Crabs and a dead heat at the World Rowing Champs

On the first day of semifinals the final 500 metre sprint for many turned to mayhem as crews struggled to take their stroke rate up in the rush to qualify for the final. Germany’s Hacker stuttered, South Africa’s men’s pair lost their rhythm, Sens and Bertram of Germany lost their spot in the final, Canada’s men’s four also missed out following a bad stroke.

Adding to the excitement the first semifinal of the men’s four ended in a brutal two-boat re-row when the United States and New Zealand crossed the line with identical times.

Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (LW1x) – Semifinals

It was nothing short of thrilling for the opening semifinal race when a four-boat fight took the race to a photo finish. Cuba’s Ismaray Marrero Aria had the early lead with her unique two-part stroke style, but was soon overtaken by reigning World Champion Marit van Eupen of the Netherlands. Then Switzerland’s Pamela Weisshaupt pushed ahead to take the lead. The gap between the leaders remained tight, so tight in fact that coming into the last 500 metres barely half a second separated the top four crews with Spain’s Teresa Mas De Xaxars now the challenger for the lead.

With just six buoys to go van Eupen, Marrero, Mas De Xaxars and Weisshaupt were absolutely dead even. All four rowers were glancing out at each other. All four boats charged. Who had the ending sprint? There was nothing in it at the line as officials consulted the photo finish. All four boats waited for the announcement. Weisshaupt looked the happiest. Marrero had missed out. Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain advance to the final.

If this is a sign of things to come, the final is going to be electrifying.

Semifinal two was totally different and all about one rower, Germany’s Berit Carow. Carow, in her fifth year of international competition, took off at a 41 stroke rate pace and after overtaking a fast start by Thailand, Carow established enough of a lead for herself that she was able to settle into a 28 stroke rate through the body of the race. This left Erika Bello of Italy, who last raced internationally at the 1996 Olympics, to hold on to second with France and Lisa Schlenker of the United States fighting it out for the final qualifying spot. A piece at the 1100 metre mark accelerated Schlenker into third as France totally ran out of steam. Still rating 28 Carow crossed in first, Bello comes through in second and Schlenker takes the third and final qualifying spot.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Semifinals

Zac Purchase of Great Britain is definitely the top medal contender coming into these World Rowing Championships and with the home crowd behind him, last year’s under 23 champion is loving it. But at the start of the first semifinal it was Greece’s Elias Pappas in the lead. Pappas comes to senior competition after being a B Final finisher at the 2004 under 23 regatta and his challenge to Purchase is a major step up. By the half-way point Purchase had pushed into the lead and moved away from Pappas.

Meanwhile a slow-starting Duncan Grant of New Zealand pulled out a piece just before the 1000 metre mark to move into third and ahead of Germany. The order stayed the same with Purchase prepared to come down to a comfortable 28 in the close of the race and let Pappas close the gap in second with Grant making further headway to qualify for the final from third.

Juan Zunzunegui Guimerans of Spain established himself as a force to be reckoned with when he took bronze at the Rowing World Cup in July. Today he continued to show his power by leading the second semifinal ahead of Oleksandr Serdiuk of Ukraine with Slovenia’s Bine Pislar sitting in third and holding a close battle with Gerard van der Linden of the Netherlands. As the final sprint came into view, the Spaniard was doing just enough to hold his position while Pislar sprinted to stay ahead of a charging van der Linden who in turn was being challenged by former World Champion (2000) Michal Vabrousek of the Czech Republic. Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands advance to the final.

This is going to be a close and exciting final with all finalist boats qualifying in a time of seven minutes or less with a spread of only four seconds. Purchase is the favourite.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Semifinals

It may look easy for Ekaterina Karsten, but Belarus’s most accomplished rower works to get her results. Today Karsten took off in semifinal one at an impressive 45 stroke rate to take an early lead keeping her rating at 40 for the first 200 metres. This left Frida Svensson of Sweden to slot into second keeping a wary eye on Michelle Guerette of the United States who followed in third. As these top three athletes settled into the body of the race, Svensson retained a low 30s rating similar to Guerette and Karsten and coming into the final sprint nothing had changed in the order of these three qualifying spots.

Karsten, her work done earlier in the race, then settled to a 29 pace while Svensson and Guerette faced a late race charge by Italy’s Gabriella Bascelli. Getting within a stone's throw of qualifying, the unlucky Bascelli stuttered just before the finish in these trying conditions. Karsten, Svensson and Guerette will go to the final.

After the finish Svensson said: "She’s a big girl (Karsten). She’s a lot older than me and a lot more experienced than I am, but I am pleased with my race today. I know I am smaller than the other girls, but I think I’m competitive. I think I’m rowing with good technique."

Leaping out at the start of the second semifinal, Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic, last year’s silver medallist, took to the lead stamping her authority on this race and leaving France’s Sophie Balmary to contemplate the role of being second. Balmary, sporting her trademark bright yellow socks, tried to challenge but appeared to run out of steam and under no threat from Julia Levina of Russia in third, France’s top single sculler remained well back in second. The race remained a procession as Knapkova, with the fastest qualifying time, crossed the line easily in first. Balmary takes second and Levina moves on to the final from third.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Semifinals

Marcel Hacker of Germany took off like a man possessed in the first of two semifinals. With his shaven head, dark glasses and a large cross dangling around his neck, Hacker was described by the commentator as a trifle sinister. This race plan was working for Hacker as he got a full boat length lead over current World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand. Hacker kept the power on, his rating at a high 38 stroke rate with every indication that he is well recovered from a recent hernia operation. Drysdale, rating 34, tried to stay in touch.

Meanwhile a close battle was going on between Belgium’s Time Maeyens, Switzerland's Andre Vonarburg and Sweden's Lassi Karonen, leaving the final qualifying spot completely open. With 500 metres left to row Hacker was still holding on to first, but a more evenly paced race by Drysdale was paying dividends. Drysdale had overlap and was pulling ahead of Hacker. In the heat of the moment Hacker had just one bad stroke. It was all that Drysdale needed. Pulling into the lead, Hacker was shaken. Drysdale takes first, Hacker second and a very impressive final sprint by Maeyens gave the Belgian a spot in the final.

After the finish Drysdale said: "The only race I won last year was the World Championship final, so ultimately everyone is in the same position to do that. Myself I had a good run to this spot, but you can’t take anything for granted. I’m looking forward to go and beat him (Tufte) to make up for the loss to him at Lucerne."

Hacker said: "I still raced hard. Any time in the semi final it is hard. It was very different conditions with it windy."
Q. How will you relax before the race? Hacker: "I chill out. I will be sleeping. I’m so relaxed I’m sleeping."

There’s no hiding Great Britain’s Alan Campbell’s powerful start. Taking off in the high 40s Campbell had the lead as he settled into the body of the race. But Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic, who had taken off out of the start at a 49 stroke rate, was looking good, looking confident and looking like his new cobweb hair style was helping him keep his cool. By the half-way point Synek had grabbed the lead as Norway’s Olaf Tufte came back from a slow start to move ahead of Campbell and into second. Synek remained in the lead, Tufte followed in second while Campbell found himself in a battle with Cuba. Coming into the final sprint Campbell remained outside of the qualification position as he began to wind. Cuba’s Yoennis Hernandez Arruez couldn’t react. Synek takes first, Tufte second and, much to the crowd’s delight, Campbell takes third to qualify.

After racing Synek said: "I am happy to be in the final. But it is (to be) a very different race because today was difficult because it was trying with the wind. I didn't expect to be ahead of Olaf."

Men’s Pair (M2-) – Semifinals

Yongquiang Zhang and Xiangdang Wang of China have made the rest of the field take note. They finished fourth at both Rowing World Cups that they entered this season and today they shot out in the lead giving current World Champions Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater of New Zealand something to think about. But Twaddle and Bridgewater kept their cool and by the half-way point had pushed a canvas ahead of the Chinese with South Africa’s Ramon Di Clemente and Don Cech following in third.

The early effort by Zhang and Wang was starting to take its toll and coming into the final sprint Germany’s Jochen Urban and Andreas Penkner had pushed through to second with South Africa taking chase. Zhang and Wang shortened their stroke to get their rating up, Urban and Penkner looked exhausted, Di Clemente and Cech then caught a boat-stopping crab, Twaddle and Bridgewater handled the conditions the best. New Zealand, China and Germany will be in the final.

Semifinal two opened, maybe not surprisingly, with Australia’s Drew Ginn and Duncan Free in the lead doing a Karsten-style get-your-nose-in-front and hope-you-don’t-have-to-sprint-at-the-end. Ginn hails from Australia’s celebrated Oarsome Foursome and won the pair at the Athens Olympics. Free has spent his international career as a sculler and raced the quad at Athens. Together they remained in the lead watching first Italy slip off the pace and then Great Britain’s Colin Smith and Tom James and then Canada’s Kevin Light and Malcolm Howard challenge for the lead.

In the final sprint Australia tried to maintain a 33 stroke rate to hold off the British and Canadian charge. Australia had enough of a lead to stay in front. Great Britain qualify from second and Canada hangs in there, literally, to earn the final qualifying spot.

After the race James said: "Yeah, we are very happy (with the race). We had an awful preparation heading it, so it is very relieving to me to make te final. And to be out there amongst the best rowers in the world."

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Semifinals

It was another day at the office for current world and Olympic Champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell of New Zealand. Following their formula race plan, the Evers-Swindells took the lead at the start rating a very solid 41 stroke rate. China attempted an early challenge, but the higher rating (a steady 35 stroke rate) New Zealanders soon left the Chinese behind. Australia (Liz Kell and Brooke Pratley) then found their stride and moved up to challenge the New Zealanders with Ukraine’s Natalia Ryzhkova and Yana Dementieva following suit.

In the final sprint New Zealand kept their rhythm even to cross the line first, Australia, struggling in the conditions, take second and Ukraine sprint through to take the third and final qualifying spot.

Britta Oppelt and Susanne Schmidt of Germany came through to these semis as a definite force to be reckoned with, but in semifinal two, in similar style to their heat, they were at the back of the field with Yuliya Bichyk and Volha Berazniova of Belarus the force at the front. Oppelt and Schmidt then appeared to find their stride and tried to catch the Belarusians as Annie Vernon and Anna Bebington of Great Britain joined in.

Bichyk and Berazniova kept their rating at a steady 35, handling the conditions the best with Oppelt and Schmidt struggling to sprint in the conditions, their rating dropping to 29 while Vernon and Bebington remained in the qualifying spot. Belarus, Germany and Great Britain will be in the final.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Semifinals

Semifinal one opened with Jean-Baptiste Macquet (Athens Olympian from the men’s eight) and Adrien Hardy (Athens Olympic Champion from the double) of France in the lead over Germany’s Robert Sens and Rene Bertram. As races turned into who could best handle the conditions, France kept their rating in the mid to high 30s as Belgium’s Stijn Smulders and Christophe Raes showed that they knew all about rough water racing. But then flying up the outside Bulgaria’s Yanakiev brothers, Martin (never won an international medal) and Ivo (Olympic bronze medallist in the single), had already overtaken Croatia and Ukraine and were going after a qualifying spot with a 44 stroke rate at the 1500 metre mark. The sprint was on.

France got to 37, Bulgaria continued to rate high, Germany caught a boat-stopping crab with 50 metres to row and Belgium sprinted past at 39. France, Bulgaria and Belgium will meet again in the final.

Cop and Spik are the names that have become synonymous with the double. Cop and Spik: also the names synonymous with the latest in Slovenian hair styles and colours. Cop, Slovenia’s most medalled athlete. Spik Slovenia’s youngest Olympian. Cop and Spik, FISA’s male team of the year for 2005. Out in front in semifinal two, Cop and Spik kept their rating at a 35 stroke rate to ward off any challenges. The first challenge came from Norway who did their best to hold the pace. The second challenge came from Michal Sloma and Marcin Brzezinski of Poland with a strong middle 1000 that really put the heat on the Slovenians. The third challenge arrived when Great Britain’s Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham decided to move up from their third place position.

Cop and Spik held them off and move on to the final with Poland and Great Britain.

Men’s Four (M4-) – Semifinals

What started off to be an average race with a reasonable spread of boats going through the half-way point, turned into a full-on fight for positions as four boats closed their eyes and charged for the line to a very unusual dead heat result. This is how semifinal one panned out.

The United States got off the line at a blistering pace in with the more experienced Dutch tracking closely in semifinal one. A squeeze in the second 500 gave the Netherlands the lead, but the United States weren’t giving up and hung on with France trying to close the gap. As the final 500 metres came into view New Zealand joined in the chase for a top three finish and coming through the last 100 metres there was nothing between these four crews. France handled the pressure the best and crossed the line first, the remaining three crews waited for the call. Time went by. The crews waited. The Dutch had come second. More time passed. The finishing photo was revisited. A dead heat between the United States and New Zealand was called: 5:51.24 each.

FISA Rule 75 calls for a re-row that same day between the two crews. The United States; Brett Newlin, Josh Inman, Mike Blomquist and Matthew Schnobrich would race against New Zealand; Eric Murray, Selwyn Cleland, Carl Meyer and Hamish Bond at the end of the day.

The last semifinal of the day featured Great Britain’s star crew of Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Andy Hodge. In their usual style the Brits continued their two-year winning streak by taking off at the head of the field with a 46 stroke rate pace. This shook off Canada, but didn’t shake Germany who looked to be improving as the race progressed. Coming into the final sprint Germany went for broke. Great Britain held them off, but their leading margin was less than half a boat length. Great Britain, Germany and a strong finish by Slovenia gave them the qualifying spots.

Men’s Four Re-Row

Following the dead heat at the finish in the first semi-final of the men’s four, FISA Rule 75 called for a re-row that same day between the two crews. The United States’ Brett Newlin, Josh Inman, Mike Blomquist and Matthew Schnobrich raced against New Zealand’s Eric Murray, Selwyn Cleland, Carl Meyer and Hamish Bond three and a half hours after racing their semifinal.

On paper the New Zealand crew had the better score card this season already having picked up a Rowing World Cup medal earlier this season. The United States, coached by Mike Teti has a link with the New Zealand crew as their coach, Chris Nilsson, used to coach with Teti. But today the rivalry was clear. In this brutal two-boat race, the United States handled the situation better getting out to an early lead and, despite catching an early race crab, the United States kept in front. Maintaining a 37 stroke rate, the New Zealanders seemed unable to react. The United States will move on to the final.