Junior rowers fight for spot in the World Championships finals

A real mixture of countries made it through to the finals with the usual dominance of Germany not evident. In hot and calm conditions under clear, sunny skies these juniors made the best of the conditions with the likes of South Africa, Serbia and Slovenia making it through to the finals.

Junior Men’s Pair (JM2-) – Semifinals
Semifinal One had Greece in the lead at the start. But it was Romania that had recorded the fastest time when they raced in the heats two days ago and by the middle of the race Romania’s Neculai Aniculesei and Durnitru Mariuc had got the better of them and started to push away. Meanwhile Greece was being challenged by Germany. The Germans were fourth last year while Greece finished third. The sprint to the line saw Romania, rating 34, looking long through the water and in control in the lead. Germany managed to outsprint Greece to take second and the Greeks qualified for the final from third.

Hungary and Serbia won their respective heats two days ago and thus earned a rest day yesterday, not having to race in the repechage. Today in Semifinal Two they faced France’s Quentin Stender and Guillaume Ampe who had come through the repechages. The lower rating French remained in the lead with Serbia and the Czech Republic being the closest challengers.

Serbia’s Igor Loncarevic and Andreja Sljukic then did a big push at the 1200m mark and this got their nose ahead of France. Could the French hold on? It looked like France was paying dearly for their early lead as Hungary and the Czech Republic overtook the French. There was going to be a tight battle for the top three spots and France was not in it.

Hungary’s Balazs Bendeguz Vancsura and Peter Csanyi were flying at a 41 stroke rate. Serbia held on at 37 and the Czech’s came through in third. France was resigned to paddling to the finish. Hungary, Serbia and the Czech Republic had qualified for the A-Final.
Qualifiers: ROU, GER, GRE, HUN, SRB, CZE

Junior Women’s Double Sculls (JW2x) – Semifinals
In the heats two days ago France and Romania both won their respective heats. Today they met in Semifinal One with France getting out to a better start. But Romania was right there and by the half-way point Romania had got their nose ahead of France. Last year France finished third and this new 2012 crew wanted to make the final this year.

Rating 30, Romania remained just ahead of France through the third 500. France’s Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino and Eleonore Dubuis hung on tightly as these two crews got ready to sprint. Hungary was very much up there and along with Romania and France they were comfortably in the top three spots coming into the final sprint. Romania’s Ionela-Livia Lehaci and Andreea Asoltanei held on to first while France looked content for Hungary to take second. These are the three A-finalists.

In the heats Germany recorded the fastest time and as 2011 silver medallists, all eyes were on them at the start of Semifinal Two. Julia Leiding has remained in the German boat from last year’s crew and they were up against the reigning Junior Champions, Milda Valciukaite and Ieva Adomaviciute of Lithuania. Lithuania had come to these finals through the repechage adding an extra race to their junior championship programme. At the start the Germans had the edge with Lithuania holding on to the German pace.

Going through the half-way point Lithuania had closed on the Germans and in the third 500 Valciukaite and Adomaviciute had the lead. These two crews were now absolutely dominating the race leaving Poland to hold on to third.

In the final sprint the United States challenged Poland for the third qualifying spot as Lithuania while Germany remained ahead of this battle. Lithuania crossed easily in first, Germany took second and the crowd waited for the results of third. A photo finish between Poland and the United States was called as the United States squeaking through by 14/100th of a second to make the A-final.
Qualifiers: ROU, HUN, FRA, LTU, GER, USA

Junior Men’s Double Sculls (JM2x) – Semifinals
Semifinal One had a false start caused by Poland (which was later withdrawn) with the boats getting away smoothly the second time. Switzerland jumped out into the lead over Poland and the race was well and truly under way. Coming through the heats two days ago Poland had the best qualifying time with the duo also doing well in yesterday’s quarterfinals. But it was Switzerland, who also had a very fast quarterfinal time, who remained in the lead through the half-way point. Damien Tollardo and Barnabe Delarze of Switzerland raced to fourth last year at the World Rowing Junior Championships and they were having a great semifinal race.

Poland’s Dominik Czaja and Patryk Syposz then found themselves under threat in the final sprint by both Belgium and Norway. With the smooth Swiss crew crossing the line in first, the results announced Robin Vanparys and Pierre De Loof of Belgium in second and Poland had just held on to third to qualify for the A-final.

Semifinal Two had Germany shoot out at the start. The Germans are the reigning Junior Champions and Kai Fuhrmann remains in the boat to defend his title. Fuhrmann has been joined by Ole Daverkow and together they were dominating this race. Germany had recorded the fastest qualifying time by quite a margin in yesterday’s quarterfinals and they were demonstrating a strong, high rating style that was keeping them in the lead.

Behind Germany, Estonia followed in second with Latvia right in their tails in third. Latvia’s Kriss Kalnins and Gints Zunde had won their quarterfinal yesterday and recorded a very good time. As these crews came into the last 300m of the race Germany remained easily in the lead with Latvia remaining in second while Estonia held off a fast finishing United States to take the third and final qualifying spot.
Qualifiers: SUI, BEL, POL, GER, LAT, EST

Junior Men’s Single Sculls (JM1x) – Semifinals
Slovenia’s Jernej Markovc jumped out to a fast start in Semifinal One. Markovc had finished second in his quarterfinal yesterday but he looked determined to lead today. This was despite being up against the fastest quarterfinal qualifier, Poland’s Natan Wegrzycki-Szymczyk.

Going through the third 500 Markovc still had the lead as a three-way line formed behind him between Wegrzycki-Szymczyk, GErmany’s Moritz Moos and Richard Vanco of Slovakia. The sprint to the line was on. Markovc continued to look strong rating 38 with Moos managing to break away. Wegrzycki-Szymczyk followed in third having broken Vanco who had dropped back to fourth.

Semifinal Two was led at the start by Michal Plocek of the Czech Republic. Plocek had won his quarterfinal yesterday and by the middle of the race Plocek had a very handy clear water lead. This left the statuesque Ganggang Li of China to slot into second with Boris Yotov of Azerbaijan following in third. Yotov knows these Plovdiv waters well as he is originally from Bulgaria having moved to Azerbaijan where he has continued his rowing.

The order remained the same coming through to the final sprint with Plocek still in front and Yotov challenging Li hard. Plocek was comfortable enough to drop his stroke rate to 28 with Li looking unconcerned about letting Yotov take second. Plocek, Yotov and Li are the three qualifying crews.
Qualifiers: SLO, GER, POL, CZE, AZE, CHN

Junior Women’s Single Sculls (JW1x) – Semifinals
In the quarterfinals yesterday Liselotte van der Togt of the Netherlands had the best time when she won her quarterfinal, but at the start van der Togt was right at the back of the field in Semifinal One. Instead France’s Marie Jacquet was in the lead followed very closely by Laura Oprea of Romania. Oprea had won her quarterfinal relatively easily and must have been feeling quite refreshed today as she moved into the lead through the middle of the race.

Then Denmark’s Emma Kiehn overtook a slowing France to move into second. Last year Kiehn finished fifth in this event and she is looking in good form here at Plovdiv. Oprea remained in front, at this, her third junior championships. She is already very accomplished having medalled the last two times.

In the closing sprint Oprea remained comfortably in the lead with Krystina Staraselets of Belarus pushing through into second and Kiehn holding on to third. These are the three qualifying crews.

Semifinal Two started out with South Africa’s Jenienne Curr in the lead. Curr had a great quarterfinal race yesterday, not only winning her race but also recording the fastest qualifying time. But the lead did not last long as Germany’s Anne Beenken took over in front. Beenken won this event last year and she must be a favourite coming into tomorrow’s final.

Once in the lead Beenken managed to push away from Curr as the large South African supporter crowd urged Curr on to the finish. Meanwhile Spain’s Aina Cid I, who had finished second in her quarterfinal, had slotted into third and none of these leading crews had any reason to sprint through to the finish. Beenken, Curr and Cid I had qualified for the A-final.
Qualifiers: ROU, BLR, DEN, GER, RSE, ESP