Greece - a European rowing force

Five gold medals gave Greece the overall lead at the 2008 European Championships after Finals were brought forward a day at the Marathon, Greece rowing course. In strong tail wind conditions and some rain, rowers did their best to make use of the weather with many of the crews having to race in both the semifinals and Finals today.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Russia’s Vera Pochitaeva and Alevtina Podvyazkina got off the line first showing no respect for last month’s Olympic Champions, Georgeta Damian-Andrunache and Viorica Susanu of Romania who were back in third. The Romanians then found their pace and moved through to the lead only to be challenged by a feisty Italian crew. But Romania held on to the lead. Coming into the line Pochitaeva and Podvyazkina gave it all they had and came back on the Romanians. Damian-Andrunache and Susanu held the lead making it look effortless. Russia finished with silver in 2007 and will have to be satisfied with that colour again this year.

Results: ROU, RUS, BLR, ITA, LTU

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

Perhaps the conditions were quite a shock for Kateryna Tarasenko and Yana Dementieva of Ukraine. They came out of the start way behind at the back of the field. But Tarasenko and Dementieva fought back and by the half-way point, they had made it into the lead. This pushed Italy’s Gabriela Bascelli and Erika Bello back into second. Bascelli comes to these European Championships as a reprieve of her very difficult season that saw her qualify then race at the Beijing Olympics in the single.

Ukraine remained in the lead and it was only a huge push by Magdalena Fularczyk and Natalia Madaj of Poland at the end that put gold for Tarasenko and Dementieva under threat. Ukraine held them off to earn gold. Surprisingly Olympic Champion from the single, Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria, finished with her partner at the back of the field.

Results: UKR, POL, ITA, GRE, GBR, BUL

Kateryna TARASENKO (UKR) – Gold
“This race was very important for me. To win here is amazing! The weather though is very bad. This country is really nice and you have beautiful country with sea.”

Gabriella BASCELLI (ITA) – Bronze
“It was a good race. We started strong, gave our best. We didn’t win. Now we feel very tired. The athletes are very good. I look forward to competing against them again.”

Men’s Four (M4-)

A very solid start by Greece gave them the lead at the start and the Greeks maintained a confident style to remain in the lead. Nikolaos and Apostolos Gkountoulas, Ioannis Tsilis and Georgios Tziallas are a mixture of lightweights and open weight rowers and together they formed a smooth rowing style. Italy fought back to reduce the lead that the Greeks had built up and got their boat overlapping. But Greece remained strong and in control. Pushing to make a medal position, a final powerful sprint by Belarus got them ahead of Spain and into bronze. Greece earn a well deserved gold.

Results: GRE, ITA, BLR, ESP, POL, UKR

Nikolaos GKOUNTOULAS (GRE) – Gold
“Everything worked well. We really enjoyed the race. The level was very high and now we are happy.”

Domenico MONTRONE (ITA) – Silver
“It was a good race, but very difficult. This lake is really nice. At least I have the medal.”

Aliaksandr KAZUBOUSKI (BLR) – Bronze
“It was a very good race. The rain has not been a problem for me and my team. We wanted the gold but bronze is fine.”

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

The Greeks are on a roll. Chrysi Biskitzi and Alexandra Tsiavou of Greece got into the lead at the start and held off any challenges coming their way. The main one came from Weronika Deresz and Ilona Mokronowska of Poland. Biskitzi and Tsiavou come to the European Championships after racing in this event at the Beijing Olympics. Deresz and Mokronowska missed out on qualifying for the Olympics and had a point to prove here.

Coming into the final sprint the Greeks took their rating to 38 strokes per minute. Poland held on, also rating 38. Greece held off Poland and will earn gold on their home course and defend their 2007 European Champs title. Poland earn silver and, back a boat length, Hungary take bronze.

Results: GRE, POL, HUN, GBR, AUT, GER

Chrysi BISKITZI (GRE) – Gold
“It was worth trying hard during preparations for this competition straight after the Olympics. For us it was too difficult to find a motive, after competing in Beijing. We defended our gold medal since Poznan last year and this makes us really happy.”

Weronica DERESZ (POL) – Silver
“It was tough race. The weather made it worse. We thank the organizers for their amazing hospitality.”

Zsofia NOVAK (HUN) – Bronze
“We are excited as this is just our first medal. We wanted to get on the podium and we made it.”

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

With World Champions from the lightweight pair in stroke (Armando Dell’Aquila) and three seat (Andrea Caianiello), Italy looked good coming out at the start in the lead. This is the spot they intended to hold on to. Italy is the reigning European Champions but they have boated a completely different crew this year. The Czech Republic tried their best to get up to Italy but the Italians held them off. Coming into the final sprint, third-placed Serbia went all out. Stroked by Milos Tomic, Serbia were gaining on the Czechs with every stroke. The Czech Republic looked like they had no reply. The Serbs take silver ahead of the Czech Republic, with Italy remaining in the gold medal spot.

Results: ITA, SRB, CZE, FRA, TUR, RUS

Nenad BABOVIC (SRB) – Silver
“After the 500 meters mark, we managed to be among the top groups and from then on everything worked for us they way we had planned it.”

Vojtech BEJBLIK (CZE) – Bronze
“I love this weather. We had a few troubles during the race in the boat but in the end, we had a happy end.”

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

With Olympic medallist Larisa Merk in the boat, Russia looked to be the crew to beat. And just to prove the point Russia took off in the lead. But with 500 metres rowed, only two seconds separated the top five crews, with Lithuania falling off the pace. Russia would have to work hard to remain in the lead. By the half-way point Russia had opened up a small lead over Ukraine in second. Ukraine, however, was having a great race and despite Russia’s best efforts, Ukraine remained with them.

Coming into the line Ukraine took their stroke rate to 38 and attacked Russia. Russia fought back, also going to 38. With just 300m left to row, Ukraine finally gained the lead. In a perfectly timed race, Ukraine take gold and defend their 2007 European Championships title.

Results: UKR, RUS, ROU, GER, AUT, LTU

Olena OLEFIRENKO (UKR) – Gold
“We had worked hard to be prepared for bad weather conditions, although the race schedule started too early this morning.”

Cristina ILIE (ROU) – Bronze
“Tough race, we wanted a medal and we did it.”

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Estonia showed what a talented crew they were in yesterday’s heat, winning with a textbook style stroke. With Beijing Olympic silver medallists from the double, Jueri Jaanson and Tonu Endrekson setting the rhythm, Estonia moved out into the lead over reigning European Champions, Russia. A move through the middle of the race by Ukraine got them into second with Estonia remaining in the lead.

Coming into the final sprint Germany made their move. The Germans, stroked by Rene Burmeister, had got off to a really slow start and spent the middle of the race playing catch up. With 500 metres left to row the Germans had moved through two boats and into third. They then went after Ukraine. Bowball to bowball Germany and Ukraine spent the final metres of the race fighting for the line. In a photo finish Germany had earned silver. Estonia take gold.

Results: EST, GER, UKR, CZE, RUS, CRO

Allar RAJA (EST) – Gold
“We did quite well today. We had come together before the race and gave a promise to do exactly what our coaches had asked us. We had the winning spirit and we made it.”

Daniel MAKOWSKI (GER) – Silver
“Tough race but in the end we made it to win a silver medal. To be honest, it feels great to be a silver medallist at a European Championship.”

Women’s Eight (W8+)

The Romanians are the reigning European Champions and half of this crew won Olympic gold on this very course in 2004. Today they looked confident to defend their title and with that coxswain Teodora Stoica took her Romanian crew into the lead. With only 500 metres rowed, Romania already had a two-second lead over Ukraine in second.

Going through the middle of the race the young Great Britain crew did a big push that propelled them into second. Ukraine had no answer. The race then turned into a Romania against Great Britain race with no other crew able to hold the pace. Coming into the line the Brits took their stroke rate to 38 and tried to catch Romania off guard. Romania answered with 40 strokes per minute to hold them off. They were successful and defend their title.

Results: ROU, GBR, BLR, ITA, POL, UKR

Georgina MENHENEOTT (GBR) – Silver
“We are really pleased with this race and the result. We put together our background. We have prepared for a few weeks all together. We just were relaxed today during the race and we were together with the Romanians who medalled at the Olympics in Beijing. We wanted to show everyone in Europe and back home that we can do it. This was really good rowing. To fight equally with the Rumanian Olympic eight was just a dream.”

Men’s Eight (M8+)

A disappointing Olympic Games for Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste of France (M2x) must have fired them up when they joined their fellow teammates in the men’s eight. After Russia jumped out at the start, France pushed past them. But Russia was not going to let the French just walk away with gold. Through the middle 1000m France and Russia went head to head with never more than a second ever separating them. It would come down to who had the best sprint. Poland was not far back and still very much on the pace with eight of the nine members that raced to fifth at the Beijing Olympics.

Coming into the line France, Russia and Poland all sprinted. France managed to just hold on to first and earn the gold medal.

Results: FRA, RUS, POL, GER, CRO, GBR

Anton ZARUTSKIY (RUS) – Silver
 “Very good result. We had all tried hard and we won the medal which makes us satisfied.”

Patryk BRZEZINSKI (POL) – Bronze
“We were very tired after competing at the Olympic Games last month. Today’s race was really tough.”

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

All of these scullers raced already earlier today in the semifinal. They returned to the water with Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic and Agata Gramatyka of Poland in the two preferred centre lanes. Not surprisingly Knapkova led the way. A gutsy performance by Regina Naunheim of Switzerland put her into second ahead of Serbia and Annick De Decker of Belgium.

As the final sprint came into view Knapkova was completely dominating the race and had a clear water lead. Meanwhile a huge battle was going on between Belgium, Switzerland, Serbia and Spain. Naunheim looked to be running out of steam, Serbia was picking up her pace and De Decker was giving it her all. At the line Knapkova takes gold, De Decker silver and Naunheim holds on to bronze.

Results: CZE, BEL, SUI, SRB, ESP, POL

Mirka KNAPKOVA (CZE) – Gold
 “I am very happy as this is just my first win in my career. It wasn’t easy as I had to compete some of the hardest rivals in the women’s single sculls.”

Annick DE DECKER (BEL) – Silver
 “It was a very tough race having to compete within an hour after the semi-finals. Still I really enjoyed this final. It was a fascinating race.”

Regina NAUNHEIM (SUI) – Bronze
“What an amazing win! I feel so excited to have won a medal at the European Championships.”

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

Coming out of the start Russia, Ukraine and Greece were in the best positions. But by the half-way point all of this would change. The fast-starting Russian must have been feeling the pain from this morning’s semifinal race and he started to slip back. Meanwhile, much to the crowd’s delight, Ioannis Christou of Greece moved into the lead. Lukas Babac of Slovakia moved with Christou and Kostiantyn Zaitsev of Ukraine held on to their pace.

Christou, now in the lead, must have felt a surge of confidence and the Greek pushed away to move a full boat length ahead of Babac. Babac, meanwhile, had his work cut out with Zaitsev pushing hard. Babac held off Zaitsev. Christou takes gold for his country.

Results: GRE, SVK, UKR, RUS, NED, BUL

Ioannis CHRISTOU (GRE) – Gold
 “I feel really excited to win the gold in Athens following my first presence at the Olympic Games. The weather created troubles. The waves were quite big and I had to concentrate to keep my rhythm and not miss any strokes. But then again, I am used to that weather and have raced before in these conditions. Temperature went down today really suddenly. The fans today were amazing and helped me a lot when they were cheering for me during the last meters at the final.”

Lukas BABAC (SVK) – Silver
 “Although there was not enough time to rest after the semifinal, I made it. Being a silver medallist at the Athens  European Rowing Championships means a great deal to me.”

Men’s Pair (M2-)

Coming through this morning’s semifinals, France’s Jean-David Bernard and Laurent Cadot looked to have set themselves up to be the boat to beat. But Greece have been doing very well at this regatta and Georgios Tsiompanidis and Pavlos Gavriilidis of Greece were racing in the other middle lane. Eyeing up Greece, France jumped off the line first but there were only two seconds separating the entire field with Greece the slowest.

By the half-way point all of this had changed. Serbia’s Goran Jagar and Nikola Stojic, hot off the Beijing Olympics race, had taken the lead with Greece pushing through to third. Coming into the final sprint Tsiompanidis and Gavriilidis must have decided that third was not good enough and they pulled out a huge sprint. It gave them the lead with Serbia and France going neck and neck and taking the race to a photo finish.

Results: GRE, SRB, FRA, ITA, RUS, POL

Pavlos GAVRILIDIS (GRE) – Gold
 “It’s was a tough race until we passed 1000 meters. There were three crews from the Olympic Games so it was really tough for us to beat them.”

Georgios TSIOMPANIDIS (GRE) – Gold
“We had set a personal goal to win the gold medal and we won it. We proved to ourselves that we deserve a lot. We did it. We dedicate this medal to our parents and to a few people that believe in us.”

Jean-David BERNARD (FRA) – Bronze
 “After 500 meters, things got better. This crew has worked together only for two weeks. Despite our bad start at the race we managed to be among the medallists.”

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

Croatia and France came into this Final with the best results from this morning’s semifinal. But right from the start it looked like Croatia just didn’t have the punch that they had this morning. This left France’s Julien Bahain and Julien Despres to take the lead. And that’s exactly what they did.

Estonia, who had held back in the semifinal, was moving very well and going through the middle of the race Vladimir Latin and Kaspar Taimsoo did a big push and overtook Both Ukraine and France to take the lead. Bahain and Despres fought back. Latin and Taimsoo held them off. It was all on for the final sprint. Poland did a huge sprint. France also let loose. All Estonia could do was try and hold on. France had timed it well and was able to pull back into the gold medal spot.

Results: FRA, EST, UKR, POL, CRO, ITA

Kaspar TAIMSOO (EST) – Silver
“For us has been a motive here to win a medal following our failure in Beijing. We really wanted to be on the podium and now that we have made it, the feeling is great.”

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Greece and France left the start together but it was not long before Greece’s Dimitrios Mougios and Vasileios Polymeros had pushed into the lead. Four years ago Polymeros earned the first Olympic medal for Greece in rowing on this very course. Polymeros continued on and this year earned silver at Beijing.

Using home course knowledge, Greece did a big push from 750m through to 1100m to move out to an open water lead. France couldn’t hold them. Instead it was left up to Lorenzo Bertini and Daniele Gilardoni of Italy. The Italian’s did a splendid job and closed the gap on Greece. But the Greeks were too strong and take gold. A huge finishing sprint by defending European Champions Hungary earn them bronze.

Results: GRE, ITA, HUN, FRA, CZE, SLO

Dimitrios MOUGIOS (GRE) – Gold
“We were feeling great after a silver medal in Beijing and this has proved to be a great push to the gold medal at the European Championship in Athens. All our races at this competition have been great for our crew and to be honest we were very positive that we would win a gold. We want to thank all the Greek fans that made it to the Olympic rowing centre in Marathon despite bad weather to stand by us and cheer for us. Both me and Vassilis hope that they are happy and proud.”

Zsolt HIRLING (HUN) – Bronze
“Amazing race from start to the end, although weather conditions made it hard to row. We are still happy to be among the medallists.”