Big entries and records at CRASH-Bs

Olena Buryak had flown in from Ukraine to compete in the open women’s event. Finishing in 6.31.6, Buryak won her event with a cool eight-second margin. She later approached the Commodore of CRASH-B, Linda Muri and sincerely apologised for not setting a new World Record.

“I have to admit she looked extremely comfortable,” says indoor rowing aficionado Muri, “and I can easily imagine she did have a few more seconds in her.”

Buryak, who raced at the London Olympic Games in the women’s double sculls, easily beat Olympic gold medallist (USA women’s eight), Meghan Musnicki. In third place was US university student Tessa Gobbo.

American university student, Christian Kader headed the list by winning the open men’s event in a time of 5:52.1. Kader’s time also gave him the top under-23 time and the fastest US Collegian time. Belarus was second in the open category with perennial indoor rowing competitor, Pavel Shurmei finishing in a time of 5:53.5. Shurmei, 36, recently won the Euro Open in a time of 5:48.9 and declared that he would stick to indoor rowing competitions rather than seek another place on the national team. Shurmei raced at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Third place went to last year’s winner, Juan Carlos Cabrera of Mexico. Cabrera, 21, finished in 5:54.5, half a second faster than his 2012 time. Cabrera raced at the 2012 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the men’s single sculls.

The elite lightweight men’s event was won by American club rower Colin Ethridge in 6:12. He was followed by university rower Austin Meyer in 6:15 and Brazilian national team rower, Thiago Pereira was third.

Brazil also featured in the elite lightweight women’s category with 2011 World Champion in the lightweight women’s single sculls, Fabiana Beltrame, finishing fourth. Ahead of Beltrame, and winning the category, was American Erin Roberts who clocked a time of 7:08.5. Germany’s Leone Pless was second in a time of 7:11.1 and was followed by local Boston rower Sarah Schwegman in third.

 Five World Records were set in age categories. Christin Cavallo set the time of 7:05.7 in the 13 – 18 year old lightweight women’s category. This was the fastest overall time for lightweight women. Last year Cavallo was the world junior silver medallist in the women’s pair. The other World Records included:
– Charles Hamlin who clocked a time of 6:40.3 in the 65 – 69 year old heavyweight men’s category.
– Jeanne Daparno recorded 8:48.4 in the lightweight women's 75 – 79 year old category.
– Dean Smith went 8:10.5 in the heavyweight men's 85 – 89 year old category.
– Caroline McDonald set a time of 4:32.2 in the adaptive women's arms-shoulders (distance of 1000m).

As is traditional every winner receives a hammer. With all of the categories, including adaptive, 68 hammers were handed out.

It is a tradition of CRASH-B that, as commodore of the event, Linda Muri is often seen in a dressing gown. But in the rush to get to the event, Muri forgot her gown and was dressed rather conservatively in khakis and a 2013 CRASH-B qualifier tee-shirt. She ‘coxed’ a number of rowers and describes one young son nearby watching his mother race. “He would repeat to his mom whatever I had just called. Very sweet, but I’m sure she wondered where it was all coming from when she thought she’d sat him down to play Angry Birds for the next seven minutes!”

For full results: http://www.crash-b.org/web/results-2013/