The pace picks up at Banyoles

Temperatures had increased into the mid-20s° Celsius for this first Rowing World Cup of 2009. The pace picked up as crews fought for their last opportunity to be in tomorrow’s Finals.  

Men’s Pair (M2-) – Semifinal

The first semifinal featured Great Britain’s new flagship boat. Andy Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed hold the expectations of British rowing on their shoulders and they held it well today. Coming out in the lead at the start Reed and Triggs Hodge were still at a 38 stroke rate after 400m of rowing with Belarus tucking into second. Great Britain then settled into a solid 35 stroke rate to maintain the lead.

Meanwhile Belarus began to fade succumbing first to France and then to Canada. James Dunaway and Derek O’Farrell of Canada are a new combination. Dunaway raced at the under-23 level and then took a break from rowing to come back last year and take the world champion title in the men’s coxed pair. O’Farrell has been on the edge of the Canadian sweep squad and looks to be coming into his own with Dunaway.

With the final sprint coming into view France’s Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette continued to keep their rating at a high 38 strokes per minute, but this could not hold off the Canadians on 35. At the line Great Britain had an easy win, Canada got the better of France to take second and France qualify for the Final.

Ramon Di Clemente and Shaun Keeling (RSA) look to be improving with every race since coming together for the 2008 Olympic Games. Today they raced in the second semifinal with the confidence of a well-established crew after edging into a slight lead at the start. By the halfway point the top five crews remained overlapping with the Greek twins of Nikolaos and Apostolos Gkountoulas in second.

Serbia’s Olympic pair (Nikola Stojic and Goran Jagar) then came through to challenge the Greeks. Greece fought back as Keeling and Di Clemente continued to hold the lead. Coming into the line the Gkountoulas twins turned on a tremendous sprint getting just ahead of the Serbians at the line. South Africa, Greece and Serbia go to the Final.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Repechage

This one repechage required a top two finish to earn a spot in the Final. Polish rowing looks to be in a powerful position at the moment and part of this power are Magdalena Fularczyk and Natalia Madaj. The duo medalled last year at the under-23 level and are working their way this year into the senior ranks. Today they grabbed the lead at the start inching out ahead of Fie Graugaard and Lea Jakobsen of Denmark. By the halfway point Great Britain’s second crew of Beth Rodford and Katie Greves had pushed through to second with just inches separating them from the Polish leaders. Rodford and Greves have been regulars in the British women’s eight and were in that crew last year at the Olympics.

Coming into the final sprint Poland continued to hold off Great Britain with both of them sprinting at a 35 stroke rate. Meanwhile Denmark had upped their rating to 36 and were bearing down on Great Britain. Poland continued to push away. At the line Poland and Great Britain had qualified. Denmark just missed out.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Semifinal

Semifinal One featured Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic in the lead at the start with a virtual line of five boats forming behind them. By the halfway point barely two seconds separated the entire field with the Sinkovics remaining just inches ahead of France’s number one crew of Julien Bahain and Cedric Berrest and Poland. It took until the final 500m for the crews to really sort themselves out. Croatia held on to first followed by France and a now fast-moving United States double of Samuel Stitt and Glenn Ochal.

Croatia then looked to be fading. Bahain and Berrest made the most of it, pushing into first. Croatia held on to second with the United States, in third, being the final qualifying boat.

Semifinal two opened with a fast-starting Egyptian crew. Egypt continued to hold on to the lead through the first 700m of the race before Olympic medallists, Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham of Great Britain pushed into the lead using a solid 35 stroke rate pace. France managed to get three boats into the semifinal and their third crew of 2006 world champions, Jean-Baptiste Macquet and Adrien Hardy, were contesting this semi. Moving through the field Macquet and Hardy had found second place just ahead of Croatia with 500m left to row.

In the sprint for the finish Rowbotham and Wells upped their rating to 39 to hold off Croatia’s David Sain and Damir Martin who were now challenging Macquet and Hardy. At the line Great Britain take first with Croatia and France finishing practically on top of each other, Croatia just ahead of France. These three crews are in tomorrow’s Final.

Men’s Four (M4-) – Repechage

The five crews racing in this repechage were all aiming for a top two finish as this would earn them a spot in the Final. Poland decided to use the lead-from-the start approach and shot out into the lead. This lead didn’t last as the two French crews moved into the leading two spots. France must be using this regatta in their crew selection process and in this race the French were definitely keeping an eye on each other. France2 crew held the edge going through the half-way point. Then Croatia joined in the French battle as France1 moved into the lead. At the line France1 had earned first with Croatia taking second. France2, in third, will miss out on the Final. After the finish French stroke Laurent Cadot could not row the boat back to the dock. The race had taken its toll.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Semifinal

Belgium’s Tim Maeyens went out hard in yesterday’s heat and suffered towards the end of the race, but today he bounced back to lead Semifinal One ahead of Olympic silver medallist Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. By the half-way point Maeyens had pulled out to an impressive four seconds over Synek with Stanislau Shcharbachenia of Belarus following in third.

Maeyens continued to dominate through the middle of the race when Synek, with 500m left to row, stopped completely. The Czech looked to have boat problems. Maeyens charged on crossing the line a good five seconds ahead of Shcharbachenia with Greece’s Ioannis Christou sneaking through to take third. Belgium, Belarus and Greece are in the Final.

Semifinal Two arguably had the tougher line-up. The entire field were Olympians with three of them being Olympic Champions. Norway’s Olaf Tufte is the reigning Olympic champion in this event. Iztok Cop of Slovenia is an Olympic champion in the double and Russia’s Sergey Fedorovtsev won Olympic gold in the quad in 2004. But at the start of the race it was Alan Campbell of Great Britain in the lead. Campbell continued to remain in front through the middle of the race keeping a convenient two-second advantage over Tufte in second.

Meanwhile Cop, who raced on this very course at the 1992 Olympic Games taking bronze in the men’s pair, was slipping from third to fourth under pressure from Angel Fournier Rodriguez of Cuba. Campbell remained in the lead moving further away from Tufte who was now having to keep an eye on Cuba. At the line Campbell, Tufte and Rodriguez qualify for the Final. At the back of the field, Olympic finalist Lassi Karonen of Sweden must be still recovering from knee problems as he could never move up on the field.  

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Repechages

The two repechages in this event required crews to finish in the top two if they wanted a spot in tomorrow’s Final. Greece grabbed the Spanish bull by the horns and shot out into the lead. Triantafyllia Kalampoka and Christina Giazitzidou are Greece’s new lightweight double following the post-Olympic retirement of Chrysi Biskitzi. Following in second was Sophie Hosking and Andrea Dennis of Great Britain. They are also a new double combination for their nation having rowed in the lightweight quad last year. Coming through the middle of the race there was nothing between Greece and Great Britain with the Netherlands’ young crew in third. The Dutch duo have been rowing just three years and were ‘headhunted’ to be in this boat with hopes of them following their country’s gold medal Olympic success last year.

Coming into the final sprint Great Britain had got their nose ahead of Greece. Both were rating 35. Greece them upped their rating to 37 and fought back. Great Britain went to 39. A photo finish gave the Greeks the edge. Both boats will be in the Final.

The second repechage was just as exciting. Canada’s new combination of Lindsay Jennerich and Sheryl Preston got out in front at the start and held the lead through the middle of the race. Jennerich was unlucky not to get selected for the Olympic double and has come back this year to prove her worth. With 500m left to row Canada remained in front holding the edge over Magdalena Kemnitz and Agnieszka Renc of Poland’s second crew. Both crews sprinted to the line with the United States and Poland1 still very much on the pace.

Luckily for Canada the order did not change. Canada and Poland2 will be in the Final.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Semifinal

Douglas Vandor and Cameron Sylvester of Canada raced at the Beijing Olympics but never made it to the Final due to illness. They are back together this year and fronted up in semifinal one. Not only that, they fronted up in the lead ahead of Great Britain’s new combination of Robert Williams and Paul Mattick. Greece followed in third.

By the final 500m Canada had got half a boat over Great Britain with Greece now slipping back under pressure from the Netherlands. Then Italy2 came to life. Tommaso Sacchini and Davide Babboni were giving it their all in an attempt to qualify for the Final. At the line Canada and Great Britain take the top two spots with Italy also qualifying, their big final push being successful.

Semifinal Two added another Italian boat to the Final. This time Italy1 of Marcello Miani and Elia Luini took the lead over France’s Maxime Goisset and Stany Delayre. With Miani and Luini in the lead, two French crews held a private battle for second. Going neck and neck Goisset and Delayre remained under constant pressure from France2 of Brice Menet and Pierre-Etienne Pollez. At the line Italy had earned a spot in the Final along with two French crews. France1 will have to come up with a special plan if they want to again be ahead of France2 in tomorrow’s Final.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Repechages

The two repechages in this event required a top two finish if crews wanted to be competing in tomorrow’s Final and, like good lightweight racing, both races were very tight and stroke rates were high. Repechage One got underway in the slight headwind conditions at the start with Italy One leaving the starters blocks just a smidgen ahead of France. Italy was still rating 40 strokes per minute after 500m. Could they hold this pace? At the halfway point the margins remained close. Italy was still just in front with Spain now in second having pushed ahead of France. Canada also held the pace.

Coming into the final sprint Italy had gained a tiny bit of an edge but not enough to feel comfortable. Spain, to the delight of the crowd, remained in touch and France was charging at a 40 stroke rate. At the line the order had not changed. Italy and Spain are in the Final.

Repechage Two was all about rating high and getting to the line in the top two spots. Denmark’s new lightweight line-up took the early lead with the main challenge coming from Great Britain and Switzerland. Going through the middle of the race no crew was relenting with Switzerland forcing the pace by overtaking Great Britain and going after Denmark.

Great Britain reacted back with strength and found the lead. Denmark and Switzerland both took their rating to 39. No crew was giving up. A slightly more efficient Danish crew got to the line first. Great Britain followed in second and an unlucky Swiss crew finished third. This young Swiss crew is part of a development project looking to qualify in three years time for the London Olympics.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – B Final

Great Britain’s Laura Greenhalgh made easy work of the B Final after overtaking the fast-starting Gabriela Mosqueira of Paraguay. By the halfway point Greenhalgh had open water over the rest of the field. Greenhalgh, 23, raced last year in the quad and today she finished easily ahead of France’s Coralie Simon to be ranked seventh overall at this regatta.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – B Final

Daniele Gilardoni of Italy currently sits in the top ten list of male rowers having racked up numerous world championship titles from the lightweight men’s quad. Today in the single he led the B Final from start to finish. Gilardoni held just enough of a lead that he was able to watch the drama going on behind him. The drama began when France’s second place was threatened by Spain and then by the United States. At the line Gilardoni can claim seventh overall at this regatta with Spain’s Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez holding on to second.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – B Final

Switzerland is showing a lightweight emphasis and today their pair led the B Final. As has been the Swiss style at this regatta, Simon Niepmann and Oliver Angehrn rated high to hold their lead. Canada clung ruthlessly on to the Swiss, but Niepmann and Angehrn held them off, enough so that they were able to pull away at the finish using a 39 stroke rate. Switzerland finish seventh overall.

Women’s Eight (W8+) – Race for Lanes

Two crews. Sixteen athletes. Two coxswain. Two boats. The race for lanes went entirely Great Britain’s way when they went up against Poland. At the finish line an open water gap had been earned by the British. Poland will have to do something very special to come back in tomorrow’s Final.