Who to Watch - BearingPoint Rowing World Cup - Eton, Great Britain

The year after the Olympics is always a time for reshuffling, retirements, respite and rethinking of strategies as rowing nations from around the world start to plan the next four-year cycle. The first BearingPoint Rowing World Cup for 2005 in Eton, Great Britain will reveal the first stage of this cycle.

Crews from as far away as Australia will be testing new line-ups as post-Olympic retirements and time off opens up opportunities for up-and-coming rowers to show their skills.

Eton’s Dorney Lake will see 39 nations competing and athletes and coaches from around the world will be keen to test these waters as it is the venue for the 2006 World Championships as well as being involved in London’s 2012 Olympic bid.

Karsten ready to race
© HJ Kaufman

Women’s Single Scull (W1x)

There is little doubt that Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus will be the favourite going into this race. Karsten already has four Olympic medals to her name and comes off a winter of head racing wins as well as winning at the Huegel Regatta two weeks ago.

But a very interesting challenge is likely to go on between the youth of Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic and the experience of Germany’s Kathrin Boron. While Knapkova, 24, continues to improve and a fourth place at Athens shows her immense potential, Boron, 35, has four Olympic golds to her name.

Knapkova, however, may have the upper hand as her sole focus since 2001 has been on the single while Boron last raced internationally in the single 10 years ago.

Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria has left the single to compete in the double with Miglena Markova who won silver in the single at the 2001 World Rowing Junior Championships.

Men’s Single Scull (M1x)

Olympic men’s single scull champion, Norway’s Olaf Tufte, is back. After a winter of demanding workouts which saw even Christmas day rotate around his training programme, Tufte is out to win.

Tufte’s main competition will come from former World Champion Marcel Hacker of Germany and Slovenia’s Iztok Cop who returns to the single after a winter of elite cross-country ski racing. Hacker comes back from a disappointing seventh place at Athens and is likely to be fired up to prove his worth. Also stoking Hacker’s fires will be the presence of Ivo Yanakiev of Bulgaria. Yanakiev was the Olympic surprise when he out-rowed a very competitive field to finish with bronze.

Women’s Pair (W2-) 

When it comes to the pair, Romania always has to be viewed with respect even though this year the names are new. Lining up will be the young combination of Rodica Florea, 22, and Ioana Papuc, 21. Despite their youth the pair already know what it takes to win as both are Olympic Champions from the women’s eight.

Host country, Great Britain, is boating newcomers to the Rowing World Cup circuit. Beth Rodford and Alison Knowles won gold at the World Rowing Under-23 Regatta last year. They will test themselves against a fleet of Australian boats made up of the women’s eight broken down into pairs.

Croatia’s Skelin brothers must be the favourites
© Dominik Keller

Men’s Pair (M2-)

The Olympic Champion Australians are out of the scene this year. James Tomkins is taking time off and Drew Ginn is trying out his multisport skills. This leaves the door open to new potential and the favourites must be Athens silver medallists Croatia’s Skelin brothers, Niksa and Sinisa.

The Skelins’ main competition is likely to come from Great Britain. Kieran West won Olympic gold in 2000 and he teams up with unrelated namesake Josh West who has two World Champion silver medals from the four and the status of being the tallest rower at Athens at 6’9″.

Women’s Double Scull (W2x)

Germany is always strong in this event and their depth is shown in coach Jutta Lau entering three boats with the top configuration being assigned to Olympic silver medallist Britta Oppelt and new partner Christiane Huth.

Sanne Beukers and Femke Dekker make up one of two new Dutch combinations and are their country’s number one boat. Beukers last raced internationally at the World Under-23 Regatta while Dekker went to Athens in the women’s single.

But the gold could go downunder. Australia is pinning their hopes on the new line-up of Amber Bradley and Sally Kehoe. Kehoe, 19, has been on a gold medal crusade ever since her international career began. She already has two junior golds and a World Under-23 silver. The more experienced Bradley, 25, has an Olympic bronze from stroking the quad at Athens. 

Men’s Double Scull (M2x)

This field is open to surprises. In the absence of French Olympic Champions with Sébastien Vieilledent taking a year off and Adrien Hardy missing Eton, Cop back in the single and the Italians absent, the men’s double is up for grabs.

Will it be Norway that does the grabbing? Olympic finalists Nils-Trolv Simonsen and Morten Adamsen are back together and if their winter training has been anything like fellow countryman’s Olaf Tufte, they are worth watching. Facing the Norwegians are twice Olympic gold medallists from the lightweight double Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland who always race to win.

Men’s Coxless Four (M4-)

Great Britain will be hoping to regain dominance in this event despite the absence of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell. Stepping into the role is sole surviving member from the gold medal Athens four, Steve Williams. He will be joined by Alex Partridge, Andy Hodge and Peter Reed. Hodge will be in stroke seat.

This could be the chance for Great Britain to show off in front of the home crowd as it’s slim pickings for depth in this event. But keep an eye out for Denmark who only just missed out on Olympic qualification last year. 

Women’s Lightweight Double Scull (LW2x)

When Romania’s two-time Olympic gold medallist, Angela Alupei, 33, arrives with new partner Liliana Niga, 21, the question will be whether this mix of experience and youth is a winning combination. 

Also trying a similar approach is the Netherlands. Athens bronze medallist Marit van Eupen has teamed up with a new, younger, partner. Eeke Thomee comes to the boat with single experience from last year’s World Rowing Under-23 Regatta.

But the top medal could well go to Germany’s Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise Draeger. Both have proved themselves in singles and Reimer won silver at the Olympics in the double.

Men’s Lightweight Double Scull (LM2x)

France’s Olympic silver duo is down to one. With Pascal Touron in retirement, Frederic Dufour has joined Arnaud Pornin. Pornin earned his spot by finishing second at this year’s French National Championships. He also competed last year at the World Rowing Under-23 Regatta.

They will face the Greek duo of Vasileios Polymeros and Nikolaos Skiathitis who won the first Olympic rowing medal for Greece when they finished third at Athens. Hungary’s Olympic finalists, Zsolt Hurling and Tamas Varga have also remained together and continue to show improvements.

Men’s Lightweight Four (LM4-)

Denmark, the kings of the lightweight four, has a new line-up. With Eskild Ebbersen retiring, Stephan Moelvig taking a break and Thomas Ebert racing in the lightweight pair, Thor Kristensen has been joined by some new talent. Mads Andersen comes from gold last year in the lightweight pair, Mogens Jessen raced in the quad and Asbjoern Joensen is from the Under-23 ranks.

The Danes will face two Irish entries with the number one crew including Olympic finalist Eugene Coakley. The Netherlands also has two entries but retained none of the four that just missed out on bronze at Athens. 

Women’s Quad Scull (W4x)

Olympic Champions Germany have loaded all of their top scullers into doubles opening the field to a gold medal rush. Leading the chase is Great Britain’s Olympic silver medal crew of Rebecca Romero, Sarah Winckless and Frances Houghton and the addition of two-time Olympic silver medallist from the pair, Katherine Grainger.

But Great Britain will be up against Ukraine who won at the Huegel Regatta two weeks ago over a composite German crew.

Keep an eye out also for Russia who appears to be focusing on the quad with two entries that include top single sculler Irina Fedotova as well as Larisa Merk and Oksana Dorodnova who finished fifth at Athens.

Russia’s M4x
© Getty Images/Gary Prior

Men’s Quad Scull (M4x)

One of the upsets of Athens was Russia’s win in the quad. Inspired by this result the same line-up of Sergej Fedorovtsev, Igor Kravtsov, Alekseij Svirin and Nikolai Spinev are back together and will be the crew to beat. But look out for Estonia. Tucked inside their boat is Olympic silver medallist from the single, Jueri Jaanson.

Also tucked away in Australia’s new quad configuration is two-time Olympian Craig Jones and three-time Olympian Jason Day. 

But keep an eye out for the Poles. They may be placing their bets on the quad with two entries including members of the Olympic team that lost out on bronze in a photo finish at Athens.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

As nations work on small boat combinations before selecting their eight it looks to be slim pickings on the women’s eight front. This leaves Romania to lead the way. Romania is boating a group of new athletes that include only Florea Rodica and Ioana Papuc from the Olympic gold crew.

They will test their skills against the Australian boat that is almost a new line-up from the ill-fated Athens boat. Only Sarah Outhwaite returns to the boat that finished sixth at Athens.

Men’s Eights (M8+)

Italy has sent nine men to Eton. They are all in this event and four of them remain the same as their Olympic eight. This is a better comeback rate than the Netherlands who, bar one, has a completely new line-up from the silver medal Athens crew.  Meanwhile eights-loving Germany must have the best odds to win. They have retained five of their Olympic crew that finished fourth at Athens and recently took gold at the Huegel Regatta. 

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