Bled is rowing ready and underway

This is the first major race of 2010 for these rowers and it gives coaches a chance to see how their athletes are placed after off-season training.

LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (LW1x) – Heats

The three heats required rowers to be in a top three position if they wanted to advance to the semifinal.

Dominated by Swedish entries, the first heat featured two Swedes: Kristina Knejp and Karin Radstroem. But it was Alexandra Tsiavou of Greece who led the way. Tsiavou would be the favourite coming into this race in the absence of last year’s winner Pamela Weisshaupt of Switzerland. Switzerland has a new single sculler this year. Eliane Waser came through in second to earn a qualifying spot, followed by Radstroem.

Heat two was led from start to finish by Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany. Draeger raced for her country in the lightweight double at the Beijing Olympics, but since then she has been facing serious competition within her country in the single. Today she finished ahead of Canada’s Lindsay Jennerich with Weronika Deresz of Poland coming through in third. These are the three qualifying athletes.

It took until heat three for the fastest time to be recorded. Laura Milani of Italy got the lead at the start and stayed just ahead of Sara Karlsson (SWE) who followed in second. Karlsson is World Rowing’s Athlete of the Month this month. Find out more about her here. Karlsson, who is currently studying and training in Austria, was followed home by Austrian Manuela Laimboeck. Milani, Karlsson and Laimboeck qualify for the semifinal.

LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (LM1x) – Heats

Like the women, the lightweight men’s single had three heats with the top three making it to tomorrow’s semifinals. Former World Champion in the single and reigning Olympic Champion from the lightweight double, Zac Purchase of Great Britain, was unsurprisingly the dominant rower in heat one. Purchase took time off from rowing after the Beijing Olympics recovering from an injury and this is his first international race since Beijing. Fabrizio Gabriele (ITA2) and Alexander Rath (AUT) finished second and third respectively to qualify for the semifinal. Purchase recorded the fastest qualifying time.

Lucas Babac of Slovakia did not have the fastest start but worked his way systematically through the field in heat two. With 500m to row, Babac took on the late entry from Spain, Daniel Sigurjoersson Benet. So did young Ailson Silva of Brazil. At the finish Babac, Silva and Benet qualify for the semifinal.

In the final heat, Maxime Goisset of France was the early leader with a blistering start giving him a handy boat length lead over fellow countryman Fabien Dufour. Goisset then moved out to a clear water lead which he held until the finish. Goisset, Cathal Moynihan of Ireland (who overtook Dufour) and Dufour qualify for the semifinal.

LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S PAIR (LM2-) – Heats

The two heats in this event meant that the top boat would go directly to the final, while the remaining crews would have to race a repechage. Italy got off to a fast start in heat one with Nenad Babovic and Milos Tomic of Serbia sitting in second. This remained the order until the island, 300m from the finish line, came into view. Tomic and Babovic then sprinted to the line, overtaking Italy and earning a spot in the final.

Heat two was completely dominated by Fabien Tilliet and Jean-Christophe Bette of France. Bette is currently in the top 10 of top male athletes for 2009 indicating the wealth of experience that he brings to the boat. Tilliet and Bette go directly to the final.