B Finals at the Under 23 Champs

Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (BLW1x)

Neyland Ozturk of Turkey started the race with the fastest opening sprint, but she was soon overhauled by the more experienced Florin Hirnschall of Austria in her second year of under 23 competition. Norway’s Anniken Ellingsen also took chase and closed the gap on Hirnschall in the third 500. But the very controlled Hirnschall was able to pull away and cross the line in seventh overall at a comfortable 29 stroke rate.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (BLM1x)

Closing in on the seven minute time, the six rowers in the B Final showed their speed and competitiveness. After an opening lead by Mikas Razmislavicius of Lithuania, in his fourth year of under 23 competition, Switzerland’s Mario Gyr took over and held off a solid challenge by Sophus Johannesen of Denmark to become seventh in the world overall. This is Gyr’s fourth year of international competition and his seventh place comes after finishing sixth in the lightweight quad last year.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (BLM2-)

The crowd was right behind Ruben De Gendt and Olivier Ek of Belgium as they pushed through to lead this B Final and they did it in beautiful form using long, flowing strokes. But Demark’s Ulrich Hoegsted and Martin Batenburg were pulling off a negative splitting second half that got them closer and closer to the Belgians. The crowd went wild as Denmark took their rating to 40. In a photo finish Ek and De Gendt had held on to first by a mere inch. Denmark become eighth in the world overall, Belgium seventh.

Women’s Single Sculls (BW1x)

There seems to be a trend forming that the winner comes about by having the best second half of the race and Gabriela Best of Argentina proved this when she sat at the back of the field – seven seconds down – before coming alive and sprinting past leader Volha Ustsinenka of Belarus to win. Ustsinenka could not react and Best finishes seventh in the world, improving on her last year’s finish by four spots.

Men’s Single Sculls (BM1x)

Arnold Sobczak of Poland went head to head with Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania going through the halfway point at an almost identical time of 3:28. Sobczak, however, didn’t quite have it for the second half as Great Britain’s Alex Gregory came into his own and went after Griskonis. But Griskonis was comfortably in the lead finishing seventh overall, a drop from last year’s fourth place finish.

Men’s Pairs (BM2-)

An aggressive first 1000 did not bode well for Belarus. First Ante Janjic and Mate Mogus of Croatia took over followed by Italy and then in the final sprint Russia. Janic and Mogus come from last year’s fourth-placed coxed four and they ended their second year at the under 23 level by easily winning the B Final. Italy and Russia went to a photo finish for the next two spots.

Women's Double Sculls (BW2x)

At the head of the field Ukraine and Lithuania went head to head for the full 2000 metres and were then joined in the final sprint by Australia, Italy and Latvia. In one of the closest finishes of the day no one could pick between the five boats. The photo finish showed Ukraine taking first on the final stroke.

Men’s Double Sculls (BM2x)

There was nothing in it between France and the Netherlands at the head of the field. First the Dutch took the lead, but the French fought back using the advice of their Olympic Champion coach Sebastian Vieilledent. The better French tactics and higher finishing rating gave them the edge at the finish. France ends these championships in seventh overall.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (BLM2x)

France started off in the lead before Jure Cvet and Luka Pristov of Slovenia pulled out a massive piece before the 1000 metre mark to take first with Germany sticking to the pace. Decided in the final sprint, Fabien Dufour and Quentin Colard of France got their rating up to 39 with Slovenia fighting back. France take first, Germany push past Slovenia to take second and Cvet and Pristov take third.

Lightweight Men’s Fours (BLM4-)

Leading for the majority of the race, Switzerland lost it to a flying United States crew that came through in the last two strokes of the race. Patrick Ruby, Scott Wallen and Andrew Diebold of the United States finish their first ever international competition as seventh in the world. Stroke Greg McKallagat continues from where he left off as an American junior representative.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BM4x)

Slovenia finished off the B Finals in a show of beautiful rowing by overtaking Latvia and holding onto the lead in a race that ended in a flurry of boats and oars and rowers and a crab in the last 20 metres by Italy.