Senior Champions Crowned at the 2004 World Rowing Championships

Ording wins the single, Steiner (left) silver, Serdyuk bronze
© Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

By Melissa Bray

The final day of racing at the World Rowing Senior & Junior Championships featured a suite of new World Champions. Although heat caused some problems, the mirror-like surfaces meant excellent racing conditions in beautiful surroundings.

Women's Four

Belarus and France left the starting blocks together but soon saw their leading advantage removed by China when a piece at the 700 metre mark enabled China's stroke Wanlu Wu to get her boat into the lead. China held this lead, although small, through the middle of the race and as the final 500 metres came into sight the

Chinese still had the advantage.

France, however, knew the race was not over. They had stayed in touch with China and now took their rating up to 37 strokes per minuted which found them the lead with 300 metres left to race. China, at 34 strokes per minute, was slipping back. Russia and Belarus were also charging and at the line France became 2004 World Champions with Russia in second and Belarus earning bronze in the first photo finish of the day.

Men's Coxed Pair

The Abbagnale brothers of Italy had dominated this event in the past and today Mario Palmisano and Mattia Trombetta with 14 year old coxswain Luigi Longobardi aimed to continue that legacy for their country. Taking the lead over France, Italy, rowing a very rounded back style, held on to the leaders advantage through the half way point. Meanwhile Poland was busily working their way into the silver medal spot.

Then as Palmisano and Trombetta continued at the head of the field Denmark started to charge. Morten Oelgaard and Gunnar Levring of Denmark had been floundering at the back of the pack but had now decided to make a run for it in the third 500. Poland and Italy, however, were not giving up. With 200 metres to go Poland took their rating to 38 while Italy matched the speed rating 40 strokes per minute.

Italy remained in front to become World Champions, Poland held on for silver and Denmark's second half effort earned them the bronze medal.

Lightweight Women's Single Scull

A field oozing with world class scullers lined up to go for World Championship status. Viktoriya Dimitrova of Bulgaria was the 2002 World Champion and holds the World Best time in this event. Ireland's Sinead Jennings won in World Champion status in 2001 and Nina Gaesler of Germany had led the 2004 World Cup season. There was also Minna Nieminen of Finland who had been showing great promise in the races leading up to today's final.

But it was Great Britain's Jo Hammond that shot out to an early lead only to see it snatched from her when an uncharacteristic early piece by Jennings took the Irish into the lead position with Gaesler matching the pace and moving with her. Going through the 1000 metre mark Hammond sat on 31 strokes per minute and it was not helping her cause at all.

Then Gaesler began to charge and together with Jennings the two led the field. There was now only 250 metres left to row as Jennings popped her rating to 36 strokes per minute to lead Gaesler at 34.

But then disaster struck for the girl from Donegal. Did she hit a buoy? Was it the dreaded crab? Jennings had stopped dead in the closing strokes of the race, falling from the lead to fourth position. Gaesler became the 2004 World Champion, Hammond earned silver and Nieminen wins her first World Champion medal with bronze.

Lightweight Men's Single Scull

Oleksandr Serdyuk of Ukraine knew that he was up against a classy field so he decided to try the intimidation tactic bursting out into the lead over Germany's Peter Ording with less than 500 metres raced. Serdyuk held this advantage over Ording as Switzerland's Stephan Steiner sat firmly in third.

Steiner was his country's spare for the 2000 Olympics and at 26 years old he is now establishing himself as a top lightweight. Along with Ording, Steiner charged for the line. But Serdyuk still had energy and taking his rating to 36 he also charged. Meanwhile defending World Champion, Stefano Basalini of Italy had not been looking his same high-rating self at the back of the field and remained out of leader contention along with France's Fabrice Moreau.

Ording retined his unbroken 2004 winning streak becoming World Champion while Steiner held on for silver and Serdyuk won bronze.

France's cox Majerus goes in the drink after winning the lightweight eight
© Getty Images/Bryn Lennon

Lightweight Men's Eight

As the number of participants has dropped in this event this could well be the last time the lightweight men's eight is seen at a World Championships. These crews therefore had a chance to make history. Today these crews raced for the first time this week in a straight final.

Current World Champions Germany was there in the starting blocks along with 2003 silver medalists France and bronze medalists the United States. But it was unseeded Italy who had the lead over Australia when the race got under way. Italy held this lead as France started to get in on the medal act. Overtaking Australia, France went after the lead.

But three boats were not conceding. Going through the 1600 metre mark there was absolutely nothing between France, Italy and Australia. Italy was sitting on 40 strokes per minute as the crews charged through the final buoys. At the line France, who retained six of their 2003 crew, became World Champions, Italy took silver and Australia made the trip from the southern hemisphere well worth it by winning bronze.

Italy victorious in the coxed four
© Getty Images/Bryn Lennon

Men's Coxed Four

Perennial rivals the United States and Canada took off at the head of the field with the US holding a slight advantage. From the 2003 World Champion crew the United States has retained only their cox, Marcus McElhenney while Canada did not race this event in 2003. Going through the half way point the United States and Canada were still neck and neck at the head of the field. But Italy was starting to move.

Italy finished sixth in 2003 and retain stroke Valerio Massimo from that crew. Massimo obviously wanted a World Champion medal and with 500 metres left to race the Italians had closed the gap on the US-Canadian scuffle. But the North Americans had noticed. Canada took their rating to a high 39 strokes per minute as the United States held on. This got Canada's nose ahead with 250 metres to row. Italy fought back to a photo finish. The crowd went quiet.

Minutes passed.

Italy's supporters rose to their feet as the announcement was made. Canada was second by 0.02 of a second. The United States third by less than half a second.

Lightweight Men's Pair

Could Denmark's Bo Helleberg and Mads Andersen make it two in a row? They had already been beaten this season by Nicola Moriconi and Salvatore Di Somma of Italy and had yet to meet Canada?s Mike Lewis and Douglas Vandor. They had beaten Australia and France earlier this week and today the Danes decided to leave nothing to chance.

Opening up a handy boat length lead over Moriconi and Di Somma at the start, Helleberg and Anderson looked confident and in control. This left Italy to try and ward off a strong Australian challenge that had propelled the Aussies into silver medal contention. Lucerne World Cup winners Italy fought back and regained second as the last 500 metres came into view. Helleberg and Andersen continued to hold their own in the lead, but Moriconi and Di Somma were charging.

With 50 metres to go Italy lifted their rating once again and not only overlapped with Denmark but accelerated their bow closer and closer to the front with every stroke. But Italy ran out of metres.

Denmark now become two time World Champions, Italy become 2004 silver medalists and Canada came through for the bronze.

Lightweight Women's Quad

World Champions China and the United States won their respective heats five days ago and had to wait until today to meet each other in the final. It was therefore no surprise to see these two crews leading this race as they left the starters hands. Maria Picone and Mary Obidinski both raced for the United States last year when they finished fourth and today their expectations were higher. China had retained Yanping Deng, Meiyun Tan and Weijuan Zhou from the World Champion crew that won by a huge margin in 2003. Today in the opening strokes of the race the Chinese had earned a slight lead over the United States and they were aiming to build it into a full boat length lead.

Meanwhile Canada, who did not race in this event last year was challenging the United States and taking advantage of a slow third 500 by the US. This put Canada into silver medal contention.

At the line China made it two in a row adding 2004 World Champions to their portfolio. Canada came through to take silver and the United States took bronze.

Lightweight Men's Quad

One final stroke nearly thwarted Italy's chance of going two in a row when they raced in the last event of the 2004 Senior World Championships. Three seat Daniele Gilardoni is the only returning member to the Italian crew that won in Milan last year and they took off at the head of the field with last year?s bronze medalists, Germany gaining a slight leaders advantage.

The middle of the race however was all about Italy. They displayed a perfectly controlled middle 1000 that could not be matched by the rest of the field and giving the Italians a boat length lead coming into the final sprint.

Germany was still in second when Canada began to surge. And what a surge it was. Canada was making Italy's 39 strokes per minute look like a stroll in the park and with each stroke the Canadians were gaining on the leaders. If the Canadians had been given one more stroke of racing they would have won. They weren't. Italy becomes two-time World Champions, Canada wins a well deserved silver and an exhausted Germany held on to take their second bronze in two years.

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