Under 23 Championships redefines World Best Times

The transition from Nations Cup to FISA regatta to World Rowing Championship event for under 23 competition means adaptations and adjustments to the event. This year’s World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Hazewinkel, Belgium witnessed the second year as a championship event and the setting of new standards.

The decision by FISA to set the under 23 World Best Time standard beginning when the event first gained championship status, last year in Amsterdam, means that the favourable conditions on finals day this year saw many new times being set – 15 out of the 19 events. It also saw the standard set in the women’s eight which was raced for the first time, taking Under 23 events up to a total of 20.

This decision is based on the level of uniformity now available. As a championship event the timing system is standardised using the same professional team that does all World Rowing regattas and the Olympic Regatta, WIGE Data. The rowing course is also standardised meeting the criterion of a certified FISA course.

But one feature remained staunchly intact. The Paolo d’Aloja challenge cup for the top country overall was again won by Germany. This continues a winning run that began for the Germans in 1991. This year Germany arrived with the biggest team of 100 athletes, coaches and administrators and entries in all of the 20 boat classes. On finals day 19 German boats had made it through. At the end of the day 12 medals were in German hands, including three golds. Italy finished second and Romania took third overall.

Overall 20 countries earned medals with a seven-boat New Zealand team taking away four medals, three of them gold.

Male competitors dominated at 68% of the total entries with the youngest competitor being Italy’s coxswain Rosario Aita at 13 years old.

To follow are the current under 23 World Best Times:
(all are set in 2006 at Hazewinkel unless otherwise stated)

Women’s Four (BW4-) 6:39.97 Australia
Verena Stocker, Annika Naughton, Charlotte Walters, Renee Kirby

Men’s Coxed Four (BM4+) 6:03.19 New Zealand
James Dallinger, Steven Cottle, Paul Gerritsen, Dane Boswell, Daniel Quigley (cox)

Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (BLW1X) 7:38.04 Greece,
Alexandra Tsiavou

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (BLM1X) 6:55.73 New Zealand,
Storm Uru

Lightweight Men’s Pair (BLM2-) 6:34.53 Great Britain
Richard Chambers, Chris Bartley

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BLM4x) 5:55.91 Germany
Felix Reimann, Jonas Schuetzeberg, Felix Oevermann, Karin Djamshidi Gilani

Women’s Single Sculls (BW1x) 7:27.81 Poland
Julia Michalska

Men’s Single Sculls (BM1X) 6:46.93 Germany
Karsten Brodowski

Women’s Pair (BW2-) 7:14.94 Romania
Camelia Lupascu, Ana Maria Apachitei

Men’s Pair (BM2-) 6:27.84 Germany
Kristof Wilke, Sebastian Schmidt

Women's Double Sculls (BW2X) 6:53.40 Czech Republic
Jitka Antosova, Gabriela Varekova

Men’s Double Sculls (BM2X) 6:14.05 Belarus
Dzianis Mihal, Stanislau Shcharbachenia

Men’s Four (BM4-) 5:53.19 Germany (set in Amsterdam, 2005)
Jan Mueller, Philipp Adamski, Urs Kaeufer, Falk Mueller

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (BLW2x) 7:03.16 Italy (set in Amsterdam, 2005) Erika Mai, Laura Milani

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (BLM2x) 6:19.77 New Zealand
Graham Oberlin-Brown, Peter Taylor

Lightweight Men’s Four (BLM4-) 5:58.88 Italy
Livio La Padula, Martino Goretti, Michele Savrie, Fabrizio Gabriele

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (BW4x) 6:24.55 Romania
Maria Bursuc, Roxana Cogianu, Florina Atomulesei, Ionelia Neacsu

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BM4X) 5:46.44 Belarus (set in Amsterdam, 2005)
Dzianis Suravets, Dzianis Mihal, Stanislau Shcharbachenia, Aliaksandr Novikau

Women’s Eight (BW8+) 6:06.68 United States
Anne Kennedy, Kerry Birk, Megan Smith, Datharine Davison, Devan Darby, Esther Lofgren, Katherine Glessner, Genevra Stone, Katelin Snyder (cox)

Men’s Eight (BM8+) 5:30.43 Germany (set in Amsterdam, 2005)
Philipp Hosch, Raimund Hoermann Jr, Philipp Naruhn, Timm Baur, Daniel Holert, Florian Eichner, Andre Slavik, Sebastian Schmidt, Peter Puppe (cox)

Next year the World Rowing Under 23 Championships will be in Strathclyde, Scotland.