Gold medals around their neck

WOMEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (W1x) 

It took a long time in the coming, but she did it. Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria. Neykova and Ekaterina Karsten-Khodotovitch of Belarus have been competing against each other since 1990. As a junior Neykova was beaten to second by Karsten. By the 1996 Olympics Karsten was standing in the Olympic Champion spot. Neykova was back in eighth. Four years later, at the Sydney Olympics, it took the rowing jury 40 minutes to decide the winner. Karsten had become Olympic Champion again with Neykova pipped into second

At Athens Germany’s Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski got gold with Karsten gaining silver and Neykova earning bronze. Karsten then went on a three-year winning spree taking three consecutive World Championship titles.

Today Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic took off in the lead. The Czech’s fast start took her out to nearly a boat length’s lead over the rest of the field with Neykova following in second and Karsten following in third.

Knapkova still had the lead at the half-way point. Could she sustain it? Last year at the World Rowing Championships Knapkova had followed the same strategy and faded to fourth. The same was happening today. With Neykova moving into the lead, followed by Karsten, Knapkova slipped back. Now it was a question of whether Neykova could hold off Karsten’s final sprint. Neykova was fading, Knapkova had dropped back, the United States and China were charging.

The crowd rose to its feet. The Americans were going wild. Michelle Guerette of the United States had found a huge sprint. No one could pick it at the line. Neykova was in first. Guerette had just pipped Karsten at the line and the US gained silver. This gave the United States the first medal in this event since 1988.

Results: BUL, USA, BLR, CHN, CZE, POL

Rumyana NEYKOVA (BUL) – Gold
“It feels really great. I owe everything to my husband (also coach) and my family who have supported and believed in me. Do I have any plans? No!”

Michelle GUERETTE (USA) – Silver
“Hang in there, just hang in there. Go and go harder. Couldn’t let up, and the whole field didn’t let up either. Such a hard race. Tried to play it differently than the semifinal, because I knew there was a lot of early speed. I found I could sustain it, and just up it a little bit. Just tried to stay strong, stay fresh. At 500m I pushed a bit harder. 30 power strokes at the end which turned into 40-45. Just go! And it worked! This was better than my best race.”

Ekaterina KARSTEN-KHODOTOVITCH (BLR) – Bronze
“I saw that the Czech girl went out fast with Bulgaria following her. I was trying to keep my strength for the whole race and to have enough energy for the final sprint. I did what I could. Rumyana (Neykova) was losing all season and far behind, and if she could win here then she is stronger. I never thought that Michelle (Guerette) would come second.”
 

MEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (M1x)

Sitting in the starting blocks it was a level playing field. All of these athletes know how each other race, but none of them know the potential motivation of each other in an Olympic Final. Alan Campbell of Great Britain was motivated. He took off with a fast 42 stroke rate start and settled into a high 39 to gain the early lead. Belgium’s Tim Maeyens was motivated. Maeyens held on to Campbell’s pace. Surprisingly, the usually slow-starting Olympic Champion, Olaf Tufte of Norway, was up with the frontrunners.

 By the half-way point Tufte, rating 33, was in the lead. Since winning gold in 2004, Tufte has had mixed results, sometimes medalling at international events, only once winning gold (Rowing World Cup, Lucerne 2006). Has he been saving it for the Olympics?

Meanwhile, from his fourth-place position three-time consecutive World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand picked up the pace and picked off Maeyens, Campbell and then Tufte. Drysdale has had health issues at this regatta but with his ever positive attitude figured if he could make it through to the Final not being 100 per cent healthy, he could certainly do well in the Final.

Drysdale retained a 34 stroke rate and pushed on. Coming into the last 500m of the race, pre-race favourite Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic picked up the stroke rate and began to close. Tufte was also sprinting for his life. Drysdale could do little more than hold his 34 rate. The sprint was all out of him. Coming into the last 100m it looked like Synek had left his move too late. It looked like Tufte had timed it perfectly. It looked like Drysdale had no more to give.

Tufte successfully defends his title and will be able to go on his honeymoon a happy man. Synek earns his first Olympic medal and Drysdale holds on to a medal in third – the first medal for New Zealand at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Results: NOR, CZE, NZL, BEL, GBR, SWE

Olaf TUFTE (NOR) – Gold
“It was a hard race and for a while I thought I had lost it, but today I did not want to lose. I did this for my team and my family. After this I’m going to go home and get married.”

Ondrej SYNEK (CZE) – Silver
“It was good but very different…”
 

WOMEN'S PAIR (W2-)

Of the six best boats in the world in this event, the early crew to show in this race was Lenka Wech and Maren Derlien of Germany. Wech and Derlien came together last year and showed their worth in the pair by winning the European Championships. Settling into a 32 stroke rate pace, Wech and Derlien held off current World Champions Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh of Belarus. But the Germans could not maintain it. By the half-way point, comeback girls Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania had earned the lead.

Andrunache and Susanu are the defending Olympic Champions and both of them retired after Athens. Andrunache comes to Beijing with already four Olympic gold medals to her account, and Susanu three. They came back last year to take silver at the 2007 World Rowing Championships. This pedigree would be hard to beat.

Gong through the third 500m of the race only Bichyk and Helakh were able to hold on to the speed of the Romanians. Germany looked to be losing speed. Who would be able to catch the leaders? Romania and Belarus then pulled out to an open-water lead over the field. The sprint was on to the line. You Wu and Yulan Gao of China were doing the sprint of their life. Wu has spent her international rowing career in the eight and raced in that event at the 2004 Olympics. Gao first rowed internationally in 2007.

With 200m left to row Wu and Gao had gained third. At the line Wu and Gao, rating 41, had got just ahead of Belarus. Romania remained easily in front. Andrunache now has five Olympic gold medals, matching the tally of Romanian rowing legend Elisabeta Lipa and Great Britain’s Steve Redgrave.

Results: ROU, CHN, BLR, GER, NZL, GBR

Yulan GAO (CHN) – Silver
“It wasn’t expected that we’d get a medal because the Olympics is such a huge event. We’re very honoured to take silver. The Romanians are a very experienced crew and they’ve already been to two Olympics.”

Louisa REEVE (GBR) – Sixth
“It’s a good starting point, although we had a disappointing race. Realistically we were an outside chance. When we got together twelve weeks ago we were aiming for 8th position.”

MEN'S PAIRS (M2-)

In the semifinal Canada’s David Calder and Scott Frandsen had rated high, taken a huge lead and held on. Their aggressive strategy paid off and they earned a middle lane for today’s final. In the other semifinal, defending Olympic Champion Drew Ginn, with new partner, Duncan Free made easy work of their win. They earned the other middle lane.

Calder and Frandsen jumped into the lead but Free and Ginn were not going to let them get away. The boats remained overlapping.

 The Canadians had a slight advantage. Calder only came back to rowing late last year. His motivation came from being disqualified from racing in the final at the 2004 Olympics after his pair went into another lane. Frandsen rowed in his country’s fifth placed eight at Athens.

In the Australian boat Free was a sculler up until 2006. He has raced at three Olympic Games in the quad. Joining with Ginn, the two were world champions in both 2006 and 2007. Calder and Frandsen had their work cut out for them. With Canada and Australia carrying out a battle at the head of the field, they left the rest of the field in their wake. New Zealand’s Nathan Twaddle and George Bridewater followed in third, well ahead of South Africa and Germany. Coming through the third 500, the long stroking, lower rating (34) Australians got into the lead. There was 700m left to row. Now that Ginn and Free were in the lead, they lengthened their stroke out further and stretched out their lead.

With the close of the race coming into view, the race had turned into a procession – Australia in the lead, Canada holding on to second and New Zealand in third. The order did not change. Ginn earns his third Olympic gold from three Olympics. Calder and Frandsen shake off their Olympic demons. Twaddle and Bridgewater get into the medals after just missing out in 2004.

Results: AUS, CAN, NZL, GER, RSA, USA

Drew GINN (AUS) – Gold
The Semifinal was the hardest race because I didn’t know if I could cope with the pain and then the Final. But the rhythm of the final race was perfect and made it easy to follow. We had a few hairy moments at the start of the week and haven’t rowed, apart from during the races. In the Final, I was protecting my back and my right leg wasn’t functioning properly, but I tried not to think about it.”

George BRIDGEWATER (NZL) – Bronze
“It was a bloody tough row. We gave everything we could after 1000m.”

WOMEN'S DOUBLE SCULLS (W2x)

The Olympics are as much about a battle of wits and nerves as it is about physical prowess. Perhaps this race proved that. The top two qualifiers, China’s Qin Li and Liang Tian and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell of New Zealand have had to wait a full week to race the final with no racing in between. The Evers-Swindell come to these Olympics on the back of some very average racing results earlier this season. They also come as defending Olympic Champions who were beaten by Li and Tian at last year’s World Rowing Championships. Li and Tian have the expectations of a huge nation resting on their shoulders.

With that China used a 40 stroke rate to jump off the start in first and going through the first 500m mark Li and Tian had a small edge over Germany’s Annekatrin Thiele and Christiane Huth. Going into the second 500 the Germans did a huge piece and earned the lead. Thiele and Huth, rating 34, remained in the lead. Li and Tian were now slipping back. The Evers-Swindells had passed them and moved into second. Then Li and Tian found themselves challenged by the British. Elise Laverick of Great Britain finished third in Athens and she has been joined by new partner, Anna Bebington at her first Olympic Games.

In the final sprint the Chinese had run out of steam. The New Zealanders were winding up having found an extra gear and heading to a 40 stroke rate. Germany was holding on for their lives, barely able to rate 35. But it was Great Britain with the strongest finish. The race ended in a three way photo finish. The boats sat, not knowing the score. A very long one minute passed. The result came up on the spectator board. A cheer went up from the New Zealand supporters. Two more long minutes passed. A cheer on the water went up from the Evers-Swindells. The grins on their face stretched from ear to ear. They had defended their title. Germany and Great Britain had won their first rowing medals

Results: NZL, GER, GBR, CHN, USA, CZE

Georgina & Caroline EVERS-SWINDELL (NZL) – Gold
“We can’t believe it right now. It was not our best start, but we got steady, kept the rhythm going and knew we were in with a chance. It probably looked pretty ugly. When we crossed the line we had no idea we’d won; we saw the Germans looking happy so thought they were first. We’ve had to wait since our heat on Tuesday for this race but we’ve done that before – it’s all part of rowing and part of the mental preparation. As for the future we don’t know. We’re just going to get our medals now.”

Elise LAVERICK (GBR) – Bronze
“Back in December, we were both sick; in March Anna was still sick and I was injured. We raced at Lucerne and it was a disaster. If you’d told us then – or even 15minutes ago – that we would win an Olympic medal, we’d have been stoked. Tomorrow we’ll carry the blades down for the Women’s Quad and keep them happy, and then we’ll party.”

MEN'S DOUBLE SCULLS (M2x) 

France won at the 2004 Olympics with Adrien Hardy in the boat. Slovenia won in 2000 with the same two rowers, Cop and Spik in the boat. The remainder of the field were rowing in this event at the Olympics for the first time. But sitting in the Estonian boat is six-time Olympian, Jueri Jaanson. Sitting in New Zealand’s boat is 2000 Olympic Champion from the single, Rob Waddell. Sitting in the Australian boat are two feisty rowers, David Crawshay and Scott Brennan finished out of the medals at the Athens Olympics when they raced in the quad. Crawshay and Brennan have named their boat Schinias to remind them of the Athens rowing course and their defeat.

Coming out at the start it was Brennan and Crawshay who were rating high and fighting for first. They had gained the lead at the 250m mark and were still rating a high 39 strokes per minute.

Coming into the middle of the race Crawshay and Brennan remained in the lead and had a full boat length over Great Britain’s Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham. Where were the Slovenians? Where was France? Where was New Zealand? These three potential favourites went through the half way point at the back of the field. Only Great Britain and Estonia were in range of the leading Australians.

Coming into the final sprint Crawshay and Brennan had an open water lead. Tonu Endrekson and Jueri Jaanson of Estonia were putting out the biggest challenge with Wells and Rowbotham also putting up a huge fight. This is Wells’ third Olympic Games and the first for Rowbotham. Coming into the line Australia remained in the lead. Great Britain and Estonia were neck and neck.

Australia had won. Great Britain and Estonia had caused a photo finish. The 42 year old Jaanson earns silver.

Results: AUS, EST, GBR, NZL, FRA, SLO

David CRAWSHAY (AUS) – Gold
“We were very disappointed after Athens but knew that we could have a chance now to redeem that. No race is a done deal.”

 Stephen ROWBOTHAM (GBR) – Bronze
“We always said we would never pass up a medal. We are delighted, especially after our semifinal performance. We had a good first 500m – sometimes in sport it is like that, another crew is just better on the day. It was disappointing that we let Estonia come through at the end; but this happens to very few people in the world.”

MEN'S FOUR (M4-)

Coming into this race it was hard to pick a true favourite. The world champions New Zealand had raced in the B Final. The Olympic Champions, Great Britain come here following a season marred by injury. Australia had only qualified for the Olympics at the Final Qualification Regatta in June and so potentially had peaked too soon. Germany’s Marco Neumann was out due to illness. Regular medallists, the Netherlands had raced in the B Final. Coming through the semifinals, Slovenia and the Czech Republic had shown surprising speed.

Steve WILLIAMS (GBR) – Gold
“With 200m to go we had a sniff of it; our 10 strokes to the end must have been very ugly – it was beyond skills. Primeval! All credit to Australia who are a high quality crew.”

Benjamin RONDEAU (FRA) – Bronze
“It was a huge race – the result of eight years of hard work. Our big inspiration since 2000 has been the Men’s Pair of Jean-Christophe Rolland and Michel Andrieux, who won the gold medal in Sydney. We didn’t have any results at the Rowing World Cup this year and it’s great to get bronze here. We had no race plan – we just went flat out from beginning to end, and we knew we could do something in the last 500m. This was for our families, who lose out on so much with our training camps and work, and especially for my fiancée, whom I will marry in October. I don’t know if I’ll go on in the four, it’s a lot of work – I’d quite like to row in an eight.”