Olympic warm-up at Poznan Rowing World Cup

This was the last chance for athletes to test themselves on the international stage before the Olympic Games. This was the opportunity for rowers to send out a message to their competition that they meant business leading up to Beijing. The German women's pair sent out a dominating message. Karsten, in the women's single, will go to Beijing undefeated since Athens. Romania looks to be heading in a gold medal direction in the women's eight. The Netherlands has a men's four that remain consistent and improving.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

What will Knapkova do? Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic has never been able to beat three-time World Champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. She has sometimes led Karsten during a race, but Karsten always seems to make easy work of pushing past Knapkova whenever necessary. Today Karsten got her nose in front of Knapkova. Knapkova held on but she didn’t seem to have the spirit of other races when she has really challenged Karsten.

With that Karsten overrated Knapkova and stayed just enough in front to win the race. A piece at the 1250m by Karsten gave her a bit more of an edge. Knapkova did nothing to react. Back in third New Zealand’s Emma Twigg was too far away to attack Knapkova and was under no threat for the bronze medal from Rika Geyser of South Africa and Poland’s very popular Julia Michalska.

Karsten earns yet another gold medal and continues her winning streak that began in 2005.

Results: BLR, CZE, NZL, RSA, POL1, POL2

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

Being beaten by Norway’s Olaf Tufte in yesterday’s semifinal did not sit well with three-time World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand. Drysdale did not do well in the rough water and finished second behind Tufte. Today Drysdale decided to put that race behind him and he took off in the lead in these flat, slight head wind conditions. Coming through the middle of the race, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic was the only competitor to hold on to Drysdale’s pace while Tufte sat way back in the field following a slow start.

Coming through the third 500m, Drysdale, rating a steady 33 stroke rate, was still holding off Synek, while Tim Maeyens of Belgium held on to third. The gutsy Belgian is a regular A finalist and finished sixth at the Athens Olympics.

Coming into the final sprint it was all on. Tufte had had enough of sitting at the back of the field and the Norwegian began to pour on the power. Maeyens did all that he could to hold on. Switzerland’s Vonarburg also sprinted. Synek attacked Drysdale with a 41 stroke rate. Drysdale answered with 36. There was very little in it. At the line Drysdale had held off Synek to take gold. Tufte had sprinted through to bronze.

Results: NZL, CZE, NOR, SUI, BEL, SWE

Women’s Pair (W2-)

After finishing first at the European Championships last year, Lenka Wech and Maren Derlien of Germany stamped their dominance over the German sweep squad as the top pair. Recently it was decided that they would row both the pair and the eight at the Beijing Olympics. The selectors have faith in them. Today Wech and Derlien got into the lead and pulled further and further away from the rest of the field.

After an initial challenge by Canada, New Zealand’s Nicola Coles and Juliette Haigh pushed through into second but did not seem to be able to make an impression on the leading Germans. Wech and Derlien had the luxury of coming into the final sprint with a huge open water lead.

New Zealand kept their rating up at 38 to hold off the low rating (32) but strong Olympic Champions, Georgeta Damian- Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania. Germany remained on a steady 35. Wech and Derlien earn gold and go away to prepare for the women’s eight.

Results: GER, NZL, ROU, CAN, GER2

Men’s Pair (M2-)

France has entered a second crew at this regatta. Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette come out of their nation’s four to compete in the pair here in Poznan. Chardin and Mortelette finished fourth in the four at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup and are qualified for the Olympics in the four. Throughout this regatta they have been showing their adeptness in the pair.

Chardin and Mortelette took off in the lead ahead of Australia’s Olympic spares for the sweep squad with 2005 World Champions George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle of New Zealand on the pace in third. This order remained the same through the middle of the race while France’s Olympic pair (Erwan Peron and Laurent Cadot) sat back in fifth.

Coming into the final 500m of the race Chardin and Mortelette still had the lead with a 38 stroke rate helping them out. Then Bridgewater and Twaddle attacked. Taking their rating to 40, the French had to do something to respond. Chardin and Mortelette went to 41. New Zealand had just a bit more push. At the line New Zealand earn gold, France Two take silver. Australia, meanwhile, could not hold off a late charge by Ramon Di Clemente and Shaun Keeling of South Africa. Di Clemente gets himself back onto the medals podium and Keeling, 21, earns his first international medal.

Results: NZL, FRA2, RSA, AUS, GER1, FRA1

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

This event will feel the absence of China who are the current World Champions and have been dominating this event throughout the 2008 season. This absence, though, has opened the event up. Coming through the heats, Italy (Laura Schiavone and Elisabetta Sancassani) and Great Britain (Elise Laverick and Anna Bebington) appeared to be the top contenders.

Taking off in the lead, Great Britain decided this race was theirs for the taking. Laverick won a medal in this event at the 2004 Olympics and with her new partner Bebington they qualified for the 2008 Olympics last year by finishing third. Chasing Great Britain hard out of the start were the Italians with Finland’s Sanna Sten and Minna Nieminen also on the pace.

Laverick and Bebington remained in the lead, but Italy was not giving up. Schiavone and Sancassani have been together since 2005 when they finished an impressive fourth at the World Rowing Championships. Coming into the final sprint Great Britain and Italy went neck and neck. Finland held on. Sten and Nieminen have qualified for the Olympics in the lightweight double, but have decided to not make weight and race here at 61kg.

At the line Great Britain just hold on to first. Italy take silver and a very happy Finland take third.

Results: GBR, ITA, FIN, CZE, CAN, GER

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

World Champions Slovenia (Iztok Cop and Luka Spik) are working towards their third Olympics together and are the most consistent crew in this event. They won gold in 2000 and took silver in 2004. Today Cop and Spik led the field over the first 500m of the race. But it was Lucerne Rowing World Cup winners, New Zealand, which had their sights firmly set on the lead.

Nathan Cohen of New Zealand qualified this boat for the Olympics by finishing sixth at last year’s World Rowing Championships with partner Matthew Trott. With the return of 2000 Olympic Champion in the single, Rob Waddell, Trott lost his seat in the boat and Waddell teamed up with Cohen. Going through the middle of the race the New Zealanders pushed past Slovenia using a 37 stroke rate. Slovenia could not react back.

As the final 500m sprint began, France started to slip back and Tonu Endrekson and Jueri Jaanson of Estonia upped their rating to go after a medal spot. Estonia went to 38. Slovenia took it up to 40 strokes per minute. New Zealand retained the edge. New Zealand take gold, Slovenia silver and Estonia bronze.

Results: NZL, SLO, EST, GER2, BEL, FRA

Men’s Four (M4-)

The Dutch men’s four is the most consistent boat in this event. The same line-up has been together since 2005 and since then they have consistently been in the medals at all of their international races. The World Champion title, however, has eluded them. Today the Netherlands got out into the lead ahead of Slovenia. Surprisingly Great Britain, who had done so well through the heats and love to do fast starts, were back in fifth.

By the half-way point, Great Britain, who are finally getting to race with their Olympic line-up for the first time this season, had worked their way up into third. With the Dutch still in the lead, Slovenia tried to hold on to the British, while Great Britain tried to close the gap on the Dutch.

Coming into the final sprint, five crews looked to have a chance at a medal spot. Only the Czech Republic was off the pace. New Zealand charged. Great Britain went to a 43 stroke rate. The Netherlands responded. The Dutch had done it. Gold to the Netherlands, silver to Great Britain, and bronze to a very happy Slovenian crew.

Results: NED, GBR, SLO, GER, NZL, CZE

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

Coming into this final Canada was looking solid. Tracy Cameron and Melanie Kok had taken a direct route from the heats straight to the final; so had reigning World Champions Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston of Australia. Who would have the better race today?

Kok and Cameron got out to a faster start and by the half-way point had earned a full boat-length lead over Germany in second. Berit Carow and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany had to go through a repechage to get to this final but the extra race did not look to be affecting them. They held their own and a slight edge over the long-stroked Halliday and Houston through the body of the race.

As the last 500m came into view Canada held the lead with a steady 36 stroke rate. Australia decided it was time to move. They took their rating to 37 and put the heat on Germany. At the line Kok and Cameron had done it. The gold medal comes their way. Germany and Australia waited for the final result to be called. Germany earn silver and Australia finish 0.29 of a second back in the bronze medal position.

Results: CAN, GER, AUS, DEN, GRE, GBR

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

There was more at stake than just a Rowing World Cup medal in this race. Italy was using it to decide who would be their Olympic boat. Racing yesterday Italy One (Elia Luini and Marcello Miani) overtook Italy Two (Daniele Gilardoni and Lorenzo Bertini). Who would do it today in the final?

Taking off at the start, Luini and Miani got their nose in front of Lucerne Rowing World Cup winners Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter of Great Britain. The Italians remained strong and the lead was still theirs through the middle of the race with Italy Two following in fourth. But all of this was about to change.

In the final sprint for the line, World Champions Denmark, who had to pull out of the Lucerne Rowing World Cup due to illness, went for broke. Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark had spent the body of the race sitting back in sixth. But no more. As ratings began to rise, Denmark charged. So did Great Britain. Italy One tried to hold on. Great Britain take first, Denmark second and Italy One slip to third. Italy Two, in fourth, watched their Olympic dream possibly slip away.

Results: GBR, DEN, ITA1, ITA2, HUN, GRE

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

France were World Champions back in 2005. Since then they have recorded mixed results and had one change to their crew coming into this season. Guillaume Raineau has joined the boat. The French got into this final directly through the heats so had a day of rest yesterday. Today they took off at the head of the field just a fraction ahead of Australia.

A big move for Australia at the 900 metre mark got them ahead of France. France fought back. Australia then looked across to see Olympic bronze medallists Italy charging down the outside. This gave France a chance to sneak past. The finish was unfolding into a three-way sprint. France went to 41. Australia answered with the same. Italy took it to 45.

At the line France had earned gold. Italy and Australia waited for the photo finish announcement. Italy had won silver by just 0.02 of a second.

Results: FRA, ITA, AUS, DEN, NED, GBR

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Could Poland come back after their defeat in the heats? Could the home crowd give them the boost they needed? Poland are three-time reigning World Champions but suffered a hiccup when they were beaten at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup. Today the Poles came out fighting. Stroked by Adam Korol, Poland took the lead and settled into a 32 stroke rate pace. But going through the middle of the race, Italy pushed past the Poles. Poland tried to hold on to the higher-rating Italians.

As the last 400m of the race passed by, the Polish crowd rose to their feet, encouraging their team to go faster. Italy held on. Then the French charged. France have been regular A finalists and finished second at the World Rowing Championships last year. Taking their stroke rate to 40, France overtook Poland and closed on Italy.

At the line Italy had held on to gold, France take silver and Poland earn bronze. These crews will meet again in August at the Olympic Games.

Results: ITA, FRA, POL, GER, CZE, RUS

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Three boats raced for lanes earlier at this regatta and Great Britain came out on top with Germany in second. What could Germany do today to close the gap? The Germans have recently changed six of their crew and they are using this regatta to see if the decision was a wise one. Great Britain had Tom Lucy back in the boat and they are looking hot.

Great Britain took off in the lead with Germany holding on to the pace. Settling into a steady 36 Great Britain retained the lead. But Germany was unrelenting and were not going to let the British get away. The Germans had coxswain of 18 years Peter Thiede telling them what to do and they were listening. Great Britain remained in their boat, held their rating and took their boat across the line first. The British now move on to the Olympic Games with renewed confidence and justified Olympic medal dreams.

Results: GBR, GER, POL

Women’s Eight (W8+)

“What a way to finish this regatta!” Announcer David Goldstrom hit it on the nose. This is what happened. Canada took off in the lead, but with a quarter of the race gone there was still nothing between the four crews in this race. Going through the middle of the race it looked like two races were developing. Canada was at the front but being challenged hard by Romania. Germany was in third but being challenged by Great Britain.

Coming into the line, Romania had closed the gap on Canada. The Canadians upped their rating to 40. Romania was now level on 37. Two buoys remained. At the line Romania had won by just 0.01 of a second. Meanwhile a huge push by the British had brought them level with Germany. Who would get the bronze?

Results: ROU, CAN, GBR, GER