single. The first race featured 2001 silver medallist from the quad, Dirk Lippets of the Netherlands. It also featured USA’s Aquil Abdullah who placed fifth in the same quad race. Both of these scullers qualified along with Santiage Fernandez of Argentina who raced at home for the 2002 season after placing eighth in the single in last year.

The second of three races was led from the start by Jan Ziska of Slovakia. He qualified for the semi-final with the fastest time. Second was Bulgaria’s Ivo Yanakiev who made last year’s A-final, placing sixth. The third and the final qualifier was Austria’s Ralph Kreibich.

The final repechage featured stalwart of single sculling, and last year’s bronze medallist, Vaclav Chalupa of the Czech Republic. He showed his experience by taking the lead and sitting comfortably in the front position where he could look back on the rest of the field. New names from Italy and Finland also qualified for the semi from this race.

Women’s Pair

Plucked fresh from university crews, Portia Johnson and Megan Dirkmaat of the United States had a battle for first on their hands with Milka Tancheva and Anna Sergeevna Chuk of Bulgaria. Matching stroke for stroke, Johnson and Dirkmaat pulled out a superior sprint to take first. Bulgaria held on to second over a fast finishing France in the third qualifying spot.

Only one crew would miss a spot in the semi-final of the second of three repechages and although starting solidly, it was the Netherlands who missed out and will contest the C-final. Ahead of them and fastest qualifiers were Valery Starodubrovskaya and Vera Potchitaeva of Russia. They who led from the start, followed by Germany and Ukraine who also move onto the semi.

Canada’s Jacqui Cook and Karen Clark went into the third repechage as favourites and they held onto their reputation by leading from start to finish. But in a Pacific battle of pride Australians, Emily Martin and Monique Heinke fought it out with New Zealanders, Maree Kaati and Kate Robinson. Kaati and Robinson showed the power of their third 500 by moving through China and then Australia to take second place. Australia dropped into third but will still qualify for the semi-final.

Men’s Pair

“It is not easy to row coxless pairs in these choppy conditions,” commentator Paul Castle summed it up in restrained British style. The tail wind had increased adding white caps to the challenging conditions.

Three repechages in the pair meant that nine crews would move on to the semi-final and it was Djordje Visacki and Nikola Stojic of Yugoslavia who set the standard. Winning the first race and qualifying in 6.27 the 2001 silver medallists looked in medal winning form. Italy and Egypt also move on to the semi from this race.

They came ninth in 2001 and second at the third World Cup in Munich. They proved that rough water does not faze them. In their lead up the this year’s World Championships, Adam Michalek and Petr Imre of the Czech Republic had to struggle with several training venue changes when sever flooding in Prague affected their training camp. But they looked solid today, winning over last year’s fifth place winners, Argentina. Brazil came in third and also qualified.

South Africa’s Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech burst onto the medal podium last year taking bronze in this very competitive event. Today they got an extra row on the Guadalquivir River in today’s repechage and they did it in style. Cech and Di Clemente faced the newly formed Canadian pair of Scott Frandsen and Cameron Baerg for the first time and dominated the second half of the race. Lithuania, who finished seventh in 2001, also qualified for the semi-final by placing third behind Canada.

The United States crew of Adam Holland and Daniel Walsh made it under the final bridge on the Guadalquivir but no further. Rough water and intensity of racing overcame the pair who, after being blown into the next lane, struggled to correct their course and, in the closing 400 metres of the race, flipped. The words of Paul Castle rang true.

Women’s Double

The World Championships presents many accomplished crews and this was certainly the case for the two repechages of the women’s double. Leading the first heat was 2002 yellow jersey holders, Frances Houghton and Deborah Flood of Great Britain. They finished ahead of France’s Caroline Delas and crewmate, Sophie Balmary, who was fourth in the single last year. Both crews will go directly to Saturday’s final.

Italy’s Elisabetta Sancassini and Gabriella Bascelli and the youthful German crew of Britta Oppelt and Christiane Huth move on to the final from the second race.

Men’s Double

What is turning into one of most competitive events of the World Championships, the men’s double presented many well known names. The top three boats in each of the three heats would qualify of the semi-final and it was Milan Dolecek and Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic who took out the first race. Dolecek and Synek piped World Champions, Hungary, at the third World Cup last month and today they held off Adrien Hardy and Sebastien Vielledent of France who finished fourth in 2001. Both crews will qualify along with Ukraine.

In the second heat the experienced, Andre Wilms and Andreas Hajek of Germany came first and qualify with the fastest time. They have international medals that stretch back to the early 1990’s and formerly rowed under the East German system. They will move on to the semi-final with Great Britain and Austria.

Cuban’s, Yosbel Martinez Hechevarria and Yoennis Hernandez Arruez just missed out on the medals in 2001 when they come fourth. Today they led from the front, and finished first in the third heat. Brazil and Lithuania also qualify for the semi-final. These two crews last raced each other at the 2001 World Championships in the B-final, Brazil coming eleventh and Lithuania seventh overall.

Men’s Four

The weather conditions continued to be a challenge in the men’s four. In the three heats a top three finish assured a place in the semi-final. The closest race was in the first heat where France led the way but was continually challenged by New Zealand. These two boats kept comfortably ahead of the Czech Republic who will also qualify.

The second heat had one crew dropping out of the semi and into the C-final. Today it was disappointment for Lithuania who will now contend the C-final. The Netherlands, Poland and the United States will move on to the semi after coming first, second and third respectively.

The day of repechages wrapped up with Italy, Bulgaria and Denmark finishing off the list of qualifiers for the semi-finals.