Rowing in the adaptive B-finals

Juan Pablo Barcia Alonso of Spain is a Paralympian. Last year he finished 12th overall at the Beijing Paralympic Games. Barcia has stepped up a notch this year after winning the arms, shoulder men’s single sculls (ASM1x) b-Final. Barcia is now positioned seventh in the world. The Spaniard had to push into head wind conditions on the Malta regatta course at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland.

This was the first of three B-final races in the adaptive rowing events. These athletes with varying physical disabilities race over a 1,000m distance. The single sculling boats are specially designed with a fixed seat and a waist harness that help support their torso. The boat has pontoon outriggers on either side which assists with balance and rowers are able to use their arms and shoulders.

The trunk and arms mixed double sculls (TAMix2x) is designed for athletes that have the use of their arms and body. The event is mixed gender with the stroke seat pretty much split down the middle for whether the male or female sits there. Winners of the B-final Belarus chose their woman, Alena Aliaksandrovich, 18, to stroke the boat. Sitting behind Aliaksandrovich was Valiantsin Strezh, 41, who also is known for his wheelchair basketball skills. This duo are at their first international regatta and finishing seventh overall is a very solid start to their rowing career. Russia pressed Belarus, but Aliaksandrovich and Strezh held on to first.

The legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+) is able to use a standard coxed four rowing boat with the coxswain sitting in the stern of the boat. These athletes can use their entire body and crews are often a mixture of disabilities with amputees or blind rowers predominating. Ireland and the United States matched each other stroke for stroke over the entire 1,000m course. The luck of the Irish played out today with the crew finishing just a nose ahead of the United States. Stroke for Ireland, Sarah Caffrey, is competing in her first international event and their win over the United States is a solid affirmation knowing the strength of adaptive rowing in the USA.