European Rowing Championship finals send a signal

The Czech Republic showed that they had the single scullers wrapped up when they won both the women’s and men’s event featuring Mirka Knapkova and Ondrej Synek. Germany demonstrated their continued prowess in the men’s eight by winning that event, while their women’s eight stepped up a margin with a silver medal. Romania, meanwhile, looked back on form with a comfortable win in the women’s eight.

Competitors faced small but gusting head wind conditions on the Rio Guadalquivir Rowing Course in Seville. But this did not stop the recording of extremely competitive times and impressive sprint finishes.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Final
Leading up to this final Switzerland’s Simon Niepmann and Lucas Tramer looked to have the best speed and they proved it today by belting out of the start and holding a 38 stroke rate pace for most of the first quarter of the race. Niepmann and Tramer raced last year in the epic A-final of the lightweight men’s four at the London Olympics and they were definitely showing their Olympic prowess today. By the middle of the race Niepmann and Tramer had built up a handy lead looking long and loose through the water.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Xavier Vela Maggi and Daniel Sigurjorsson Benet were following in second. The crowd were loving it and urging their home boys on to the finish. But Vela and Sigurjorsson were under real pressure from Guido Gravina and Giorgio Tuccinardi of Italy. Would the finish line come soon enough? As the grandstands came into view Niepmann and Tramer remained in the lead but now Gravina and Tuccinardi had really stepped it up and had overtaken the Spaniards to close on Switzerland.

At the line an exhausted Niepmann and Tramer had just held off the Italians. Italy took second with Spain in third. All three crews looked extremely happy as they stood on the finish line pontoon to receive their medals.
Results: SUI, ITA, ESP, GER, GRE, POR

Simon Niepmann (SUI) – Gold
“The race was hard, as expected, but we had a really good start. We expected a sprint from the Spanish and they came close (to us), so the sprint was tough.”

Guido Gravina (ITA) – Silver
“This is my first race a senior and I’m really happy about this result. It was a tough race with Spain and we fought for the Silver medal. Switzerland were just too far away.

Daniel Sigurjorsson Benet (ESP) – Bronze
“Racing in your own country makes it a different experience. Even though we are not from Seville the crowd helped us a lot.”

B-Final
Turkey only just missed out on making the final (by less than a second) when they raced in yesterday’s repechage so they made the best of the B-final by racing at the head of the field for the entire race. Turkey finished with nearly a five second lead and a seventh-place finish overall.
Results: TUR, HUN, AUT

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Final
Italy’s Enrica Marasca may have had the highest stroke rate at the start, but it was Austria’s rowing stalwart, Michaela Taupe-Traer that had the better speed and the lead. Rating a powerful 30 strokes per minute Taupe-Traer looked to be the one to beat. Taupe-Traer was second in the lightweight single at last year’s World Rowing Championships after spending some time in the double with the aim of racing at the London Olympics.

Going through the middle of the race Taupe-Traer still had the lead, but it was very slight. Right on the Austria’s tail was Aikaterini Nikolaidou of Greece and Marie-Anne Frenken of the Netherlands. Looking in control and fearless in the face of more experienced competition, Nikolaidou was challenging Taupe-Traer relentlessly. Nikolaidou has changed from rowing open weight to lightweight this season after taking silver last year in the under-23 women’s double. In the final sprint Nikolaidou upped her stroke rate to 34 in these tough head-wind conditions. Taupe-Traer had no reply. Nikolaidou had become the European Champion. Taupe-Traer gained silver ahead of Frenken in third.
Results: GRE, AUT, NED, IRL, ITA, CYP

Aikaterini Nikolaidou (GRE)
“This was my first race in the lightweight single. The last 500m was the hardest part of the race. I was fighting hard with Michaela (Taupe-Traer) and it was a tight race.”

Michaela Taupe-Traer (AUS)
“It didn’t really change (her training plan) that the European Championships were so early in the season.”

Marie-Anne Frenken (NED)
“I focused on the start and it really went well so I believe throughout the whole race that I could be on the podium. I tried to attack in the final piece but they didn’t break. It’s my first time on an international podium so I’m very happy.”

B-Final
Germany’s Wiebke Hein got off to a great start but something happened to her going into the third 500 causing Hein to hit a buoy. This put Hein at the back of the field with France taking over in the lead. But it was a big sprint by Daniela Nachazelova of the Czech Republic that gave her the lead and the first place.
Results: CZE, FRA, GER

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Final
This event began with 14 countries competing and today it was down to the final top six. Henrik Stephansen of Denmark was the favourite as the two-time reigning World Champion and a head-wind always suits the incredibly strong Dane who holds the World Record on the indoor rowing machine. But Stephansen is not known for his fast starts and losing his oar after ten strokes didn’t help his cause. At the beginning it was Greece who had the best speed.

By the first 500m mark, however, Stephansen already had the lead with Germany’s Jonathan Koch being the closest threat. It is unusual for Stephansen to take the lead so early in a race. Had he gone out too hard? Coming into the half-way point Stephansen remained in front with Portugal’s Pedro Fraga now moving up to challenge the Dane. London Olympian, Fraga is usually seen in the lightweight double, but at this regatta he is without his partner, Nuno Mendes and thus racing the single.

Fraga gave it his all to keep up with Stephansen, but the Dane looked powerful as he remained out in front and in control. Koch, meanwhile, sat back in third. Coming into the final sprint Stephansen took his stroke rate to 37, proving that he was unaffected by his early speed. Not giving up Fraga matched Stephansen’s stroke rate. Stephansen is used to winning by a substantial margin. Not so this time. Fraga had held onto the Dane and finished just ½ a length down. What a race!
Results: DEN, POR, GER, SUI, ITA, GRE

Henrik Stephansen (DEN) – Gold
“I am really happy because it was a really tough race.”

Pedro Fraga (POR) – Silver
“For the first 1000m I tried to keep it together but I realised that Henrik was going to win the race.”

Jonathan Koch (GER) – Bronze
“During the previous races I took it a little too easy in the last 500m just doing enough to qualify. But I wanted to be on the podium with the Danish and Portuguese scullers and here I am.”

B-Final
Serbia’s Milos Stanojevic only just missed out on making the A-final in yesterday’s semifinals and thus came into this race as the favourite. But a slow start by Stanojevic put him at the back of the field and instead it was Nedelcho Vasilev of Bulgaria – who must have saved his energy in the seminfinals – that was in the lead. Vasilev is an under-23 medallist and now as a senior rower is stepping up.  Vasilev crossed the line in first in dominating form, seven second in the lead over Slovenia’s Rajko Hrvat.
Results: BUL, SLO, TUR, ESP, FRA, SRB

Women’s Pair (M2-) – Final
The very stable German crew of Kerstin Hartmann and Marlene Sinnig looked to be the crew to beat coming through the heats two days ago. But at the start of the race Svitlana Novichenko and Anna Konsteva of Ukraine were in the lead. Ukraine had an extra race after coming to the final via the repechage.

As the middle of the race came into view margins were extremely tight with Novichenko and Konsteva just in front of Romania and Germany. Then reigning European Champions (albeit a new line up), Romania did a huge piece. The piece gave Cristina Grigoras and Andreea Boghian of Romania the lead with Hartmann and Sinnig now attacking. With 600m to go Hartmann and Sinnig took up their stroke rate and moved.  But Grigoras and Boghian were ready. The duo took their stroke rate to 35 to hold off the Germans.

Romania had successfully defended their European Championship title. Germany would have to settle for silver with early leaders, Ukraine dropping right back but still able to hold on to third.
Results: ROU, GER, UKR, RUS, ITA, CZE

Andreea Boghian (ROU) – Gold
“Our goal was to finish first and it was a very hard race because it was really windy.”

Marlene Sinnig (GER) – Silver
“We didn’t have a good race in Essen. We were changing to a new boat and we were simply not motivated but here we really wanted to win, but Romania were too strong.”

Anna Kontseva (UKR) – Bronze
“We are not too happy about the result but we are still happy to come third.”

B-Final
This two-boat B-final was between Belarus and Norway with Belarus’s Hanna Kabral and Anastasiya Fadzeyenka dominating right from the start.
Results: BLR, NOR

Men’s Pair (M2-) – Final
The Olympic silver medallists and winners of the Sydney World Rowing Cup in March, Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette of France had the best credentials coming into this regatta. But in the heats two days ago, Serbia’s Nenad Bedik and Nikola Stojic had recorded the fastest time. France and Serbia would meet today in the final for the first time this season. The very experienced Stojic raced in Seville in 2002 at the World Rowing Championships where he finished fifth with a former partner.

Coming out of the start Italy took the lead with absolutely nothing between France, Serbia, reigning European Champions the Netherlands and Poland. By the half-way point Marco Di Costanzo and Matteo Castaldo of Italy remained in the lead, but only just with Stojic and Bedik right there with the leading Italians. What were the French doing? Chardin and Mortelette usually get out quick at the start, but today this wasn’t the case.

As the final sprint came into view, Bedik and Stojic had gained the lead with the Italians now paying dearly for their early aggressive speed. Poland followed in second with the French nowhere in sight. The long, powerful strokes of Stojic and Bedik were moving them away from the field. Moving to a 40 stroke rate Serbia had decided that they didn’t just want to win, they wanted to send a message to men’s pair competitors around the world that they had 2013 boat speed.

Wijciech Gutorski and Jaroslaw Godek of Poland came through two seconds back in second with the Netherlands in third. France finished at the back of the field. There was no hiding the delight of Stojic and Bedik. Last year at the European Championships they were third and in their second season together, the duo is looking like 2013 could be their year.
Results: SRB, POL, NED, ITA, HUN, FRA

Nikola Stojic (SRB) – Gold
“We stuck to our race plan – being strong and pulling hard between the second 500m.”

Wojciech Gutorski (POL) – Silver
“I am very excited about our second place finish. It was a very good race but the start and first 1000m were the hardest parts of the race.”
 
Rogier Blink (NED) – Bronze
“It is a good result for a less than good weekend. You should be happy with every medal you win but that will take a while (for me).”

B-Final
Spain got to the first 500m mark first. The duo of Alexander Sigurbjonsson Benet and Pau Vela Maggi of Spain were very unlucky to miss out on the A-final after finishing just 0.23 of a second outside of a qualifying spot. But Ukraine soon took over in the lead with Germany chasing hard. At the line the Germans (Andre Sieber and Philipp Naruhn) were first, Ukraine second and Spain slipped back to third.
Results: GER, UKR, ESP, CRO, GRE

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Final
The highest ranked crew in this event is the French duo of Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou. They were fourth at the London Olympics and they come to today’s final with the fastest qualifying time from yesterday’s semifinals.

Taking no chances Delayre and Azou got into the lead at the start. The lead, however, was miniscule with Switzerland’s Simon Schuerch and Mario Gyr just a bow ball back. Schuerch and Gyr raced in the final at the London Olympics in the lightweight four and their two teammates won a gold medal earlier today in the lightweight men’s pair. The pressure to repeat that performance must have been on the minds of Schuerch and Gyr.

Delayre and Azou, however, remained at the head of the field, their sculling confidence showing through as they hit the middle of the 2000m rowing course with a one second lead over the Swiss and using a lower stroke rate in the process. The French then managed to stretch their lead ever so slightly with Switzerland now under pressure from Norway.

In the final sprint Delayre and Azou looked stunning as they remained in the lead with the real race going on between Norway’s Kristoffer Brun and Are Strandli and Schuerch and Gyr with Italy also very much in the battle to the line. As France crossed the line in first, London Olympians, Brun and Strandli came through to take a well-deserved silver. Schuerch and Gyr had to settle for bronze.
Results: FRA, NOR, SUI, ITA, AUT, GRE

Jeremie Azou (FRA) – Gold
“I like to row in this double because Stany and I get along well together. It’s good to share the experience and the emotions and to have fun together.”

Kristoffer Brun (NOR) – Silver
“We were six seconds behind the Swiss team in Piediluco and now – six weeks later – we have finished ahead of them. One second a week, with this progression we have a good chance for the World Rowing Championships. “

Simon Schuerch (SUI) – Bronze
“This was our first race in the double. Usually we are in the lightweight men’s quad. The Europeans are another step in our goal – the World Rowing Championships in Chungju.”

B-Final
A very competitive race saw four boats fighting it out at almost equal speeds for the full 2000m Turkey and Poland had a slight edge with the Netherlands and Ukraine right with them. It came down to a massive final sprint with Poland’s Artur Mikolajczewski and Milosz Jankowski getting to the finish line first.
Results: POL, TUR, NED, UKR, RUS, DEN

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Final
Through yesterday’s semifinals Italy’s Laura Milani and Elisabetta Sancassani recorded the fastest time, but only by a bit with Germany about ½ a second back. Milani and Sancassani are the reigning European Champions but it was Lena Mueller and Anja Noske of Germany that had the fastest start. London Olympians Mueller and Noske were still in the lead coming through the middle of the race with the Italians fast closing in on the leaders.

Mueller and Noske looked a little uncomfortable as Milani and Sancassani started to overtake them. With Italy at 34 and Germany rating 33, Milani and Sancassani got into the lead. This must have broken the Germans. Mueller and Noske had no answer and the Italians were able to scull clean away from the field.

Coming to the line Italy was easily out in front, Germany strongly in second with the real race going on for bronze between Poland and Denmark. Katarzyna Welna and Weronika Deresz of Poland had done it in the last ten strokes. They earn the bronze medal.
Results: ITA, GER, POL, DEN, SWE, RUS

Laura Milani (ITA) – Gold
“This is the second time that I won at the European Rowing Championships. I was very worried about the wind but it was worse yesterday.”

Anja Noske (GER) – Silver
“We weren’t that well prepared since we had a long break after the Olympics. Italy are the reigning European Champions and we just couldn’t keep them off, but we are still happy with a medal.”

Katarzyna Welna (POL) – Bronze
“I am very surprised (by our result) as last year I was still junior. Also this is our first regatta together, we have only been training together for two weeks.”

B-Final
Coming through from yesterday’s semifinals, the Netherlands looked to be the crew to beat. But at the start of this race it was Patricia Merz and Frederique Pol of Switzerland out in front with Elisabeth Woerner and Joanneke Jansen of the Netherlands following extremely closely. Then, in a race that was throwing up one surprise after another, Belarus took the lead. Irina Liaskova and Alena Kryvasheyenka of Belarus had finished first and taken a well-earned seventh place overall at this regatta.
Results: BLR, NED, SUI, BEL, CZE, ESP

Men’s Four (M4-) – Final
Two days ago Romania and the Netherlands won their respective heats to advance directly to today’s final. They lined up in the two middle lanes in the race for the European Championship title. Romania were second in this event at last year’s European Championships while the Dutch crew is made up of three members of their London Olympic four.

At the start it was Spain that was setting the pace, but by the first 500m mark Romania had found the lead. With that Romania took off causing an impressive wake generated by their powerful strokes. Keeping their stroke rate high Romania had pulled away to an open water lead over the Netherlands who now were in second. Could the Dutch catch Romania?

Florian Curuea, Cristi-Ilie Pirghe, George Palamariu and Marius-Vasile Cozmiuc were having a great race with nearly a four second lead coming into the final sprint. The race, however, was far from over. As the drums beat for the home Spanish team, the Netherlands changed gear, upped their stroke rate and closed on the Romanians. Romania looked to have no reply. The Dutch had found the lead and crossed the line in first to become European Champions. Boaz Meylink, Kaj Hendriks, Mechiel Versluis and Robert Luecken had come back from an open water deficit to win. Romania took second and Germany were a very close third.
Results: NED, ROU, GER, CRO, ESP, ITA

Boaz Meylink (NED) – Gold
“At the start we were immediately one length behind by catching a crab in the first stroke. We spent the whole race catching up and just went crazy in the final strokes. We felt it was possible and we are now European Champions! We are very happy!”

Florin Curuea (ROU) – Silver
“It was a good race but different than normal since it was early in the season. Cristi was injured for while, but we still did well. We just wanted to get faster and faster – and we did.”

Max Planer (GER) – Bronze
“It’s great to have a medal. I don’t feel like a champion but this is another step to getting that feeling. The best moment was when we passed the Spanish team. That was important motivation.”

B-Final
Serbia missed out on making the A-final by a whisker from yesterday’s semifinals, but they made the best of the B-final today. At the start France had the lead, but Serbia, who were third last year at the European Championships, soon took over at the front and coming into the final sprint Serbia had built up more than a boat length lead. By the finish Serbia had six seconds on France who were in second.
Results:  SRB, FRA, TUR, NOR, RUS

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Final
When you have the Olympic silver medal crew – still intact – lining up, you know that they are the standard to try and beat. This was the case in the women’s quadruple sculls race with Germany sitting in the middle lane. Beside them was the Netherlands who had won their heat two days ago and was facing Germany for the first time today.

Taking no chances, Germany (Annekatrin Thiele, Carina Baer, Julia Richter and Britta Oppelt) got into the lead. Behind the Germans it was practically a line with less than two seconds separating all five boats. Germany then settled into a 34 stroke rate and started to move away from the rest of the field. Denmark and Italy then went head to head through the middle of the race with the Italians just inching ahead as they crossed the 1500m mark. But Denmark weren’t giving up, especially as the Netherlands were now breathing down the necks of both Denmark and Italy.

As Germany continued to lead, the Netherlands closed a beautifully timed race that saw them push ahead of Denmark and then Italy. Germany, looking solid, confident and in perfect synchronicity, crossed the line in the gold medal spot, the Dutch had pushed through into silver, giving Italy bronze and pushing Denmark out of the medals. Reigning European Champions, Ukraine finished at the back of the field, albeit with a different crew to 2012.
Results: GER, NED, ITA, DEN, POL, UKR

Carina Baer (GER) – Gold
“The race was very hard even though it might have looked very easy. But we are pleased with the result.”

Sophie Souwer (NED)
“I had to focus on the race, I didn’t even know in which position we finished. We are so happy because the crew was only formed two weeks ago.”

Sara Magnaghi (ITA)
“This is great because it is our second year on the podium. We are still very young so this is a big achievement. Our plan was to do our best, iregardless of the result and we ended up in third place.”

B-Final
Russia pulled out for medical reasons leaving a two-boat race between Romania and France. Using a long, low rating stroke, France took the lead. But the Romanians were not going to let the French get away and at the half way mark the margin between the two crews was tiny and remained tiny coming through the third 500m. Into the final sprint France realised the pressure and took their stroke rate to a 38. Romania held on, but France had the better speed to get to the finish line first and earn a seventh overall place.
Results: FRA, ROU

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x) – Final
Germany and Croatia finished first and second respectively at last year’s Olympic Games and they raced against each other today for the first time at this regatta. In yesterday’s semifinals the two countries won their respective semi with Germany recording the quickest time by a handy margin.

Using absolute opposite starting styles, Germany took off in the lead while Croatia came out in dead last position. But with a quarter of the race rowed margins were tight with just over two seconds separating first to last. Germany then did a big push to move away from the field before settling into a strong 34 stroke rate pace.  The remaining five crews stayed tightly packed together.

Croatia were still back as the final 500m came into view with Germany in the lead, Poland in second and Italy in third. What could Croatia do with only 500m left to row?  Coming into the line both Italy and Poland were flying and in the process closing on Germany. The Germans got to the line first to claim the European Championship title while Poland had held off Italy by a smidgen of a second – just 0.08 of a second. Croatia looked devastated after they crossed at the rear of the field.

These results can only indicate a very interesting and exciting season is going to take place in the men’s quadruple sculls.
Results: GER, POL, ITA, UKR, SUI, CRO

Paul Heinrich (GER) – Gold
“I still can’t believe it. I am still new in the boat and just became part of the crew recently. And now I am a European Champion.”

Dawid Grabowski (POL) – Silver
“Our goal was to do a good job, we hoped to do well. The challenge was the last 200 metres because Italy came really close and we thought they would win. We had to race very fast at the end.”

Luca Rambaldi (ITA) – Bronze
“Last year I was still a junior and we came in 6^th. This year it was very difficult, I think it is an honour to row together with my partners and it is a great experience. Also I’m only 18 years old.”

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Final
Judging by the results from yesterday’s semifinals, this would be a very close race between Norway and Germany. Norway’s Nils Jakob Hoff and Kjetil Borch finished seventh at the London Olympics while Eric Knittel and Stephan Krueger of Germany were eighth. The rivalry continued today.

It was Hoff and Borch that got their nose in front at the start despite being up against the higher rating Germans. But it was just a very small nose with less than half a second separating the first three boats at the 500m mark with Germany in the mix. Norway got to the middle of the race first, but only just with Germany matching the Norwegians stroke for stroke with Italy, Denmark and Lithuania all within striking distance.

Then coming through the 1200m mark crews began to make moves. Norway and Germany were out of the lead with Lithuania’s Rolandas Mascinskas and Sauliius Ritter now staking their dominance by the smallest of margins. This race was going to come down to the best sprinters as the top four boats remained tightly packed together.  

The crews were flying. Italy’s Francesco Fossi and Romano Battisti, with their heads down in full concentration and at a 43 stroke rate, were flying the fastest. They reached the line just a fraction ahead of Lithuania with Norway holding on to the bronze medal spot. In true men’s double style, this race was decided in the final sprint and one of the tightest races of the day.
Results: ITA, LTU, NOR, GER, DEN, AUT

Francesco Fossi (ITA)
“We didn’t have a good start but we found a good stroke rhythm and caught up pretty well.”

Rolandas Mascinskas (LTU)
“I would be happier with the first place but of course I’m also happy with the second. The wind was hard because it is like you have to row a longer distance.”

Kjetil Borch (NOR)
“We don’t like that the LM2x have a better medal but we deserved bronze. The lightweight double guys just trained harder. We need more time training together now and our new Swedish coach will help us.”

B-Final
After an early lead by France, Estonia’s Allar Raja and Kaspar Taimsoo took to the front. Raja and Taimsoo are two very experienced scullers. They finished fourth in the quad at last year’s Olympic Games and then went on to finish first in the quad at the 2012 European Rowing Championships. The duo look like they have been improving throughout this regatta and today Raja and Taimsoo held the lead until the finish.
Results: EST, FRA, SRB, UKR, CZE, AZE

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Final
Racing in the heats Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite of Lithuania had scored the fastest qualifying time and earned a day off. Today they met Poland – winner of the other heat – for the first time. Magdalena Fularczyk and Natalia Madaj of Poland took a flying start with Belarus and Lithuania following closely behind. Fularczyk made history for Poland at the London Olympics when she won the first Olympic medal for Polish women after taking bronze in the double. Fularczyk is back for another year with a new doubles partner.

The Poles were still in the lead with half the race gone but margins were still incredibly tight between the top three crews. Then Vistartaite and Valciukaite made a move and not only got ahead of Poland, but started to push away. Did Poland have a reply?

Lithuania was out-stroking Poland by a pip and now moving clean away. Vistartaite is better known for her single sculling skills while Valciukaite has only just come out of junior rowing, but together they look to have found some magic. At the line the Lithuanians had a huge winning margin. Poland held on to second and Belarus’s birthday girl, Ekaterina Karsten, 41, and Yuliya Bichyk took bronze.
Results: LTU, POL, BLR, GER, CZE, ROU

Milda Valciukaite (LTU)
“It was just our day. I can’t believe it!”

Magdalena Fularczyk (POL)
“We have been training together since April. This is only our second race together so we are very happy to be second.”

Ekaterina Karsten (BLR)
“We have rowed together for only 4 weeks. This was not a perfect race but we are looking forward to Lucerne.”

B-Final
The Netherlands were not the fastest at the start, but by the middle of the race Chantal Achterberg and Elisabeth Hogerwerf of the Netherlands were in the lead. Achterberg medalled last year at the London Olympic in the eight and has moved to the double for a change of scene bringing the great Nico Rienks along to coach her. At the line the Dutch remained in front setting off their 2013 season with a well-deserved seventh place overall.
Results: NED, RUS, ITA, GRE, ESP

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Final
At the London Olympics Denmark were the bronze medallists. They’ve come to Seville with three members of that boat and Morten Joergensen has taken over in stroke seat. In the heats Denmark recorded the fastest qualifying time and today they met winner of the other heat, Spain. This race would no doubt be marked by huge crowd support.

At the start Denmark took the lead with the rest of the field forming almost an exact line behind the Danes. Denmark did this by using a 47 stroke rate out of the blocks and held the speed they got from this though the first 500m. Denmark continued to push away leaving a huge battle to unfold between reigning European Champions Italy, the Czech Republic, France and Spain and Austria still very much in it.

Even in these early stages of the race the crowd was already at fever pitch, cheering the Spanish crew on. With Denmark still in the lead, the Czech Republic managed to get their nose into second as margins remained agonisingly tight.

In the big sprint to the line Denmark kept their stroke rate high with the Czech Republic giving it their all to remain in second over a flying France and Italy. Denmark crossed the line in first to become European Champions, the Czech Republic held on to the silver medal spot and a big finish by France gave them the bronze.
Results: DEN, CZE, FRA, ITA, AUT, ESP

Morten Joergensen (DEN) – Gold
“We started training together five weeks ago and I had surgery on my leg so I was not in shape. Our goal is to train for the World Championships and this is like a training regatta. This result shows that we are doing fine with our training at home.”

Ondrej Vetesnik (CZE) – Silver
“It’s fantastic to have a silver medal and to have qualified for Korea (Czech national team selection criteria). The wind was very strong, but we are very strong too.”

Thomas Baroukh (FRA) – Bronze
“The best part of the race was the middle because we were able to catch up with the rest.”

 

B-Final
From the results in yesterday’s semifinals the Netherlands looked to be the favourites of this race. Itwas Poland, however, who had the lead at the start with Germany following closely. Germany kept the pressure on and coming into the final sprint the Germans had pushed into the lead with a canvas over Poland. This two-boat battle took Germany and Poland away from the rest of the field. Both boats sprinted at a 39 stroke rate pace to the line. Germany had just enough to cross the line in first.
Results: GER, POL, NED, SUI, HUN

Women’s Eight (W8+) – Final
In the race for lanes two days ago reigning European Champions, Romania dominated, winning easily. But today was the race that counted. Romania got off the line the quickest and from that point never looked back. The crew included Cristina Grigoras and Andreea Boghian who took gold earlier today in the women’s pair. There was also the very talented Nicoleta Albu sitting in stroke seat.

Romania looked unbeatable as they moved through the middle of the race having already built up more than a boat length lead. This left Germany and Russia to battle it out for silver as it looked as though the Romanians had all but wrapped up this race. Germany were now able to get a small margin over Russia. It looked as though nothing much would change in the final sprint as Romania looked in a class of their own to retain their European Championship title, sending a message out to the rest of the world. After finishing fourth at the London Olympic Games, Romania have shown that they are coming out fighting to get back on top in the world.

Germany’s second will give their crew, which has struggled to medal in recent years, much confidence and Russia must be pleased with their bronze medal race.
Results: ROU, GER, RUS, BLR, ITA

Roxana Cogianu (ROU) – Gold
“I am very happy and of course we are the champions.”

Kathrin Marchand (GER)
“Our race wasn’t the best, but still the race was good. I am happy about coming in second.”

Anastasia Karabelshchikova (RUS) – Bronze
“The key moment of the race was the finish. I am content with the result of the race.”

 

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Final
Coming through from the heats and semifinals, the top two contenders in this race must be Marcel Hacker of Germany and Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. Hacker became the World Champion on these Guadalquivir waters in 2002 and must have a soft spot for this course. Back in 2002 Synek, now the London Olympic silver medallist in the single, was in a double for his country and he finished fifth.

Both Hacker and Synek went out hard, rating high and looked to send out a message. At the first timing marker Synek had the edge over Hacker with reigning European Champion, Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania following closely in third. But there was a lot of rowing to go and in singles races especially the order can change in very short spaces of time.

Synek still had the edge with slightly more power per stroke over Hacker going through the middle of the race. The Synek-Hacker battle at the head of the field had moved them away from the rest of the field with these two scullers looking in a class of their own.

Then at the 1300m mark Synek pulled out a powerful piece that moved the Czech clean away from Hacker. The German had no reply and looked to be content to defend the silver medal spot rather than go after gold. With that Synek left Hacker and the rest of the field in his wake. The race now turned into a procession to the line. The European Championship title went to Synek. Hacker held on to silver and Roel Braas of the Netherlands showed that his switch from last year’s Olympic eight to single sculling was not too difficult.
Results: CZE, GER, NED, LTU, AZE, ISR

Ondrej Synek (CZE) – Gold
“Today was pretty good and it was my first competition this year. I have had allergies over the last few days and I had a lot of water in my boat, which distracted me during the race. But, of course, I am satisfied with the result.”

Marcel Hacker (GER) – Silver
“Everything was more or less the same as at the 2002 World Rowing Championships here in Seville. The big difference was the wind.”

Roel Braas (NED) – Bronze
“That was my first international race for a while and before I used to row in the eight. I was in the same race as Marcel Hacker so I am very happy with the result.”

B-Final
France’s Matthieu Androdias must have saved himself yesterday in the semifinal recording a rather slow time, but today he was giving it his all. Androdias raced last year at the Olympics in the men’s quadruple sculls and his sculling talents were paying off today as he continued to lead over a talented bunch of scullers. Georgi Bozhilov of Bulgaria followed in second. Then coming through the third 500 the order really got shaken up. A big push by Bozhilov got him ahead of Androdias with Artem Morozov of Ukraine now moving up. At the line Morozov had sprinted ahead of France, while Bozhilov remained in first place.
Results: BUL, UKR, FRA, ITA, GRE, EST

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Final
With the Olympic Champion, Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic sitting in the centre lane this race had a favourite. But Magdalena Lobnig of Austria had raced a very confident race to win her semifinal yesterday and in these early season races anything can happen.

At the start Nataliya Dovgodko of Ukraine had the lead with Lobnig following in second with Knapkova looking confident like she was just biding her time on when to pounce. And pounce she did. Just before the 1000m mark Knapkova did a piece that brought her through to the lead with Lobnig determinedly holding onto Knapkova. Lobnig is the reigning Under-23 Champion from the double and she looked fearless as she stuck with the Olympic Champion.

Coming into the final sprint Lobnig was still holding on to Knapkova, but then the Czech took her pace up a gear and smoothly moved away from Lobnig. As Knapkova crossed the line in the gold medal spot, Lobnig was able to proudly follow in second having done enough work through the race that she could not be caught in the final sprint.  Inge Janssen of the Netherlands got the better of Ukraine to take third.
Results: CZE, AUT, NED, SWE, UKR, GER

Magdalena Lobnig (AUT) – Silver
“It’s incredible for me to come second. I am very surprised because this is my first international race. It was a very tough race but for me it was favourable to row head wind.”

Inge Janssen (NED) – Bronze
“The key moment was in the last 600 metres, when I passed Julia Lier I saw the Ukranian girl and I got really motivated to catch her.”

B-Final
As the head wind began to pick up the women’s single lined up with Estonia’s Kaisa Pajusalu taking the lead. Serbia’s Iva Obradovic held onto Pajusalu and the two boats moved together down the 2000m course. Coming into the final sprint Pajusalu and Obradovic remained locked together challenging each other on every single stroke. Pajusalu had just that little bit more and got to the line first. Pajusalu was third at last year’s European Championships indicating the tougher standards in 2013.
Results: EST, SRB, NOR, CRO, ITA

Men’s Eight (M8+) – Final
Germany are the London Olympic Champions and they showed that they still had it when they recorded the fastest qualifying time from the heats two days ago. Now with a day of rest behind them Germany overtook an early lead by France to get out in front with a crew that contains half of the Olympic crew.