Semi-Finals ? FISA World Rowing Junior Championship

Lithuania's men's quad wore country colours – right down to their hair
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Consistent weather turned on another fine day on Galve Lake in Trakai, Lithuania for the Junior Championships. The mood of the athletes was more subdued as initial excitement tempered into serious racing.

Today's semi-final racing continued the progression through to the finals. Results from the last two days of racing put each crew into an A through to E semi-final and, depending on how many crews started in each event, results today would determine advancement into tomorrow's A through E final.

The key racing today was in the A and B semi-finals, which would determine crew advancement into the A-final.

Racing opened with the C and D finals and the stand out performance goes to Mete Yeltepe of Turkey who bettered his repechage time by five seconds which yesterday would have put him in the A semi-final. However, boat speed came a day too late and Yeltepe will move on to tomorrow's C-final.

The A and B semi-final's began with the men's pair. Romania's, Mihai Tofan and Marcus Despina, led the way with a time of 6.55. This places them in the middle lane for the final. They will be joined by a strong field which includes Urs Kaufer and Raimund Hormann of Germany who won silver last year in the coxed pair. France, Belarus, Slovenia and China add to the impressive line up.

The twelve top women's singles raced next in two heats and it was Hally Hames of Australia who kept her strokes long to cross the line in front in the first race. She placed fourth in the double last year and will want to be on the medal dais at Trakai. But it was New Zealand's, Emma Feathery, in her first Junior Championship, who clocked the fastest time ahead of Poland and Italy. They will also qualify for the A-final along with Latvia and Yugoslavia.

The race of the day came in the third heat of the men's single. Three heats meant rowers had to finish in the top two spots to move on to the A-final. France's, Cedric Berrest, pulled off an upset by out sprinting Markus Kufner of Germany in the closing metres of the race. Slow starting Berrest was nearly eight seconds down at the ½ way point when he changed gear. Pushing past Hungary, then Germany, Berrest recorded a 1.39 split for his last 500 metres. Meanwhile, Italy's Federico Gattinoni watched the battle going on behind him from his first place position. Berrest and Gattinoni will move on to the A-final while Kufner advances to the B-final.

Eugene Arendsen of Australia also qualified. He rowed a controlled, mature race from the front despite only 18 months of sculling experience behind him. Arendsen will be joined by Estonia, Belarus and Croatia in the A-final.

Crowds began to swell as semi-final racing continued with the women's double. It was Latvia's, Ligita Kaviere and Zane Puzina, who stamped their dominance. They were the fastest qualifiers from the heat and will be the crew to beat in the final. Poland moved from third position through to first to win the second heat and will meet Latvia in the final. Last year's silver medallists, Germany, bronze medallists, Italy, and Bulgaria and Lithuania will join them in the outer lanes of the final.

Portugal had to qualify through the repechage, but did it in style today when they won their semi-final in the men's double. This will put them into the A-final. However, it's last year's bronze medallists, Germany who qualify with the fastest time. The experienced Rene Burmeister is back in the boat after winning bronze in 2001 and has been joined by Stefan Massanz who won silver last year in the quad. Russia, Bulgaria, Italy and last year's silver medallists, the Czech Republic will make up the other lanes. A disappointed Poland, qualified directly through Wednesday's heat, but couldn't match today's speed and will go on the B-final.

The top three boats moved to the A-final of the women's quad and defending champions, Germany will be the crew to beat after qualifying with the fastest time. They have retained stroke, Josephine Wartenberg, in her quest for another gold.

But the Germans will be meeting, winner of the first heat, the Czech Republic for the first time in the final. Bronze medallists in 2001, the Czech Republic have two returning athletes. Michaela Migotova and Irena Neffeova both raced in the World Championships in Duisberg. Also qualifying is Italy, France, the Netherlands and Latvia. With only four seconds separating five of these crews, this is shaping up to be an exciting final.

Italy capped off a very successful day by winning their heat of the men's quad semi-final. They won bronze in 2001 and Simone Venier and Pier Paolo Frattini return to the boat to go for gold. They appear to be in a solid position after qualifying with the fastest time. Defending champions, France, have a new line up from 2001 and also qualified for the A-final. Making up the rest of the lanes are the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland and Germany who has two returning crew members.

Tomorrow sees a full day of finals with Italy and Germany qualifying the most boats.