Sweaty Palms, Slippery Handles ? World Rowing Championships, Milan, Italy

Rumyana Neykova becomes the 2003 World Champion in the women’s single
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A slight cross wind under hot conditions opened the day of A-final races. As the raucous crowds swelled along the grandstand side of the Idroscalo course the boat park was reserved to a pensive air of expectation. All boats had already qualified for the Olympic Games from today’s Olympic events so racing became all about becoming 2003 World Champions.

Women’s Four

It has been a long week for these crews. With only five entries, this race became a straight final although the crews got a chance to burn energy two days early in a race for lanes. Today was the real thing and the heightened emotions of finals day saw all crews bolt off the line. As this is a non-Olympic event these crews are often the second string for their country’s eight and today it was the United States that showed the depth of their sweep rowing talent by taking an early lead. 21 year old Caryn Davies in three seat for the Americans at 195cm brought the crew height average well up as she sat behind the seven time national team member, Wendy Wilber.

With the United States leading the field it was fellow North Americans, Canada that laid down the biggest challenge and the two crews passed through half-way neck and neck. But the Netherlands were saving the good stuff for later. A solid piece through the third 500 had the Dutch overtake Canada and move up on the United States with Germany in hot pursuit. The United States stuck with the pace crossing the line first with the charging Dutch in second and Germany finishing third. Canada was unable to hold their opening pace and slipped out of the medals.

Men’s Coxed Pair

Think about doing leg presses over and over again for seven minutes and you will have a feel for this event. Think about the burning in your quads and you will get an idea why Italy’s Piergiorgio Negrini needed help after the finish line. This straight final opened with the United States and Australia leading the charge. As these two countries waged battle at the head of the field Canada was trying to hold off Italy.

It all came down to superior endurance as the United States crew of Dan Berry who won silver in this event last year, partner Matt Rich and coxswain Andrew Kelly. Australia’s Jono Fievez, Luke Pougnault and coxswain Marc Douez could only shadow the Americans in second. This order remained the same at the line with Canada holding onto third over a dying Italy. The medal ceremony featured nine competitors, six huge guys and three small guys ? all champions.

Lightweight Women’s Single

You could see the determination on her face. You could hear the deafening calls of the supporters. Canada’s Fiona Milne was in the lead. Milne entered the World Championships having won the Pan American Games in the double and also finishing second in the open single at the same competition. Spending much of her year training in Australia, Milne must have been inspired by this year’s Thomas Keller Medal winner and boyfriend Peter Antonie.

With half the race gone Milne had a small one-second lead over Janet Raduenzel of Germany who was being paced by Spain. But it was last year’s fourth placed Croatian, Mirna Rajle who was pulling out an awesome final 500-metre sprint. Working past Spain, then Germany, Rajle was trying to make up a huge six-second deficit. The sprint paid off with Rajle finishing behind Milne in second and Raduenzel holding onto third.

Both Raduenzel and Milne were in the Olympic event, the double, last year and both missed out on double selection this year. It was no surprise when Milne declared her intentions for 2004. ?I hope to do the same (first place) in the double.?

Lightweight Men’s Single

With World Champion, Ireland’s Sam Lynch racing the double, last years silver medallist, Stefano Basalini of Italy had decided this was his year. Germany’s Peter Ording however, had a different idea. Ording finished fourth in the double in 2002, but missed out on being selected by his country for the double this year and had a point to prove. Ording opened up the starting pace over Basalini and held on. The two boats were out to an open water lead with half the race gone when Basalini, who won his first World Championship medal in 1997 in the quad, decided to make his move.

From one lane over Great Britain’s Tom Kay felt the move and as the last 500 metres came into sight Kay decided to lay it all on the line. Taking up the rating Kay passed Ording who was barely hanging on, and went after Basalini.

At the line Kay’s higher rating got him into silver position with Ording holding onto bronze and Basalini achieving his goal, finishing the World Champion for 2003.

Lightweight Men’s Eight

Last year’s silver medallists, Germany got out to a slight lead at the start. With Christian Dahlke and Matthias Hobein returning to stroke and seven position they were taking their crew down the course at a blistering pace. Last year’s World Champions Italy kept in close contact but did not have the same juice as Germany. With half the race gone Germany had open water leaving the United States and France to battle for silver and bronze.

Germany remained clear leaders until the end with a final charge by the United States thrusting them into silver position leaving France to sprint for third. Germany now become the new World Champions.

Women’s Single

She hasn’t been smiling much this year. Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria was carried away on a stretcher after collapsing from heat on this course in May. Neykova then struggled at her second World Cup race with breathing problems. Today after the race she admitted, ?I was very nervous, so I wanted to get in front.? And that is what she did ? nearly.

Usually Ekaterian Karsten of Belarus comes from behind, but today Karsten took a flying start and had a full second over Neykova after the first 500 metres. Neykova then began to pick away at Karsten’s lead. Rating 33 strokes per minute the Bulgarian’s boat moved closer and closer. With 1200 metres gone, Neykova had the lead. But it was not the two time Olympic Champion that was challenging. Germany’s Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski was coming off an unbeaten season and wanted to keep it that way. By the 1500 metre mark Rutschow-Stomporowski had snuck ahead of Karsten. But Neykova remained out of reach. The nervousness had gone as the Bulgarian sprinted for the line.

Three World Champions stood on the medal dais. Reining World Champion Neykova had rid the health demons and retained her reign. 2001 World Champion, Rutschow-Stomporowski gained silver and 1999 World Champion Karsten finished with bronze.

Men’s Single

A proud Olaf Tufte wins the 2003 men’s single World Championships title
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These guys know each other well. They meet several times each season and since 2001 the finishing order has barely altered. These guys are Marcel Hacker of Germany, Olaf Tufte of Norway and Iztok Cop of Slovenia. They are all Olympic medallists. They all have World Championship gold medals. Today they met in the World Championship final once again taking up the three middle lanes.

Hacker got out to an early lead over Tufte with the usually fast starting Cop sitting out of the picture in fourth. Maintained a steady 33 strokes per minute rating Hacker remained nearly two seconds ahead of Tufte with half the race gone. This is when the Norwegian decided enough was enough. Picking up his stroke rate to 36.5, Tufte started to bear down on Hacker with Cop holding onto the pace. It all came down to the final sprint. Hacker, still in the lead, appeared unable or unwilling to react to Tufte’s sprint and looked content just to hold off Cop.

At the line Tufte had broken Hackers two year winning streak to become World Champion. Hacker gained silver and Cop finished with bronze. ?I’m with two of the best rowers in the world and today I beat them,? said Tufte at the finish as close friend, Cop hoisted the World Champion onto his shoulders.

Women’s Pair

Yulia Bichyk of Belarus is having a busy regatta. As well as racing the pair, Bichyk was pulled into her country’s quad at the last minute and thus has doubled her number of races. But Bichyk along with partner Natallia Helakh had total focus solely on the pair as they took a lead over World Champions, Gerogeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania at the start.

The World Champions did not like second place position and rating a constant 37 strokes per minute, the Romanians moved into a boat length lead over Belarus. This gap remained the same with Great Britain’s Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger slipping into a tight third battle with Canada.

Three quarters of the race had gone and there was nothing in it for the four leading boats. This is when Grainger and Bishop decided to give it their all. Taking the stroke rate up to 40 the Brits charged for the line. Belarus tried to follow with Romania praying for the bubble line to appear. The sprint paid off for Great Britain. Finishing in first Grainger and Bishop had broken the Romanians two-year winning streak with Belarus taking second and, stopping one stroke before the line, Romania earned Bronze.

Australia becomes 2003 World Champion in the men’s pair
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Men’s Pair

Australia’s Drew Ginn and James Tomkins have kept low key all of this season and all of this week. They chose not to compete at any World Cup races and then, after qualifying for the final earlier this week, the duo disappeared off to Varese, Italy.

It paid off.

In a field chock full of talent, Ginn and Tomkins were not prepared for a repeat of last years final when they were left behind at the start. Today they had their bow at the front of the field with only 200 metres rowed and at the 400-metre mark were still rating an impressive 40 strokes per minute. The race appeared to be going perfectly to plan for the Aussies as they pulled ahead to a half boat length lead. At this stage the biggest challenge was coming from Italy.

Through the middle of the race Australia was still rating a high 37 strokes per minute and a small glance out of the boat by Ginn did nothing to upset their relaxed long strokes. Meanwhile World Champions, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell were nowhere to be seen.

Then with 1400 metres gone Croatia decided to move. Brothers Niksa and Sinisa Skelin finished first on this course at the May World Cup and it looked like they wanted a repeat performance. With 400 metres to go Australia remained in front with the Skelins charging into second and an exhausted Italy holding onto third. But the race was not over. Ramon Di Clemente and Don Cech of South Africa had been sitting out of the picture in the far lane minding their own business and letting the centre lanes battle it out. Di Clemente and Cech have been together since the 2000 Olympics earning medals at the last two World Championships, but a back injury this season for Cech had led to an inconsistent results. Today, in front of cheering South Africans, they pulled out a sprint that saw them come through from the back of the field, past Canada, then Great Britain and finally Italy.

Australia held off the charge to remain in first with Croatia just scraping through to second and the biggest smile on the dais must go to the South Africans who finished in third.

For the first time in over a decade Great Britain’s Olympic and World Champion, Matthew Pinsent, rowed away from the podium medal-less.

Women’s Double

The Evers-Swindell twins were making no mistakes today. They race best when they are in the lead and with a stroke rate of 35.5 the New Zealanders got off to a fast start. Behind them Germany’s Britta Oppelt and Kathrin Boron slotted into second with Larisa Merk and Irina Fedotova of Russia following in third.

The Evers-Swindell twins show off their gold medal as they take their second consecutive World Championship title for the women’s double sculls event.
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However just being in front was not what the New Zealanders wanted. As they moved through the middle of the race the Evers-Swindells had extended their lead to a boat length over Germany. With 350 metres left to row New Zealand brought the stroke rate back up to 37 leaving Germany and Russia to hold on.

At the line New Zealand retained their World Champion status. In the process the twins were the closest crew all day to breaking the World Record. Behind them Germany, with Boron in her comeback year, held onto silver and Russia finished with bronze.

Men’s Double

Australia’s David Crawshay and Peter Hardcastle took an early lead, their stroke remaining up at 38 as 400 metres flashed by. But Crawshay, recovering from earlier week illness, could not maintain that starting pace and France’s Sebastien Vielledent and Adrien Hardy were moving hard. Rating 34 France pushed through the 1000 and into first place. From that point the 2001 silver medallists from France never looked back. Behind them the battle for silver and bronze raged. First Slovenia moved into the silver slot, then the Czech Republic pushed ahead and finally Italy’s Rossano Galtarossa and Alessio Sartori charged out of nowhere.

With 400 metres to go the Czech Republic and Italy were locked head to head and moving on France. At the final marker and 250 metres to row France still had a boat length on the field with Italy’s stroke rate rising to 40, then 42. In a photo finish, France become World Champions, Italy gained silver and the Czech Republic finished with bronze.

Men’s Four

Canada’s men’s four celebrate their gold medal at the 2003 Milan World Championships
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Canada’s Barney Williams set the opening pace and with 250 metres rowed they still retained 42 strokes per minute. Germany followed in hot pursuit wanting to retain their World Champion status. 700 metres of the race had gone and so had Canada and Germany. At the head of the field these two boats were opening water on the rest of the crews.

This is how the leading order remained when Great Britain, in the closing minute of the race, decided to charge. Great Britain’s stroke Toby Garbett took the rate up to 40 and, along with Germany and leaders Canada, the three boats charged for the line.

A jubilant Williams left his seated position to salute the crowd as part of the new World Champion crew for Canada. A very subdued Great Britain finished with silver and Germany had to be content with silver.

The day concluded with the Thomas Keller Medal being presented to 2003 recipient Peter Antonie by Keller’s son Dominik.

Racing continues tomorrow, Sunday with the remainder of the A-finals.