World Cup Events ? Heats on Day One at Munich's World Cup

You know that it’s international racing when the commentator Robert Treharne Jones says, ?and they’ve dropped their rating down to 35 strokes per minute?? The rain stopped and a cool but slight head wind added to the wintry conditions on the 2000 metre course at Munich’s Olympia Regattaverein. Times between races were hard to compare as the first half of the race saw inconsistent breezes and a level of deception played out in racing tactics as crews chose to hide their real boat speed.

Women’s Single Sculls

?She’s goodness knows how many lengths ahead.? The Czech Republic’s Mirka Knapkova’s domination of the first heat put no question on her talent as the shore commentator described the closing metres of the race. Knapkova has good memories of Munich. This is the venue of her first ever World Cup gold medal from 2003. She now moves directly to the final.

Two-time Olympic Champion, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus made easy work of heat two leading with more than open water at the head of the field. However Karsten’s smooth, long technique that gave her Olympic gold in 1996 and 2000 does not appear to be so evident and the younger Knapkova could well give Karsten a run for her money in the final.

Men’s Single Sculls

Valclav Chalupa of the Czech Republic opened the men’s single action by winning the first of six heats. This earned Chalupa a direct path to the semi-final in a race that had him in the lead within the first few buoys of the race.

Heat two gave Munich the first real battle of the day as Belgium’s Tim Maeyens and Ralph Kreibich of Austria fought each other for the full 2000-metre course. Maeyens took an early lead but found himself in second behind Kreibich going through the middle 1000. Maeyens fought back and finished just ahead of the Austrian and in the process recording the fastest qualifying time. The more experienced Kreibich will return for the repechage.

Norway’s Olaf Tufte was under no pressure as he slimly led heat three, apparently unconcerned by Sean Jacob of Ireland who chose to challenge Tufte with an aggressive pace. But Jacob was unable to maintain it and will return for the repechage.

Technique slipped away in heat four as all four entries scrambled for the finish line. Sweden’s Lassi Karonen’s aggressive strokes made for heavy work. Egypt’s sloppy blade work had his boat nearly come to a halt and Switzerland stopped before the line. Karonen however did just enough to stay in front and qualifies for the semi-final.

The experienced Simone Raineri of Italy moves from last year’s quad and tested the water from heat five of the single. Despite an early lead by Davor Mizerit of Slovenia, Raineri was in front by half way and continued to build the lead that will take him directly to the semi-final. Raineri becomes the sole Italian entry in this event after Agostino Abbagnale pulled out due to injury.

Dirk Lippets of the Netherlands returns to racing at Munich after having a problem in his left arm fixed and today finished first in the sixth and final heat over Switzerland’s number two boat. 

Cath Bishop & Katherine Grainger, Great Britain
© Getty Images/Jamie McDonald

Women’s Pair

With the top boat only going directly to the final, heat one had all crews fighting for that spot. But it was the Canadians who were able to control the race from the front. However, perennial rivals, the United States, were not giving in and led the charge of the remaining field. Canada’s new combination of Darcy Marquardt and Karen Clark will move onto the A-final.

World Champions Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger of Great Britain faced two United States crews with USA1 of Caryn Davies and Lianne Nelson presenting the biggest challenge. Bishop and Grainger remain on top and move on to the final.
 
Men’s Pair

Barely one second separate the winners of the three heats and this can only spell tighter racing as this regatta progresses. Italy’s Guiseppe De Vita and Dario Lari put last week’s Duisburg winners, Canada in their place by overtaking Dave Calder and Kyle Hamilton’s early lead and continuing to open the gap as the Canadians chose to remain in second.

World bronze medallists Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech of South Africa have been a partnership since the last Olympic Games and today they experimented with a new Filippe boat as they work towards perfection for the Athens Olympics. Cech and Di Clemente did just enough to keep ahead of Germany and will move to the semi-final.

Great Britain’s Toby Garbett and Rick Dunn finally got to test their pair racing skills in the third heat. But lined up against Nikola Stojic and Mladen Stegic of Serbia & Montenegro did not bode well for them. Stojic and Stegic led from the start and looked comfortable as they crossed the line in first.

Women’s Double Sculls

The New Zealanders are back. Two-time World Champions, Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell not only dominated the first of three heats, but also finished with the fastest qualifying time. They move onto the semi-final with second placed United States and France in third also qualifying.

Great Britain’s Sarah Winckless and Elise Laverick are finding their stride as doubles partners. But they had to deal with Elisabetta Sancassani and Gabriella Bascelli of Italy in the second heat. The two boats battled each other for the whole 2000 metres matching each other stroke for stroke as they moved into the final sprint of the race. Winckless and Laverick managed to hold the upper hand with Italy qualifying from second and China also advancing from third.

With German rowing hero Kathrin Boron still out of the boat Kerstin El Qalqili teamed up with Christiane Huth and controlled the third heat. Behind them the order did not change with China’s number one crew qualifying from second and Ukraine from third position.

Men’s Double Sculls

Current World Record holders and Olympic Champions Iztok Cop and Luka Spik of Slovenia opened their Olympic bid with finesse and self-assurance in the first of four heats. They led local heroes Rene Bertram and Christian Schrieber of Germany who, despite rating 3 beats higher, they could not close the gap in the Slovenians. Germany will return for the repechage while Cop and Spik move on to the semi-final.

But it was the current World Champions, Sebastien Vieilledent and Adrien Hardy of France who recorded the fastest time by winning heat two. They held off the new United States line-up of Aquil Abdullah and Henry Nuzum who will now return to row the repechage along with the rest of the field.

Milan Dolecek and Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic showed their rowing maturity by feeling confident enough to drop their stroke rate to 34 as they moved into the closing 400 metres of the race. Behind them Poland’s lightweight Olympic Champions Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz held onto second but will have to return for the repechage.

Italy’s powerhouse Alessio Sartori and Rossano Galtarossa won silver last year and today opened their international season with a win in heat four. This takes them directly to the semi-final and leaves Great Britain in second to race the repechage.

Men’s Four

Great Britain M4-
© Getty Images/Jamie McDonald

The commotion opened in the heats of the men’s four as last year’s top three boats Germany, Great Britain and Canada won each of their respective races. But not without a level of deception, as these crews aim to hide their true speed from each other. 

Canada, in heat one, signaled that last weekend’s win at the Duisburg regatta was no fluke as they led Poland from the start and completed their direct path to the semi-final. In almost an identical finishing time Great Britain with a healed James Cracknell back in the boat won the second heat over the ever-improving Slovenia who finished in a credible third at the first World Cup earlier this month.

Germany, still smarting from their thrashing at Duisburg, led from the start of the third heat with Italy’s new line-up maintaining a 38 per minute stroke rate to the 1500 metre mark before they realised that they could not make up the deficit over Germany and dropped their rating down five beats.  

Fione Milne & Mara Jones, Canada
© Getty Images/Jamie McDonald

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls

In the stroke seat of Canada’s boat World Champion single sculler Fiona Milne wanted the leading position that would take her and teammate Mara Jones directly to the semi-final. She did exactly that in heat one of four heats by comfortably beating China to the line.

Claudia Blasberg is also the World Champion, but in this event, and back for Germany with the same partner from the Poznan World Cup, Daniela Reimer, Blasberg held off a strong challenge from Great Britain to reserve spot number two in the semi-final.

This is lightweight rowing at its best. Two boats matching each other stroke for stroke, two boats not conceding an inch. Stacey Borgman and Sarah Hirst of the United States recently won their country’s trials and faced the challenge of Ireland’s Heather Boyle and Sinead Jennings in heat three. Throughout the race both crews remained overlapping with Ireland maintaining a slight advantage. But in the closing sprint, with the United States rating 35 and Ireland at 36 strokes per minute, the US showed more spirit inching ahead in the final strokes while Ireland slowed with a mere 10 metres to go.

Silver medal winners at the first World Cup Marit van Eupen and Kirsten van der Kolk rowing for the Netherlands conducted a tight battle with China’s number two crew but kept just enough of a margin to finish first in the fourth heat.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls

Poznan winners Mads Rasmussen and Rasums Quist of Denmark faced a more competitive field as they raced the first of four heats. Conducting an aggressive 38 strokes per minute pace, the Danes led over Greece and Belgium who chose a lower rating. Hoping Rasmussen and Quist had overspent their energy source, Vasileios Polymeros and Nikolaos Skiathitis of Greece attacked with 200 metres to go and in the final sprint both boats brought their rating into the high 30s with Denmark coming off the winners and Greece slowing just before the line. 

World Champion’s Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari of Italy are known for their high rating, go-for-bust type rowing. But today they looked happy just to stay in front of Japan in heat two leaving Daisaku Takeda and Kazushige Ura to return for the repechage.

Pascal Touron and Frederic Dufour of France finished second at the first World Cup and decided to see how high and for how long they could rate today. At 39 strokes per minute the French maintained this over Germany and pulled further and further ahead as the race progressed.

Lightweight Men’s Four

It happened at the first World Cup and happened again today. Heat one had the World Champions Denmark down on the field with the Irish choosing to take the bull by the horns and lead the race. Rating higher than the Danes, Ireland were not prepared to let go of their lead that would put them in the middle lane for the semi-final. But the big surprise came from Chile. With World Record holder from the lightweight pair Miguel Cerda Silva in stroke the Chileans challenged Denmark and went after the Irish. Rating 40 strokes per minute in the closing 200 metres of the race Chile pushed into second. All three boats will advance to the semi-final.

Heat two saw a 2000 metre tussle between Germany, Canada and the United States. Throughout the race these three boats remained in overlapping contact with the United States keeping a solid, consistent pace throughout the race. Canada, emulating the long, layback style of their heavyweight counterparts could not hold off a superior German sprint. The final placings: Germany, Canada and the United States in third ? all qualifying for the semi-final.

Austria missed out on last year’s race due to a positive drug test that was later proved to be inaccurate and today they looked to be getting back together as they led heat three from start to finish. Behind them, second in the world the Netherlands held onto second, with third in the world Italy finishing third. All three boats move onto the semi-final.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls

Germany’s sculling coach Jutta Lau has recorded so many wins in this event that she must think she owns it. But last year with her crew finishing in third Lau is leaving nothing to chance and has been trialling and retrialling her squad. The crew today finished at the head of the field in heat one leaving Great Britain, who had to subsititute double sculler Sarah Winckless for an ill Frances Houghton, to return for the repechage.

Racing their second event of the day Hilary Gehman, Michelle Guerette, Kelly Salchow and Danika Harris of the United States came from double sculling to take on the quads. Using the first half of the race to warm up the US came from behind to push the Netherlands into second. Stroked by ex-lightweight Harris, the crew looked very comfortable as they finished off the final 500 metres of the race before heading back for a hot shower and a game of gin rummy.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls

Italy proved that their new look quad is a crew to be reckoned with when they won heat number one over last year’s bronze medal winners, Poland. But the big surprise was World Champions Germany. The Germans came out of the start in second place only to slip further and further back as the race progressed and finished fourth.

In the second of two heats number two in the world, the Czech Republic, recorded the fastest time of both heats and reserved their spot in the final. Behind them Belarus and Belgium battled it out for second with Belarus getting the upper hand, but both boats will still have to race a repechage.

Canada M8+
© Getty Images/Jamie McDonald

Men’s Eight

Germany got severely beaten by the Canadians at last weekend’s Duisburg regatta and in a redesigning of the crew Michael Ruhe has returned to stroke seat. Coach Dieter Grahn is hoping his name, meaning calmness, will help smooth the bumps in the crew and today Ruhe stroked his crew directly to the final, holding off a charging, aggressive Italy and Great Britain.

The second heat ended up with a 20-second gap between first and last when a charging Canada left the Czech Republic to slip further and further back. Although finishing in second the Netherlands made the 2000 metre race look effortless in contrast to the long, aggressive Canadian style.

Two-time World Champions Canada opened their 2004 international season last weekend at Duisburg with boat speed that sent waves of bewilderment through the competitors camps. Beating Germany’s top crew by clear water sent out a signal to the eights of the world that this race is going to be fast.

Following the Duisburg result, 2001 ? 03 stroke Michael Ruhe has been brought back into the German boat along with Jan-Martin Broeer and they will face the Canadians again at Munich with the hope of closing the gap. Great Britain continues to hunt for their best line-up with Ed Coode moving from the four to come in at seven-seat.