Race Report: Juniors decide who will be in the finals at Rotterdam

Junior Women’s Four (JW4-) – Semifinals

The United States are the reigning World Champions and they featured in the favoured lane in Semifinal One. They got out together with New Zealand but then really started to move and got clean away from the following Kiwis. Through the middle of the race the United States was all but untouchable with Great Britain the closest to make chase. The British did their best to catch the Americans, but Robinson, McGinley, Ondak and Tarquino were too strong they had a huge open water lead at the finish. They must go to the final as favourites.

Racing at the head of the field in Semifinal Two was a very smooth looking German four. The Germans had full boat length lead at the start and they increased that over Italy who had slotted into second. China followed in third and the race turned into a procession down the 2000m course in these head wind conditions. At the line Germany had recorded the fastest qualifying time by a very, very impressive seven seconds. They must go to the final as favourites.

Qualifiers: USA, GBR, NZL, GER, ITA, CHN

Junior Men’s Four (JM4-) – Semifinals

In the favoured lane Great Britain made good work of leading from start to finish in Semifinal One. This left the real race to go on behind them and what a race it was. Belarus slotted into second before they began to tire and slip back as Greece overtook them. Then the Italians showed that they had very good stamina and in the second half of the race, Italy got into second and stayed there for the rest of the race with Greece holding on to third. Great Britain had recorded the fastest qualifying time.

Semifinal Two featured the reigning junior World Champions, Romania. This crew has retained Cosmin Pascari from the 2015 medal winning crew. This is Romania’s priority boat and they were leading the way. By the middle of the race Romania had built up a very handy margin over the United States who had overtaken Germany to get into second. The lead by Romania was now very large and there was nothing that the US could do to close it. Instead they had to keep a wary eye on Germany. The Americans held their spot and the Germans came in third.

Qualifiers: GBR, ITA, GRE, ROU, USA, GER

Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls (JW4x) – Semifinals

A crab in the open of Semifinal One put Romania at the back of the field. The favoured crew, Great Britain, meantime, got away cleanly and moved away to a solid lead ahead of Germany. The Germans are the reigning junior World Champions and they were giving it their all to catch the British. Greece then put themselves in third and tried to hold off Romania who had come back brilliantly from the bad start. Greece got there before Romania to grab the third qualifying spot. The British held on to first with Germany in second.

There was a really strong start by the Czech Republic in Semifinal Two who had finished fourth in the European Junior Championships. New Zealand, who were in the favoured lane, were at the back of the field as the stroke, Jessica Turfrey had caught a boat-stopping crab in the opening of the race. But the New Zealanders put the bad stroke behind them and they were already in third by the middle of the race. The Czechs remained in first now with a very handy lead with China solidly in second. In the final sprint, New Zealand continued to gain on China who in turn had closed on the Czechs. This was the closest finish so far today. The Czechs had only just held on to first.

Qualifiers: GBR, GER, GRE, CZE, CHN, NZL

Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls (JM4x) – Semifinals

Great Britain may be the reigning junior World Champions, but they did not have the lead in Semifinal One. Instead it was Germany who recently won this boat class at the Olympic Games. Russia was in second with New Zealand moving with the Russians. Germany still had the lead at the half way point as New Zealand got ahead of Russia who looked to have run out of steam through the middle of the race. New Zealand then went after Germany. The final sprint had begun and both New Zealand and Germany rated in the high 30s. Germany was at 39 to New Zealand’s 36. The higher stroke rates paid off. Germany got to the line first. New Zealand in second and Denmark came through to take the final qualifying spot in third. Germany had recorded the fastest qualifying time.

France had a very fast start with a virtual line forming behind them. But by the middle of the race the margins had really spread out with France still in front, a very intense battle going on between the United States and the Czech Republic and then quite a gap back to the rest of the field. Then the United States and the Czechs closed on France and these three crews charged to the line together. The best sprint went to the United States with the Czech Republic coming through in second.

Qualifiers: GER, NZL, DEN, USA, CZE, FRA

Junior Men’s Double Sculls (JM2x) – Semifinals

The three medallists from the European Junior Championships led the field in Semifinal One. Germany had the opening lead with Italy and Hungary following rather closely. Then the Germans managed to push away leaving a battle to go on between Hungary and Italy. The Italians then got the better of the battle and went after Germany. Italy hold the title of reigning junior World Champions and they have a new line up for 2016. Germany’s Konstantin Nowitzki and Henry Schwinde held off Italy to finish first and qualify for the final.

Belarus blasted out in Semifinal Two, similar to their tactics in the quarterfinals. Belarus still had the lead at the half way point with New Zealand slotting into second and Canada in third. The New Zealand crew of Leonard Jenkins and Jack Lopas did a push in the third 500 and not only got their crew ahead of Belarus, they also started to move away from Belarus and the rest of the field. Canada, in third, were now gaining on Belarus. There was no catching New Zealand. Belarus took second and Spain flew through to snatch the final qualifying spot from Canada who had to recover from a crab. New Zealand had recorded the fastest qualifying time.

Qualifiers: GER, ITA, HUN, NZL, BLR, ESP

Junior Men’s Single Sculls (JM1x) – Semifinals

Leading the way in Semifinal One was Lucas Ferreira of Brazil with Armandas Kelmelis of Lithuania following very closely. Ferreira competed earlier this season at the first World Rowing Cup and it must have helped in his race training as he still had the lead with half the race gone. Kelmelis remained in second with Jan Schaeuble of Switzerland a distance back in third. The order did not change to the end with Ferreira not having to sprint the finish, rating 28 across the line.

Anton Finger of Germany was first away in Semifinal Two. This was the 400^th race of the regatta that has one more day to go. Aliaksandr Pashkevich of Belarus then got the better of Finger with Denmark’s Emil Lenzing very much on the pace of these two leaders. Germany and Belarus had won their quarterfinals and Lenzing was doing a great race. Rating 32, Finger was moving with Paskevich through to the end of the race. Paskevich was at 29 and Finger was able to overtake the Belarusian to finish first. Lenzing qualified from third.

Qualifiers: BRA, LTU, SUI, GER, BLR, DEN

Junior Men’s Pair (JM2-) – Semifinals

Jan Hennecke and Marcus Elster of Germany had a flying start in Semifinal One. The Germans were in the favoured lane due to their success in the earlier rounds of racing and they were following in the legacy of their country being the 2015 winners. Austria was in second with Italy not far off in third. Hennecke and Elster looked very comfortable at the head of the field and rated 29 to continue to increase their lead. In the final sprint the Germans went to 30 to remain easily in front with Austria looking comfortable in second. Italy did a big closing sprint and got third ahead of New Zealand.

In Semifinal Two Ioannis Kalandaridis and Ninos Nikolaidis of Greece had the lead at the start. The United States followed closely in second. But as the race unfolded Kalandaridis and Nikolaidis was able to move further and further away from the United States. Greece took bronze in this boat class last year and have had good results in this boat class. Greece crossed the line easily in front with the United States doing battle with South Africa in the final sprint. These are the qualifying boats.

Qualifiers: GER, AUT, ITA, GRE, USA, RSA

Junior Women’s Double Sculls (JW2x) – Semifinals

Semifinal One had Denmark leading the United States and Italy. The Danish crew of Anne Larsen and Marta Kempf had earned the favoured lane after good results earlier in the heat. Denmark then got overtaken by the United States crew of Caroline Sharis and Emily Delleman. The United States then went to 37 in the final sprint with Italy moving with them. The Italians had got ahead of Denmark, but the Danes were not giving up. Denmark striking a 36 stroke rate tried to get back on top of Italy. Italy got there a fraction sooner.

Australia had the favoured lane in Semifinal Two. But it was Greece’s Anastasia Vontzou and Anneta Kyridou in the lead. They left a chasing pack of Australia and France. Then Germany began to move up and going through the middle of the race the Germans got ahead of Australia. In the second half of the race Greece remained in front as France faded. This let Australia get back into a qualifying time. The qualifiers had been decided.  

Qualifiers: USA, ITA, DEN, GRE, GRE, GER, AUS

Junior Women’s Single Sculls (JW1x) – Semifinals

Germany’s Alicia Bohn was the first to show in Semifinal One with Veranika Kaminskaya of Belarus right on the pace. Bohn and Kaminskaya continued to tussle through the middle of the race before Kaminskaya was able to push away from Bohn. Meanwhile, Australia’s Harriet Hudson was in an easy third with no challenges coming from the rest of the field. The finishing order was all but decided and none of these crews needed to sprint at the final.

Semifinal Two turned out to be the faster semifinal with Clara Guerra of Italy leading the way over Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands and Margaux Bailleul of France. The Netherlands won this boat class in 2015 with sculler Marieke Kaijser and Florijn had some big shoes to fill. Guerra continued to lead the way as Florijn tried to hold on to the speedy Italian. But Guerra was too fast and was able to win by a big margin and also record the fastest qualifying time. Florijn held on to second with Bailleul comfortably in third.

Qualifiers: BLR, GER, AUS, ITA, NED, FRA