Noske beats World Champion McBride in World Rowing Cup final

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Final

The reigning European Champion, Anja Noske of Germany took off very quickly  leaving World Champion, Zoe McBride of New Zealand to play catch up. This is the first international race for McBride of the 2016 season and she was back in third. Denmark’s Aja Runge Holmegaard was in second. Then McBride then managed to pull into second and close on Noske. But margins were tight between these top three scullers and Runge Holmegaard, who finished second at the European Rowing Championships, was able to get her bow ahead of McBride. In the final sprint Noske continued to lead with her rating sitting at 34 strokes per minute. Runge Holmegaard, on 33, was holding off McBride. The finishing order had been decided. Noske had won and finished ten seconds outside of the World Best Time

Results: GER, DEN, NZL, USA, CAN, AUS

B-final

Four of the crews got away together and paced themselves through the middle of the race including Poland, the Netherlands One, Brazil and Switzerland. In the final sprint the 2010 World Champion, Fabiana Beltrame of Brazil took up her rating and moved on the leading boat, Joanna Dorociak of Poland One. Beltrame got there first to finish seventh overall.

Results: BRA, POL1, SUI1, NED1, SWE

Anja Noske, Germany, gold
“I was really nervous because this morning’s race was not great for me. I really focused on the start, to make it perfect, and I managed to do so. Then I could continue, I was in front of the others and could react to the attacks. It is the best race of my life in the single.”

Runge Holmegaard, Denmark, silver
“It was a good race. I did third in the semi this morning. It was not on purpose. I had an outer lane and it was an advantage because I could really focus on myself. At 500m to go, I was level with Zoe. I wanted to beat the World Champion so I pushed hard.

Zoe Mcbride, New Zealand, bronze

“We will train in Sursee until Poznan and then go to Slovenia until Rotterdam. It was a tough race today, it sets the benchmark for the season. I’ll bring a better performance in Poland.”

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Final

It has been quite a month for Lukas Babac of Slovakia. Earlier this month he became the European Champion. He then went on the race in the open men’s single sculls at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Today Babac got away the quickest with only France’s Stany Delayre looking to be able to match Babac’s pace. Babac then managed to get half a boat length over the 2015 World Champion from the lightweight double, Delayre. But Delayre was not giving up and he also had to be aware of Croatia’s Luka Radonic breathing down his neck. Coming through to the final sprint Babac had threats coming at him from Delayre and Radonic. Delayre was rating 45 with Radonic on 43. Babac was hanging in there on 38. Radonic had won by 0.05 of a second. Babac took second and Delayre was the bronze medallist.

Results: CRO, SVK, FRA, SLO, SUI, NOR

B-final

These boats raced in the semifinal this morning and missed out on qualifying for the A-final. They returned to the Rotsee waters with Austin Meyer of United States Two leading for the first 1000m. Then Bence Tamas of Hungary showed he had the stamina to contest two World Cup races in one day and he moved ahead of Meyer. Then Meyer had to hold off  a charge by United States One, Hugh McAdam.

Results: HUN, USA2, SUA1, PER, NED2, AZE

Luka Radonic, Croatia, gold
“Lukas Babac is my idol and during the finish I really wanted to beat him, so I gave everything.”

Lukas Babac, Slovakia, silver
“It was a tough and tight race. I was really tired mentally and physically after this long week of racing. It’s promising and I am focusing on the World Champs.”

Stany Delayre, France, bronze
“I am really happy about my race. I wanted to save myself physically in the semifinal and I was nearly kicked out. I had to race in an outside lane, but that was good because I could really focus on myself. At 200m to go, I thought I could win, but then they began to fight like crazy really far from me. I am happy about this week.”

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Final

Great Britain and Denmark won their respective heats yesterday, Great Britain had the fastest time. At the start Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells of Great Britain had the leading edge. Scrimgeour and Cassells became European Champions in this boat class earlier this month. They are also the reigning World Champions. By the middle of the race Cassells and Scrimgeour had a very handy lead over Denmark in second with Italy and France going neck-and-neck for third. The British moved into the final sprint with a handy margin. But then the field began to close. The British went to a 38 stroke rate. France’s Augustin Mouterde and Alexis Guerinot were at 40. Great Britain held off the challenges. France and Italy won the lesser medals.

Results: GBR, FRA, ITA, DEN, GER, SUI

B-final

Portugal had a great start. Jorge Correia Carvalho and Nuno Goncalves Coelho of Portugal were really grabbing this race and taking control. Could they maintain it? Spain then moved ahead, but Portugal had another gear and fought back to cross the line in first.

Results: POR, ESP, CHN, JPN

Joel Cassells (b), Great Britain, gold
“It’s my first win at a World Cup and first win here on the Rotsee. It’s a tough field as each pair wants to show their speed to maybe get a chance in the lightweight four in Rio. We did what we wanted. We’ll go to Poznan and then Rotterdam.”

Alexis Guerinot (s), France, silver
“It’s my first time on the Rotsee. I used to watch the rcaes on my computer. I really love this place. My father who was a lightweight 20 years ago raced here many times and told me all about it.”

Piero Sfiligoi (s), Italy, bronze
“We had a slow start. At a thousand we were really fast and we go into second place. Our finish was good but not good enough to stay ahead of France.”