Second chance for Olympic rowers on day two of racing.

The conditions at the Eton Dorney Regatta Course saw mild tail-cross wind conditions that shifted throughout the 2000m course with the sun peeking through clouds and temperatures in the low teens. A full grandstand greeted the rowers with spectators gathering from 100m, right to the end of the 2000m regatta course.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Repechage

It was not surprising to see the reigning Olympic Champions, David Crawshay and Scott Brennan of Australia out in front at the start. This crew came back together in 2011 after Brennan took time out to work on his medical studies, while Crawshay rowed in his country’s quad. They have recorded mixed results over the last season but today they comfortably led their Repechage from start to finish, looking comfortable at a 31 stroke rate pace as they crossed the finish line.

With three crews getting to make it through to the semifinal, it was important not to be in last place of this four-boat race and coming to the line it was Estonia that were off the pace. Ukraine (Dmytro Mikhai and Artem Morozov) and Canada (Michael Braithwaite and Kevin Kowalyk) get to join Australia in the semifinals.
Results: AUS, UKR, CAN, EST
 

Scott Brennan (AUS)
"It went much better than yesterday (Saturday). We've had a few injuries so it's good to get the monkeys off our back. We've got a day off tomorrow to rest. We've got a good race under our belt, so it's only a bonus for us. "

Juri-Mikk Udam (EST)
"In the last 100 metres we tried to push back but we didn't have the strength. It's a miracle that we got here, it's a very huge and positive experience. We hope to be in Rio in 2016."

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Repechage
Racing in the lightweight four is always tough and this was certainly the case today on day two at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Returning to the Eton Dorney waters, the United States made the best of it by leading from start to finish. The United States came to this Repechage as the slowest boat from yesterday’s heats, but they must have had a good warm up and weigh in this morning as they looked on form.

The United States (Fahden, Newell, La Cava and Prendes) had nearly a full boat length lead with just 30 strokes rowed and they continued to increase their lead as the race continued. Meanwhile, from the back of the field, last year’s silver medallists, Italy were slowly making up ground. Using a 42 stroke rate sprint the Italians managed to pull into second and earn a spot in the semifinals along with the Americans. The Czech Republic, in third, will also get to race in the semifinals.
Results: USA, ITA, CZE, POL
 

Robin Prendes (USA)
"You never want to row an extra race but we weren't in the game yesterday so it is a big learning process for us. We had a slow start yesterday so working on that was our main focus for today."

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Repechage
With a tail-cross wind and bumpy water to contend with, the scullers of Repechage One came from a range of rowing development countries. From yesterday India’s Sawarn Singh had the fastest qualifying time and as a top two finish was needed to advance to the quarterfinals, Singh was on the pace to do that. Singh last raced at the 2011 World Rowing Championships and then qualified for these Olympic Games through the Asian Olympic Qualification Regatta.

At the finish Singh had recorded a very respectable 7:00 minute time and he now moves on to the quarterfinals. Joining Singh will be Korea’s Dongyong Kim. Kim, although looking tired coming into the finish, had done enough work earlier on in the race to secure his second-place position.
Results: IND, KOR, PER, TUN, CMR

Lithuania’s Mindaugas Griskonis was unlucky not to qualify yesterday when he raced to a photo finish and missed out on a quarterfinal berth by just 24/100th of a second. Today Griskonis made easy work of Repechage Two, getting out in front at the start and easily working his way away from the rest of the field. Griskonis is the reigning European Champion and at the 2008 Olympic Games he finished eighth. At the line Griskonis had a huge lead.

In second for the entire race Mohsen Shadi Naghadeh of Iran held off the rest of the field. Shadi Naghadeh is a former under-23 champion and he also raced at the 2008 Olympic Games. At the line Griskonis was first and Shadi Naghadeh was the second qualifier in second.

But the real hero of this race was Hamadou Djibo Issaka of Niger. At the back of the field, this first time Olympic rower for his country brought the crowd to their feet as he came into the last 500m of the race. Djibo Issaka is at the second international regatta of his rowing career and comes to the sport from a swimming background. He has become quite the story in Olympic circles with his gutsy rowing effort. There is no doubt that Niger will now take much more interest in this sport.
Results: LTU, IRI, TPE, ZIM, NIG

Anderson Nocetti of Brazil is no stranger to Olympic rowing. This is his fourth Olympic Games always in the single. Today Nocetti got off to a slow start in Repechage Three and had to work his way through the field to get into a qualifying spot. Instead it was Oscar Vasquez Ochoa of Chile that led for the majority of the race only to be overhauled in the final sprint by Nocetti. Nocetti and Vasquez now move on to the quarterfinals.
Results: BRA, CHI, HKG, KAZ, ESA 
 

Roberto Lopez (ESA)
"Today I was more motivated then yesterday. The objective was to try and finish second but I couldn't do it. I still wanted to compete in full and concentrated on my rowing. I feel that it was better technically. I am looking to the future and my aim will be the next Olympic Games in Rio where I want to finish in the B or C final."

Mohsen Shadi Naghadeh (IRI)
"The race was good, but very hard. (At the) Olympic Games all the countries' athletes have good training and race well."

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Repechage
It would need a top two finish to get to advance to the quarterfinals and coming into Repechage One Kazakstan’s Svetlana Germanovich had the fastest time from yesterday’s heats. But it was not to be Germanovich’s day. Despite leading for the majority of the race, Germanovich was beaten in the final sprint when Korea’s Yeji Kim and Lucia Palermo of Argentina charged for the line. Despite Germanovich giving it her all, it was Kim and Palermo that had the better sprint and earn the two qualifying spots.
Results: KOR, ARG, KAZ, ALG

As the first ever Myanmar woman rower at the Olympic Games, Shwe Zin Latt gave it her best effort in Repechage Two, but despite staying ahead of Tunisia, Zin Latt was unable to get into a qualifying position. Instead it was Olympian Camila Vargas Palomo of El Salvador who had the lead. Vargas led from start to finish in such dominating style that she crossed the line a full 12 seconds ahead of Soulmaz Abbasiazad of Iran. This is the second time ever that an Iranian woman has raced at the Olympic Games and making it through to the quarterfinals gives Abbasiazad the honour of the best finish for an Iranian woman rower at the Olympic Games.
Results: ESA, IRI, MYA, TUN  

Lucia Palermo (ARG)
"Yesterday was a bad day. After 10 strokes, I caught a crab. In the quarterfinal, I want to finish in the top two to go through."

Soulmaz Abbasiazad (IRI)
"It was a good race. My first race was not good. It's better today because I go to the quarterfinal, but yesterday I came last. I think I (want) to equal my record, my time. The other girls are so strong and huge, I am little. I think about my time (not about winning)."

Camila Vargas Palomo (ESA)
"I am tired but feeling good. My achievement yesterday (Saturday) was not as good as this. Now I have the quarterfinal to look forward to and I am going to try my best to get in the final. I definitely still feel that I have enough energy."