Lightweight repechages on the Rotsee

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Repechages

Coming first or second this morning meant getting the chance to race in this afternoon’s final. Repechage one featured Pamela Weisshaupt of Switzerland who must have been up and down this Rotsee course more times than you can imagine. She has been rowing internationally for 13 years and has often made the final in the lightweight single. Today she led the repechage from the start to finish with Magdalena Kemnitz of Poland not far behind. Germany did a big push to get into qualifying position but it will be Weisshaupt and Kemnitz going to the final.

Rowing an almost identical time to Weisshaupt, Andrea Dennis of Great Britain took on former team mate (now with Belgium), Jo Hammond. Hammond gave Dennis a decent run for her money, but Dennis kept just enough margin to keep an eye on any move from Hammond. Dennis and Hammond both continue on to the Final.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Repechages

Frederik Heijbrock of the Netherlands had a very good start to the season when he picked up silver at the first Rowing World Cup. Today Heijbrock found himself fighting through the repechage to gain a spot in the Final. With Tianfeng Dong of China and Jose Guipe of Venezuela right on his tail, Heijbrock raced to the line first in repechage one. An all-out sprint by Dong gave him the second qualifying spot and the edge over Guipe, 19, who will return to race the B Final at his first international race in the single.

Cuba jumped out to an early lead in the second repechage but there was very little between the five boats in this race. By the half-way point Joerg Lehnigk of Germany had tucked into the first place position with his nose just ahead of Cuba and France One (Pierre-Etienne Pollez). The racing remained tight with Lehnigk crossing the line just ahead of Pollez to qualify with Cuba just missing out.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Repechages

The first four boats in this five-boat race would qualify for the Final. The Dutch soon turned it into a Dutch vs Dutch race at the head of the field as Roeland Lievens and Paul Drewes took on twins Vincent and Tycho Muda. Keeping just enough in front to keep a psychological advantage, Lievens and Drewes cross the line in first. The Muda brothers qualify from second along with France in third and Austria in fourth.