15 Dec 2011
Lightweights and lesser finals: Rowing World Cup III
The second day of racing began with semifinals followed by D and C Finals.
Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Semifinal
Sonia Boubeta of Spain rowed as a junior 10 years ago, took a break and is back on the international scene giving the single a go for the first time. It must be working for her. Today, Boubeta stepped up into first place of the first semifinal beating out rowing stalwart (10 years in international competition) Pamela Weisshaupt of Switzerland. Just behind, and in the remaining qualifying spot, Teresa Mas de Xaxars of Spain will join her compatriot in the final.
Reigning World Champion and Olympic medallist Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands made easy work of the second semi. Getting ahead of Italy’s Erika Bello at the start, van Eupen did just enough work to gain a margin and then sit on the field, cruising home at an easy 24 strokes per minute. Bello, 30, had made a comeback to rowing after going into retirement following the 1996 Olympics. Today she advances to tonight’s A Final along with Switzerland’s rising lightweight star, Fabiane Albrecht (A Final finisher at the last Rowing World Cup).
Back from injury and at his first international regatta this season Under-23 Champion Zac Purchase of Great Britain had a storming season in 2005 finishing with a silver at the senior World Rowing Championships. Today he set the fastest qualifying time by leading over two-time Olympian Juan Zunzunegui Guimerans of Spain. Behind Zunzunegui a very tight three-way battle went on for the final qualifying spot. There was nothing in it between Germany’s Jonathan Koch, Canada and France. A more consistent race by Koch, in his first year at the senior level, gave him a birth in the A Final.
Winning the second semifinal in a time just a smidgen slower than Purchase, Canada’s Douglas Vandor adds single sculling to his international experience. The versatile Vandor has competed in every lightweight event now that he adds the single to his repertoire. Behind Vandor, Gerard van der Linden of the Netherlands held onto Vandor’s pace. Van der Linden comes to Lucerne following a semifinal finish at the Henley last weekend. Pushing past Greece, Michael Weiler of Germany gains the final qualifying spot.
At the back of the field Great Britain’s Tim Male stopped rowing with about 600 metres left to rowing coming into the finish at paddle pace.
C and D Finals
The morning of racing followed with lesser finals and the depth of men’s four racing was demonstrated in the D Final when the Czech Republic and Spain went head to head taking the race to a photo finish with the Czech Republic only getting the lead in the last three strokes.
A solid race also went on in the men’s single C Final. Established names in international rowing, Ralph Kreibich of Austria first raced internationally in 1992 and has been plugging away ever since. Today Kreibich records a 13th place overall finish. Finland’s Jaakko Hasu first came onto the international scene in 2002 and is still working his way up into a B Final. Hungary’s Gabor Bencsik has an Olympic Games under his belt (M2x) and today finished 15th overall as a single sculler.
Depth of the men’s double, perhaps at the expense of an underrepresented quad event, was impressive. Winning the C Final. Pavel Shurmei and Valery Radzevich of Belarus finished with a respectable time of 6.28.
Last year’s captain of the Italian men’s eight Raffaello Leonardo sat in stroke seat of the men’s four for this regatta taking his crew to a first place finish in the C Final over Great Britain’s number two crew who will all be aiming for their country’s eight.
Russia’s fast start in the lightweight men’s double C Final was reeled back in through the middle of the race by the United States. Pushing the race to a photo finish, the United States, rating two notches higher than Russia at 40, got the edge in the last 20 metres.