Germany back on top at Junior World Champs

Last year at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Beijing, China dominated the finals. Germany, who normally do very well, slipped back. This year the Chinese did not send a team and Germany was represented in every one of the 13 finals in Linz/Ottensheim. They finished with 12 medals, eight of them gold. In great rowing conditions of flat water, warm temperatures, around 22 degrees Celsius and very little wind, Germany celebrated.

Junior Women’s Four (JW4-)

In front of a packed grandstand New Zealand set the standard for fast and exciting racing. The New Zealanders had finished just outside of the medals in fourth last year, but they were determined to change that this year. Getting out first at the start, however, was Italy. The confident Italians had a handy lead by the half-way point with New Zealand in second followed by 2007 silver medallists Germany in third.

New Zealand then started to move. They must have been saving something for the second half of the race as with 500m left to row, New Zealand had closed the gap on Italy and they continued to move. It was neck-and-neck with 300m remaining and rating 39 New Zealand moved again. Just 250m before the line New Zealand had pushed ahead of the Italians. The crowd was yelling, the Italians couldn’t hold on. Great Britain charged and took third. New Zealand takes the first World Championship title for 2008 and some appreciative supporters performed the haka.

Results: NZL, ITA, GBR, GER, AUS, USA

Junior Men’s Coxed Four (JM4+)

Germany got out in front at the start, but they were chased very hard by Great Britain. The two crews settled into a rhythm matching each other stroke for stroke at a 34 rating. Coming through to the middle of the race Great Britain’s coxswain Max Gander called for more. He got it. Great Britain moved into the lead. Meanwhile Serbia, last year’s World Champions Italy and Ukraine were tracking each other closely for the bronze medal spot.

At the head of the field, Germany, who finished with bronze last year, fought back and pulled ahead of Great Britain. The race was on to the line. Great Britain was running out of steam. Germany had done it. The German national anthem plays for the first time.

Results: GER, GBR, UKR, SRB, ITA, FRA

Gold: Niclas ORLOWSKI (GER)
"We feel very light, we’ve made it and we’re happy.”

Silver: Toby MUMFORD (GBR)
“I couldn't believe that we reached the second place.”

Bronze: Anatoliy VASYLYEV (UKR)
“I am only very happy.”

Junior Women’s Single Sculls (JW1x)

Coming into this final there was little doubt about the talent of Carina Baer of Germany. She had dominated her heat and semifinal. What would she do in the Final? Baer jumped out at the start and almost instantly got a handy lead. By the half-way point Baer felt confident enough in her position to drop her rating down to 28 strokes per minute. Meanwhile Cara Linnenkohl of the United States had worked her way back from a slow start to come into second behind Baer. This is Linnenkohl’s first year racing on the junior team and, in an event that is not an American forte, Linnenkohl was making her mark.

Coming into the final 500m Baer remained in first with an open-water lead back to Linnenkohl in second and the only rower in this Final to be in her second year in the single, Tale Gjoertz of Norway. Gjoertz finishes two positions better than in 2007 and Linnenkohl makes the highest spot ever by an American rower in this event.

Results: GER, USA, NOR, ROU, AUS, CRO

Gold: Carina BAER (GER)
“I just couldn't believe that it is true. And it's over and it was amazing.”

Silver: Cara LINNENKOHL (USA)
“Thank God. It's over. I had to fight like David and Goliath.”

Bronze: Tale GJOERTZ (NOR)
“It was a hard race and I didn't think that the USA would be so strong.”

Junior Men’s Single Sculls (JM1x)

The reigning World Champion, Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Aleksandrov, seemed supremely confident coming through the heats and semifinals. He did just enough to stay ahead of his next fastest opponent, knowing that at any point he could increase his stroke rate and move away. Today, however, was a different story for Aleksandrov. At the start Australia’s Taylor Wilczynski and Hagen Rothe of Germany were ahead of the Bulgarian. Aleksandrov had to pour on the power.

By the half-way point Aleksandrov had moved into the lead but Rothe was not letting him get away. In the two centre lanes Bulgaria and Germany moved together, Aleksandrov trying to shake Rothe, Rothe holding on with grim determination. Coming into the line Wilczynski had dropped completely off the pace, but his pressure earlier in the race had put him well ahead of the rest of the field. Bulgaria and Germany continued to battle. Aleksandrov was finally really having to race. At the line Bulgaria, in his fourth year as a junior, takes gold again. An exhausted but happy Rothe earns silver and a big cheer during the medals ceremony and Wilczynski had held on to bronze.

Results: BUL, GER, AUS, SRB, POL, BLR

Gold: Aleksandar ALEKSANDROV (BUL)
“It's overwhelming. I just can't talk.”

Bronze: Taylor WILCZYNSKI (AUS)
“In the second part of the race I lost the race. And I'm not happy about that.”

Junior Women’s Pair (JW2-)

Anja Broders and Ronja Schuette of Germany come to the Final with confidence. They had beaten Romania in the heats and got to go directly to the Final. At the start Broders and Schuette took the lead with Belarus following closely. Belarus (Katsiaryna Yarmolich and Tatsiana Kukhta), who had to qualify through the repechage, were still with the Germans at the half-way point.

With half the race now gone Yarmolich and Kukhta began to fade. Romania’s Cristina Grigoras and Andreea Boghian, on the other hand, were moving fast, their long and strong strokes making an impact on Germany’s lead. Broders and Schuetter raced last year to silver in the four and they were not going to let Romania deny them of gold this year. But Grigoras and Boghian pushed hard, momentarily taking the lead. Broders and Schuetter pushed back. At the line Germany had just done it over Romania in second and Belarus slips right back but holds on to third.

Results: GER, ROU, BLR, BUL, AUT, LAT

Gold: Anja BRODERS, Ronja SCHUETTE (GER)
“The race is over, we are very happy. In the last 500 meters we had to fight a lot.”

Bronze: Tatsiana KUKHTA (BLR)
“It was a hard race and now we are very happy.”

Junior Men’s Pair (JM2-)

Vasileios Ntalamagkas, 17, and Apostolos Lampridis, 16, of Greece are racing for the first time on the junior national team. After winning their semifinal they were looking confident for today’s final. And confident they were. Ntalamagkas and Lampridis jumped off the line in first taking a slight edge on the rest of the field. The remaining five boats meanwhile were all on top of one another. Germany had a very slight edge over Slovenia, while Australia and the United States were neck-and-neck with France also in the picture.

Going through the middle of the race the United States had closed on the Greeks with France and Slovenia slipping back off the pace. Then Germany (Frederik Prigge and Lukas Oberhausen) and Australia began to move. Of these six boats Germany is the only boat that was in the Final last year and they wanted to show what they had. Australia overtook Germany briefly, but Germany would fight back.

At the line Ntalamagkas and Lampridis become junior World Champions, Prigge and Oberhausen take silver by passing Australia’s Ryan Edwards and Matthew Dignan two strokes before the line. The Greeks came prepared for the medal ceremony. Taking a flag out of their boat, they carried it to the podium.

Results: GRE, GER, AUS, USA, FRA, SLO

Gold: Apostolos LAMPRIDIS (GRE)
“Very good, absolutely crazy and fantastic. It was long and hard training to reach this place.”

Silver: Frederik PRIGGE, Lukas OBERHAUSEN (GER)
“Amazingly good – nothing else.”

Junior Women’s Double Sculls (JW2x)

Lisa Farthofer and Magdalena Lobnig of Austria had become the home-crowd favourites coming into today’s Final. They had won their semifinal and were looking good for a medal. Farthofer’s mother commented before the race that she was so nervous she was counting the minutes until the start. Austria burst out at the start, but by the first 500m marker, Clara Karches and Mareike Adams of Germany had taken over in the lead. Rating 37 strokes per minute, Germany remained in first. Austria, on 34 strokes per minute, stayed in second with Karches and Adams just a bit too strong for the rest of the field.

As Germany continued to lead by a large margin, Austria tried to hold off Italy who were challenging for second. The local supporters in the grandstand went wild, urging Austria on. At the line Austria had held off Italy. Germany take gold and Italy take bronze.

Results: GER, AUT, ITA, BUL, GBR, POL

Gold: Clara KARCHES, Mareike ADAMS (GER)
“The first thought was we are World Champions. We had to work very hard for this.”

Silver: Magdalena LOBNIG (AUT)
“I am very happy.”

Silver: Lisa FARTHOFER (AUT)
“It was in the beginning that we knew we might not win the race anymore.”

Bronze: Eleonora TRIVELLA, Martina FERRARINI (ITA)
“We have been rowing for a long time together, and it's the first time we are in the finals. We just can't realize that we won the third place. We are so happy.”

Junior Men’s Double Sculls (JM2x)

In 2007, Germany, who usually dominate the junior champs, suffered in the hands of a strong Chinese team. The men’s double was one of the only races that Germany beat China in. Today, in the absence of China, Germany aimed to defend that title. With two new rowers in the boat, Martin Menger and Lauritz Schoof had come through from the semifinals in first. Today they left the starting blocks right behind Nerijus Vasiliauskas and Algirdas Bendaravicius of Lithuania.

Menger and Schoof had soon pushed ahead of the Lithuanians with Australia’s Nicholas Barnier and Sasha Belonogoff also on the pace. Romania gave a good go at it, but, like Slovenia, began to fade in the second 1000m. This left the real battle to go on between Germany, Lithuania and Australia. Coming into the final sprint Vasiliauskas and Bendaravicius did all that they could to get into the lead. Germany did all that they could to prevent this. Germany take gold, Lithuania silver and Australia earn bronze.

Results: GER, LTU, AUS, SLO, ROU, CRO

Gold: Martin MENGER, Lauritz SCHOOF (GER)
“At the 1000 meters mark we hoped that the race would be over soon. It was the last race and now we are very satisfied.”

Silver: Nerijus VASILIAUSKAS, Algirdas BENDARAVICIUS (LTU)
“We are only very happy.”

Junior Men’s Four (JM4-)

Coming into this final there was every indication that it would be close. The finishing times in the semifinal meant that no one boat would be able to dominate. At the start Australia was the first to show with the lower-rating Romanians moving with them. Then, picking up their stroke rate to 38, Romania really began to move. They pushed past Australia, rating 35, to take the lead with Great Britain now moving into the picture.

Romania remained in the lead with 500m left to row with now Germany and Spain moving up to be the biggest threat. Then Spain let rip. Taking their stroke rate to 42, they caught the rest of the field off guard. Spain closed the gap on Germany and then went after Romania. Their rating topping out at 47, Spain had done it. Spain take gold, Romania earn silver and Germany hold on to bronze ahead of Australia.

At the line the Spanish crew could not contain themselves. Two seat Rafael Moron Romero jumped in the water in happiness. Defending World Champions, Great Britain, looked very disappointed.

Results: ESP, ROU, GER, AUS, GBR, GRE

Gold: Antonio GUZMAN (ESP)
“We have been rowing for 3 months in this team and it was wonderful. I’ve been rowing for six years and it´s my first victory.”

Bronze: Richard LORENZ (GER)
“From the beginning of the race until the end everything was open. It was a hard race but we are happy.”

Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls (JW4x)

A foot plate problem in the Italian boat delayed the start of this race but, once it got going, it was no surprise to see Germany in the lead. The German quad had absolutely dominated every race in the lead-up and as reigning World Champions, there was every reason they would defend it masterfully.

Belarus, who finished second last year, slotted into second with New Zealand following in third. Going through the middle of the race, Germany had gained a full five-second lead and they continued to move ahead. Coming into the close of the race Germany had two boat lengths of open water over Belarus in second. By the finish Julia Lier, Maren Stallkamp, Marie-Catherine Arnould and Ulrike Toerpsch of Germany had three boat lengths to defend their World Championship title. Belarus follow in second and New Zealand take the bronze.

Results: GER, BLR, NZL, BEL, GRE, ITA

Gold: Julia LIER, Ulrike TOERPSCH (GER)
“We are very happy and satisfied. The gold medal is the reward for the hard fight.”

Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls (JM4x)

Germany finished fifth in this event last year but leading up to today’s Final, the Germans had shown to be strong. Germany left the starting blocks in first with Italy and Switzerland following very closely. Through the middle of the race Germany held on to first as the Netherlands moved up to overtake Switzerland and go after Italy. The gap between Italy and the Dutch got smaller and smaller. Italy, rating 36, knew that they had to keep the pressure on every stroke.

Coming into the final sprint the Italians had decided to stop worrying about the Dutch and instead go after the Germans and the gold medal. Italy took their stroke rate to 43 and charged. Germany held them off. The Germans earn their seventh gold medal of the day. Italy take silver and the Netherlands take bronze. In celebration the Dutch demonstrate their synchronized boat dance after the finish while Italy celebrated by jumping in the water.

Results: GER, ITA, NED, SUI, FRA, LAT

Gold: Hubert TRZYBINSKI (GER)
“It was a surprise but we are very happy.”

Silver: Bernardo MICCOLI, Mario PAONESSA, Gabriele CAGNA,
Giuseppe VICARI (ITA)
“We hoped to win but it was a strong and hard race and we are happy to reach the second place.”

Bronze: Allard VAN DEN HOVEN, Daan BRUEHL, Dirk UITTENBOGAARD,
Freek ROBBERS (NED)
“Finally finished. We wanted more but in the end it is a good place.”

Junior Women’s Eight (JW8+)

In the race for lanes earlier in the week, the United States crossed the line in first. Today, in the Final, Germany got off to the fastest start, but soon lost it to Romania with the United States following in third. The Romanians held this lead through to the middle of the race. But crossing through the 1000m mark Romania’s lead, now over the United States in second, was less than half a second. Meanwhile Germany began to slip back.

Going through the 1500m mark the United States did a big push and got ahead of Romania. The USA then proceeded to move away from the reigning World Champions, Romania. Germany held on to third. At the line the United States had won their gold medal of the day. Romania earn silver and Germany finish back in third.

Results: USA, ROU, GER, FRA, RUS

Gold: Cristina FELIX (USA)
“We couldn't believe it.”

Junior Men’s Eight (JM8+)

The United States got off to the best start. They had come to the Final directly from the heats and with three days off from racing they were raring to go. But by the 500m mark, the Germans had taken the lead. Germany are the reigning World Champions and, like the Americans, had qualified directly from the heats. Germany remained in the lead rating 37 to the United States’ 35 strokes per minute.

Coming into the final sprint the Germans continued to lead with a very close battle going on between the United States and last year’s silver medallists New Zealand. Taking their rating to 42 strokes per minute, New Zealand overtook the Americans. The USA then had to worry about Italy. Germany crossed the line first to defend their title. New Zealand take silver again and the United States earn bronze.

Results: GER, NZL, USA, ITA, GBR, ESP

Gold: Max PLANER (GER)
“It was a hard race. And it's just an amazing moment, we are happy.”