A flurry of Olympic best times for rowing finals at Tokyo Olympics

After a two-day break from racing due to inclement weather, the first day of finals at the Tokyo Olympic rowing regatta got under way. The date, 28 July 2021. The place: Sea Forest Waterway. The weather conditions, a slight ripple on the water caused by a small cross – tail wind. The temperature, already at 27 °C at 8am.

Women’s double sculls (W2x) – Final

In the semifinals on Sunday the world silver and gold medallists – Romania and New Zealand respectively – raced each other. Romania won. Could New Zealand pull them back today? New Zealand’s crew of Brooke Donoghue and new team mate Hannah Osborne did not get away quickest. It was the Dutch that had the fastest start with Romania then overtaking and moving clean away. Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania came together in 2019 when they took silver and they raced to gold this year at World Cup II. Rating 40 strokes per minute Romania now had a commanding lead and were only 2 seconds off the World Best Time pace.

Meanwhile the Dutch had New Zealand and Lithuania moving up on them with just a second separating the three following crews. But Romania was incredible. They had an open water lead over the field and they did not look to be slowing. Donoghue and Osborne had second with Lithuania – the Rio bronze medallists – coming up on the Dutch. Karaliene and Valciukaite of Lithuania have an incredible sprint finish and the Dutch crew of De Jong and Scheenaard would know this. New Zealand was now sprinting with only 250m were left. This was record pace. The Dutch kept the pressure on. Romania had done it. The 22-year-olds Radis and Bodnar had set an Olympic Best Time by 3 seconds and come in just four seconds behind the World Best Time. The new time: 6:41.03.

Results: ROU, NZL, NED, LTU, USA, CAN

B-final

When you have a three-time Olympic medallist lining up in the B-Final, you know the depth of talent is incredible. Sitting in the German boat was Annekatrine Thiele, with one of her medals being from the double at the 2008 Olympics. Going out the quickest were the Czech rowers – Fleissnerova and Antosova – who raced in the B-final at Rio as well. A line with just a half second gap formed behind the Czechs. The fastest boat coming through from the earlier rounds was France, but it was Australia that was the next to show. Fleissnerova and Antosova continued to lead through the middle of the race. This crew took gold at the 2017 European Rowing Championships.

Australia’s Bateman and Rigney then started to move in the third 500 and they closed on the Czechs and coming into the final sprint Australia was down on the Czechs by 0.23 of a second. Fleissnerova and Antosova then did a push. So did Australia. Australia’s was more effective and they took the lead. Then France really started to sprint. Gaps were closing. At the line Australia had it.

Results: AUS, FRA, ITA, CZE, GER, ROC

Men’s double sculls (M2x) – Final

France and the Netherlands went through the semifinals on Sunday with almost identical times. But what about the World Champions, China? The Chinese finished second to the Dutch on Sunday and must have a plan for these finals. The race got under way with a flurry of blades, Poland rating the highest. France got into the lead with Boucheron and Androdias making their mark. This duo are the 2018 World Champions. The Dutch duo of Broenink and Twellaar followed in second. But margins remained close at the 100m mark with three crews separated by less than half a second with China right there on top of France and the Netherlands.

The Dutch rated 38 to take the lead. Broenink raced in the single at the 2019 World Champs and he’s known to have a great finishing push. Great Britain followed in fourth as the three leading crews charged on. France was now at 40 with China fading but racing, 39 to 40. The French had found another gear and overtaken the Dutch with 250m left to row. Boucheron and Androdias were having the race of their life, but then caught a tiny crab. It didn’t slow them. France over Dutch. The Dutch came back. But – What a finish! France had won. Twellaar and Bronenink took silver. China’s Lui and Zhang took bronze. France’s time: 6:00.33.

Results: FRA, NED, CHN, GBR, SUI, POL

B-final

The 2019 silver medallist Ireland were there. So was the silver medallist from Rio, Lithuania’s Ritter. The 2017 world champion, Chris Harris, in the New Zealand boat. And getting away the quickest was Harris and new partner Jack Lopas. Behind New Zealand the Irish and ROC were practically equal with Germany in fourth. From the semifinals New Zealand and ROC had the fastest times. ROC then did a push and got into the lead. ROC continued to push away with New Zealand going to 41 to try and hang on. It was a flurry to the line with Romania doing an all-out sprint to overtake Ireland on the line. Potapkin and Kondratyev of ROC had rowed a perfectly timed race.

Results: ROC, NZL, ROU, IRL, GER, LTU

Women’s four (W4-) – Final

In the heats Australia and Ireland raced each other and recorded the two fastest times overall. The Irish came through from qualifying at the May Final Olympic Qualification Regatta and it is always a question on peaking twice in a short space of time. Australia are the 2019 World Champions and they got away together with the Netherlands. The Dutch coach Josy Verdonkschot has had to isolate due to a positive covid test and must have been watching the race nervously from his hotel room. The Netherlands and Australia were neck-and-neck at the 500m mark.

Australia’s Stephan, Popa, Morrison and McIntyre then took off and pushed away from the Dutch at World Best Time pace. Great Britain followed in third ahead of Ireland and China. Poland was at the back of the field. The Netherlands remained in contact and at the half way point Australia still had the lead as Ireland, Great Britain and China went neck-and-neck for third. Netherlands’ Hoegerwerf, Florijn, Clevering and Meester, the European Champions did a surge and were up with Australia. Australia came back. The Dutch held on. Australia had done it and set an Olympic Best Time in the process. Their time 6:15.37 was 13 seconds ahead of the time set in 1992 – the last time this boat class was rowed at the Olympics. The time was also just a second short of the World Best Time. Ireland had done the impossible by qualifying late and getting the country’s first Olympic rowing medal in the four and also the first ever Olympic rowing medal for Irish women.

Results: AUS, NED, IRL, GBR, CHN, POL

B-final

Romania missed out on making the A-final by less than a second and they looked to be the favourite in this race. But they had the United States to contend with who regularly medal in this boat class at World Rowing events. Denmark had lost one of their best sweep rowers to the women’s pair. Romania kept their stroke rate high, still rating 41 with 400m rowed. Romania was just a fraction in front at the 500m mark, with the US hot on their heels. The US then got their bow ahead of Romania and they were ahead by a slight margin at the half way point. The US took silver in 1992 in this boat class.  In 1992, Canada finished first, and Canada had now moved into a piece and looked to be moving up on Denmark.

The United States now upped their speed and they had a boat length over a virtual line that formed behind them. All four boats were sprinting. The US had the first place. Denmark just snuck through to finish eighth overall.

Results: USA, DEN, ROU, CAN

Men’s four (M4-) – Final

Australia and Great Britain had the fastest times coming through from the heats on Saturday. The British have won every Olympic four going back as far as Sydney. But the Australians had an amazing win at the 1996 Olympics and Australia has battled the British at every recent Olympics. Romania got away quickly at the start rating in the mid-50s. But the Australians soon took the lead and they went through the 500m mark in the lead with the rest of the field following closely, the British just behind Romania.

Going under the bridge at the 700m mark Australia had a boat length over the field. Purnell, Turrin, Hargreaves and Hill of Australia haven’t raced internationally since 2019 and they now had an open water lead over Great Britain who still sat in third. The British were now moving back and had overtaken Romania and moved up on Australia. Italy was now charging and there was just 300m left to row. Great Britain was now under threat from Italy and Romania. What a sprint! Great Britain was going crooked. They had to straighten and slowed right down. Great Britain was out of the medals. Australia had set a new Olympic Best Time. The new time of 5:42.76 was five seconds faster than the previous time.

Results: AUS, ROU, ITA, GBR, USA, NED

B-final

Poland was the boat to watch. They just missed out on the A-final by being the next fastest in the repechage. They are also 2019 World Champions. South Africa were disappointed to be racing in the b-final. Their boat included Lawrence Brittain who medalled in the pair at Rio and John Smith who took gold in the lightweight four at the London Olympics. Smith added 20kg in preparation. Poland shot off the line and they had a decent lead at the 500m mark. Their boat included veteran rower, Mikolaj Burda, 39, who is at his fifth Olympics. He began at Athens rowing in the eight. Teammate Brzezinski is at his fourth Olympics.

A line was behind the Poles before Canada broke away with Switzerland in hot pursuit. Canada had Will Crothers who is at his third Olympic Games. Canada then broke away from Switzerland and went after Poland. They came into the last 100m and Poland held off Canada to win the b-final.

Results: POL, CAN, SUI, RSA

Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x) – Final

In the heats on Friday three boats recorded almost identical times – the World Champions the Netherlands, Poland and the Italians. They came back to race each other today with Australia rating the highest at the start. Australia took silver at the Rio Olympics and they went out well. But it was the British, who have never won an Olympic medal in this boat class. But then the Dutch caught a small crab. They got it back quickly and were fourth at the first 500m mark. Estonia came through to the final from the repechage and they are the 2016 Rio bronze medallists. Tonu Endrekson of Estonia is at his fifth Olympic Games but they were at the back of the field.

Then the Italians seemed to lose pace and they dropped back at the 900m mark after catching a boat stopping crab just around 800m. The Netherlands crew of Uittenbogaard, Wiersma, Wieten and Metsemakers had now pushed into second with Australia in third. Italy was not yet back in the race as the Dutch took over at the head of the field. Poland was now in bronze medal position and had overtaken Australia. They were giving in their all. The Dutch were now all style and picking it up with every stroke as Australia came through. Australia kept on coming, but so was Great Britain from the outside lane. At the line the Dutch had done it. The Dutch had set a new World Best Time of 5:32.03 and also making it a new Olympic Best Time.

Great Britain had got the better of Australia. They couldn’t have been happier.

Results: NED, GBR, AUS, POL, ITA, EST

B-final

In Rio this race was won by Germany. Today they raced in the b-final with China having the fastest time coming through from the repechage. China was off quickly with the Germans in hot pursuit. In Norway’s boat was seven-time Olympian Olaf Tufte. The former Olympic Champion single sculler is 45 years old and has barely ever taken a break from rowing and he medalled at the Rio Olympics in the double. China then got a boat length on the field with the closest boat being Norway. Lithuania sat in an outside lane. They only got the Olympic call-up about a week ago when ROC pulled out of the race.

Norway was not eating away at the Chinese lead despite underrating them by a pip. China tried to hold them off. Helseth, Tufte, Solbakken and Helvig of Norway continued to gain. China upped the pace as Germany came up to challenge Norway with Lithuania also sprinting. Germany had overtaken Norway who will take third. China finished ten seconds off the Olympic Best Time.

Results: CHN, GER, NOR, LTU

Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x) – Final

The World Champions China blitzed the field in the heats earlier in the week. They took the lead at the start. Chen, Zhang, Lyu and Cui of China were the ones to beat. Coming up on China were the Olympic Champions from Rio, Germany. But this is a new German crew and over the last quadrennial they have not dominated. China won gold in this boat class in 2008 and this boat was their big gold medal chance at this Olympic rowing regatta.

China now had nearly a full boat length lead at the half way point with Germany leading the Netherlands. The Chinese had now broken away from Germany and the field was really spreading out. Poland, rating 39, was trying their best to get into the medal position but the Dutch were currently keeping the Poles in fourth. Poland had taken bronze in Rio. Australia was back but still within striking distance of a medal.

It was the final sprint and Poland was moving the quickest. They’d overtaken the Dutch and was gaining on Germany. Australia was also sprinting. Oh, then a crab for the German crew. It was a boat stopper. This gave the Australians a chance to come through. China had an easy win and they had set a new World Best Time of 6:05.13. This also gives them the Olympic Best Time.

Results: CHN, POL, AUS, ITA, GER, NED

B-final

Following the repechage this looked like it would be New Zealand’s race. But anything can happen in a new day with new rowing conditions. New Zealand rated the highest off the start at 44 strokes per minute. It was Great Britain, though, who took the early lead. This boat included the Hodgkins-Byrne sisters. As they went under the bridge at the 700m mark Great Britain was pushing away with the United States just ahead of New Zealand in the race for second. France was quite a way back.

As Great Britain continued to lead, New Zealand got to the half way point just ahead of the United States. The British then used the third 500 to really take off and get an open water lead. Stroking the New Zealand boat was Olivia Loe who is the reigning world champion in the double. Their quad boat finished fifth at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. With Great Britain in the lead, New Zealand moved away from the US who had the French to now contend with. Great Britain had saved their best race until today. France’s sprint got them ahead of the US right on the line.

Results: GBR, NZL, FRA, USA