Who to Watch at the 2008 World Rowing Championships

Linz/Ottensheim in Austria plays host and the racing starts 22 July. Finals for the international events will take place on Sunday 27 July while the junior finals will be on Saturday 26 July. Get ready for seven days of hot racing.

Women’s four (W4-)

Last the United States took gold in this event. They will be racing with a new crew at Linz, but with their track record it is likely that the Americans will do well. Watch out for Belarus. Sitting in the middle of their four are Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh. The duo are the current world champions in the pair and both have a strong track record. Germany is also a strong contender with Silke Guenther in stroke seat. Guenther went to the Athens Olympics in the eight and was part of the four that took silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships.

Men’s coxed pair (M2+)

This is an event made for powerful men and dominated by strong sweep rowing nations. Some describe it as doing leg presses for 2000m. Last year it was Poland that out-muscled other nations to become the world champions. The line up of David Paczes and Lukasz Kardas has returned although, at this years World Rowing Championships, they will be steered by new coxswain Pawel Lipowski. But Poland will need to watch out for Italy who are used to doing well in this event along with the powerful sweep rowing nations of Canada, Australia and the United States.

Lightweight women’s single (LW1x)

With the top lightweight women all crowded into the double and preparing for the Olympics, this event has been freed up for some new blood to come in especially in the absence of three-time world champion, Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands. Canada’s Lindsay Jennerich has had a good showing already this season and it is likely that she will be the one to beat. But, apart from some new names, there is the very experienced Michaela Taupe-Traer of Austria racing along with the equally experienced Pamela Weisshaupt of Switzerland and 2001 world champion in this event, Sinead Jennings of Ireland.

Lightweight men’s single (LM1x)

Jaap Schouten of the Netherlands has dominated the lightweight men’s single this season and goes to Linz with three wins from three Rowing World Cups in 2008. After Schouten’s first win this season he stated that a world champion title was his gold. This has been at the expense of reigning world champion Duncan Grant of New Zealand. Grant has been regularly on the medals podium but gold has so far eluded him. Grant, however, is not likely to let Schouten’s early season domination affect his ability to go after gold when it counts. A very well known name from the lightweight double, two-time Olympic champion Thomasz Kucharski of Poland missed out on qualifying for the Olympics this year and so has decided to go solo.

Lightweight men’s eight (LM8+)

The nine country line up is impressive as in recent years this event has struggled to get the numbers. On paper the Netherlands look to be the crew to beat as they come to Linz as the reigning world champions. But a strong challenge always comes from Italy and Germany and this year it is unlikely that these two strong lightweight nations will disappoint. Keep an eye out also for Australia. They will not send a crew to the other side of the world unless they know the crew has a medal chance. Australia has not featured in this event in recent years and all eyes will be on how they have come together this year.

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)

Italy’s Andrea Caianiello and Armando Dell’Aquila come to the World Rowing Championships directly from their success for the second time at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The duo are also reigning world champions. But Italy will have their work cut out for them this year as the field has strength and depth. Nikolaos and Apostolos Gkountoulas of Greece picked up a World Cup win last month at Poznan and Austria finished second. Japan has also been showing considerable strength and has reconstituted their World Cup medaling crew to come up with the best combination.

Lightweight women’s quad (LW4x)

Great Britain could be the crew to beat in this event. They won silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships and most recently picked up gold at the Poznan Rowing World Cup. Stroked by the very experienced Jane Hall, the British only has one change from the crew that picked up silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships. Watch out also for Germany who always boat a strong crew and Australia who are the reigning world champions and only have one change in the boat that came first last year.

Lightweight men’s quad (LM4x) Can anyone beat Italy? Being in the Italian lightweight men’s quad practically guarantees you a world champion title. Daniele Gilardoni knows this. He will be going after world champion title number nine in this event and is joined by a very talented line up of Italian lightweights including Franco Sancassani, Stefano Basalini and Daniele Danesin. The Czech Republic should give them a good run for their money. Jan and Ondrej Vetesnik usually race in the double, but not qualifying for the Olympics has meant they will race in Linz in the quad. France and Great Britain could also feature strongly in this event especially after winning medals at last years World Rowing Championships.