23 Jan 2012
‘Respectless’ Svensson shows no mercy
This afternoon of eight finals proved to be one of the most stunning finals days in recent years with nail biting finishes and two multiple World Champions pushed into second. Frida Svensson of Sweden rowed the perfect race to beat the dominating four-time consecutive World Champion in the single, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. Then Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic rowed a stunning race to finish ahead of New Zealand’s four-time consecutive World Champion, Mahe Drysdale.
Men’s Coxed Pair (M2+) – final Described as the race of two big men doing leg-presses down the 2000m rowing course, the men’s coxed pair means these athletes have a ‘helpful weight’ in the boat. This event has a fine history as a former Olympic event and with the great five-time Olympic medallist, Steve Redgrave racing it in the past. The United States are the reigning World Champions. Could their new pairing do it again today?
Italy’s Paolo Perino and Pierpaolo Frattini with coxswain Andrea Lenzi, got out of the blocks first.
They were closely followed by Australia’s Christopher Morgan and Dominic Grimm with David Webster coxing the boat.
As Morgan and Grimm settled into their rhythm they hit a 31 stroke rate pace and despite this being lower than the Italians, the Australians were able to overtake Perino and Frattini. The Italians, however, had the power to hold on. Meanwhile Germany and the United States had already fallen back off the pace. Coming into the final sprint the Italians upped their stroke rate to 38. Australia, at 35, held them off.
At the line coxswain for Australia, Webster, punched the air in satisfaction. Australia takes the first World Champion title of the day.
Chris Morgan (AUS) – Gold
“I just started sweeping last Thursday and I thoroughly enjoyed my first sweep race.”
Dominic Grimm (AUS) – Gold
“The Italians threw everything at us but we stuck to the race plan to the T.”
David Webster (AUS) – Gold
“We put together a clean race and full credit to Chris who went from sculling to sweep. I’ve gone from nothing to a World Champion.”
Pierpaolo Frattini (ITA) – Silver
“We are new crew. We began rowing together when we arrived at Lake Karapiro, because we made many changes in the Italian team. We tried to have a good speed during the race, the same as the Australians, but they were better than us today. At the end of the race, in the last 300m, there were many waves and it was difficult to keep the good direction.”
Maximilian Munski (GER) – Bronze
“This is great and it’s the second medal for our cox Albert and myself, after a medal in the U23 eight this year. We only qualified for this boat during our training camp in Sacramento, so we have only been rowing together for one and a half weeks. The aim was to win a medal and that’s what we did. Australia and Italy just did really well today. ”
Results: AUS, ITA, GER, USA
Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Sculls (LW4x) – final
These six crews raced in a preliminary race earlier in the week. On that occasion China recorded the fastest time with Great Britain finishing second. But preliminary races can be deceiving with some crews not playing all of their cards. The United States had taken it easy as two of their members, Ursula Grobler and Abelyn Broughton were also racing in their priority boat, the lightweight double.
In these light tail wind conditions defending World Champions, Germany proved to have the best pace. Lena Mueller, Daniela Reimer, Anja Noske and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany rowed a fine race from the front of the field. Noske and Reimer were riding on a wave of positivity after winning silver yesterday in the lightweight double and it must have boosted the entire crew. But the United States were not giving the Germans an inch and a push just before the halfway point brought the Americans up with Germany.
The push, however, appeared to have left the Americans a bit breathless and Germany moved away again with China settling into third. The Germans then moved confidently into the final sprint and a piece with 400m to go at a 38 stroke rate all but secured the gold. Meanwhile the Chinese and United States were under threat from a flying Great Britain. The British had left it too late.
Anja Noske (GER) – Gold
“It was a bit hard after our doubles race yesterday, but great too. It’s fantastic to win gold. I was pretty confident at 500m that we would win this. I just didn’t want to give it away.”
Marie-Louise Draeger (GER) – Gold
“The noise from the grandstand is enormous and fantastic. It just really pushed us.”
Abelyn Broughton (USA) – Silver
"We pushed really hard and kept the boat clipping along. We were all pulling for each other and we never gave up."
Kristin Hedstrom (USA) – Silver
“We wanted gold no doubt about that, but it was a good race and we pushed hard the whole way.”
Shimin Yan (CHN) – Bronze
“It was a good race, but windy.”
Results: GER, USA, CHN, GBR, ITA, THA
Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x) – final
What an upset! Italy has completely owned this event since 2001 winning gold every single year at the World Rowing Championships and the great Daniele Gilardoni has been in all of these crews. This year Gilardoni does not feature. This year, not only does Italy lose their World Champion status, this year they missed the podium completely.
Italy was third coming out from the start with France and Germany the two leading boats. By the half way point Germany had moved into a very small lead. The crew of Jonathan Koch, Lars Wichert, Linus Lichtschlag and Lars Hartig included Lichtschlag and Hartig who also raced at this regatta in the lightweight men’s double (B-final yesterday). Today Lichtschlag and Hartig made no mistakes and going through the third 500m they had pulled right away to an open water lead. This left Denmark, France and Italy to fight it out for silver.
Germany charged on to the finish, with Italy just a nose ahead of France and Denmark. The final sprint would be the decider. Stroke rates began to rise. Denmark, on 46, was flying. As Italy and Denmark crossed the finish line the crowd gasped. There was nothing in it. Denmark was on the recover, Italy on the drive. Denmark had pipped the World Champions on the line. History was being rewritten.
Lars Wichert (GER) – Gold
“Our first 1000 were great and 500m before the finish line we had a good lead and it all was going really well so we knew we could make it. I hope tomorrow in the lightweight eight will be just as good.”
Jonathan Koch (GER) – Gold
“It’s an amazing feeling to be World Champion. I’ve never felt like this before. This is a great compensation for only having made the B-Final in the lightweight single, which I will be racing tomorrow.”
Frederic Dufour (FRA) – Silver
"Today it was impossible to beat the Germans, they were better than us. Maybe we made the mistake to think just about the Italians and we didn’t worry about the Germans. We had a good finish and because of that we could maintain second place in front of the Danes. I’m happy with this medal because I was injured before the French trials where I was defeated and I couldn’t claim to row in the double sculls. But I hope to be back next year in the double to beat the British double."
Martin Batenburg (DEN) – Bronze
“It was a very hard race, because we had a side wind pushing us into the buoys, which made us loose our rhythm. We knew that it was going to be a long race, so we had to keep something in the tank. ”
Hans Christian Soerensen (DEN) – Bronze
“We are a bit tired but we had a plan and we needed to stick to it. We had to count on each other”
Results: GER, FRA, DEN, ITA, BRA, USA
Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – A final
You have to love the lightweight men’s four. It is not uncommon to see the entire field moving down the 2000m course in a practical line as unrelenting crews battle each other. Today was no different.
With just the Netherlands a little bit back, five crews went through the first 500m practically on top of each other. Then three crews began to inch away. Australia, Germany and Great Britain proved to have a very strong second 500m with less than half a second separating these three crews.
Then Great Britain’s Richard Chambers, Paul Mattick, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley did a move. The British had a disappointing 2009 World Rowing Championships , but it looked like they had got it all together this season. As the finish line came into view five boats were level with now only Italy a bit back. The race for the line could hardly have been closer. China (Li, Yu, Huang, Li), Australia (Edwards, Beltz, Tunevitsch and Skipworth) and Great Britain crossed together, eight hundredth of a second separating them.
The British were ecstatic. The Australian’s, coached by Karapiro local, Brett Crow, were over the moon. Keep these names in mind as we head towards the 2012 Olympic Games.
Rob Williams (GBR) – Gold
“It is the best feeling ever. That finish line couldn’t come soon enough. It was a bit windy, but you race what you are given.”
Chris Bartley (GBR) – Gold
“The last 500m we were in front and I knew we had it under control and we were definitely in the lead. That’s what winning a gold medal is all about.”
Todd Skipworth (AUS) – Silver
"I remember looking at the line and thinking we were last because it was so tight. Our Kiwi coach Brett Crow said before the race that there was a bit of a cross wind and that we should deal with it and we did."
Sam Beltz (AUS) – Silver
“It was very tight. I thought we had won, but it wasn’t until we saw the board that we saw we were second. But we are very happy with that.”
Zhongwei Li (CHN) – Bronze
“We raced as we had decided before and we didn’t see the Aussie team. We just tried to concentrate on our stroke. At the end of the race we were first a bit disappointed, because the difference to first place was just too close and we would have liked to win. But at the end we were happy because we are a very young team. We are happy because this was our first race
together.”
Results: GBR, AUS, CHN, GER, NED, ITA
Women’s Pair (W2-) – A final
The United States, the very photogenic Susan Francia and partner Erin Cafaro, are the reigning World Champions, but their form is not so well known as they have spent his season trying a variety of pair combinations.
The Americans had done well to come through in the middle lane of this final. But at the start, Francia and Cafaro looked sluggish and they were dead last going through the first 500m. Francia shot into second place of the best athletes for 2009 when she took, with Cafaro, two World Champion titles in 2009 – the pair and the eight. Were they feeling the pressure?
Meanwhile, New Zealand was having the race of their career. In absolutely dominating form Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown had moved into the lead. Haigh raced at the 2004 Olympics in the A-final of this event and was the very beginning of the wave of New Zealand success. The next year, with partner Nicky Coles, the duo became World Champions. At the 2008 Olympics they made the final.
Coles retired, Haigh took a year out. This season Scown and Haigh partnered up and at the final Rowing World Cup they presented their dominating form.
Great Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning sat behind in second, unable to touch the Kiwis.
In the final sprint Francia and Cafaro did a last ditch attempt to get into the medals. They did it – but only just over Australia’s Sarah Tait and Phoebe Stanley.
Juliette Haigh (NZL) – Gold
“We had a really good race and we were determined to make a move from the first stroke. You can hear the crowd from so far up the lake and it makes home seem so much closer. The crowd just brought us home on that last 500.”
Rebecca Scown (NZL) – Gold
“I think we knew we would get a good distance, but we were expecting a bit of a battle. We’ve done well in the World Cups but everybody lifts their game for the Championships.”
Helen Glover (GBR) – Silver
"I just kept thinking we are going to stay in front of the Aussies. "
Heather Stanning (GBR) – Silver
“At the 500m we could hear the crowd. We knew it was for the Kiwis but we thought if you are going we are going too."
Susan Francia (USA) – Bronze
“We got off to a slow start and had to play catch up during the race. We expected the Kiwis to do well. It’s their home so we are excited for them. We are not satisfied, but it will make us challenge ourselves further.”
Results: NZL, GBR, USA, AUS, CAN, GER
Men’s Pair (M2-) – A Final
Everybody knew it. Through this season and last season the men’s pair was all about two countries and four names – Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand and Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge of Great Britain. Reed made it clear after the semifinal, he was here only to take gold, but the odds were in favour of New Zealand. Bond and Murray had 10 straight wins against the Brits, some of them quite dominating.
Today Greece’s Georgios Tziallas and Ioannis Christou took off in the lead. Tziallas and Christou are part of a growing strength in Greek rowing which saw their former men’s pair on the medals podium in 2009. But Reed and Hodge had a plan. Before the 500m mark the British had the lead with New Zealand slipping right in behind them. And with that Great Britain and New Zealand showed their true superiority, moving away from the rest of the field.
As more than 10,000 people on the shores of Lake Karapiro rose to their feet a deafening chorus helped to bring the crews home. The commentator at the course, Robert Treharne- Jones described the pace as white hot. Fingernails amongst the New Zealand and British rowing establishment were being chewed right down. Coming into the last 500m Reed and Hodge remained just ahead of Bond and Murray. With every move the New Zealanders made, the British would counter it. There was nothing in it at the line. Great Britain had led New Zealand for 1998m. In the last metre all of that changed. The usually stoic Bond was ecstatic. Reed and Hodge take silver, but their awesome performance had brought them the closest that they have ever been to the New Zealand boat.
Tziallas and Christou took the bronze and there was no hiding their absolute delight.
Eric Murray (NZL) – Gold
“We made the race pretty difficult for ourselves. We didn’t put the nail in the coffin early enough, so it was a sprint for the line.”
Hamish Bond (NZL) – Gold
“It definitely wasn’t our best race but that’s what we do the training for to win under challenging conditions. We are so pleased to get there at the end. It’s definitely a highlight of my career.”
Pete Reed (GBR) – Silver
"I thought there would have been a bigger margin between us. But the crowd took it away from us. All credit to the Kiwis, I don’t want to take anything away from them."
Ioannis Christou (GRE) – Bronze
“We tried to be at the same level as the British and the Kiwis. And we tried to attack them during the first part of the race, but they were too strong for us. We are very happy with this third place, because there were so many surprises in this World Championship. We had no problem to secure this medal very quickly. I would like to dedicate this medal to my 20 day-old boy Nikos and my wife Thommy.”
Results: NZL, GBR, GRE, ITA, GER, FRA
Women’s Single Scull (W1x) – A Final
“Man alive, that’s incredible. That is right out there!” Live on New Zealand radio Brian Kelly described it perfectly. Frida Svensson, the pocket dynamite from Sweden had just beaten the reigning World Champion since 2005 and four-time Olympic medallist, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus.
At yesterday’s press conference Svensson said that she had great respect for Karsten, but that in the final today she would be ‘respectless’. And with that the pocket dynamite who is only 172cm tall in a sport that favours tall athletes, took off in the lead and never looked back. Karsten, who is 185cm tall and the classic physiology of a top single sculler, stayed in touch with Svensson but never displayed the goods to overtake her. At the end of the race Svensson had gone against all of the odds to prove that size doesn’t always matter. Svensson is the World Champion for the first time in her career. Svensson had made the promise to be number one earlier this year and she did it!
The crowd support played into the hands of local rower, Emma Twigg of New Zealand. Twigg was in fourth for most of the race, but hearing the crowd support in the last 400m and a mighty piece beginning at the 1780m mark, propelled Twigg ahead of Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic and into a well deserved bronze medal spot.
After the medals ceremony a smiling Svensson said she didn’t want to leave the podium, she would love to stay here and celebrate – but the men’s single was on its way down…
Frida Svensson (SWE) – Gold
“I went as hard as possible from the start to see how long it lasts and today it lasted all the way. It was a tough course with strong girls. I might be the smallest girl, but I never give up!”
Ekaterina Karsten (BLR) – Silver
"The wind made it hard, especially at the start with the strong side wind. I didn’t row as well and Svensson was strong. I tried to sprint at the finish to close the gap."
Emma Twigg (NZL) – Bronze
“In the first 1000m, I saw Frida fly out and thought she is either going to blow out or win it and she won it. I just thought when you get to the last 500m you bite your tongue and you go, go, go.”
Results: SWE, BLR, NZL, CZE, RUS, SRB
Men’s Single Scull (M1x) – A Final
Today Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic made history. Today, not only did Synek beat the four-time consecutive World Champion, and on his home course, but Synek becomes the first ever Czech rower to win a gold medal in an Olympic event at the World Championships.
Synek capped off a perfect season by rowing a fabulously timed race. Fast starter, Alan Campbell of Great Britain had the lead at the start, but Synek soon pushed past with New Zealand’s Mahe Drysdale sticking to Synek like glue. Campbell locked on to the pace of these two front runners and the three boats moved away from the rest of this classy field.
Comment amongst experts is that this is one of the most competitive fields in the history of men’s single sculling and today was certainly proving just that as Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte found the pace too hot.
With the roar of the crowd in the final 400m, Drysdale fought to overtake Synek with Campbell following suit. Synek was prepared and at an awesome 37-stroke rate pace the Czech led the field home.
Ondrej Synek (CZE) – Gold
“It was a dream season. I would have never imagined winning all races. After the semi I was angry about Mahe, because I thought he was playing. I don’t know why he did that. I expected a hard race today and I was prepared for that. I’m very happy — it’s my first gold medal. My tactic was very easy: to be good from start to finish. It was a big race, but after 1000m I knew I would win, because I have power and a good stroke.”
Mahe Drysdale (NZL) – Silver
"I so wanted to catch Ondrej and make everyone proud. That was the toughest race of my life. I had absolutely nothing left. But I heard the crowd and had to keep pushing. Thanks to everyone for the support. It’s been absolutely fantastic and I’m so proud."
Alan Campbell (GBR) – Bronze
“I have to keep working harder and harder. I’ll do whatever I will have to do to come back stronger and stronger next year. I thought I might have had Mahe, but not this year.”
Results: CZE, NZL, GBR, NOR, CHN, SLO
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="261" width="420"><param name="width" value="420" /><embed height="261" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6tM6VwMU7MU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420"></embed></object></div>
Click here to listen to Saturday's winners