Lightweight Men’s Pair (BLM2-) – Final

Humpolec and Hajek shot out of the blocks and into the lead taking a good three seconds out of Great Britain in second after only about 50 strokes. By the middle of the race Humpolec and Hajek remained easily in the lead and they were able to settle to a 32 stroke rate pace. Meanwhile Germany and Great Britain were having a battle for second. Great Britain are the 2013 silver medallists, while the Czech’s are the bronze medallists.

In the final sprint the Czech’s remained easily in front with a huge battle now going on between Great Britain, Canada and Germany. This battle completely closed the gap on Humpolec and Hajek who had taken their stroke rate to 38. The British duo of Wilf Kimberley and Charles Waite-Roberts nearly caught the Czechs to take silver with Canada racing through to bronze. Humpolec and Hajek are the new under-23 World Champions.

Results: CZE, GBR, CAN, GER, FRA, AUS

Gold-HAJEK, Jan (bow seat) (CZE)
We wanted to start fast and get away from the others to control the race. I still need to let it sink in, but winning is what we came here for.
 
Silver-WAITE-ROBERTS, Charles (stroke seat) (GBR)
It was close. At the 1000m mark I thought “if I don’t end myself now we won’t get a medal,” so I just had to end myself, completely burry myself and find the bottom of the world.

Bronze-GRAY, Grayson (bow seat) (CAN)
Our plan was to catch the Czechs in the last 1000 if we could and we couldn’t quite do it. They are fast!

B-Final

This race saw a fully committed field from start to finish. It opened with Japan’s Yasuharu Hayashi and Hitoshi Fujita in the lead. The United States crew of Robert McNamara and August Wherry then pushed in front and never looked back. Through the second half of the race McNamara and Wherry formed a yawning gap back to Japan in second. But the rest of the field still gave it their all to the line with Japan sprinting home at a 44 stroke rate pace.

Results: USA, JPN, NOR, ITA, TUR, POR