Lucerne repechages show the pressure

The repechages raced meant that rowers were competing for the second time today and some showed the signs of fatigue while there were a fair number of withdrawals for medical reasons. At this stage of the season athletes are in the middle of very heavy training loads and illness or injury is not uncommon. The final Rowing World Cup often shows the pressure of a hard training and racing season.

Women’s Four (W4-) – Race for Lanes

Racing for the best lane in tomorrow’s final these four crews took to the Rotsee regatta course with the hope of at least making a psychological dent on their competition. The Netherlands made the biggest dent. Stroked by Beijing Olympic medallist, Femke Dekker, the Dutch got away to a handy lead early in the piece. By the half-way point only China was in attacking distance of the Dutch. But then in the second half of the race the Netherlands became untouchable. The Dutch Women’s four will have the favourable middle lane on Saturday afternoon.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Repechages

Narrowed down to two repechages, this event required a top three finish if athletes wanted to be in the semifinal. If they missed out, their chance of racing in the final had ended. All of these athletes had already raced this morning in the heats so this afternoon was a test of stamina as well as racing ability. With Germany’s Daniela Reimer out of Repechage One for medical reasons, Sweden’s second boat, Karin Hoegberg took control and, after the initial 500m, Hoegberg spent the rest of the race more than a boat length ahead of her competition. Hoegberg started rowing in 1995 but made the national team for the first time last year. Hoegberg moved on to the semifinal along with Austria Two of Manuela Laimboeck and Satako Bando (Japan Two).

Repechage Two was also all about Sweden. Sara Karlsson of Sweden One led the way. Karlsson, however, did not have as easy a task as her team mate, Hoegberg. Karlsson was challenged by both Klara Janakova of the Czech Republic and Akiko Iwamoto of Japan. At the half-way point less than two seconds separated the top three crews. Then Iwamoto began to fade. Janakova remained unrelenting. In the final sprint Karlsson pushed on. Janakova let her get away. Karlsson, Janakova and Iwamoto are in the semifinal.  

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Repechages

The two repechages were all about getting in the top three positions. Like the previous race, these rowers had already competed earlier today. This afternoon, Repechage One featured Chile’s Felipe Leal. Leal has a long and solid rowing career which includes being an Olympian and a time in his country’s very successful lightweight men’s pair. Leal came out in second behind Filippo Mannucci of Italy Four . The two nations battled it out through the middle of the race with Leal taking the edge and sprinting through at the finish to win. Mannucci took second and Italy Three (Augusto Zamboni) qualified from third.

Repechage Two ended in the faster of the two repechages and with much jostling for position. At the start Venezuela’s Jose Guipe Jimenez grabbed the lead, shooting out at a very fast pace. This left closest challengers, Lukas Babac of Slovakia and Fabrizio Gabriele of Italy Two, to claw their way back up to the flying Venezuelan. By the half-way point Babac and Gabriele had closed the gap. By the 1500m mark Babac was right on top of Guipe. All three crews sprinted for the line. All three crews qualified for the semifinal in the order of Babac, Gabriele and Guipe.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Repechage

The one repechage required a top three finish for these five crews if they wanted to make it to the semifinal. At the start only Germany was off the pace. The two Japanese boats, the Czech Republic and Great Britain were all fighting neck and neck. The Czechs took an initial lead. Japan Two of Yuta Hamada and Kosuke Mitsuoka then took over in front. Coming into the last 500m there was still very little in it between these four crews. All four sprinted for the line, Great Britain hitting a stroke rate of 43. At the line Japan One of Hidenori Daido and Kenta Tadachi had pulled off first, Japan Two took second and Great Britain qualified for the semifinal from third.

Men’s Coxed Pair (M2+) – Race for Lanes

Two boats doing leg presses down the course. That was the picture in front of the spectators as Italy and Poland charged down the Rotsee regatta course, urged on by their coxswains. Italy held the lead for the entire race but Poland always remained within striking distance. They will meet again in the race for medals on Saturday afternoon.

Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Sculls (LW4x) – Race or Lanes

The four countries entered here were racing to get in the best lane for tomorrow’s final. After an initial lead by Poland, Germany got the better of them and inched in front. Poland held on. Germany tried to get away. Germany crossed the line just marginally in front. This looked to be shaping up to be a Germany vs Poland battle on Saturday.

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x) – Race for Lanes

It is very rare for Italy to lose this race. Today was no different, but it took a bit of work. Stroked by Stefano Basalini, the Italians had to get past Germany to find the lead. The Germans did not give up easily and held on to Italy with France also right there. By the final sprint, Italy had managed to break free. All of these crews will race again in the final tomorrow.

Lightweight Men’s Eight (LM8+) – Race for Lanes

Four countries lined up in this event – Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. The Netherlands got away in the quickest manner followed closely by Germany and Italy. By the half-way point the Italians had taken over. The Dutch then appeared to be feeling the pressure as Italy and Germany slipped away. At the line Italy, rating a reasonably comfortable 33, crossed the line in first followed by Germany rating 32.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Repechage

Belgium had scratched for medical reasons leaving four crews to fight it out for the top three spots that would get them through to the semifinal. The United States took off in the lead. Michael Sivigny and Stephen Whelpley of the United States are racing for the first time internationally and together they held off some experienced competition. By the half-way point, Germany’s Daniel Makowski and Rene Burmeister had snuck ahead. The United States then seemed to let them go. Coming into the final sprint none of the top three boats were racing. Under no threat from Korea, in fourth, Germany, the United States and the Czech Republic will all be in the semifinal.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Repechages

The two repechages required these single scullers to finish in a top two position if they wanted to be in the semifinal tomorrow. In Repechage One, Switzerland’s Regina Naunheim took off in the lead but it was not long before Estonia’s Kaisa Pajusalu, 20, started to reel Naunheim in. Pajusalu is one of a new generation of Estonian rowers and the few women to row for Estonia. Coming into the final 500m Pajusalu had nearly overtaken Naunheim. Naunheim then decided not to sprint. Pajusalu and Naunheim went to the semifinal.

Repechage Two opened with Austria (Wolfsberger) earning a handy lead which she retained for the first half of the race. But Wolfsberger did not have a second 1000m in her. Coming through the third 500, Poland’s Agata Gramatyka had managed to find the lead. Then Germany’s Julia Lepke went up a gear and charged for the line. This charge denied Wolsberger a spot in the semifinal. Gramatyka and Lepke went to the semifinal.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Repechages

The large number of entries in this event meant four repechages were required and athletes had to be either first or second if they wanted to be in the semifinal tomorrow. By the half-way point it was very clear in Repechage One who would do it. The private battle between Warren Anderson of the United States and Sean Casey of Ireland pushed them well clear of the rest of the field. Anderson had the edge in the second half of the race with Casey looking comfortable in second. Anderson and Casey moved on to the semifinals.

Repechage Two featured regular finalist Lassi Karonen of Sweden. Karonen was injured earlier this season and looks to be still rebuilding from that time. Argentina’s Ariel Suarez had the initial lead, but Karonen soon managed to get ahead and that is where the Swede remained. At the line Karonen had earned a spot in the semifinal and will be joined by Suarez. Suarez first made the national team in 2001 but then had to wait his turn as the single sculling spot was dominated by Santiago Fernandez up until the 2004 Olympic Games.

Lithunania’s Mindaugas Griskonis is becoming a regular racer in this event and his results appear to be improving over time. Today he raced in Repechage Three starting off just behind Mathias Rocher of Germany. Going through the middle of the race Griskonis had moved into the lead and Rocher looked content with this order. Griskonis and Rocher will be racing in the semifinal.

Repechage Four featured Norway’s new single sculler, Nils Jakob Hoff. With Olaf Tufte the clear number one in Norway, Hoff has an interesting job of being in his shadow. Today, Hoff got to race in the lead of his repechage. Ioannis Christou of Greece pushed Hoff for the entire 2000m. Christou did not quite have enough to overtake Hoff, but both boats still earned a spot in the semifinal.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Repechages

Two repechages featuring five crews in each one lined up at the start of the Rotsee course. The top three boats would be able to race in tomorrow’s semifinal. All of these athletes had already raced this morning and energy levels would have had to be monitored carefully throughout the day. The energy of Michelle Trannel and Kristin Hedstrom of the United States gave them the quickest start and the lead in Repechage One.

This lead did not last long. By the half-way point both Austria (Stefanie Borzacchini and Michaela Taupe-Traer) and the Netherlands (Rianne Sigmond and Maaike Head) had pushed ahead. These three boats continued to remain close to each other and coming into the final sprint less than two second separated them. By the line Austria had moved in front followed by the Netherlands with the United States holding on to third to qualify for the semifinal.

The second repechage turned out to be even tighter. At the first 500m mark there were four boats still within spitting distance of each other. By the half-way point this was still the case but the order had changed. Switzerland had slipped into second behind Sweden with Ireland in third and Hungary right in there at fourth.

Ireland then began to fall behind and the final sprint came down to a three way race. Although all three boats would qualify for the semifinal, all three boats still sprinted crossing the line with less than one and a half seconds separating them. Switzerland took first, Hungary second and Sweden were third.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Repechages

This event had narrowed down to two repechages with the top two boats from each getting the opportunity to race in the semifinal. Paul Drewes and Jaap Schouten of the Netherlands got out to an early lead and by the half-way mark the duo had worked into a handy boat length lead. Meanwhile, behind the Dutch, Portugal and Denmark had a full on battle happening in their attempt to earn the second, and final, qualifying spot. Portugal’s Pedro Fraga and Nuno Mendes are known for their high rating final sprints while Denmark is known for the World Record holder on the erg, Henrik Stephansen who was rowing in bow seat. There was only 500m left to row and Portugal had a slight edge over Denmark. Ratings began to rise. Coming into the finish Portugal was on a 44 stroke rate, Denmark managed 42. Portugal had held them off. The Netherlands and Portugal are in the semifinal. Greece did not start in this race for medical reasons.

There are not often many emotions from the athletes at the end of repechages due to fatigue and crews already thinking ahead to the next round, but there was no disguising China’s happiness as they rowed away from the finish line after Repechage Two. Hui Li and Tianfeng Dong of China had just held off Germany’s Lars Wichert and Michael Wieler to qualify from first. This is Li’s first season to compete internationally, while Dong made the Chinese team in 2007 and 2008. Today their first place gives them a spot in the semifinal. Germany tried hard to overtake the Chinese but will have to be happy qualifying from second.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Repechage

All four crews raced full on for the entire 2000m in a repechage which would see just one crew fail. At the start Olympic medallists Poland had the lead with the United States being the closest challenger. Going through the half-way point there was still nothing in it with only two seconds separating the field. Poland remained in the lead and New Zealand had now pushed into second. Then Belgium attacked forcing the United States into fourth. All four boats sprinted for the finishing line. Belgium was rating 40 and Poland, now holding a slight lead, was on 37. New Zealand rated 38. At the line Poland had remained in first, New Zealand qualified from second and Belgium took third. The United States missed out.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Race for Lanes

Germany has been looking fabulous all season but it was Belarus that led the way followed by Great Britain. The Germans, however, remained unphased and in the second half of the race were able to move into the lead and head away from the rest of the field. The German’s perfect timing and body movement made the other top crews look a little rough around the edges. At the line Germany finished first. The United States did not start due to illness, but they still have the opportunity to race in Sunday’s final if they choose.

Women’s Eight (W8+) – Race for Lanes

Romania have been struggling this season to be in their favoured leading position, but today they pushed ahead of a fast starting Dutch crew and got in the position that they love. The Netherlands held on to second with Germany back in third. This order did not change. At the line Romania had been given a definite confidence boost. The United States did not race due to illness but still have the opportunity to race in the final if they choose.