Junior heats at the World Rowing Championships

In warm, 31 degree Celsius temperatures with a small tail wind, times were expected to be fast with junior events starting the day’s racing. Many of these junior were racing for the first time internationally and a whole range of abilities made up the field.

Junior Women’s Four (JW4-) – Heats
Each of the three heats required boats to be in a top three position if they wanted a direct path to the semifinals. Heat One got the regatta started with New Zealand jumping out first before being overtaken by the lower rating

United States. The USA are the reigning World Champions in this event and their new 2012 crew looked smooth and confident as they led the way through the body of the race. Germany then got the better of New Zealand with the Kiwis, rating 36 coming into finish, trying hard to hold on to third. A last minute surge by Germany, rating 39, nearly got them ahead of the US. But United States held them off. The United States, Germany and New Zealand qualified for the semifinals.

After an opening lead by Ukraine in Heat Two, Great Britain took over in front. But the British, who were the silver medallists in 2011, soon succumbed to a fired-up Italian crew. Italy remained in the lead and came into the finish to the voices of a large and loud supporters group. Great Britain held on to second with Canada, despite taking a bad stroke in the last 30m, got through to the semifinals by finishing third.

Heat Three saw Australia and China take off together and from opposite sides of the field they went head-to-head through the body of the race. China then got their nose in front despite underrating Australia by one pip. The Chinese remained in the lead and in the third 500m pushed clean away from Australia. The Australians had no reply and the race turned into a procession.
In the last 300m China had a gaping lead rating 35 and leaving Australia to qualify from second with France coming through to qualify for the semifinals from third. China’s time of 6:42 was the fastest qualifying time by more than 10 seconds.

Junior Men’s Coxed Four (JM4+) – Heats
The two heats in the coxed four required crews to finish first if they wanted a direct path to Saturday’s final. In Heat One New Zealand had the edge at the start with Serbia and Australia right on their tails. Going through the middle of the race only Serbia could keep up with the New Zealander’s pace. Last year New Zealand finished second and they were underrating Serbia, using long, strong strokes to stay in the lead. New Zealand then pushed away from Serbia to become the one qualifying crew from this heat. All other crews would have to return for the repechage.

Germany got their nose in front at the start of Heat Two. But both France and Ukraine moved with the Germans not offering them any leeway. Then in the third 500 Germany, using a 34 stroke rate, managed to break away with France trying their best to hold on. But the Germans looked a lot stronger through the water and remained easily in front. Germany, who finished fifth last year, easily qualified for the final by crossing the line in first. France, and the rest of the boats, will race again in the repechage.

Junior Women’s Pair (JW2-) – Heats
This boat class had attracted 11 countries. They were divided into two heats with the top boat in each heat getting to go directly to the final. In Heat One Christine Cavallo and Kathryn Brown of the United States took off in the lead. The United States are regular medallists in this event but last year they found themselves back in sixth. Instead it was Italy’s Serena and Giogia Lo Bue who won the event. Today the Lo Bue sisters were behind the United States.

A strong move going through the 1200m mark helped propel Italy into the lead with Brown and Cavallo having no reply. Once in the lead the Lo Bue’s moved steadily away from the Americans and, rating 33 through to the finish, they gained a spot in the final on Saturday.

At the start of Heat Two, Spain’s Nuria Barrios and Laura Monteso Esmel had the lead with Poland hot on their heels. The high rating Barrios and Monteso remained in front on a 36 stroke rate, but the much lower rating Poland kept hanging on. Then just before the 1500m mark Greece’s Styliani Koumpli and Aikaterini Kalamara did a big push and to their bow ball into the lead.

Once in the lead Koumpli and Kalamara looked like a new boat and absolutely took off. Spain had no reply. A very happy Koumpli and Kalamara punched the air. They had finished first by a full eight seconds. Koumpli and Kalamara had qualified directly for the final.

Junior Men’s Four (JM4-) – Heats
The three heats in this boat class required rowers to finish in a top three spot for a direct path to the semifinals. Heat One featured reigning Junior Champions, Germany with Johannes Weissenfeld still in the boat from last year’s winning crew. The Germans jumped out at the start and by the middle of the race they had a couple of seconds lead over Romania. But then in the third 500, Romania did a big push and got ahead of Germany. Romania finished third in 2011 and it looks like they have come back stronger this year.

Germany did their best to hold on, but Romania remained in front. Romania, Germany and Slovenia were the three qualifying crews.
Heat Two had Great Britain leading at the start with Australia slotting into second. But the British pace was way too hot and, unlike the Olympic men’s four final earlier this month, Australia proved to be no threat to the British lead. Coming into the last quarter of the race Great Britain remained easily in the lead with Australia now under threat from Denmark. Australia, rating 33 then 35, tried to stay ahead of Denmark, but the Danes had more to give. At the finish line Great Britain remained easily in first with Denmark qualifying for the semifinals from second and Australia also qualifying but having to be content with third.

A big cheer went up when Italy were announced as in the lead in Heat Three. The Italians had an edge over Austria with last year’s sixth placed Croatia in third. Rating a comfortable 32 stroke rate through the body of the race, Italy was under-rating their competition and remaining in the lead. Meanwhile Austria found their second place under threat from Croatia as the crews started to sprint into the closing 300m of the race. Then Croatia looked to be content to remain in third and dropped their stroke rate to 32. Italy, Austria and Croatia had qualified for the semifinals.

Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls (JW4x) – Heats
This event had three heats with the top two boats in each heat getting to go directly to the semifinals. Belarus started out how they intended to finish – in the lead. By the half-way point of Heat One Belarus, who were fifth last year, had built up a handy lead over Italy in second. The Italians, meanwhile, were carrying out a very tight battle with Greece and China were also on the pace.

Belarus remained in front to the line with China, Italy and Greece all charging in an attempt to earn that second qualifying position. A 41 stroke rate sprint by Greece gave them the edge. Belarus and Greece had earned spots in the semifinal.

Romania had the lead at the start of Heat Two with New Zealand following closely. But then Romania, the bronze medallists from 2011, pulled right away leaving New Zealand to stay ahead of reigning junior champions, Germany. But New Zealand must have had other ideas. Instead of just staying ahead of Germany, the New Zealanders continued to challenge Romania. Coming into the final sprint Romania was on 32 while New Zealand used a 35 to stay up with the leaders. These two countries qualified for the semifinals.

The United States jumped out very quickly in Heat Three leaving the rest of the field to chase second. Denmark, Australia and Great Britain formed a virtual line as they fought to get that second-placed spot. Going through the middle of the race the closeness of these three crews remained with Denmark slightly over-rating their competition.

The United States – Madden, Zadravec, Sharis and Grinalds – remained in dominant form and coming into the close of the race the Americans looked to be in a race of their own. Meanwhile Denmark had been dropped and Great Britain and Australia were doing battle to the line. Australia got there first. The United States and Australia were the two qualifying boats.

Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls (JM4x) – Heats
A full field of 27 countries were divided into six heats with the top three or four boats from each heat earning a spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Heat One saw New Zealand get out ahead of last year’s junior champions, Romania. Romania, however, were not going to let New Zealand get away and together these two countries moved away from their competition. This left Great Britain and Slovenia to hold their own battle behind the leaders.

Going through the middle of the race, New Zealand’s Russell and Cameron Crampton with Corey McCaffrey and Mitchell MacKenzie-Mol remained just ahead of Romania. But in the final sprint, Romania, rating 38, outsprinted New Zealand, rating 34, to the line. Romania, New Zealand qualified for the quarterfinals along with Great Britain who finished third and also Slovenia, who qualified way back in fourth.

Ukraine took the lead in Heat Two with South Africa and Russia moving with them. By the middle of the race Russia had got the edge over Ukraine to take the lead, with Ukraine now under threat from South Africa. The crews sprinted to the line with Ukraine pushing back to again take the lead. Russia, rating 33, looked content to hold on to second. These two crews had qualified for the quarterfinals along with South Africa who had finished in third and the Netherlands from fourth.

Heat Three featured Latvia in the lead at the start. But their margin was slight with Poland very much on the pace. This meant that by the middle of the race Poland were in the lead with Latvia now playing catch-up. The Latvian’s did it with style and had soon got themselves back out in front. Poland held on and these two crews broke away from the rest of the field.

Coming into the final sprint Latvia, rating 34, looked strong and relaxed and was staying ahead of the higher rating Poland. Latvia, Poland, Japan and the Czech Republic finished first, second, third and fourth respectively and are the crews that qualify for the quarterfinals.
The 2011 silver medallists, Italy, lined up in Heat Four and had soon established themselves in the lead with only Belarus able to hold their pace. By the middle of the race Italy – Mumolo, Crippa, Evangelisti and Rambaldi – had moved clean away from the rest of the field and out to an open water lead. The Italians continued to dominate, so much so that coming into the finish line Italy hardly looked like they were racing. Italy qualified for the quarterfinals from first with Belarus and Greece sprinting through to take the remaining two qualifying spots.

Heat Five opened with Germany in the lead. The Germans finished in the bronze medal spot last year and they were looking good as they remained in the lead through the middle of the race. Behind the German’s Belgium, Turkey and Norway held a very close battle to get the second-placed spot. Then Turkey started to fade leaving Belgium and Norway to fight it out for second.

In the final sprint Germany, rating 33, looked comfortable and together with Norway outsprinting Belgium to get the second-placed spot. Germany, Norway and Belgium all qualified for the quarterfinals.

What a finish! The final heat, Heat Six of the men’s quad turned into a storming sprint to the line when three boats matched each other over the final 500m of the race. Hungary, Croatia and the United States all rated high and all aimed to be in first. These top three boats were just over a second apart at the line with Hungary ahead of Croatia and the United States. Australia, in fourth, also qualified for the quarterfinals in the capacity of having the next fastest time.