China shows lightweight power and Germany dominates the eights, Munich Rowing World Cup

Germany’s Elke Hipler and Christina Gerking added two medals to their collection after finishing second in the women’s pair and then returning later in the day to take gold in the eight. Dongxiang Xu of China also impressed by taking bronze in the women’s lightweight single and then coming back to win gold in the lightweight double.

Germany made it a double header by winning both the men’s and women’s eights and Germany and Australia collaborated to have Robert Sens win gold in the men’s double while his Australian wife, Catriona Sens, won silver in the women’s quad. This is how the finals panned out:

Lightweight Women Single Scull

A normally close race became a spread out procession with the arrival of Canada’s Tracy Cameron. Cameron was part of the gold medal quad last year, but in her first international season as a single sculler she has added a new element to the competition. Cameron commented after the semi-finals that she still had more to give never having tested her sprint. Today her early lead gave Cameron a chance to be in a position to watch the rest of the field.

Dongxiang Xu of China tried to stick with Cameron with Teresa Mas De Xaxars of Spain working her way up from the back of the field. Cameron, again, didn’t really need to test her sprint as Spain and China battled it out for second. Xu must have been feeling her heavy race schedule, which includes racing in the double later today, and she could not hold off Mas De Xaxars. Meanwhile semi-final winner Fabiane Albrecht of Switzerland had run out of steam.

Cameron adds a World Cup gold to her collection. Spain follows with silver and China wins bronze. Xu now goes away to rest up for the double. After the race Cameron said she hoped to move into the Olympic class double for the World Championships and also for the Beijing Olympics.

Lightweight Men’s Single Scull

Following his strong showing in the heats and semis, reigning World Champion and Greece’s most successful rower, Vasileios Polymeros surprisingly was not the first out of the starting blocks. Instead, this honour went to Gerard van der Linden of the Netherlands. Then Frederic Dufour found the lead. Dufour raced Polymeros at the Athens Olympics where they both picked up medals in the lightweight double.

Finally, as the 1,000 metre mark was passed, Polymeros found the lead and increased it stroke by stroke. Meanwhile Dufour was having a real battle with Great Britain’s Mark Hunter. Taking his rating to 39, Dufour managed to get ahead of Hunter, but Polymeros was well out of reach. Polymeros wins gold, Dufour silver and Hunter bronze.

After the race Dufour said, “It was a difficult race and my physical condition is not the best yet.” Dufour will row in the double at the next World Cup with Fabrice Moreau.

Lightweight Men’s Pair

Usually German colours play a more prominent place at the Munich World Cup as crews make the most of the home advantage. Today the German fans had to wait until this race to show their colours and the German pair did it in fine style by taking off at the head of the field. Felix Otto and Ole Rueckbrodt of Germany come to this event after two years of winning the under-23 lightweight four. With Germany in front Denmark had an early strong showing, but soon slipped back with Great Britain’s Nick English and Dave Currie slipping into second.

Through the body of the race Germany held a solid 32 while Great Britain maintained their pace at a 33. Coming into the final sprint Australia suddenly came alive. Tim Smith and Tim O’Callaghan popped up their stroke rate and went for gold. Germany’s lead, however, was too commanding. Otto and Rueckbrodt take gold, Smith and O’Callaghan win silver and English and Currie hold on for bronze.

After the race Otto commented, “We have been in the pair only two weeks. The decision is not yet made who will be in the pair or four and we are still hoping for a spot in the Olympic four.”

Women’s Single Scull (W1x)

Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus can now claim an unbroken winning streak ever since finishing second behind Kathrin Rutschow-Stomporowski at the Athens Olympics. With Rutschow-Stomporowski in retirement, and now looking after newly born twin boys, Karsten’s main competition has come from Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Despite a recent lack of competition Karsten hasn’t lost any of her technique, power or will to win.

Today Karsten continued her winning ways by taking off at the head of the field. But the real race was going on behind her. Knapkova and France’s Sophie Balmary had gone neck and neck in the semi-final yesterday and today it looked like the same scenario would play out. Balmary started out with the advantage and with 1,500 metres gone the world record holder on the indoor rowing machine, Balmary had a two second advantage. Coming into the final sprint Knapkova decided to put the heat on and in the sprint to the line Knapkova managed to slip into second. Balmary finished just a bow ball back in third.

Karsten adds another gold to her already hefty collection. Balmary goes back to replan her race strategy. 

Men’s Single Scull (M1x)

Sitting in the starting blocks was the Olympic Champion, Olaf Tufte of Norway, the 2002 World Champion and home favourite Marcel Hacker of Germany and last year’s bronze medallist Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. But as the race began only Synek was in the pack with single sculling newcomer Alan Campbell of Great Britain in the lead.

Was this going to be a race of the newcomers?

With Campbell in the lead Hacker decided to demonstrate what his winter training had done. Winter training that takes him to the mountains of Switzerland and the coastline of California. Pushing his way through to second Hacker went after Campbell. Meanwhile another newcomer to the single finals, but in the hunt since 2004, Lassi Karonen of Sweden was pushing forward.

As Campbell held on to first, Hacker upped the pressure. In a massive sprint to the line Campbell managed to hold on by the skin of his teeth with Hacker earning silver and a very happy Karonen holding off Tufte to finish with bronze.

Great Britain’s press release yesterday showed insight; "I think he's the best prospect in British rowing since Steve Redgrave hit the scene", said former Olympic gold medallist Martin Cross in Munich.

"I haven't seen pace like that from any British sculler ever", he added.  "You can't expect a young man like that to dominate all the races and hold the same form for the rest of the season but if he carries on improving he's definitely a medal prospect for Beijing".

Campbell himself said:  "I feel slightly surprised the races here have gone to plan.  Bill (Barry – Campbell's coach) and I have looked at the form of everyone else and we've stuck to our plan. So far it's worked really well.”

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Canada’s Darcy Marquardt and Jane Rumball had come though strongly from the heats and semis to be favourites in this event. Looking strong and in control the Canadians led the field. Behind them Australia’s Amber Bradley and Kate Hornsey led the way for their country. Through the middle of the race the pace set by the Canadians had given them a clear water lead over Bradley and Hornsey. This is when Germany decided to move. Christina Gerking and Elke Hipler of Germany also make up part of their country’s eight so they have seen a lot of racing over the last couple of days. Obviously Gerking and Hipler still had energy.

Coming into the final sprint Australia and Germany went head to head with Germany taking advantage of crowd support. At the line Canada had earned gold and the World Cup leaders’ jersey, Germany had silver and Australia finished just a fraction back with bronze. 

Men’s Pair (M2-)

Serbia & Montenegro’s Goran Jagar and Nikola Stojic have been making waves around the Munich course following their success in the last two days of racing and the rest of the field must have had a wary eye out for them. But it was South Africa’s Ramon Di Clemente and Don Cech that took an early lead at the start. This was a new look for Di Clemente and Cech who are known more for coming on strongly in the finishing 500 metres of a race. But there they were in the lead followed closely by Jagar and Stojic.

Twenty-one year old Jagar comes to senior rowing after being part of the winning under-23 champion four last year and pairing up with the more experienced (two-time Olympian) Stojic, who has been looking for a pairs partner, looks to be working.

With a piece in the third 500, Jagar and Stojic managed to haul in the South Africans and keep the pressure on. But pushing through in the final sprint was a new threat on the pair scene. Malcolm Howard of Canada raced to fourth last year in this event and has joined with new partner Kevin Light. Today they popped their rating up, looking like ¾ slide rowing, but it was working. At the line Jagar and Stojic claim gold, Howard and Light take silver and Di Clemente and Cech have to be content with bronze.

“Obviously,” said Cech after the finish, “both of us had problems and issues with the second half of the race.”

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

The fastest start went to Great Britain’s Annie Vernon and Anna Bebington and they continued the race as they had started – in the lead. But unrelenting and sitting right on their tail was Magdalena Schmude and 19 year old Stephanie Schiller of Germany. Moving through the half way point Germany did a piece and at 33 strokes per minute they took the lead. But the new stars of British rowing, Vernon and Bebington were not giving up.

Going neck and neck towards the line Great Britain fought back. Their fight paid off. Vernon and Bebington earn gold, Schmude and Schiller take silver and the Czech Republic draw through to earn bronze.

At the finish Marquardt commented, “The wind shifted quite a lot, but it was still a pretty good race for us.”

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

Germany’s Rene Bertram and Robert Sens looked to be the favourites coming through from the semis, but at the start of this final they were placed back in fourth. Instead the fast start honours had gone to Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet of France. Hardy and Macquet maintained this position as Germany began to come back. But there was very little between all six boats and even as the 1,000 metre mark came and went there was still nothing in it.

Bertram and Sens, direct from last year’s quad, continued to close the gap on the leaders using a high 38 stroke rate. It did the trick. With 1,500 metres gone they had found second as France’s number two crew began to fade. Great Britain and Hungary then joined in the chase and four boats went neck and neck for the line.

Germany prevailed with Hungary’s Akos Haller and Tibor Peto coming back to take second and Hardy and Macquet holding on for third.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Great Britain has not lost a race since this line up came together in 2004 and sometimes their winning margins have been formidable. Today this nearly changed when the fast starting British crew almost got caught out by a battle between Germany and the Netherlands.

Great Britain got out to their usual fast start and rated up around 39 strokes per minute with Germany hot on their heels and the favoured Canadians not far back. Germany then began to falter giving the Netherlands the second place and some maneuvering room. The Netherlands must have decided it was their chance to go after Great Britain and did a push. The finish line was coming into view when Germany decided the time was right to do some damage. Three crews charged. The crowd rose to their feet, Dogs barked in German support. A three-way photo finish.

Great Britain had held on to first. Germany had pushed through to second. The Netherlands were right there in third. Only half a second separated these three crews. The Germans looked elated. Were they back in the medal position that they had lost over the last couple of seasons?

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

The Chinese colours featured prominently. China One, Two and Three took up three of the six lanes. Along the shore a large group of Chinese team mates waited for the race. But shooting out at the start was Berit Carow and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany followed a bit back by Dongxiang Xu and Hua Yu of China One. Poland’s Magdalena Kemnitz and Ilona Mokronowska joined in the chase and these three boats worked at dropping the rest of the field.

At the half way point the leading order remained unchanged but Xu and Yu were starting to force the pace and with 1,500 metres left the Chinese had found the lead. Charging for the line Germany took up chase with Poland nipping at their heels. As they crossed the line with China in first, Xu had earned her second medal of the day, Germany earned silver and Poland bronze.

At the finish Carow commented, “We knew that the Chinese were very strong, but we hoped for a medal. We are very happy about silver.”

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Germany’s Joerg Lehnigk and Manuel Brehmer had decided that they were not going to let everything go Italy’s way. Elia Luini and Marcello Miani of Italy had come through from the semis as favourites and shooting out of the starting blocks in first, Germany stuck with them. With half the race gone Brehmer and Lehnigk had overtaken the Italians. Luini and Miani, however, showed the class that their World Champion titles demand of them and came back. Germany also was unrelenting and going through the 1,400 mark both boats were level. With 300 metres to go they were still level. With 100 metres to go Italy had a slight edge.

Then disaster struck. Ten metres from the finish Joerg Lehnigk caught a boat stopping crab. Recovering, only just, the Germans had enough time to get across the line in second before Daisaku Takeda and Takahiro Suda of Japan could get there. Italy wins their first gold of the day, Germany takes silver and Japan wins bronze.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

Great Britain’s race plan must have been to get out fast and hold on. Getting out fast is exactly what they did, and they held on. But, as is common in lightweight events, there was very little in it and going through the middle of the race Germany was only back by half a boat length. Moving up to 38 strokes per minute Germany worked their way past the British (rating 36)  with Ireland (at 39 strokes per minute) following in hot pursuit.

The winner was going to be decided by the final sprint. Germany continued to drive from the front. Ireland stuck with them. But the big surprise was driving down the outside lane. Australia finished fourth last year and with the return of Athens medallist, Ben Cureton, to the boat they have stepped up their game. At the line Germany had won, Ireland took second and Australia finished in third.

At the finish Stefan Mlecko, stroke of the German four, commented, “We tried to fight off the Irish, always rating around 38 strokes. At the end we brought it up to 41 and just managed to cross the line first.”

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

World Champions Great Britain had not yet had a chance to race the Australians. Bow seat for Australia, Catriona Sens had not been well for the Friday race for lanes. But today she was back in the boat completing the six lane field.

Australia, stroked by junior and under-23 champion Sally Kehoe, got off to the best start with Russia right on their tail. Great Britain seemed unfazed and by the half way point Great Britain, stroked by Britain’s most medalled woman, Katherine Grainger, had drawn into second. Rating a consistent 37 they continued to build their momentum with Australia sitting on 35 strokes per minute. Maybe having an Australian coach helped the Brits as they moved to a dominating lead.

Australia, meanwhile, had their own problems. Russia was storming down on them. At the line Great Britain were clear leaders. Australia earned silver and Russia take away gold.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Olympic Champions Russia did not fare so well in 2005 but they look like they could be back on form. Taking off at the head of the field under the rhythm of Sergey Fedorovtsev, Russia took control with only Italy able to match their pace.

The slow starting Czech Republic crew then found their pace and moved from last through the entire field, bar Russia, to find second. Coming into the last 500 metres the order had changed to Russia leading, the Czech Republic second and Italy in third. 

The Czech’s continued to move. Russia couldn’t respond and the Czech Republic earn their first gold medal of the day with Russia taking second. A late charge by Australia, in the outside lane, propelled them in front of the Italians to take third.

Fedorovtsev was pleased at the end of the race, “Our start was good and we improved all along until the end of the race. We plan to be amongst the medallists in Eton also.”

Women’s Eight (W8+)

The heats and semi-final races did not establish a clear favourite. Romania, Germany, Great Britain and Australia had all shown winning potential. It was anybody’s guess. Germany jumped out to an early lead. They were followed closely by Olympic Champions Romania while current World Champions, Australia, sat back in fourth.

As Australia battled with China and Great Britain, Germany continued at the head of the field followed closely by Romania. The final sprint was drawing close as Australia began to really kick it up. At the line Germany had held on to first. Romania takes second and Australia sprinted through to third.

Interestingly these three boats all had athletes who had doubled up to row the pair as well. 

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Poland was the surprise winner of the heat two days ago. Germany won the other. Today they raced each other for the first time in the final and it was Poland that grabbed the early lead with Germany sitting closely behind in second. As Great Britain dropped off the pace, Poland and Germany continued to lead the field. Coming into the final sprint Germany’s rating went up to 38 strokes per minute. Poland’s lead was under threat.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Australia was following a similar path to their women’s eight and moving up from the back of the field. An impressive sight of all six boats storming home led to a win by a more in control Germany with a stressed looking Poland taking silver and Australia grabbing third. Germany was elated. Longtime coxswain Peter Thiede stood up and saluted his crew.