Top Juniors Ready for Brandenburg

Great Britain's men's eight practicing

By Melissa Bray

Arriving in Brandenburg, Germany over the past week have been junior rowers from 53 nations readying themselves for the 2005 World Rowing Junior Championships. Starting on Wednesday 3 August with the heats, racing will continue through to finals on Saturday 6 August.

Proceedings got off to a bang when 3,000 spectators enjoyed a rousing opening ceremony. Cheerleaders, acrobatics and music set the mood for the upcoming races as over 690 junior athletes gathered with the spectators.

Although this is the first international regatta for many of these athletes, for Gabriella Varekova of the Czech Republic it will be her fourth time. Varekova will be hoping to make the medals podium and defend her 2004 gold finish in the women's double.

Some of the athletes competed a week ago at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Amsterdam. New Zealand's Emma Twigg finished fourth in the women's single and will be hoping for a podium place later this week. Makar Sargsyan of Armenia also raced last week as an Under 23.

Leon Ani, Romania's stroke of the eight, already has two junior golds from last year when he doubled up to win the men's pair and eight. This time Ani will race in the four and the eight. Ani's partner Ionel Strungaru will also be aiming for another two golds in the same events.

The newly refurbished Beetzsee regatta course in Brandenburg is situated about 70 km from Berlin and was the site of the first World Rowing Junior Championships 20 years ago. The course also hosted the 1972 European Championships, the first championships for women.

The Beetzsee was also used in the 1960s as a high performance centre under the East German sporting system and the famous Landvoigt twins began their rowing career here. Jörg and Bernd Landvoigt dominated the men's pair during the 1970s winning bronze at the 1972 Olympics (in the men's eight) and gold in both 1976 and 1980 in the pair. Jörg is now the vice-president of the Brandenburg organising committee and Bernd has remained in the sport as German national team coach of the men's pair.

To compete in the World Rowing Junior Championships, rowers must be 18 years of age or under. Results can be found live on www.worldrowing.com on the Live Race Viewer and at the course spectators will be able to follow the race on a permanent big screen, new to the Beetzsee course.

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