Ascendancy and authority; men’s pair review

World Rowing continues its weekly 2014 series of boat class reviews with the men’s pair.

No fewer than 20 nations were entered at the 2014 World Rowing Championships. A number believe that they can not only close the gap on the Kiwis, but also overtake. To overtake, though, will mean getting past the six-year unbeaten track record of the New Zealanders who topped their 2014 accolades by winning the World Rowing Male Crew of the Year.

One such crew that may do it is the British men’s pair of Matt Langridge and James Foad. Together they won silver twice behind the Kiwis in 2014; Once at the final World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, and the second time at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

In fact, Langridge and Foad are the fastest pair that Great Britain has ever had. In Amsterdam, they clocked a time of 6:13.75 behind the New Zealanders. That is faster than the previous World Best Time set by British duo, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell at the 2002 World Rowing Championships in Seville, Spain at 6:14.27. (The current best time of 6:08.50 was established by Bond and Murray at the London 2012 Olympic Games).

Do Langridge and Foad have what it takes to close the gap even further on New Zealand? In Lucerne, the gap between the two crews at the finish line was nearly ten seconds. In Amsterdam it was four and a half seconds. The gap had closed. How much closer can it get in 2015?

The Kiwis are not blasé. They added an extra challenge to themselves in 2014 by also racing at the World Rowing Championships in the men’s coxed pair. They won it and set a World Best Time. But Murray admitted later that they were not as fresh for their pairs race as they would have liked.

Bond and Murray know challenges will be coming their way. In Lucerne this year Murray said: “People have been trying to push us off the start and we had to make sure we still had the lead before we widened the gap. We have to keep the pressure on ourselves because we know one day someone will challenge us. We won’t be ready unless we practice that wind.”

Perhaps never taking their victories for granted has helped keep the Kiwis on top for so long.

Langridge and Foad have built up considerable experience in the British men’s eight boat. Both won bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the eight. Langridge also won Olympic silver in the eight in Beijing and brings with him extensive experience from the men’s four, in which he won two World Championship golds and one bronze.  

Also on the radar are the South Africans. Shaun Keeling and Vincent Breet inched closer to the Kiwis in Amsterdam. At the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne they ranked fifth, in Amsterdam they made it to the podium in bronze. In recent years, Keeling had been a regular finalist in the men’s pair when he rowed with Olympic medallist Ramon Di Clemente. His new partner Breet has nicely filled the spot since Di Clemente’s retirement. Breet, a World Under-23 Champion in the men’s pair, first appeared internationally as a junior in 2010. “It was a very short season for us,” said Breet in Amsterdam. “It’s an incredible achievement for us.”

Not to be forgotten are the Serbs. They did not race in Amsterdam due to injury, but Veselin Savic and Dusan Bogicevic will be back in 2015. The new crew became European Champions in 2014 and also won bronze in Lucerne.

Anton Braun and Bastian Bechler from Germany are also a crew on the rise. They won bronze at the European Rowing Championships this year and silver at World Rowing Cup II in Aiguebelette, France.  The young athletes have rowed and medalled together multiple times at under-23 level and are expected to only get better with time.

Watch the men’s pair at the 2014 World Rowing Championhips, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Watch the men’s pair at World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne, Switzerland

Watch the men’s pair at World Rowing Cup II, Aiguebelette, France