Aggar successful while Lysenko struggles at Gavirate Para-rowing regatta

 Eleven nations lined up to race in the four Paralympic events – LTA mixed coxed four, TA mixed double sculls, AS women’s single sculls and AS men’s single sculls – and also the non-Paralympic events of the TA men’s single sculls and the LTA mixed double sculls.

The AS men’s single attracted the greatest number of entries with nine boats and races were conducted over three days with a chance for athletes to race in finals twice – like two regattas in one.

Tom Aggar of Great Britain was back in the lead of the AS men’ssingle sculls, winning over Aleksey Chuvashev of Russia and Andrew Houghton of Great Britain’s number two crew. Aggar was the favourite going into the Paralympic Games but ended up fourth with Chuvashev finishing third. This result may serve as a signal that Aggar is back on form. The weather was variable for racing with some wind and rain but organiser Alessandro Franzetti commented that the athletes handled it very well.

Aggar did not race on the second day of finals, with team mate Houghton instead taking line honours. Chuvashev was second and Brazil’s Luciano Luna was third.

Perhaps the most notable result of the regatta was the AS women’s single when newcomer Natalia Bolshakova of Russia sent Alla Lysenko of Ukraine to her first international defeat. Lysenko is the reigning Paralympic Champion but was not up to her ususal form in Gavirate. Bolshakova also won on the second day of finals with Norway’s Birgit Skartstein, also a newcomer to para-rowing racing, finishing in second and pushing Lysenko back to third.

Franzetti says the reason for Lysenko’s loss may have been to do with her fitness level, “It was really a surprising result and it is difficult to find an explanation, but on the other side we have also to say that Natalia was really very competitive and determined.”

Great Britain won the LTA mixed coxed four at last year’s Paralympic Games and they continued their winning ways in Gavirate despite only having two of their Paralympic athletes in the boat. Pamela Relph and Naomi Riches have remained in this event. The British also won on the second day of finals, and by a larger margin, with Italy finishing in second in both finals.

The TA mixed double went the way of the very accomplished French duo of Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu. Bouge and Tardieu have been racing together internationally since 2010 and have had much success in that time, including silver at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The French duo dominated on both days, well ahead of Brazil in second.

Para-rowers will get to race again in a month’s time at the Samsung World Rowing Cup II in Eton, Great Britain. This is the same venue that para-rowing at the London Paralympic Games took place.