Men's Coxed four opens the B Finals in Racice

After Thursday’s storm, boat destruction to the men’s coxed four meant that the Final B was raced today. These boats took to the 2000m regatta course in near to ideal conditions. The water was flat, the wind was a slight tail cross wind, the sun was shining and the spectators were ready.

Men’s Coxed Four (BM4+) – Final B

Boat breakages following Thursday’s storm damage meant that this event was delayed by one day. Today these crews took to the water, many in borrowed boats that came from a rallying of rowing nations in finding new equipment. In the end all of these athletes got to race. The coxed four is a former Olympic event and the athletes here who move on in their sport are likely to move into the straight four. Today the Netherlands jumped off the start. The Dutch are known to play catch up, but this crew was fired up and although their lead at the start was small they managed to inch away.

Meanwhile, the three remaining crews were neck-and-neck. This remained the case coming into the third 500 when Brazil began to slip back. The Netherlands led Croatia across the finish line.

Results: NED, CRO, GBR, BRA

Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (BLW1x) – Final B

Norway’s Anniken Ellingsen just missed out on going under the magical eight minute mark when she came through to win in a time of 8:01. Ellingsen is in her third year on the Norwegian team. Although she skipped last year, in 2006 Ellingsen finished eighth in this event and today she managed to better herself by one place.

To find the lead Ellingsen had to come from behind, pushing past the Czech Republic, Canada and France. Switzerland’s Angelina Casanova tried to challenge but, rating 34 into the finish, Ellingsen stayed in front.

Results: NOR, SUI, CAN, CZE, FRA, VEN

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (BLM1x) – Final B

Hong Kong China’s Kwan Hoi Lok took a flying start over Ukraine’s Igor Khmara. But the tall Ukrainian soon pushed past and by the half way point only Ondrej Luzek of the Czech Republic was close to challenging him. Luzek is no slow poke. Earlier this season he raced at the senior Rowing World Cup in Munich and finished second. In a reflection of the high standards at this regatta, Luzek could only make the Final B here.

Luzek got his nose in front coming in to the final sprint and then tried to move away from Khmara. Both of these crews demonstrated long, loping strokes through the final metres. Both rated 31 strokes per minute. Luzek was stronger and finished first.

Results: CZE, UKR, CRO, HKG, DEN, GRE

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BLM4x) – Final B

Last year this was won by Denmark. This year the Danes raced in the Final B to a win, but not without pressure. The Czech Republic took off in the lead, before Sweden got their nose in front. There was very little in it, however as at the half way point less then two seconds separated the top five boats. Just Turkey was off the pace.

Denmark then used the third 500 to do a big piece and take over in the lead. Sweden hung on. So did Spain and the United States. The final sprint was close. Spain rated 41, the United States was on 36, Denmark struck 39 strokes per minute. Denmark managed to finish just a bow ball ahead of Sweden.

Results: DEN, SWE, USA, ESP, CZE, TUR

Women’s Single Sculls (BW1x) – Final B

Perhaps the biggest crowd of the morning, this Final B attracted 22 coaches and supporters on bikes following the race as well as what must have been a very fit coach running alongside. Poland’s Natalia Madaj jumped out at the start. Madaj raced in the double at the under 23 championships last year and won a bronze medal. Her time in the single started earlier this season at the Munich Rowing World Cup.

Coming through the middle of the race, American Helen Tompkins had got her nose into the lead. Tompkins is in her second year on the US national team, finishing sixth in this event last year. But in the heightened competition, Tompkins found herself in this year’s Final B. Tompkins and Madaj continued to fight it out to the line. Neither was relenting. Tompkins got to a 36 stroke rate sprint, Madaj was on 39. Madaj made it just ahead.

Results: POL, USA, DEN, NED, SRB, SUI

Men’s Single Sculls (BM1x) – Final B

Latvia’s Dairis Adamaitis leaped off the line in this event followed by Denis Pribyl of Russia. The Russian then got his boat into the lead with Adamaitis holding on for dear life. Coming into the final sprint Adamaitis was still right with Pribyl. But then Argentina and Belgium pressed their legs down and took off after the leaders. Russia tried to hold on but Latvia was struggling.

In the race for the line four crews were tightly packed. At the line Bram Dubois of Belgium had used his sprinting powers to finish first. This is Dubois’s fifth year on the national team and last year at the under 23 level he raced in the double. The change to the single makes him currently seventh in the world.

Results: BEL, RUS, ARG, LAT, CRO, UKR

Men’s Pairs (BM2-) – Final B

Murray Chandler and Lawrence Brittain of South Africa hoped to be in this afternoon’s Final A, but they made the best of this race by grabbing the lead and feeling the freedom of racing from the front. Behind them Great Britain’s James Foad and Mohamed Sbihi slipped into second but by the half way point it looked unlikely that they would be able to catch the South Africans. Foad and Sbihi, however, gave it a good shot. This caused the two leading boats to move away from the rest of the field.

In the lead Chandler and Brittain were able to keep an eye on the Brits and counter every move. The leading advantage paid off. Chandler and Brittain finished seventh overall in a very respectable time of 6:37.

Results: RSA, GBR, FRA, SLO, MDA, GEO

Men’s Double Sculls (BM2x) – Final B

Italy’s Gabriele Cagna raced last year as a junior in the quadruple sculls and won a silver medal. This year he has teamed up with newcomer to the national team, Daniele Zona and together they led the Final B from start to finish. Russia slipped into second and for the first half of the race threatened to overtake the Italians. But Italy appeared to have more stamina and had built up a boat length lead over Russia coming into the final sprint.

Italy closed the race with a 37 stroke rate sprint, enough to keep them ahead of Ivan Ustselemov and Dmitry Khmylnin of Russia on 36.

Results: ITA, RUS, CZE, CRO, LAT, BEL

Men’s Four (BM4-) – Final B

Croatia has a strong presence at this regatta and their style amongst the crews has been to not always lead at the start, but move up through the race. Today their men’s four got out reasonably quickly. But it was France and Serbia who showed initial boat speed. Croatia, stroked by Bojan Malic who last raced internationally as a junior in 2006, came through to take control in the middle of the race. France held doggedly on. In a mad dash to the line the Croatians raised their stroke rate to 38, France matched them and Serbia held on at 37. Croatia had done just enough to win.

Results: CRO, FRA, SRB, CZE, GBR, DEN

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (BLW2x) – Final B

Olivia Wyss of Switzerland won bronze in this event last year. Today, teamed up with Deborah Birrer they took control of the Final B. Birrer comes from her country’s lightweight quadruple sculls and at the Munich Rowing World Cup, Birrer was part of the silver medal crew. The duo held off challenges from the long striding strokes of the New Zealanders and had just enough at the end to cross the line in first. New Zealand, rating a heady 37 stroke rate had given just a bit too much away through the middle of the race to catch the Swiss.

Results: SUI, NZL, CAN, DEN, IRI, USA

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (BLM2x) – Final B

Spain have consistently boated crews in this event and today Arnau Bertran Sastre and Daniel Sigurboernsson Benet raced at the head of the Final B. The duo, however did not have an easy time of it. At the start less than two seconds separated the top five boats and as the race went on there were still two crews strongly challenging the Spanish lead. Then coming though the third 500 Norway laid down a huge challenge and got within inches of overtaking. Spain fought back. Raising their stroke rate to 40, Spain held on to finish first, just over two seconds outside of the World Best Time.

Results: ESP, NOR, GBR, SUI, DEN, JPN

Lightweight Men’s Four (BLM4-) – Final B

Australia has travelled a long way to be at this event and they have brought with them a loud and enthusiastic support team. This support got them off the line and out in front over Denmark and Italy. Stroke for Australia, Perry Ward helped keep his boat in the lead but they seemed unprepared for the final sprint. With Denmark and Italy always remaining close and racing in adjacent lanes – five and six – the two crews closed on Australia.

Australia’s supporters urged their crew on. At the line the 38 stroke rate of Italy had earned them first place.

Results: ITA, DEN, AUS, USA, CAN, BRA

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BM4x) – Final B

The race began with six even crews. The race ended just under five minutes later in a photo finish for third and many changes in position. The Swiss got away first with Latvia taking over in the lead through the middle of the race. Poland then moved up leaving Switzerland to fight it out with the Dutch. Coming into the final sprint Latvia still had the edge with Italy, the Netherlands and Poland now neck-and-neck.

Stroke rates rose. Italy and the Dutch were on 37 strokes per minute. Latvia held on. Latvia crossed the line in first, followed by Italy with Poland just beating the Dutch in the photo finish.

Results: LAT, ITA, POL, NED, SUI, RUS