Rowers Return for Repechages

By Melissa Bray

The afternoon of repechage, second-chance racing continued. It saw success and heartache as rowers raced for the chance to advance to the semifinal.

Lightweight Women’s Single Scull – Repechage

Five boats, three through to the semifinal with two boats missing out, one repechage. The scullers knew the story. All five boats got out to a fast start but soon international newcomer Norway’s Hilde Gudem had found the lead and wasn’t giving it up. This left Ilona Hiltunen of Finland and Tina Jaklic of Slovenia to race each other for the final two spots. No other crews had the power to challenge them and these three boats move on to the final.

Lightweight Men’s Single Scull – Repechage

Argentina’s Jose Czcy decided he wanted this race. Although two boats would go to the semifinal Czcy decided to do it from a winning position. Apparently no one was willing to contradict his wishes. Slovakia’s Lukas Babac gave it a bit of a dab but was happy to settle into second. Babac also goes to the semifinal.

In repechage two it was Bine Pislar of Slovenia who caused heads to turn. Pislar finished third at last year’s World Under 23 Regatta and today he again met Marcello Miani of Italy. Miani won the Under-23 title last year in this same event and he led the first half of the race today, but settled for qualifying from second.

Women’s Single Scull – Repechage

France’s Sophie Balmary stepped into the next round when she led Frida Svensson of Sweden and Anet-Jacgueline Buschmann of Bulgaria in heat one. All three of these scullers were well ahead of the rest of the field with only 500 metres down but they still made a race of it and should fair well in the semifinal.

In heat two Great Britain’s Debbie Flood has moved from the Olympic silver medal winning quad to the single and she looked comfortable as she led the field. Behind her a procession of Slovenia’s Majde Jerman and Veronika Jakoubkova of the Czech Republic took the remaining qualifying spots.

Men’s Single Scull – Repechage

Only one-and-a-half seconds separate the four winners of each of the four repechages indicating hot racing in the semifinal. Finishing first in repechage one was Eton’s surprise winner Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. Synek is better known for racing the double but this season he beat fellow coutryman, Czech’s longtime sculler Vaclav Chalupa, and decided he may have a new calling.

Finishing behind Synek, Poland’s Adam Bronikowski comes out of the quad and into the single and now moves on to the semifinal from second place.

Nikola Stojic of Serbia & Montenegro also comes to single sculling for the first time this season. He spent Athens and the lead up in the pair, but today looked comfortable rating 40 strokes per minute in a sprint to the line with Wyatt Allen of the United States. Athens gold medallist in the men’s eight, Allen has come under the influence of ubercoach Kris Korzeniowski and is aiming to be the US single at this year’s World Rowing Championships. Both Stojic and Allen move on to the semifinal.

In heat three Ralph Kreibich of Austria overtook Sweden’s Lassi Karonen to lead the field. But despite being easily in qualifying position Kreibich continued to fight it out with Karonen. Both move on to the final.

Vaclav Chalupa of the Czech Republic and Santiago Fernandez of Argentina last met in the final at the Athens Olympics. Today they faced each other again and despite their multiple Olympic experiences they did not have an easy ride at the front of the field. Austria’s Christof Uhl has never been to the Olympics and last year he dabbled unsuccessfully in the single. But today Uhl gave it his all. Going after Chalupa and Fernandez, Uhl wanted a semifinal spot. Chalupa and Fernandez at 37 and 38 strokes per minute respectively had to sprint. Uhl ran out of metres but nearly qualified. Chalupa and Fernandez move on to the semi.

Men’s Pair – Repechage

There was heat and soul in the effort coming from Egyptian duo Mohamed Gomaa and Yehia El Bakry. Gomaa and El Bakry took the lead by rating high and rowing aggressively. But by the second 1,000 they were running out of steam. First Slovenia pushed past and then France. Egypt’s early lead, however, had given them enough to hold on to the third qualifying spot. All three crews move on to the semifinal.

Serbia & Montenegro are trying out a new pair combination and today they paced Great Britain’s Josh West and Kieran West for the first half of the race. The Brits then decided enough was enough and using a lower stroke rate they managed to open up a gap. At the finish Serbia & Montenegro had held on to second with Poland coming through at the end to take the final qualifying spot.

Men’s Double Sculls – Repechage

Ukraine’s Dmitro Prokopenko and Volodimir Pavlovskij already had an open water lead with only 500 metres rowed in the first of two repechages. Throughout the race they continued to extend this lead with Belgium trailing in second. But three boats would move on to the semifinal and even Croatia, in third, did not have the need to do a full power race. All three crews advance.

France took an early lead in the second repechage, but going through the half way point four boats were all still in contention for the top three positions. France then started to suffer from their fast start and in the second half of the race they had to watch Poland, now in first, move further away with Great Britain and Switzerland keeping up. Poland, Great Britain and Switzerland will go to the semifinal.

Men’s Four – Repechage

This race was cancelled due to the withdrawal of Stephan Koller of Switzerland due to illness.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls – Repechage

The day of racing closed with one of the closest races of the day. Belgium’s Justin Gevaert and Wouter Van der Fraenen took a slight lead over Slovenia at the start with Ukraine and Portugal following closely behind. With only three boats to qualify something had to give.

There was nothing between Belgium and Slovenia at the head of the field with Portugal and Ukraine matching each other stroke for stroke barely a whisker behind. As the four boats charged for the line Portugal took their rating up to 39 with Ukraine at 36. The higher rating paid off for Portugal and Nuno Mendes and Pedro Fraga move on to the semi from finishing second. Slovenia only just held off Ukraine to take the final qualifying spot.

Racing will continue Saturday 18 June at 13h CET.

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