Who to Watch at the World Rowing Championships

Grandstand reinstallation at Gifu

By Melissa Bray

As the World Rowing Championships head to Asia for the first time, host country Japan deals with Typhoon Mawar and host province, Gifu deals with a complete removal ? and subsequent complete resetting ? of the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course. The rowing machines have been whirring and the Su Doku books well used as the best rowers in the world start to come back onto the water in readiness for a Monday, 29 August start.

Women's Single Scull (W1x)

It will take a typhoon to stop four-time Olympic medallist Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus from winning this one. With Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria competing in the double and Germany's Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski living in semi-retirement, Karsten is the only remainder of the fab three.

This leaves next in line, Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic a chance to win her first World Rowing Championship medal. Last year Knapkova hovered around fourth position but this season she has been firmly in second behind Karsten. France's Sophie Balmary of France is back in the single after racing in the pair for the last three years, but in her ninth international season she has experience on her side.

Men's Single Scull (M1x)

This has been a season of newcomer domination with ex-doubles rower Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic leading the way. Closely following Synek, ex-fours rower, New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale has also been in the medals despite having to overcome a debilitating accident when he was hit by a water skier while rowing earlier this year.

This leaves former World Champion Marcel Hacker of Germany to come down from pre-Gifu altitude training and reconsider his race plan against this new competition. Olympic Champion, Norway's Olaf Tufte also has work cut out to make the medals. Tufte has been trying to balance post-Olympic celebrity demands with his rigorous training schedule.

Coming up through the ranks is this year's Under-23 Champion, Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands and coming back into the ranks after a post-Olympic break for university study is Olympic finalist Tim Maeyens of Belgium.

Women's Pair (W2-)

New Zealand's Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh are sole remaining pair from the Athens final and after finishing first at two Rowing World Cups this season, they look to be the crew to beat.

Coles and Haigh return to the northern hemisphere after completing their World Rowing Championships preparation in New Zealand's winter and as long as acclimatisation goes to plan they will be hard to stop. This leaves Tamara Samakhvalava and Natallia Helakh of Belarus to chase them down with Eton Rowing World Cup winners, Australia's new combination of Sarah Outhwaite, 22, and Natalie Bale, 19, also likely to be in the chase.

Keep an eye out for United States trials winners Lindsay Shoop and Caroline Lind who, like Samakhvalava, Helakh and Outhwaite, are doubling up to race both the eight and the pair. With the possibility of the first two days of racing being condensed, this could well be a greater challenge for these rowers.

Medal hopefuls Niksa and Sinisa Skelin

Men's Pair (M2-)

Unlike their women counterparts, the men's pair has a whole bunch of Athens returnees. Olympic silver medallists, brothers Niksa and Sinisa Skelin of Croatia will again race Athens bronze medallists, South Africa's Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech. Di Clemente and Cech have had a low-key international season this year, travelling to Europe only once to win the Royal Henley Regatta in Great Britain.

Germany's Tobias Kuehne and Jan Herzog also return after finishing sixth at Athens. But it has been Athens fourth place finishers, Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater from New Zealand who come to Gifu with two 2005 World Cup titles behind them and ?crew to beat' written all over them. Luca Agamennini and Dario Lari of Italy are also clear medal contenders with two podium spots already this season.

Women's Double Scull (W2x)

There's nothing like a good upset to get the competitive juices flowing. At the Lucerne Rowing World Cup Bulgarians Rumyana Neykova and Miglena Markova broke Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell's three-year winning streak. The New Zealand twins were not happy with silver and will return to the World Rowing Championships even more determined and declaring a ?grudge match'.

But the experienced Neykova, with thirteen years of international competition behind her, has chosen the double over the single and made this decision with only one goal in mind ? the gold.

Watch out also for a couple of new powerful combinations. Great Britain's Elise Laverick, coming back after recovering from a hit and run bike accident, and partner Debbie Flood both have Athens medals, Laverick a bronze from the double and Flood a silver from the quad. They will be in the running along with Australia's big hope, Amber Bradley and 18-year-old rowing wonder Sally Kehoe ? both former Junior Champions in the single.

Men's Double Scull (M2x)

They already have an Olympic gold and silver medal in this event and despite not being best friends lztok Cop and Luka Spik of Slovenia make magic on the water and only have one goal when they get in the double together. At Lucerne the Slovenians demonstrated their skills, leaving behind Christian Schreiber and René Burmeister of Germany and Italy's new combination of Luca Ghezzi and 21year-old Federico Gattinoni who has already won Under-23 gold this season.

Also in the medals hunt and bound to arrive with a strong contingent of supporters, Nito Simonsen and Morten Adamsen of Norway have been plugging away together ever since they were last-minute Olympic qualifiers for Athens.

Men's Coxless Four (M4-)

Great Britain values their four. When three of the Olympic Champion boat disappeared from the rowing scene coach Juergen Grobler scratched his head then put together Andy Hodge, Alex Partridge and Peter Reed with sole Olympic survivor, Steve Williams. They come to Gifu with an unbroken winning record and an unbeatable attitude. There is even talk in Britain that this crew has potential exceeding last year's Olympic Champion four and so far their style and demeanour is putting them in the lead.

The Netherlands, however, was hot on the Brits tail in Lucerne, three of them coming directly from an Athens silver medal in the eight. New this season, but not unknown, is the United States. Bryan Volpenhein, Beau Hoopman, Dan Berry and Matt Deakin made up the front end of the Athens gold medal eight and they unite again to try and upset the British status quo.

Women's Lightweight Double Scull (LW2x)

Poland's Magdalena Kemnitz and Ilona Mokronowska went head to head with Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany in Lucerne. Germany got the upper hand in this case, but with six weeks of training between Lucerne and Gifu, the pendulum could swing back the other way. Both crews are experienced and both know each other's style.

Also likely to be sticking to the leaders pace are Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen of Finland. They have been together for two seasons and now have a Rowing World Cup gold medal to their name after winning at Munich and the desire to row at Beijing.

Olympic Champion Sycz will race with a new partner

Men's Lightweight Double Scull (LM2x)

Japan will be pinning their hopes on this race with the country's most successful rower, three-time Olympian, Daisaku Takeda and new partner Takahiro Suda likely to bring out the crowds. Takeda comes to Gifu after finishing sixth in the double at Athens, then racing the single to gold at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup.

But the Japanese have picked one of the most competitive events of the World Championships and at least six crews are in for a medal chance.

Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark are in their fifth season together and are regular A-finalists. Hungary's Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga could be the favourites having won both 2005 Rowing World Cups that they entered. Manuel Brehmer and Joerg Lehnigk of Germany finished second at Munich and have been reaping the benefits of altitude training leading up to Gifu. Poland may have a medal shot as well. Two-time Olympic Champion Robert Sycz has chosen to team up with lightweight four rower, Pawel Randa in the absence of injured Olympic partner Tomasz Kucharski.

Then the 21-year-old Vetesnik twins from the Czech Republic come to Gifu as Under-23 Champions and a sixth place finish at Lucerne. And just to cap it off the most medalled competitor in this event, Italy's Leonardo Pettinari (six-time World Champion and three-time Olympian) with partner Stefano Basalini (four-time World Champion) team up to prove that this new combination (Basalini has replaced Elia Luini) will work.

Oar rack

Men's Lightweight Four (LM4-)

For the first time in over a decade no Danish boat is contesting this event. Post-Olympic retirements have sent Denmark back into rebuilding mode and left a gaping hole in the top ranks. Ireland will be smiling. Under new head coach Harald Jahrling, Timmy Harnedy, Eugene Coakley, Richard Archibald and Paul Griffin won at Lucerne and will be hoping for a repeat performance at Gifu.

But France has already beaten the Irish once this season and although the line-up just formed this year, the crew is proving to be a definite medal prospect. Watch out also for the Italians. Sitting in stroke and three seat are the strong duo of Bruno Mascarenhas and Elia Luini. Mascarenhas is best known for his Athens bronze medal while Luini has a string of World Champion titles from the lightweight double.

Women's Quad Scull (W4x)

The experience of three-time Olympian Irina Fedotova in stroke seat for Russia must be enough to turn heads and after a win at Lucerne the odds are on that this crew will be aiming for the top spot again. But, as in other years, Germany has prioritised this boat from their strong group of scullers and sitting in three seat of the crew is four-time Olympic Champion Kathrin Boron. Although the German's debut this line up at Gifu, the crew trains together and will want to show coach Jutta Lau that she made the right decision.

Putting the heat on Germany Rebecca Romero, Sarah Winckless, Frances Houghton and Katherine Grainger wear the colours of Great Britain and form the flagship crew for British women's rowing. The crew already has two 2005 Rowing World Cup golds and as long as Romero is back at full fitness following a mid-season injury, they could be the crew to beat.

Men's Quad Scull (M4x)

It was a humdinger of a finish at Lucerne when Estonia, featuring single sculling champion and five-time Olympian Jueri Jaanson, snuck past the Czech Republic, featuring single sculling champion and five-time Olympian Vaclav Chalupa, to beat the Czech Republic right on the finish line. They will be watching each other carefully leading up to the final in Gifu.

But this race won't be all about Estonia and the Czech's. Added to the mix is Slovenia, featuring single sculling champion and four-time Olympian Iztok Cop along with three-time Olympian Luka Spik. Cop and Spik are going for a double-header, also racing in the double and with the newly condensed rowing programme the duo will be showing the power of their endurance and recovery.

Keep an eye out also for Russia. They were the surprise winners at Athens and, although the crew has underperformed so far this season, they may surprise again.

Women's Eight (W8+)

This has been an up-and-down season for the eight. Different crews have raced at different Rowing World Cups and follow post-Athens retirements, there are number of new faces filling out the boats. By the statistics Romania look to be on track as they rebuild their Olympic Champion eight.

The Netherlands also look strong with more than half of the boat made up of the bronze medal Athens crew. But never underestimate Germany or the United States. Both countries pride themselves in putting together a strong eight and both will be willing to test the might of the Romanians.

Installing the finish line

Men's Eights (M8+)

This season has been full of intense rivalries and tight finishes. Italy and Germany have gone head to head at all three Rowing World Cups coming out with a score of two-to-one in favour of the Germans. No doubt this battle will continue in the final at Gifu. But these two crews will have more to watch out for than each other.

Canada has only one change from their Athens eight. Barney Williams returns to Canada after racing earlier this year Oxford University. Williams comes from the silver medal Athens four and must add grit to the boat. Popping up for a 2005 first, the United States arrive in Gifu with four of the Athens gold crew in tact. Wily American coach Mike Teti doesn't like to lose, especially against Canada, and the US strength is sure to show. Watch out also for Russia and Poland who have both medalled already this season.

International Events

Nine international events open with the women's four at Gifu and a straight final will feature half of Australia's eight racing against half of the Belarusian eight. Korea will compete in this event for the first time with rowers Im Eun-Seon, Min Ji-Hye, Um Mi-Sun and Eo Yei-Deun making their World Rowing Championship debut.

Italy is out to defend their 2004 win in the men's coxed pair with new contenders, Edoardo Verzotti, Dario Cerasola and coxswain Manuel Berlingerio. Cerasola, 21, and Berlingerio, 16, come to Gifu after finishing second at the Under-23 Championships in the eight. Cerasola raced earlier this season in the senior eight.

Marit Van Eupen of the Netherlands is a strong contender in the lightweight women's single. Van Eupen first raced internationally in the single in 1999, but has focused on the Olympic event, the lightweight double, since. She will face Croatia's Mirna Rajle who has been competing in the single now for a decade as the small number of Croatian rowers means that Rajle has not been able to aim for the double. Also competing is last year's silver medallist, Jo Hammond of Great Britain.

Will Under-23 Champion, Zac Purchase, 19, of Great Britain manage to break in at the senior level of the lightweight men's single? Munich winner Ingo Euler of Germany, in his thirteenth and final year of international competition, will be hoping not. Neither will Greece's Vasileios Polymeros who is going solo after his Athens bronze medal doubles partner, Skiasitis, decided to take a break from rowing. This event also features a large contingent of Asian nations including Malaysia, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong China, Thailand and Japan.

The lightweight men's eight will be a tussle between Japan and Italy. Japan will have the home crowd advantage but Italy come into this event with the experience of a 2004 silver medal. Home crowd pride versus Italian passion ? take your pick.

The Rowing World Cup in Lucerne ended 6 minutes 17 seconds later in a dead heat between Italy and Germany in the men's coxed four. For Gifu Italy has added the experienced Simone Raineri (Sydney Olympic Champion), to the crew. But the Italians and Germans will have to deal with a new challenge on the block. Canada. finished second last year and have been showing renewed strength in their men's sweep programme in the last three years. Second time coxswain, Stephen Cheng will lead this new crew.

Hoping for a repeat performance of the Lucerne Rowing World Cup, Miguel Cerda and Felipe Leal of Chile come to Gifu in the lightweight men's pair as favourites. But Danish duo, Thomas Ebert and Bo Helleberg have many more medals between them and, in their last season before retirement, they will want to end on a high. "We started on the national team together and we'll end together," says Ebert who first rowed with Helleberg in 1996. The two have solicited the help of former Guldfireren Thomas Poulsen. Watch out also for Italy who finished third at Lucerne.

Canada finished second in 2004 in the lightweight women's quad and they will be hoping to go one better this year. They will be up against Denmark (silver at Lucerne) and the Netherlands featuring single sculler Marit Van Eupen in bow.

Italy come to Gifu as defending champions in the lightweight men's quad and also Lucerne winners. It will take a strong challenge from Belgium and Austria to go after the Italians with 2004 silver medallists, Canada also in the hunt.

Dominic Monypenny, Australian adaptive single sculler

Adaptive Rowing

The biggest field for adaptive rowing is in the legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four (LTAMx) event and the race distance at Gifu will be the standard 2,000 metres for the first time. Great Britain has won this event for the last two years and with the only change to the crew being the addition of Alistair McLean, they will be the ones to beat.

The trunk and arms double sculls (TA2x) remains at 1,000 metres and is for mixed crews with Angela Madsen and Scott Brown of the United States going to be hard to beat. Madsen and Brown have won for the last two years and both of them also race in standard rowing races with the unstoppable Madsen in training to row the Atlantic Ocean in 2006.

Moving from 500 metres to 1,000 metres this year, the arms men's single scull (AM1x) has six competitors. Last year Great Britain's Rob Holliday and Ron Harvey of the United States raced to a photo finish for second. They will meet again in Gifu to see who has the edge over the longer distance.

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