Big upset in the quad at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup

It turned out, however, not so ideal for the World Champion boats of the women’s and men’s quad. Both Great Britain (women) and Poland (men) lost their exclusivity to the gold in this event. This is just a taste of two of the finals. Read on for more.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

China set a World Best Time in this event two years ago and since then they have wavered in and out of the top medals. Today Dongxiang Xu and Hua Yu of China raced in their last international regatta before the Olympic Games and established themselves as favourites. But it wasn’t all easy sailing for Xu and Yu. The new Canadian line-up of Melanie Kok and Tracy Cameron followed Xu and Yu closely out of the starting blocks and by the half-way point Kok and Cameron had got their nose ahead of the Chinese. Xu and Yu went with them with Marit van Eupen and Kirsten van der Kolk of the Netherlands holding on to the pace.

Kok and Cameron led the race into the final sprint. Xu and Yu picked up the pace. Van der Kolk and van Eupen raised their rate. China was back on top. The Netherlands come through to second and Canada earn bronze. Van der Kolk and Van Eupen raced at the 2004 Olympics to a bronze medal. Van der Kolk then took time off to have a baby while van Eupen took control of the lightweight single. Back together just this year the duo hope to qualify for Beijing at the last chance qualification regatta in two weeks then, following the colour of the shoes in their boat, they are going for Olympic gold. This race indicates they could have what it takes.

Results: CHN, NED, CAN, AUS, POL, GER

Marit van Eupen (NED) – Silver
“This was a good race. We need races like this and the racing in general to work on our skill. We are in the build-up and our first aim is to qualify for Beijing in a couple of weeks. This was a great step in the right direction. But we still have more to show and I am positive in Beijing we will be on fire. The golden shoes in our boat say it all…..”

Tracy Cameron (CAN) – Bronze
“This is our first podium on the international scene this year and we’re very excited. It’s a good foundation. And it is our first Olympic Games so we’re just going to embrace everything about it.”

Melanie KOK (CAN) – Bronze
“But anything can happen in the next few months and we’re going to do everything to be on top.”

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Great Britain’s Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter come into this race as favourites after winning at the first Rowing World Cup. Purchase, a former lightweight single champion, came into this boat last year and, with Hunter, picked up a bronze medal. They seem to be improving with time together in the boat. But it was France’s second boat that jumped out to an early lead. The two French entries in this final show that French selectors have a tough job ahead to pick their final Olympic line-up.

As France Two began to fade Purchase and Hunter took over in the lead followed very closely by New Zealand. Last year New Zealand failed to qualify for the Olympics. This year they are trying again and have swapped under-23 champion Storm Uru into the boat. The New Zealanders failed to make the final at the first Rowing World Cup. They knew they had more speed. Cutting their hair short and getting the eating and boat rhythm right they were looking good.

In the sprint to the line Great Britain went to 38 strokes per minute. New Zealand went to 40. France One of Maxime Goisset and Frederic Dufour then came charging through at a 45 stroke rate. At the line Great Britain take first. A very happy Uru and Taylor earn silver and Goisset and Dufour with bronze go one step closer to being selected by their country for the Olympics.

Results: GBR, NZL, FRA1, CHN, HUN, FRA2

Mark HUNTER (GBR) – Gold
“We were quite relaxed in the back, knowing when we want to make a move we can do it. We don’t believe we have seen the best of the Danes yet and this is a good stepping stone for Beijing. Last year we were two individuals trying to be a team, this year we are a unit and we´re on the same wavelength.”

Peter TAYLOR (NZL) – Silver
“It was a tough race – we gave it all we had. It’s really been starting to come together in the last couple of days. Our training is going well considering we have only been a combination for a couple of months. We are aiming for Poznan as we have not qualified yet.”

Frederic DUFOUR (FRA) – Bronze
“All we did was attack in the second thousand meters but we weren’t very relaxed and even a little blocked. I don’t know if it’s due to the direct confrontation with others or the fear of winning in Lucerne. This third place is a slight disappointment, as I think we have what it takes to win. We nearly lost it all. We were a bit blocked, perhaps because we were confronting the other French boat. But I am happy to have proved our worth for Games selection.”

Men’s Four (M4-)

Yesterday the Semifinals were raced like Finals and everything pointed to today’s final being a humdinger. Australia was feeling good. They took off out of the starting blocks at a pace that gave them a margin of a lead. The United States, who won their semi, followed closely. This USA boat comes to Lucerne as their country’s “B” boat, but the selectors may have to do some reshuffling after this race. Going through the middle of the race Australia, the United States and the Netherlands had worked into a small lead over the remaining three boats.

Coming into the final sprint these three boats remained in medal positions, but anything can happen in the final sprint. Ratings now began to rise. Australia, in front, went to 40 strokes per minute. The United States hit 41. France got to 45 and the Netherlands hit 44. At the line all six crews were exhausted. Australia take first, the Netherlands second and the United States earn bronze.

Results: AUS, NED, USA, FRA, GER2, NZL

Cameron McKENZIE McHARG (AUS) – Gold
“It was enjoyable, we put it together and had a solid race. For us this is a stepping stone, with our focus on Poznan as we still have to qualify.”

Matthijs Vellenga (NED) – Silver
“That was an exciting race. There are at least ten really strong crews at the moment and that says it all about making it into the Final and onto the podium. There is no room for any sign of weakness in a strong field like this – not in the Final and not in any of the preliminary heats. Our team is built on a lot of trust and we really believe in ourselves.”

David Banks (USA) – Bronze
“It’s really tough competition, tough crowd so we just raced as hard as we could and hoped for the best. We’ve arrived in Europe last Sunday and going back home after the regatta. Even if the boat is already qualified, the team is still in the selection process. And it’s my first year on the team!”

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

Alan Campbell of Great Britain won gold at the first Rowing World Cup and he went after this prize again today. Jumping out to an early lead Campbell got about half of his boat ahead of Olaf Tufte of Norway. But there was very little in it and with half of the race rowed only two seconds separated the entire field. Campbell remained in the lead and the usually slow starting Tufte in second. Then Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic did a huge push. This accelerated him into the lead followed closely by three-time World Champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.

Drysdale is known for winning races in the closing sprint of the race. Would he do it today? Synek, though, had decided that this was his race. The Czech took his stroke rate to 38. Drysdale tried to attack but hovered around a 36 stroke rate. Synek had done it. Gold goes to the Czech Republic. Silver to Drysdale and a very solid and steady race by Lassi Karonen of Sweden gives him a bronze medal.

Results: CZE, NZL, SWE, GBR1, NOR, SUI

Ondrej Synek (CZE) – Gold
“I was 5th at the start and then there were some waves so the first thousand wasn’t so good. But then I felt really good on the second thousand and when I saw that I was winning at the end it was going better and better and seemed easy. It always seems easy when you win!”

Mahe Drysdale (NZL) – Silver
“I was happy with today and what I did out there, considering it is our first week in Europe. I have a few things to work on, but it was a good start since I was fourth last year, so I am moving up.”

Lassi Karonen (SWE) – Bronze
“I never thought that I would make it on the podium. It’s hard to do all the races and to beat Campbell.”

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

In 2004 the Danish lightweight four were on top of the world with Olympic golds around their neck. Retirements and regrouping kept them out of the medals since. But with the return of two from the Olympic 2004 boat, Eskild Ebessen and Thomas Ebert, the Danes may be back.

The race unfolded with 2006 World Champions China in the lead, followed closely by 2007 World Champions Great Britain. Germany then did a push and moved on the Chinese. But China looked to have this race under control. Then Denmark, from the back of the field, began to take this race seriously. With 500 left to row the Danes were challenging China. In an all-out sprint to the line stroke rates went into the 40s. Did China have enough of a margin? China cross the line first, Denmark second and France come through to take third. All three crews looked very happy after the finish.

Results: CHN, DEN, FRA, GER, GBR, IRL

(CHN) – Gold
“We are very happy.”

Eskild EBBESEN (DEN) – Silver
“We all have grey hair but we are the youngest team as we have only been rowing together for a few months. Our average age is 34 but we still have it. Our preparation is still on track.”

Bo HELLEBERG (DEN) – Silver
“We will beat the Chinese in Beijing!”

Franck Solforosi (FRA) – Bronze
“It was a good race but we left the Chinese go too much on the second 500m. Globally our first and last 500m are very good but we still have to work on our efficiency in the middle 1000m. But our starts and finishes are exceptional – we manage to jump up on the line. We were also surprised by the Danes, we didn’t think they could hold on. We need to work on our cohesion to be stronger and win.”

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

China set the challenge in the race for lanes at the start of this regatta, taking the top position away from the World Champion British. Would they do it again today? Great Britain decided to take the bull by the horns and jump out into the lead then hold on. This strategy looked to be working as the six crews went through the half-way point with Britain still in the lead by a very handy three seconds.

China, who had been sitting in second, began to move. With every stroke they closed the gap on the British. The United States was doing the same. This USA crew is yet to be selected as the boat for the Olympics and they will be wanting to do all they can to prove themselves to the selectors. With that they sprinted. At the line China had won gold. The United States, featuring 19-year-old Lindsay Meyer, pulled through to silver and Great Britain failed to really sprint, falling back to bronze.

Results: CHN, USA, GBR, UKR, GER, AUS

Lia PERNELL/ Lindsay MEYER / Jennifer KAIDO / Margot SHUMWAY (USA) – Silver
“Oh my God, it was Awesome.”
“It was the longest first half and the shortest second half.”
“It was a great race with a lot of great boats.”

Frances Houghton (GBR) – Bronze
“It has been challenging here for us and also all the other British teams. But hopefully we will get experience from this extra challenge which is just what we need to step on and do better at the next World Cup.”

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

It took a throw-together crew from the United States to pull off the biggest upset of the day. At the end of 5:45 of racing Matthew Hughes, Samuel Stitt, Jamie Schroeder and Scott Gault of the United States had broken the three-year winning streak of Poland. This is how it happened.

Poland took off at the head of the field followed closely by Germany and France with the United States not far back. Through the middle of the race Poland remained in their usual position at the head of the field. The United States then must have decided this race was theirs. Taking it up a gear USA overtook Poland and waited for the reaction. Poland had run out of steam. Hughes, Stitt, Schroeder and Gault win World Cup gold in the men’s quad. After the line Stitt knew the best what his team had just achieved. Poland looked shattered.

Results: USA, POL, GER, FRA, UKR, CAN

Samuel STITT (USA) – Gold
“It was an amazing race, we gave our best and we were going toe for toe. We´re painting targets on our backs now.”

Michal Jelinski (POL) – Silver
“It’s great and we are very happy because it was a very hard race for us. We know that GER, USA and FRA are very strong, and of course also us! We are only second but it is not so bad. We hope to win in Poznan and at the Olympics. Poznan, because it is my home town and all my friends, family and my fiancée will be watching.”

Christian Schreiber (GER) – Bronze
“This was great. We just come out of a really hard training phase and after the preliminary heat we really had some doubts but here in the final everything was working really good. This result also is much more valuable than the one in Munich.”

Women’s Eight (W8+)

At the first Rowing World Cup Australia ended up at the top of the heap. Today they rowed this final with the yellow colours of the World Cup leaders. At the first Rowing World Cup the United States world champions hadn’t raced. Right from the word go, the United States jumped into the lead. With 500m rowed there was very little in it across the field. The USA had first, Germany and the Netherlands were the closest to attack.

Coming into the second half of the race, Canada began to move and Australia was also picking their way up the field. The charge for the line began. The United States looked confidently in the lead rating in the high 30s. Germany went to 39. Canada, down the outside, hit 41. Australia charged as well. At the line the USA take gold, Australia get a very well earned silver and Canada take bronze.

Results: USA, AUS, CAN, NED, GER, GBR

Anna Goodale (USA) – Gold
“It’s always good to win but we need to train hard again. So we’re going back to the USA just after Lucerne and train hard. We don’t know yet if we are selected to be in this boat but we really hope that we can stay together as a team!”

Andreanne Morin (CAN) – Bronze
“It was the best race of the three this week-end. Unfortunately our sprint, that is usually our trademark, came a little late. We should have started it a little earlier. The next goal is the qualification regatta in Poznan and we’ll also stay for the World Cup afterwards.”

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Canada went into the 2004 Olympics as the crew to beat. They look to be doing that again as they dominated today’s final finishing with a commanding boat-length lead. Canada did this by leading from the start with only China within real striking distance. This Chinese crew has become more and more consistent over the last year ever since they won their first World Cup medal early in 2007. Today they held off some of the best eights in the world to win silver. Great Britain held a very close and tight race with Australia (winners of the first Rowing World Cup).

Coming into the line Great Britain dealt the biggest sprint, Canada looked comfortable in the front and China, crossing the line in second were overjoyed.

Results: CAN, CHN, GBR, AUS, GER, POL

Adam Kreek (CAN) – Gold
“We are very happy. It was a good race, pushed really hard and went for it. Now we’re going back to Canada. We need to get back to our families and continue training on the home ground. The eight is the priority boat for Canada and the crew is still open.”

Tom STALLARD (GBR) – Bronze
“We´re really tired!!”