Preview day 6: Doubles, fours and eights race the finals

Starting at 11:50am (GMT) the men’s double sculls gets under way with what is expected to be one of the closest finishes at this regatta. Just three seconds separates the times of the top six boats from the semifinals. Argentina and Slovenia were the two unexpected winners of the semifinals and the question is, have they already raced their best race? There is little doubt, however, the credentials of Iztok Cop and Luka Spik Slovenia. Cop and Spik already have Olympic gold and silver in the double. Watch out too for New Zealand’s Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen. They are the two-time reigning World Champions and if they are anywhere near the front towards the end of the race, no one can outsprint them.

The Italians, Olympic veteran Alessio Sartori and Romano Battisti, who was rowing as an under-23 at the time of the Beijing Olympics, are proving to be the perfect mix of youth and experience. They have been improving with every race and from their outside lane they have medal potential.

Expect a scrap from start to finish in the lightweight men’s four final. Expect Denmark to follow the same tactic that helped them to win their semifinal – go out really hard and stay in the lead. Expect 2010 World Champions Great Britain to try and wear down the Olympic Champions Denmark, in the closing 250m of the race. Expect either the Netherlands or Switzerland to amaze everyone with one of them bringing home a medal for their country. Expect this race to be very close and expect it to be won on the line – and no sooner.

The women’s eight will finish up today’s final racing and the start time is 12:30pm (GMT). There is no denying the superiority of the United States women’s eight. With a winning streak that began way back in 2006, this crew has the pride of being reigning World and Olympic Champions. But when the United States raced Canada the one and only time this season, the Canadians got within a whisker of beating the Americans. This Olympic final could well turn into an epic two-boat battle. But two crews that should never be underestimated in this event are the Romanians and the Dutch. Romania won gold in 1996, 2000 and 2004 and finished third at the 2008 Olympic Games while the Netherlands were second in 2008 and third in 2004 and second in 2000.

Today also features four semifinals beginning with the clash of the titans in semifinal one of the men’s four. Facing off against each other are Great Britain and Australia. These two countries met twice earlier this season and the score is one-all from the two World Rowing Cups that they raced. Great Britain likes to use their immense physical power while Australia likes to use technique and tactics. Potentially Great Britain and Australia will leave the rest of the field to race for third with Belarus likely to be the boat to watch.

Semifinal two is much less clear-cut. Greece, on paper, has the best credentials coming to London as World silver medallists. But the United States, who were fourth last year, is the priority sweep boat for their country and they have been racing superbly at this regatta. Keep an eye out for the Germans as well. Like the United States they have been batting above their statistics in London.

In semifinal one of the lightweight women’s double sculls all six crews have the potential to be in the top three. Greece’s Alexandra Tisavou and Christina Giazitzidou are the reigning World Champions with spectacular racing ability. Great Britain’s Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland had a wonderful race in the heats and could well do it again on their home waters. Germany and the United States both seem to step up with every race at this regatta and New Zealand are the World Best Time holders but come to these Olympic Games as relatively inexperienced.  Take your pick.

Semifinal two in the lightweight women’s double has China’s Dongxiang Xu and Wenyi Huang facing off against Denmark’s Juliane Rasmussen and Anne Lolk Thomsen. These two crews finishing seventh and eighth respectively at last year’s World Rowing Championships, but both of them must be given the award for most improved through this season and so far through this Olympic regatta. Watch out too for a Commonwealth battle down the side of the course. In lane five and six Australia and Canada will be putting aside all of their races so far on Dorney Lake and treating this race like a final.

Following the lightweight women, the lightweight men’s double sculls semifinal one has a solid field which is likely to be led by current World silver medallists, Storm Uru and Peter Taylor of New Zealand. But Olympic medallists, Rasmus Quist and Mads Rasmussen of Denmark have an awesome sprint and know when to turn it on. Talking of sprints, if Greece is in a good position near the end, they could be a surprise result. 

Semifinal two of the lightweight men’s double features Olympic and World Champions, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter of Great Britain. After Purchase and Hunter’s win in the heats earlier in this regatta they look to be back on track in their racing. Purchase and Hunter have finished outside of the medals at the final two Samsung World Rowing Cups leading up to these Olympics and there were rumours that they’d lost their edge. But the Brits are back and they will have to see off the youthful, gutsy combination of Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou of France. Despite just forming earlier this season, Delayre and Azou have shown awesome form together. Watch out too for Portugal and Norway who will qualify for the final if they have the race of their lives.

Semifinals in the women’s single sculls starts with semifinal one featuring Australia’s new rowing hero, Kim Crow. Crow is the only rower competing in more than one event at this Olympic regatta and she comes to this semifinal unbeaten so far at these Olympics in both the double and the single. But Crow will be racing against reigning World Champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Knapkova has been looking in devastating form at the regatta and there is every indication that she has peaked at the right time. Watch out too for six-time Olympian and Olympic Champion, Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus. She likes to do different race plans in every race and is always one to watch.

Semifinal two of the women’s single sees China’s Xiuyun Zhang likely to head the field. The very experienced Zhang came out of retirement in 2011 and this season she comes to London unbeaten. Zhang will be up against Fie Udby Erichsen of Denmark who had a wonderful quarterfinal race to make it through to today. Watch out too for Emma Twigg of New Zealand, a regular medallist on the World Cup circuit and is the World bronze medallist.