Rowers' first step to Olympic Qualification at Munich

Following the previous night’s opening ceremony which included music, Roman soldiers, archers and a boat and venitian gondolas parade attended by a record crowd of over 10,000 spectators, the rowers took to the 2000m rowing course, built especially for the 1972 Olympic Games.

The sun shone, temperatures hovered in the mid-20s Celsius, and wind levels remained low, becoming slight tail wind conditions in the last hour of racing. No big surprises arose through today’s 44 preliminary races. Great Britain and New Zealand did their fare share of qualifying for the next round of racing, while expectations of a Chinese domination did not eventuate. Local hero, single sculler Marcel Hacker, got the star treatment when an announcement that he would be signing autographs attracted a crowd of hundreds.

Men’s Coxed Pair (M2+)

This event was formerly an Olympic event won by some big names in the past like Sir Steve Redgrave. Now raced only at the World Championships numbers have slipped. But this year a healthy nine countries lined up. With just the first crew advancing directly to the final Italy and Poland went neck-and-neck in heat one. Despite Italy leading through the middle of the race a better sprint by Poland gave them the spot in the final. Dawid Paczes, Lukasz Kardas and coxswain Daniel Trojanowski are in the final.

Canada chased Croatia’s twins, Branko and Marin Begovic with coxswain Toni Jelenkovic, in the second heat but the Begovic’s managed to do just enough to remain in the first and qualifying position. Both the United States and Czech Republic raced to the half and then buttoned off to save themselves for the repechage.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

With 23 countries lining up, four heats were necessary and the race was on for first place to earn a direct path to the semifinal. In heat one France’s stalwart Benedicte Dorfman blocked out any competition finishing first. Dorfman retired after the 2000 Olympics, had a child and came back in 2005. She then swapped to the Olympic double event but unsatisfactory results brought her back into the single.

Dorfman may meet winner of the second heat Maria Pertl of Denmark in the semifinal. Unlike Dorfman, Pertl was a late starter to the world of international rowing, coming in as a 29 year old. She has been proving her worth since.

Swapping from Great Britain to the United States has paid off for Jennifer Goldsack. Racing under the red, white and blue American colours Goldsack not only won the third heat but in the process scored the fastest qualifying time and beat the reigning World Champion Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands. This is van Eupen’s first loss in the single at the international level since first racing in 1999. Van Eupen pushed hard for 1500m but then took the pressure off in the close of the race.

Like Dorfman, Croatia’s Mirna Rajle also started off aiming for the Olympic double, but, like Dorfman unsatisfactory results have brought her back into the single. Today in heat four Rajle was pushed by Germany but managed to hold off the home favourite and move on to the semifinal.

NED, LW1x, Marit van Eupen
"Repeating past performances would be the best goal you could imagine. I am only as good as I am, and will do it step by step, stroke by stroke, focusing on my own rowing. It is going to be hard, some girls are really fast."

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

High rating and aggression paid off for Ivan Baldychev of the United States in heat one. With just first place earning a spot in the semifinal Baldychev wanted it the most. Rating in the mid-30s for the majority of the race to hold the lead, Baldychev went to 38 then 40 to hold of Jaap Schouten of the Netherlands in second position. Schouten spent most of the race around 31 strokes per minute, but took it up to 37 to try and catch Baldychev, unsuccessfully.

Lorenzo Bertini of Italy found himself being paced by Germany’s Jonathan Koch in heat two. The rowing pedigree of Bertini, however, well outshone Koch. Bertini was in the lightweight four at the last Olympics and is a World Champion from the lightweight eight and lightweight quad. In the final sprint Koch decided to preserve his energy and didn’t sprint. Bertini will be in the semifinal. Unluckily for Iraq, Hamza Jaber did not make weight and was unable to start.

Heat three was dominated by Takahiro Suda of Japan. Suda was paced by Bine Pislar of Slovenia for the first half of the race before Pislar dropped back a boat length and will have to return for the repechage. Suda advances to the semifinal.

Winner of two Rowing World Cups this season, Duncan Grant of New Zealand had a comfortable time in heat four taking off at the front of the field ahead of Canada and then staying clear ahead of Great Britain in the second half of the race. Grant had the luxury of dropping his rating in the close of the race, crossing the finish line at a comfortable 29 strokes per minute to advance to the semifinal.

GER, LM1x, Jonathan Koch
"It feels familiar to row on the Olympic Regatta Course in Munich – it isn't such a big thing as competing in a foreign country and makes it easier to concentrate. My goal is to reach the final."

PLE, LM1x, Mark Gerban
"A lot of fun, beautiful weather, great crowd. Goals are a personal thing – mine is simply to do my very best, building from each race."

NZL, LM1x, Duncan Grant
"Feels good to open lungs up. It's been a while since my last 2000m race at the Rowing World Cup in Lucerne. Having a bit of a break now, waiting for the semifinals. My goal is to win the lightweight single."

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

The 29 countries starting in this race were divided down into six heats with the top three boats in each advancing to the quarterfinal. Leading from the opening of the race, world bronze medallist (2005) Michelle Guerette of the United States made the race look easy, so easy that she was able to drop her rating to 26 in the close of the race. Guerette won the single at the Henley Royal Regatta earlier this season and is aiming for her second Olympics, but first in the single. Also qualifying was Russia’s Julia Levina and Cuba’s Maira Gonzalez Borroto overtook a tiring Susanne Schmidt of Germany to take third with Schmidt qualifying from fourth.

China’s Xiuyun Zhang is making it very clear that heart problems that kept her from competing at the Athens Olympics are well behind her. She already has a Rowing World Cup medal from this season and today she led heat two by rating an easy 27 strokes per minute. In a very spread out race, Portugal’s Sara Silva was back in second, Katalin Szabo of Hungary qualifies from third and Svitlana Spiryukhova of Ukraine from fourth.

Taking a year off to have her second child and back in the rowing fold, Bulgaria’s star rower, Rumyana Neykova got off to a great start at these World Rowing Championships by leading heat three from start to finish. Italy’s Gabriella Bascelli gave chase, but former World Champion Neykova was comfortable. Bascelli qualifies from second, Julia Michalska of Poland from third and Spain’s Olympian Nuria Dominguez Asensio takes fourth and also advances to the quarterfinal.

The closest of the six heats, Emma Twigg of New Zealand and Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic, in heat five went head to head, Twigg holding a slight edge for the first half of the race. Both rating 28 through the body of the race, Twigg, this year’s under 23 Champion, and Knapkova were far ahead of the rest of the field. Taking the psychological edge, last year’s silver medallist, Knapkova pushed ahead just enough to finish first, Twigg second and also qualifying from third and fourth respectively, Regina Naunheim of Switzerland and El Salvador’s Camila Vargas Palomo.

Heat six featured France’s Sophie Balmary in the lead. Balmary is getting a reputation for doing best when she is in front and today she showed this by remaining in the lead over Frida Svensson of Sweden who finished third last year in this event. Nothing changed in the order with Majda Jerman of Slovenia qualifying from third.

The fourth heat was held back so that late arrival into Munich, Kazakhstan’s Mariya Filimonova could make it to the start line. Filimonova found herself up against reigning World Champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. Karsten continued on her third year of straight wins by leading from start to finish over former under 23 Champion Iva Obradovic of Serbia. Karsten and Obradovic qualify for the quarterfinal along with Australia’s Zoe Uphill in third and the fast trip to the start line paid off for Filimonova who finished fourth and qualifies.

POL, W1x, Julia Michalska
"I will do everything to reach the Final, but it will be very hard."

ITA, W1x, Gabriella Bascelli
"I didn't expect this. I've been off training for four months and have been training for the past three weeks. I enjoyed myself, I love it, it's not a job, it's like a hobby."

USA, W1x, Michell Guerette
"It was nice to get out there. I had a good start, clean and aggressive, started to push at 1000m and tried to keep it up until the line. I think everyone feels better after first race. It was my best race ever, and my goal is to make the podium."

Men’s single Sculls (M1x)

With entries from 30 countries this is the biggest event on the World Rowing Championships programme and the rules in these six heats required scullers to finish in the top four positions for advancement to the quarterfinals. Henley Royal Regatta winner Alan Campbell of Great Britain burst out of the start in heat one in his trademark style, still at 42 strokes per minute going through the first 100m. But Austria’s Ralph Kreibich stuck with the speedy Campbell. Campbell seemed unconcerned. Campbell and Kreibich moved clear away from the rest of the field, both easily qualifying. Also in the quarterfinal are two newcomers to the World Champs, Bajrang Lal Takhar of India and Eun Chul Shin of Korea.

Heat two was a tussle between Sweden’s Lassi Karonen and Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands. These two scullers are likely to be on the edge of the A Final but will be doing all that they can to make it. With his own fan club sitting in the grandstand’s Karonen put on a better show to cross the line first. Hamburger takes second and Pier Giorgio Negrini of Italy earns the final qualifying spot.

Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic comes through to these World Rowing Championships with two Rowing World Cup golds from this season to his credit and a new air of confidence. Today, in heat three, he made easy work of it by forming an early lead over France’s Pierre-Jean Peltier. By the second half of the race Synek had an open water lead and was able to wind down in the close of the race. Cyprus’s Valentinos Sofokleous took second, Liang Zhang of China advances from third and Peltier earns the last qualifying spot.

Despite getting out to a fast start, Olympic Champion, Olaf Tufte of Norway was soon overtaken by Olympic bronze medallist, Santiago Fernandez of Argentina in heat four. Fernandez remained in the lead, able to drop to a low 28 in the close of the race. Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Aleksandrov, 17, who already has a taste of the Beijing Olympic course having won the World Rowing Junior Championships earlier this month, finished second. Tufte qualifies from third and Belarus’s Dzianis Suravets earns the final qualifying spot.

Germany’s Marcel Hacker used to train with Switzerland’s André Vonarburg. Today they faced off against each other in heat five. Both athletes missed the final Rowing World Cup in July. Hacker due to a training plan decision and Vonarburg due to illness. Today Hacker led the way easily over Vonarburg. Both boats qualify for the final. Australia’s Peter Hardcastle, a newcomer to racing internationally in the single, followed in third and the two metre tall Latvian Kristaps Bokums qualifies from fourth.

The crowd had to wait until heat six to witness the reigning World Champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand. Drysdale put on a great show of single sculling by leading the entire race and also clocking the fastest qualifying time. Belgium’s Olympian Tim Maeyens did his best to stick with Drysdale but gave it away in the closing 500m of the race. Well back, but also qualifying for the quarterfinal is Sean Jacob of Ireland and Mathias Raymond of Monaco.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

This event has brought all sorts of Athens Olympians out of the woodwork. In heat one of three heats, 2004 bronze medallists, Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh of Belarus reappeared. But they found themselves up against Australia’s new hot property, Kim Crow and Sarah Cook. Crow and Cook already have two Rowing World Cup medals from this season and they lead the heat despite a strong challenge coming from Bichyk and Helakh. Crow and Cook take first, Bichyk and Helakh qualify from second and Germany’s top sweep women, who will also be racing in their country’s eight, Elke Hipler and Nicole Zimmermann advance to the semifinal from third.

The reigning World Champions, Darcy Marquardt and Jane Rumball of Canada have not had such a hot season but they may be back on form as they led heat two after overtaking China. China’s Yage Zhang and Yulan Gao won gold at the second Rowing World Cup this season, but today the higher rating Canadians got the better of them. Canada qualify from first, China from second and Lea Jacobsen and Fie Graugaard of Denmark also earn a spot in the semifinal.

Back from retirement and back from Athens gold medal fame, Georgeta Damian-Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania fronted up in heat three. But 2005 World Champions, New Zealand’s Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles showed that they have come a long way since their sixth place Athens finish. After overtaking a fast start by the United States, Coles and Haigh settled at the front of the field with Romania challenging them in second. Coles and Haigh advance to the semifinal from first, Andrunache and Susanu from second and Anna Mickelson with new partner, Portia McGee to replace the injured Megan Cooke, of the United States take the third and final qualifying spot.

Men’s pair (M2-)

Heat one of four heats featured Great Britain’s Colin Smith and Matthew Langridge. Smith and Langridge follow in the legacy left by their nation’s greats, Cracknell and Pinsent who still hold the World Best Time in this event. Today they came out of the start in first closely followed by five other boats. At the half way point there was still very little in it with Croatia, Canada, the United States and South Africa still very much on the pace. Smith and Langridge knew they would have to sprint to earn the one and only qualifying spot. They did. Smith and Langridge advance to the semifinal.

Poland took a flying start in heat two but were soon overhauled by last year’s silver medallists, Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater of New Zealand. As Poland slipped back Twaddle and Bridgewater stretched out to an open water lead. Denmark threw out a bit of a challenge but the New Zealanders remained well in front. Twaddle and Bridgewater advance to the semifinal.

Australia’s Duncan Free and Drew Ginn, the reigning World Champions, made easy work of heat three. They had a boat length lead after 500m and had gained an open water lead by the half way point. Coming all the way from the southern hemisphere, Free and Ginn have been staying in Europe since early July and have their young families with them. They now advance to the semifinal after a very comfortable race.

Erwan Pernon and Laurent Cadot of France came to the 2007 season having finished sixth last year. With every race they seem to improve and today they led heat four from start to finish from their now seeded position in lane three. Peron and Cadot advance to the semifinal.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

This event required a top two finish for advancement to the semifinal and opening the first of three heats in the lead were Elise Laverick and Anna Bebington of Great Britain. This is Laverick and Bebington’s first season together and they opened their World Championship bid in style by beating Olympic Champion twins Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell. The Evers-Swindell’s held the lead through the third quarter of the race before letting Laverick and Bebington take first. Both boats qualify for the semifinal.

Qin Li and Liang Tian of China impressed rowers and commentators alike when they won the second Rowing World Cup in Amsterdam and today, seeded top in heat two, they took a boat length lead early in the race and extended it to a comfortable open water gap over the United States in second. Ioana Papuc and Simona Musat of Romania then pushed through getting ahead of the US but never posing any real threat to Li and Tian in first. China and Romania move on to the semifinal.

Italy’s current top women’s duo, Laura Schiavone and Elisabetta Sancassani, put on a very solid showing in heat three, taking the lead at the start and extending it out to a clear length through the middle of the race. Germany has put their best scullers into the quad, but their double of Peggy Waleska and Christiane Huth still have a solid rowing pedigree behind them and they challenged the Italians. Waleska and Huth could not catch the Italians but their fight earn them a spot in the semifinal along with Schiavone and Sancassani.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

Six heats representing boats from 27 nations opened with Sydney Olympic Champions, Luka Spik and Iztok Cop of Slovenia in the lead. Italy took chase, but the Slovenians held on doing just enough to remain in first. With four out of five groups qualifying for the quarterfinal there was very little pressure. Slovenia, Italy, the United States and Ukraine will all advance to the next round of racing.

Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet of France come to these World ROwing Championships after a rocky 2007 season but still current World Champions. In heat two they led from start to finish with Greece in hot pursuit. Greece then appeared to back off, happy to qualify from second. Belgium and Korea also earn spots in the quarterfinal.

Heat three opened with a hot race between Russia, New Zealand and Germany. Russia had the edge but there was very little in it. Then coming into the second half of the race, Germany’s Rene Burmeister and Christian Schreiber must have felt the home crowd support and edged into the lead. At the line Germany, Russia, New Zealand and Belarus all qualify for the quarterfinal.

Estonia’s Tonu Endrekson and Jueri Jaanson come to these World Rowing Championships with two Rowing World Cup gold medals and the will to win. They led heat four ahead of Croatia. The order didn’t change between these two crews. But with four boats in the race, the battle for the third and final qualifying spot was going on between Indonesia and Thailand. Indonesia had the edge for the first half of the race before Thailand showed they had the better stamina. Estonia, Croatia and Thailand qualify.

Heat five opened with Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham of Great Britain in the lead and closed with this strong duo still in the lead. Wells and Rowbotham finished sixth last year and their win at the first Rowing World Cup this season has boosted their confidence to go after a medal at these World Rowing Championships. They kept an eye on Milan Doleck and Vaclav Chalupa of the Czech Republic who remained in second. With Hungary giving up the fight half way through the race, Bulgaria had to do very little to qualify from third.

With the wind picking up to a clear tail wind as the heats of the doubles raced, it is difficult to compare times across the heats, but the final heat clocked the fastest time. Zheng Chen and Hui Su of China led the field after overtaking a fast start by Australia. Poland pushed the Chinese taking their rating up to 37 to get within striking distance of the lead. But Chen and Su held them off. China, Poland and Australia move on to the quarterfinal.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Back with their original line up after Alex Partridge stepped down for the final Rowing World Cup due to injury, the British men’s four is again Andy Hodge, Alex Partridge, Steve Williams and Peter Reed. They raced in the first of four heats. But with only the first boat qualifying directly to the semifinal, Great Britain’s four found themselves in the unusual position of trailing behind none other than France despite Great Britain taking off at the start at a 46 stroke rate. Going through the 1250m France still had a small advantage, but the Brits were fighting back followed closely by Ireland. This was going to be a race to the end. Then France started to lose steam, Great Britain took the lead and Ireland, now rating 39 strokes per minute, held on. At the line Great Britain earn the spot in the semifinal.
At the front of the field in heat two surprisingly was the Czech Republic. The Czech’s were holding off a very aggressive challenge coming from Italy, the crew made up of part of last year’s silver medal eight. The Czech’s, stroked by Karel Neffe, remained in the lead. As Italy faltered a little Australia came into the picture sprinting through to challenge the Czech Republic. The Czech’s held them off to earn the spot in the semifinal.

It was not surprising to see the Netherlands in the lead of heat three. They have been regular medallists for the last two years and have a World Cup gold medal from this season. It was surprising, however, to see Slovenia in second. Slovenia are inconsistent, usually making the A Final, rarely earning a medal. But the Dutch, rating 37 strokes per minute through the body of the race, held off the strong Slovenian challenge and earn the semifinal qualifying spot.

Heat four featured winners of the second Rowing World Cup, New Zealand in the lead. They led over Germany who have had a very average season suffering from many line up changes, some of them due to injury. New Zealand, lengthened out to move away from Germany and earn a spot in the semifinal.