Searle and Simon lead the way in men’s eight heats

The racing saw upsets in the women’s pair and men’s quad when World Champion crews were beaten. The racing also saw the return of Great Britain’s Greg Searle in the men’s eight after a 10 year hiatus and 40-year-old Diederik Simon of the Netherlands lead his crew to a win in his heat of the men’s eight.

WOMEN’S PAIR (W2-) – Heats

The three heats in this event required athletes to be in a top three position to give them a direct path to the semifinals. Heat One featured three Chinese crews who will be aiming to show their speed as part of selection to be the pair that will represent their country later in the year at the World Rowing Championships. Twins, Meng and Tong Li showed that they are the crew to catch by leading from start to finish over the second Chinese crew, Meiling and Zhengping Sun (who are not twins). With the Lis holding a handy lead, the Suns battled it out with Olivia Whitlam and Louisa Reeve of Great Britain. At the line the Lis crossed first, the Suns second, just a fraction in front of Great Britain. These are the qualifiers for the semifinal.

The first major upset of this regatta came in heat two when reigning World Champions, Susan Francia and Erin Cafaro (USA) got beaten by Canadian pair newcomers Krista Guloien and Ashley Brzozowicz. Guloien and Brzozowicz led from start to finish, comfortably ahead of Francia and Cafaro in second, and recorded the fastest qualifying time. The Canadian duo come out of their country’s 2009 sixth placed eight. The third qualifying crew was Jessica Eddie and Alison Knowles of Great Britain.

The slowest of the three heats, heat three was all about Germany. Kerstin Hartmann and Marlene Sinnig edged into a slight lead at the start and held off first Great Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning and then China’s Hong Lin and Xin Li. The finish was reasonably tight, but Hartmann and Sinnig prevailed in first. They qualify along with China and Great Britain.

MEN’S PAIR (M2-) – Heats

Twelve countries lined up in this event with China, Greece, Great Britain and France entering more than one crew. This indicated a level of seat racing as coaches continue in their national team selection process. Divided into three heats, the first heat featured last year’s silver medallists, Andy Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed of Great Britain. There were rumours that Hodge and Reed may go into a four, but they are back in the pair aiming for gold. The duo got off to a fast start in a race that required a top two finish for a direct path to tomorrow’s semifinal. Meanwhile a tight tussle went on between Canada, Greece and China’s number one crew, Lin Wu and Zhaowen Sun. At the line Canada and Greece will have to return for this afternoon’s repechage. Great Britain and China are in the semifinal.

Heat two was a race at the head of the field between Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette of France and twins, Nikolaos and Apostolos Gkountoulas of Greece. Less than a second separated the two boats throughout the race with France prevailing, just, at the finish over last year’s bronze medallists, Greece. The Gkountoulas brothers have had a slow start to the season. They were beaten by another Greek crew two weeks ago at Germany’s Wedau Regatta. France and Greece qualify for the semifinal.

Heat three featured 2009 World Champions Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand. Bond is currently recovering from a rib injury, but it didn’t stop him and Murray from crossing the line first. Unlike many of the countries here, Bond and Murray were selected as the boat to race for New Zealand back in May and, all going well, they will remain as the New Zealand’s pair throughout this season. Great Britain got a second crew through to the semifinal with Cameron Nichol and Tom Burton pushing through from the back of the field to take second.

WOMEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (W2x) – Heats

The two heats were made up of a number of new combinations and coaches and high performance managers watched keenly from the banks of Lake Bled to check out the boat speed of their choices. But heat one featured a combination in their second season together. Sisters Jitka and Lenka Antosova of the Czech Republic raced to fifth at last year’s World Rowing Championships and today they held the lead of this heat from start to finish. The top two crews in this event would qualify for Sunday’s final and after a fast start from France, the new United States combination of Stesha Carle and Kathleen Bertko came through into second just two seconds behind the Antosovas. The Czech Republic and USA are in the final.

Heat two turned out to be the faster race with Great Britain’s new combination of Anna Watkins (nee Bebington) and Katherine Grainger leading the way. Grainger medalled last year in the women’s single but decided that she was more of a team boat rower and has paired up with Great Britain’s second fastest single sculler. Together they crossed the line ahead of Liang Tian and Yangyang Zhang of China. These four rowers are in the final on Sunday.

MEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (M2x) – Heats

The 19 crews lining up in this event included a combination crew of Slovenian rowing hero Iztok Cop paired up with Norway’s Olaf Tufte . Cop and Tufte have been great friends and rivals throughout Cop’s rowing career and the Slovenian has decided to retire after this regatta on his home waters. The duo are rowing under Norwegian colours signifying their great friendship and the universal nature of rowing.

Divided into four heats, Great Britain’s new combination of Matthew Wells and Marcus Bateman held the front in heat one by a handy margin. With only the top two crews from each heat qualifying for the semifinal, Poland’s Piotr Lcznerski and Wiktor Chabel pulled through to earn the second qualifying spot. 

Heat two sorted out the finishing order early on in the race with Switzerland’s Andre Vonarburg and Florian Stofer taking the lead over Gabriel Bergen and Steven Vanknotsenburg of Canada. These two crews worked away into a comfortable lead over the rest of the field making their semifinal qualification inevitable by the finish line.

Cop and Olympic Champion in the single Tufte featured in heat three. Rowing as Norway, the duo, after pushing past France, then having a close tussle with Jean Smerghetto and Leopoldo Sansone of Italy, managed to find the lead in the final sprint. This sprint earned Cop and Tufte the fastest qualifying time of the four heats and a spot in the semifinal along with Smerghetto and Sansone. Interviewed after the finish, Cop described the race as very much a work-in-progress and that the two friends would be even faster in their next race.

A second British and a second Italian crew earned a spot in the semifinal when Sam Townsend and William Lucas (GBR) came through with Paolo Perino and Domenico Montrone of Italy. Estonia put in a strong fight but did not have the stamina of the other crews to make it into a qualifying spot.

LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (LW2x) – Heats

Opening with 22 crews, this event had four heats with a first place finish necessary for the crew to get a spot in tomorrow’s semifinal. All other crews would have to return for this afternoon’s repechage. Great Britain’s Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking raced to win in heat one and gave themselves favourite status by recording the fastest qualifying time (7:09). Back to heat one, Goodsell and Hosking, who won bronze in 2009, started out being chased by France and then had China and Austria take them on towards the end of the race. But the British duo handled all challenges and finished first.

Heat two saw a gutsy performance by the new Irish combination of Claire Lambe and Siobhan McCrohan. Irish women rowers have gone through a recent hiatus on the international front and it is good to see this new talent. They did well to hold off the more experienced Italians who will return for this afternoon’s repechage.

Using a strong middle section of the stroke, the United States pushed through to the lead in heat three. Abelyn Broughton and Ursula Grobler (USA) are in their first season of rowing together and this is the first time former South African Grobler has rowed for her new nationality at the international level. The duo shook off Greece and China to win the race very comfortably.

The final heat had another new combination in the lead. Rianne Sigmond and Maaike Head of the Netherlands will have the pressure of their Olympic Champion predecessors, new mother Marit van Eupen and Kirsten van der Kolk, weighing on their shoulders. They got off to a good start by winning the fourth heat ahead of China’s number one crew.

LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (LM2x) – Heats

This race always attracts a large field and today 22 countries lined up, spread amongst four heats with the top crew of each heat making it directly through to tomorrow’s semifinal. Italy, Denmark and China had more than one crew entered with an element of within-country seat racing also in the equation. Canada’s only crew, Douglas Vandor and Cameron Sylvester, led heat one from start to finish. The duo have been together since the Beijing Olympics but unfortunately illness prevented them from finishing the Olympic regatta. They are back and aiming for London 2012. Vandor and Sylvester qualify easily for the semifinal.

Italy has split up their Beijing Olympics and 2009 combination of Marcello Miani and Elia Luini. Luini raced with Lorenzo Bertini in heat two and the duo increased their chances for being the top Italian boat by winning over China’s number one crew.

However, Miani, with new partner Francesco Rigon, then raced in heat three and not only won, but Miani and Rigon recorded the fastest qualifying time. Miani and Rigon were pushed by the United States through the body of the race and then had to contend with the flying sprint of Portugal at the end. Portugal and USA will return for this afternoon’s repechage.

France took the final qualifying spot by winning the fourth and final heat. Jeremie Azou and Remi Di Girolamo had to get in front of Italy’s number three boat to earn the lead. Azou and Di Girolamo are France’s new leading lightweight combination.

LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S FOUR (LM4-) – Heats

This event divided down into three heats with the top two getting a direct path to tomorrow’s semifinal. Heat one featured last year’s world silver medallists Denmark and after overtaking a fast-starting Japan, Denmark took the lead but then found themselves conducting a close battle with the Netherlands. Out-rating the Dutch towards the finish line, a perfectly synchronised Denmark crossed the line in first. The Netherlands will qualify as well from second.

After a relatively pedestrian performance in 2009, Great Britain look like they have pulled their socks up and taken off with a powerful start to the season by winning heat two. In second, Canada had to push past France to earn their qualifying spot. Great Britain and Canada earn an afternoon off and a spot in Saturday’s semifinal.

Heat three presented one of the closest races so far and a huge upset with current World Champions Germany being beaten. Unranked Switzerland indicated their intentions early on in the piece by taking the lead over Italy at the start. Through the middle of the race the Swiss maintained a slight margin over Italy and Germany. Out in front these three crews charged for the finish. The margins were close. After a pause Switzerland and Germany were announced as the two qualifying crews.

WOMEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (W1x) – Heats

In the absence of an ill Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic, there was little doubt about the favourite in this event; reigning World Champion Ekaterina Karsten-Khodotovitch of Belarus. With the women’s single sculls divided into two heats, Karsten featured in heat one and featured in true rowing style. Despite an early challenge by Great Britain’s former quad rower Debbie Flood, Karsten was soon in the lead and the very experienced sculler had earned enough of the lead coming into the finish line that she rated a comfortable 25 at the end. With just first place qualifying directly for the final, Karsten is the one. She will race again on Sunday.

Taking the long flight from New Zealand, Emma Twigg lined up in heat two for the start of her international season. After shaking off Canada and Poland, Twigg found the lead and held it to the finish line to be the sole qualifier from this heat for Sunday’s final. This is a great start to Twigg’s season which will see her racing in Europe until the third Rowing World Cup in July in Lucerne, Switzerland.

MEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (M1x) – Heats

The biggest event of this regatta, the men’s single, attracted 27 entries divided into six heats with the quarterfinal qualifiers from each heat determined by fastest times overall. This meant a range from two to four boats qualifying from each heat. Missed by his absence, World Champion Mahe Drysdale (NZL) remains in New Zealand recovering from a back injury. This, however, must have raised the spirits of the remaining rowers and upped the chances of some new names coming through.

Heat One saw the first new names coming through. In the top three qualifying spots were Mario Vekic (CRO), Michal Sloma (POL) and Ioannis Christou (GRE). Vekic stamped his leading dominance right from leaving the starters hands and won comfortably. The Croatian first showed his single sculling skills when he finished third at last year’s European Championships and he is a rower to watch in future singles races.

All eyes were on the return of Germany’s Marcel Hacker to the single. Hacker spent 2009 in his country’s quad and today, back in the single, in heat two he showed that he had lost none of his speed. Hacker’s finishing time of 7:05 was easily the fastest qualifying time of the six heats. Following Hacker, three countries sprinted for the line: China’s Liang Zhang, Malcolm Howard of Canada and France’s Cedric Berrest. After a photo finish check the order of finishing was Howard, Zhang and Berrest. These crews all earn a spot in the quarterfinal and these four boats make up the four top fastest qualifying times.

Olympic silver medallist, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic had a comfortable race from the front in heat three. Synek led over new Azerbaijan rower, Aleksandar Aleksandrov. Aleksandrov is a former junior World Champion when he rowed for Bulgaria. Now a professional rower for Azerbaijan, Aleksandrov looks like he is fitting in well against his senior counterparts. Synek and Aleksandrov finish first and second respectively with Brendan Crean (GBR2) and Pierre-Jean Peltier (FRA3) also qualifying for the quarterfinal.

With three boats only in heat four (Tonu Endrekson of Estonia a late withdrawal due to illness) only the top two would qualify for the quarterfinal. This was sorted out early on in the race as the experienced Lassi Karonen of Sweden took the lead and Estonia’s Andrei Jaemsae slotted into second. Karonen and Jaemsae are in the quarterfinal.

Alan Campbell of Great Britain is the reigning world silver medallist and he raced in heat five from the front. Behind Campbell, Igor Kuzmin of Estonia and Roel Braas of the Netherlands held a fierce battle for second. A stronger finish by Braas earned him second with Kuzman also qualifying for the quarterfinal from third.

Some further new single sculling blood raced in the sixth and final heat of the men’s single, the 39th race of the first Rowing World Cup on Lake Bled in Slovenia. Out in front was former doubles rower, Julien Bahain of France leading over Warren Anderson of the USA and Federico Ustolin of Italy. This remained the order at the finish line with all three rowers earning a spot in the quarterfinal.

MEN’S FOUR (M4-) – Heats

Three heats lined up to contend the men’s four with the top three boats from each heat earning a place in Saturday’s semifinal. Heat one recorded the fastest qualifying time when Serbia grabbed the bull by the horns and led from start to finish. Behind Serbia, Italy and Canada shook off a fast start by China to move into qualifying spot two and three. Serbia, Italy and Canada are in the semifinal on Saturday. Unfortunately for the local crowd, Slovenia’s crew finished fourth and had to return for the repechage later today.

Great Britain are the reigning World Champions and they raced with the same 2009 line-up in heat two. Spain put up a gutsy effort to hold on to the British but had to contend with a second-place finish. China’s number two crew held on for the third and final qualifying spot. At the back of the field, Iran was nearly a minute back after their bow man caught a crab coming into the final 500m of the race.

A very tight race played out in heat three with all four fours jumping off the starting line together. By the half-way point Croatia had a slight lead over the Czech Republic. The second half of the race saw Poland slipping back leaving three boats to decide the finishing order. The Czech Republic had the biggest sprint to finish first with Belarus pushing past Croatia and into second. Croatia is the final qualifying boat with their third-place finish.

WOMEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS (W4x) – Heats

Two heats lined up with the aim for these crews to be in the top two spots if they wanted to go directly to Sunday’s final. In heat one two rowers came back to race for a second time today. Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger of Great Britain won their heat of the women’s double and for this race they joined up with Annie Vernon and Beth Rodford to form their country’s quad. They managed it successfully staying in the lead from start to finish. A very happy Switzerland crossed the line in second to also qualify for the final.

Ukraine recorded the fastest qualifying time when they won heat two of the quad. Ukraine are the current World Champions and this crew sees only one change from their 2009 champion crew. Behind Ukraine, the Dutch and Chinese battled it out with China getting the edge at the end. Ukraine and China are in the final.

MEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS (M4x) – Heats

This event consisted of two heats with the top two crews from each heat earning a spot in the final on Sunday. Heat one turned into a race between young blood and earthy experience when the Croatian under-23 World Champions took on an Italian crew that featured two Olympic Champions from the 2000 Sydney Olympics – Alessio Sartori and Simone Raineri. Italy had the advantage at the start before Croatia pushed through to the lead. Italy held on but the Croatians had more heart and pace, crossing the line comfortably in first. Croatia and Italy are in the final.

The reigning World and Olympic Champions, Poland, found themselves leaving the starters hands in third with Russia in the lead. Russia won the Olympics in 2004 and have struggled to put such a crew together since. Today Russia looked like they may have retrieved some of that Athens magic as they remained ahead of Poland. Slovenia, featuring brothers Luka and Jan Spik, gave it their all to get the better of Poland, but could not quite pull it off. Russia and Poland earn a spot in the final while Slovenia will have to race later today in the repechage to try and get a place in the final.

MEN’S EIGHT (M8+) – Heats

This event attracted seven countries split into two heats with the top boat in each earning a direct track to the finals on Sunday. All eyes were on Great Britain in heat one with 1992 Olympic Champion, Greg Searle, sitting in six seat. This is the first international race of Searle, 38, after his retirement 10 years ago following a fourth-place finish in the men’s pair at the Sydney Olympics. But it was Poland that had the lead at the start and remained in that front position through the middle of the race. The British fought back, led by Daniel Ritchie in stroke seat. Coming into the finish, Poland had no reply. Great Britain go directly to the final.

The Netherlands finished third last year and their indomitable stroke Diederik Simon, 40, is back again. They raced in heat two getting the better of China by the half-way point. By the finish the Dutch had opened up a handy lead over China to earn a spot in Sunday’s final.