Final opportunity for spots in the London Olympics

The intense competition at last year’s main Olympic qualification regatta which was part of the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled meant that some of rowing’s top athletes failed to qualify for London.

Women’s Pair (W2-)
The 14 events will open with racing in the women’s pair. This race features nine countries including Beijing bronze medallists, Yuliya Bichyk and Natallia Helakh of Belarus. Two boats will qualify from this event with strong competition likely to come from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Argentinean single sculling Olympian, Gabriela Best is also attempting to qualify along with partner Maria Laura Abalo.

Men’s Pair (M2-)
The men’s pair has 12 countries entered with two qualification spots available. France is looking like the strongest contender in this event with Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette hoping to be the ones to beat. There is also South Africa who has a strong tradition in recent years of pairs rowing. Croatia’s Olympic medallist brothers, Sinisa and Niksa Skelin are back to give it a go and there is also a combination from the Czech Republic that are looking good.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)
The women’s double sculls has two qualifying spots available. The entries include a new United States line-up of Sarah Trowbridge and Margot Shumway. Trowbridge just missed out on qualifying in 2011 and with new partner, Shumway they will be hoping for success at Lucerne. Spain has put their top single sculler, Olympian Nuria Dominguez Asensio in this event with partner Anna Yuchenko who has moved to Spain after competing on the Russian national team in the past. Finland’s Minna Nieminen won silver in the lightweight double at the Beijing Olympics. She then moved to rowing open-weight with Ulla Varvio and they missed out on qualifying by two spots last year. Nieminen and Varvio may be able to do it in Lucerne.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)
There are 14 entries in the men’s double sculls with two qualification spots possible. Warren Anderson and Samuel Stitt of the United States qualified the men’s quadruple sculls last year at Bled, but they have swapped to the double for another chance. But perhaps the strongest contenders for a place are Romano Battisti and Alessio Sartori of Italy. Sartori has raced at the last four Olympics and was a gold medallist in the quad in 2000. Watch out too for Azerbaijan who has their top single sculler, Aleksandar Aleksandrov teamed up with Boris Yotov.

Men’s Four (M4-)
The men’s four has two qualifying spots available with France looking to be the deserved crew. The French were medallists in this event at the Beijing Olympics and became World Champions in 2010. Last year they missed out on qualifying by two positions. But at the World Rowing Cup earlier this month in Belgrade, France finished sixth. But the French were slower than the Czech Republic in Belgrade and the Czech’s are also trying to qualify. Romania and Russia also had strong races in Belgrade finishing seventh and eighth respectively. All of these crews will do battle in Lucerne.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)
The women’s single sculls has attracted entries from 17 countries and three qualification spots are available. Genevra Stone of the United States was not far off qualifying in 2011 and is back to try again. So is Iva Obradovic of Serbia. Obradovic raced very well at the Belgrade World Rowing Cup earlier this month, but had to pull out of the final due to an injury. The strongest entry, however may come from Ireland’s Sanita Puspure. Puspure raced last year in the double but moved to the single this year and at the Belgrade regatta she was in the A-final.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)
The men’s single sculls has the most number of entries with 22 nations taking part. The top three boats only will get to qualify. The current World Champion in the lightweight men’s single sculls, Henrik Stephansen on Denmark looks like a contender. Stephansen placed well at the World Rowing Cup in Belgrade in the open men’s single. Russia’s Artem Kosov also had positive results in Belgrade and may too have a chance. But you cannot dismiss Tim Maeyens of Belgium. Maeyens is a two-time Olympian in this event and at Beijing he finished an outstanding fourth. Then there is Hungarian lightweight Peter Galambos. He finished second in Belgrade in the lightweight single.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)
The lightweight women’s double sculls has two qualification spots available and the crew to beat could well be Rianne Sigmond and Maaike Head of the Netherlands. They missed out on qualifying by the slightest of margins in 2011 and at the Belgrade World Rowing Cup Sigmond and Head finished a credible fifth behind already qualified crews. Watch out too for Germany’s Lena Mueller and Anja Noske. The Germans are regular contenders in this event and it is unusual for them to have to qualify at this late date. The Italians (Erika Bello and Laura Milani) are a very experienced crew and will be worth noting.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)
For the lightweight men’s double sculls 16 nations are entered and they will be vying for two qualifying spots. The return of the Hungarian double of Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga could make them the favourites. Hirling and Varga are World Champions from 2005 but had a disappointing Beijing Olympics. They took time off and are now back together for a last attempt at qualifying. But the field is intense and Poland will be a tough crew as they only just missed out on qualifying in 2011. The United States has a new and strong combination of Andrew Campbell and William Daly. The duo went to New Zealand to hone their skills in preparation for this event.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)
The lightweight men’s four has two qualification spots available with 11 countries entered. The Netherlands may have the best chance. They finished fourth at the Belgrade World Rowing Cup – the highest result for a non-qualified crew. Watch out too for Serbia. They only just missed out on qualifying last year and recorded very positive results throughout that year. Watch out too for New Zealand. They finished seventh in Belgrade as the next highest non-qualified crew.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)
The women’s quadruple sculls has five entries with one boat only qualifying for the Olympic Games. The Romanians may be the crew to beat. They have Nicoleta Albu and Camelia Lupascu in the boat. This accomplished duo qualified the pair last year but have now been switched to the quad. But Poland is likely to be very tough competition as they only just missed out on qualifying in 2011.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
The men’s quadruple sculls has seven entries and a chance for two boats to qualify for the Olympic Games. After finishing third at the World Rowing Cup in Belgrade, Estonia is the crew that come in as favourites. France, however, was very unlucky not to qualify in 2011 and they finished just behind Estonia in Belgrade. These could be the top two boats.

Women’s Eight (W8+)
There are two qualifying spots available in the women’s eight. Australia is sending a crew that will be racing the first time together internationally at the qualification regatta. The Australian boat, however, has a number of very experienced rowers on board and they will be willing to fight for their spot. Watch out too for Germany. The Germans are a relatively young crew but they are used to being in the eight and should show a good race.

Men’s Eight (M8+)
Although there are only three countries entered in the men’s eight, only one qualifying spot is available. All eyes will be on the United States. The Americans only just missed out on qualifying last year in an event that they took gold at the Athens Olympics and bronze in Beijing. They feel that it is their right to be in this race at the Olympics and this crew will do everything in their power to make it happen.

Racing begins on Sunday 20 May with heats. Then finals will take place over two days, on 22 – 23 May, 2012. All of the athletes that qualify at this regatta must remain the athletes that row in their qualified boat at the Olympic Games.