Under 23s Go for Gold

The power of Kornilov, Hamburger and Bokums starting the men's single

By Melissa Bray

The powerful Dutch sculler, Sjoerd Hamburger dominates an impressive field and wins by rating a low 28. The Italian and German national anthem is heard many times. A large crowd enjoys the warm overcast day. Headwinds add toughness to racing. The moving grandstand gets the crowd right in the action and the finals day of the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands is declared a success.

Women's Four (BW4-)

Canada got away at the head of the field. The United States started the race at the back. This was all to change when the US began to come into their stride while Canada slipped back finding the opening pace that they set too hot. By the half way point the US had worked their way into second and was closing in on Belarus ? now in the lead. The Americans continued to charge and with 500 metres left to row they had found the lead.

Despite a last minute attempt by France, the US held on to win gold. At the finish bow for the United States Stesha Carle commented that the crew has only been together for a month coming together from various university crews. ?In June we came together, but we were doing three practices a day.?

Swiss supporters on finals day

Men's Coxed Four (BM4+)

In yesterday's race for lanes Romania and Germany dominated the proceedings. Today Ukraine handed out an opening leaders bid. But this didn't last long when Italy showed that they must have been saving themselves yesterday and pulled into the lead. Germany answered the Italian challenge and took up chase spurred on by coxswain Arman Lahouti. With 500 metres left to row Germany had got their nose ahead of Italy and into the lead.

Although Italy tried to come back Germany, at 39 strokes per minute, remained in front to take gold with Italy in second and Romania coming through to take third. After the finish Germany's two seat Felix Feldhaus commented, ?Yesterday we rowed more economically, but today was full pull. There is a great atmosphere. I have never seen the moving grandstand, it helped me very much.?

Lightweight Women's Single Scull (BLW1X)

It's her first international season but Hester Goodsell of Great Britain will be a name to watch out for in the future. She dominated her heat, her semi-final and today's final by taking off at the front of the field and never looking back, building up an open water lead over the rest of the field. Before this regatta Goodsell's only international experience was at the first Rowing World Cup in Eton where she made the C-final. Today Goodsell finished over five second ahead of Eeke Thomee of the Netherlands who got the silver by pushing past Germany's Stephanie Wagner in the last two strokes. The crowd was deafening at the finish as they watched the close battle and tried to will Thomee across the line.

Great Britain's Purchase celebrates winning with New Zealands' Storm Uru finishing third

Lightweight Men's Single Scull (BLM1X)

Great Britain made it a double header when Zac Purchase took the lead at the start, just as he's done throughout this regatta. Although Lukas Babac of Slovakia and defending champion Marcello Miani of Italy tried to hold on to Purchase's pace, by the 1,250 metre mark the Brit was handily in the lead. The heat was too much for Miani who was overtaken first by a steady Storm Uru from New Zealand and then Babac coming back for the final sprint.

This event will be seeing a lot more of 19 year old Purchase who easily crossed the line in first stroking a cruisy 29 strokes per minute.

Lightweight Men's Pair (BLM2-)

Aiming to make it three in a row, Great Britain's Paul Kelly and James Clark took a solid early lead and moved to an open water lead by the half way point. Kelly finished third in this event last year and with his new partner he was looking to improve positions.

The Italians had other ideas. Giuseppe D'Emilio and Giorgio Tuccinardi were slowly edging up on the Brits and in the final sprint they went after the gold. The Italians looked like they were rowing with heavier gearing than Great Britain but both crews were taking their sprint into the high 30s stroke rate. Italy's was more effective. With 10 metres to go D'Emilio and Tuccinardi found the gold leaving Great Britain to settle for silver and Germany pushing past Austria to take the bronze.

A disappointed Clark commented at the finish, ?There is no consolation ? we lost it in the sprint.?

Lightweight Men's Quadruple Sculls (BLM4X)

Italy came into this event having won bronze last year. They wanted more. Getting out to a small lead over Denmark at the start, Italy, under the guidance of stroke Paolo Grugni, began to inch away from the rest of the field. With the last 500 metres coming into view the Italians had a handy three second lead over Great Britain who had moved up from the back of the field to take second.

The Brits didn't stop there. With Germany hot on their tail Great Britain did not have much time to waste and with three stroked to go Germany had pushed into second. But the race wasn't over. As Italy crossed the finish line just ahead in first, Great Britain came back and in a photo finish retained the silver spot with Germany having to settle for bronze.

Women Single Scull (BW1X)

The centre lanes of the six lane course are reserved for the winners of the two semi-finals and usually they are the boats that lead the race. However Iva Obradovic of Serbia & Montenegro, in the outside lane six, had other ideas. After starting in the middle of the pack Obradovic started to push her way into the lead. Rating a long, strong, but rather low 29 strokes per minute, Obradovic had pushed past Sybille Exner of Germany followed by Poland's Julia Michalska so that the lead was very much hers with half the race gone.

Had Obradovic gone too hard? Michalska tried to hold on but Obradovic, who finished bronze in this event last year, continued to push away. Making the race into a procession Obradovic had plenty in reserve and at the finish the Serb had open water on Michalska in second and Exner in third.

Hamburger's huge lead in front of the grandstand

Men's Single Scull (BM1X)

After Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands sailed through his semi-final like a Sunday stroll the Dutch supporters had high expectations for their new top single sculler. So when 2003 Junior Champion Aleksandr Kornilov of Russia took off in the lead it looked like Hamburger might have his work cut out for him.

By the half way point however, Hamburger had got his nose in front and was looking to extend his lead. Kornilov held on to second in what was turning into a procession with Martin Lossner of Germany doing a strong push at the 1,200 to take him up to third.

Coming into the final sprint Hamburger had developed such a very handy open water lead over Kornilov that he felt no need to sprint, rating a comfortable 29 strokes per minute. Kornilov, however, was under threat from a sprinting Lossner and then from the very back of the field defending champion Kristaps Bokums of Latvia started to charge. The 106 kg Bokums' boat bounced with the power of his surge and with 60 metres to go Bokums found the bronze spot. Kornilov was denied of a medal for the second year running while Hamburger wins comfortably over Lossner in second and Bokums in third.

?I was stressed and nervous, but I always am,? Hamburger commented after the finish. ?My sprints during the race went very well and I didn't think too much about strokes per minute.? Hamburger will take a day off before starting his preparation for the World Rowing Championships in Japan in August.

Apachitei and Poncisei win for Romania

Women's Pair (BW2-)

Romania's Ana Maria Apachitei already has Junior Champion, Under 23 and World Cup gold medals. Her partner Alina Poncisei has that and more. In their fifth international season the Romanian's rowing pedigree was hard to match and they made that clear from the word go. By the half way point Apachitei and Poncisei had already opened up a clear water lead over Great Britain who sat in second. Barring disaster only the minor medals could change. And they did.

Germany's Ariane Sennewald and Franziska Kegebein had been sitting at the back of the field for the first half of the race when the winning urge began to stir. Moving up on the British, Germany went for silver. An impressive sprint got Germany into second but no one could touch the Romanians.

Romania finishes first, Germany second and Great Britain finished third.

Romania's coach explained after the race that Apachitei and Poncisei train in their country's eight. ?This year we wanted to win and we expected to win.?

Men's Pair (BM2-)

In almost a repeat of the semi-final Olaf Van Andel and Mitchel Steenman of the Netherlands led from the start before Giorgios Tsiompanidis and Evangelos Tsourtsoulas of Greece made their second half moves. Today Poland got in between the Dutch and Greek crew as everyone waited for the final sprint.

Greece, from third position, started their sprint the soonest getting their rating up to 41 and overtaking Poland. The Dutch realised the potential threat and matched the Greek's rating. At the finish Van Andel and Steenman had won gold, Greece takes silver and the Poles win bronze for the second year running.

Italy's Elisabetta Sancassani strokes to gold

Women's Double Scull (BW2X)

It was not surprising to see Laura Schiavone and Elisabetta Sancassani of Italy in the lead and taking an open water advantage by the half way point. The Italians had finished fourth earlier this month at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup while Tara Kelly and Anna McRae of Australia had finished eighth.

Kelly and McRae in the race today had got off to a slow start. First they had to work their way past Lithuania and then the United States before they even had a chance of closing the gap on the Italians. Keeping the pressure on Australia was making gains. Meanwhile the US were having to sprint for their lives as Romania attacked. At the line Italy had won, Australia, in second, had improved immensely from Lucerne and the United States had held on to bronze. This race demonstrated some of the technically tidiest rowing of these Championships.

Men's Double (BM2X)

Following the example of their women's double, Italy's senior World Champion Federico Gattinoni and partner Matteo Stefanini got off to a solid start and led for nearly the entire race. The rest of the field now only really had a shot at the minor placings. Germany's Falko Nolte and Eric Knittel slotted into second with Estonia and Great Britain fought it out for third.

At the front Italy's lead was getting larger and larger with Italian technical director Beppe de Capua having to cycle fast and well ahead of the other coaches on bikes, to keep up with his boat. At the line a jubilant Stefanini and Gattinoni had won by the biggest margin of the day ? nearly 10 seconds. Germany followed in second and Estonia sprinted past Great Britain to take third. As in Lucerne Great Britain was unlucky as the British stroke, Alex Gregory suffered a mild asthma attack in the last quarter of the race.

After the finish Gattinoni commented, ?We are very satisfied, we have only been rowing together for a week.? Gattinoni had rowed to gold at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup earlier this month with partner Luca Ghezzi. Gattinoni will go to the World Rowing Championships with Ghezzi in August.

Men's Four (BM4-)

Serbia & Montenegro greet the crowd

Spain got off to a flying start with Croatia in one lane over pacing them and Serbia & Montenegro back just a smidgen in third. Germany and the United States were also well on the pace as the 1,000 metre mark flashed by. Then things began to change. Serbia & Montenegro moved into a piece at the 1,200 and had found the lead with 500 metres to row.

The sprint for the line was all on. Spain increased their rating to a 38, trying to hold off the Germans who were rating 40. Serbia & Montenegro felt the heat and raised their stroke rate to a 40. A very close finish had Serbia & Montenegro in first, Germany in second and Spain winning the same position they did last year, finishing third.

Lightweight Women's Double Sculls (BLW2x)

Germany's Maxi Gruetzmacher and Mathilde Pauls turned this race into a procession when they took off at a pace that none of the rest of the field could match. Winners of the heat, Great Britain hadn't raced since Thursday and being well rested they slotted into second.

In the second half of the race Italy's Erika Mai and Laura Milani pushed past the British with Australia following their example and taking advantage of a boat-stopping crab by the British crew.

Coming into the final sprint Germany easily had first, Great Britain tried to sprint back into medal position but Italy held on to second with Australia taking third.

Jarvis and Haver race to third

Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (BLM2X)

Jan and Ondrej Vetesnik of the Czech Republic set the standard in the semi-final so today it was no surprise to see them at the head of the field although not completely dominating. Last year's bronze medal winners, Canada's John Haver and Morgan Jarvis were not far off the Czech's pace.

But the Canadians main focus was on challenges coming from Germany and Nuno Mendes and Pedro Fraga of Portugal. Coming into the final sprint these three crews went after the Czechs. Portugal's aggressiveness got them close with the final result being the Vetesnik's in first, Portugal in second and Canada holding on to third for the second year in a row.

"We basically followed our race plan – we had a solid start and gave it our best shot," Jarvis told Rowing Canada. Jarvis will now return to Canada to try out for the senior World Championship team.

Greece's Koulourizos celebrates coming second

Lightweight Men's Four (BLM4-)

Throughout this regatta Germany has been the standout crew and today they proved their power by taking off at the head of the field and working up to an open water lead by the half way point. Greece, in second, worked hard to get back up to the Germans but were still three seconds down coming into the final sprint.

Germany continued to look comfortable in front executing clean solid catches while Greece used high rating to try and close the gap. Germany crossed the line first, then Greece and a close battle between France and Italy for third ended in Italy finding the final podium spot.

Women's Quadruple Sculls (BW4X)

Romania's stroke Ionelia Neacsu, 19, already has medals as a junior, under 23 and also a World Cup gold medal. Today she took her crew to the head of the field and did just enough to remain there throughout the race. After a slow start Germany slotted into second with the real battle going on for third between the rest of the field.

Coming into the final sprint Romania and Germany remained in first and second respectively with defending champions New Zealand taking their rating to 38 strokes per minute to get the bronze medal.

Men's Quadruple Sculls (BM4X)

Ukraine got out to a healthy pace over Romania at the start of the race and worked at trying to move further away from the field. The Romanians held on to Ukraine's pace with challenges also coming from Germany and Belarus. All crews would have to sprint.

Belarus had what it took. Taking their rating to 41 then 43 strokes per minute they pushed past Germany, then Romania and finally made the race into a photo finish. Belarus won, Romania got past Ukraine to take second and Ukraine had to settle for third.

CAN BM8+

Men's Eight (BM8+)

There was nothing in it at the start of the race. Germany had a slight advantage but all six crews were within two seconds of each other. Going through the half way point Romania got their nose in front. The lead was tenuous. Germany had come through the heats and semi-finals looking very good but this race was panning out differently as Italy began to wind.

Romania now had to try and fend off Italy with Germany being taken by surprise for a second time by a charging Canadian crew who did a piece with 500 metres left to row that took their rating to 41 strokes per minute. At the line the top three crews all looked ecstatic. Romania had finished first, Italy in second and a very happy Canada in third.

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