Rowing back on course at Rio's lagoa for semifinals

Women’s Pair (W2-) – Semifinals

Semifinal One featured the reigning World and Olympic Champions, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning of Great Britain. The duo had a bit of a hiccup a couple of days ago in the heats when they found themselves being pushed by crews they have regularly beaten by big margins. Today Glover and Stanning were back on their usual form and by the first 500m mark the duo had a handy lead. Glover and Stanning rated 36 to maintain this impressive lead with Lee-Ann Persse and Kate Christowitz of South Africa holding on to second. Then Felice Mueller and Grace Luczak of the United States did a push and got their nose ahead of South Africa as Great Britain continued to lead.

In the final sprint the top three boats looked to have the qualifying spots sewed up and the order did not change. Glover and Stanning held a 35 stroke rate to maintain the lead, while Meuller and Luczak had a 36 stroke rate pace with South Africa on 32. These are the qualifying boats with Great Britain recording the fastest qualifying time.

In the heats Denmark’s Hedvig Rasmussen and Anne Andersen gave the reigning World and Olympic Champions, Great Britain a fright by leading them until the closing metres of the race. Today Rasmussen and Andersen led at the start of Semifinal Two. The Danes still had the lead at the half way point ahead of New Zealand’s Genevieve Behrent and Rebecca Scown with Spain’s Anne Boada Peiro and Aina Cid I Centelles following in third.

Coming through the final 500m Scown and Behrent (who are also racing later today in their nation’s women’s eight) began to close on Denmark while Spain found themselves under threat from China’s Min Zhang and Tian Miao. Boada Peiro and Cid I Centelles reacted well and took their stroke rate into the low 40s. China had missed out by a heartbreaking 0.11 of a second. Spain was ecstatic. They go to the final with Denmark and New Zealand.

Qualifiers: GBR, USA, RSA, DEN, NZL, ESP

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Semifinals

There is no doubt this would be a tough boat class. Already the Olympic Champions, Great Britain were out of the running. Semifinal One had a fleet of rowers who have medalled including the reigning World Champions, Sophie MacKenzie and Julia Edward of New Zealand. China’s Wenju Huang and Feihong Pan had the fastest start. The Chinese crew only came together this season and by the middle of the race they had been caught by last year’s World Championship medallists, Kirsten McCann and Ursula Grobler of South Africa. MacKenzie and Edward were rating three strokes higher than the 34 stroke rates of China and South Africa and they had closed the gap on the leaders.

Then tragedy for Huang and Pan. The Chinese duo caught a crab with 500m left to row. New Zealand got ahead of them and then went after South Africa. Neck and neck to the line, South Africa was just holding off MacKenzie and Edward. China had picked up their pace and were coming back strong with Romania closing. South Africa got there first by 0.18 of a second. Romania had missed out on qualifying by 0.44 of a second.

The European Champions, Ilse Paulis and Maaike Head of the Netherlands were late qualifiers to Rio, just getting through at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in May. But they have been making waves this season and come to this Semifinal Two following a great heat a couple of days ago. Paulis and Head led the way at the start with Canada and Ireland following closely. Canada’s Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee raced at the London Olympics but were disappointed to end in the B-final. They are back to make things right and they had slotted in second. But then Ireland began to move. Claire Lambe and 39-year-old rower-mum-doctor Sinead Lynch of Ireland had closed the gap and were in second. Canada, though, were having none of it and fought back into second. Head and Paulis crossed the line in first with the fastest qualifying time of 7:13. Denmark, who raced together in London, had just missed out and will race in the B-final.

Qualifiers: RSA, NZL, CHN, NED, CAN, IRE

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Semifinals

The reigning World Champions France got away very quickly in Semifinal One. France’s Jeremie Azou sat in stroke seat with new-to-the-boat this season, Pierre Houin now sitting behind him. This duo have won all of their races this season and Azou, who finished fourth at the London Olympics only has gold on his mind. France got to the first 500m mark in first with the United States (Josh Konieczny and Andrew Campbell) in second. Great Britain (Will Fletcher and Richard Chambers) followed closely in third. Margins remained excruciatingly tight and with half the race gone less than two seconds separated the top four boats with Ireland also in the picture.

Then Azou and Houin managed to break slightly away leaving a full-on battle between three boats for two qualifying spots. This full-on battle closed the gap on France with Ireland’s Gary and Paul O’Donovan absolutely flying. Rating 40, the O’Donovan brothers were challenging Konieczny and Campbell were at 36 and barely holding on. The qualifiers had been set. France, the United States and Ireland are in the final.

Another very tough line-up of six boats made up Semifinal Two. the 2013 World Champions, Kristoffer Brun and Are Strandli were there. So were the 2014 World Champions and World Best Time holders, James Thompson and John Smith of South Africa. Then there were the Olympic Champions, Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark. At the start it was Brun and Strandli that took the leading advantage and under-rating the other crews, the Norwegian duo were able to move away from the field. South Africa and Italy were the closest challengers. Thompson and Smith had taken gold in London in the lightweight men’s four making them the first Africans to win Olympic gold in rowing and they are known for an awesome finish sprint.

Coming into the final 500m, Thompson and Smith had closed on Norway and then overtook them. Meanwhile Poland, and Italy were battling desperately for the remaining qualifying spot. At the line South Africa had snuck into first, Norway held on to second with Poland’s Artu Mikolajczewski and Milosz Jankowski getting the better of Italy. The Italians had missed out by just 0.22 of a second.

Qualifiers: FRA, USA, IRL, RSA, NOR, POL

Men’s Four (M4-) – Semifinals

The Australian world silver medallists featured in the middle lane of Semifinal One. They got away the quickest with the United States and South Africa following the closest. Australia’s crew of Lockwood, Dunkley-Smith, Booth and Hill continued to push hard and by the middle of the race they had broken to nearly a boat length lead. Australia has a big history in the Olympic men’s four and they put a lot of emphasis on this boat. In the race to the finish line Australia remained in front leaving the real battle to go on between the World Champions, Italy, the United States and South Africa.

Stroke rates were rising, South africa was at 40, Italy at 41 the United States at 38. South Africa was overjoyed, Italy was satisfied, the United States was devastated. William Lockwood saluted the crowd as he rowed back to the boat park. Their job was done … for now.

The Olympic Champions from 2012, 2008, 2004 and 2000, Great Britain sat in the centre lane of Semifinal Two. This is Great Britain’s priority boat and it has seen names like Redgrave, Pinsent and Cracknell pass through it. Today the boat contained the best of Great Britain’s sweep squad – Gregory, Sbihi, Nash and Louloudis. Together Great Britain was the first to show with the Netherlands and Canada following the closest.

Coming through the first 500m mark, Great Britain already had earned an open water lead. It looked like this race would be about the second and third qualifying spots. Belarus had now pulled up in the Netherlands, adding another layer of excitement to this qualifying process. The 2013 World Champions, the Dutch reacted and stayed ahead as Great Britain moved to a full clear water lead. In the final sprint, Great Britain looked oh so comfortable and rated a steady 35. Belarus was at 41 and closing. But they had left it too late. Both Canada and the Netherlands held them off.

Qualifiers: AUS, RSA, ITA, GBR, CAN, NED

Women’s Eight (W8+) – Repechage

A top four finish was needed to get through to Saturday’s final and in the centre of the field was the crew that had dominated this boat class for years. Before the United States took over as the dominating boat in 2006, Romania had been the many-times Olympic Champions. They have not done so well in recent years and they sat next to New Zealand who were first-timers in this boat class at the Olympics. It was Canada that got away the quickest with Romania following closely. Also in this race was Australia. They were a late call-up after the Russian qualified boat became no longer eligible. Coming through the middle of the race Canada held on to first and had nearly a full boat length lead. Both Romania and New Zealand had crew members that had already raced earlier today in the semifinals of the women’s pair. Would they still have enough energy? These two countries went neck-and-neck in second place with the Netherlands right in there as well. Australia, meanwhile, had dropped off the pace.

Coming into the finish Canada showed complete domination with a full boat length lead. Romania, New Zealand and the Netherlands also qualified.

Qualifiers: CAN, ROU, NZL, NED

Men’s Eight (M8+) – Repechage

Late qualifiers, the United States got away the quickest in this repechage that had crews aiming to be in a top four position to earn a spot in the final on Saturday. The United States last won Olympic gold in this boat class in 2004 and they have a long history of doing well. New Zealand last took gold in 1972 and the Netherlands are regular Olympic finalists and medallists. The United States continued to lead with the Dutch, New Zealand and Poland all vying for the second spot. At the back was Italy who were a very late Olympic call-up after the Russian crew proved to be ineligible. In the final sprint the United States, stroked by Austin hack with Sam Dommer in bow, remained out in front. Ratings began to rise as the Netherlands slotted into second and began to close on the Americans. New Zealand held on to third ahead of Poland.

Qualifiers: USA, NED, NZL, POL