Three World Record successes at 2022 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships

The 2022 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships covered the globe on day one of racing.

Benita Clausen of Norway, Jeff Arquette of the United States and Javier Reja Munoz of Spain all set new World Records. Clausen did it in the women’s 50–59-year-old 500m and her time was 1:32.8. Arquette did his record in the last race of the day – the lightweight men’s 60+ age category 500m. Reja Munoz completed his World Record in the PR1 men’s 2000m.

The United States topped the medals table for this day one of two days of racing, finishing with five gold medals. Just behind on the medal table with four gold medals was Finland, then with three gold medals was Australia (one for Shelley Cornish in the LW Women’s 60+, repeating from 2021), then Denmark, Italy and Great Britain who all scored three gold medals.

The virtual set up meant that competitors could be anywhere in the world and the video stream showed indoor rowing machines placed in gyms, rowing clubs, gardens, kitchens, even lakeside.

Here’s a selection of some of the best racing for the day.

In the first race of the day the men’s para rowing categories took off together. This included PR1, PR2, PR3 and PR3-II rowers. Many had rowed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games last year. Racing over 2000m the PR3 men finished first with Anton Voronov of Russia finishing just ahead of Milan Lackovic of Slovakia in a time of 6:26.5. Sedki Lahouar of Tunisia came in third. The PR2 men’s category attracted fewer competitors with Alberto Quagliato of Italy coming home in first in a time of 7:16.3. This time was only just quicker than the ding-dong battle going on between Javier Reja Munoz of Spain and Shmuel Daniel of Israel in the PR1 men’s category. Reja Munoz pulled off the win.

Reja Munoz finished fourth at the Tokyo Paralympics with Daniel in sixth. They both qualified for these championships with almost identical times. Reja Munoz competed in canoe at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and finished a close fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and his time today outstripped his qualifying time recording a new World Record in a time of 7:23.2. Daniel finished just six seconds later. Reja Munoz will compete again tomorrow in the 500m.

The para women went next with Sylvia Pille-Steppat of Germany dominating the PR1 women’s category. Pille-Steppat finished fifth at the Tokyo Paralympics and she qualified for these championships with the fastest qualifying time. Pille-Steppat led the race from start to finish, finishing in a time of 8:23.2. She looked relaxed and strong, using a high stroke rate through the race of around 45 strokes per minute and going up to 52 at the finish. Nedjoua Gharbi of Algeria was second and Italy’s Laura Morato was third.

In the PR3 women’s category it was Ludovica Tramontin that came home first being pushed the whole way by Valentina Zhagot of Russia. Tramontin’s time was 7:36.8.

Moving onto the very fast 500m races the under-19 women went first. They ranged in age from 14 to 18 years old with Danelle Kaschula of Zimbabwe the youngest at 14 years old. The ‘stop rowing sign halted the rowers as they counted down to starting. Estonia got away the quickest with Doris Meinbek pelting away. But it was Kaschula who motored away and into an enormous lead of 16 metres. But then the signal was lost to Kaschula giving Meinbek the lead.  Meinbek finished in 1:32.7 with Tunisia’s Aicha Abdeaziz in second and Hala Belhadue Mohamed in third.

The under-19 men 500m then lined up. Finland’s Arttü Harkonen had a fast qualifying time but it was South Africa’s Josh Du Toit leading the way at the start. His qualification time was 1:21 and he was getting way below that. Harkonen then took the lead with Paul Emil Scholz coming through in second and Great Britain’s Edward Baker in third. Harkonen’s time was 1:17.5.

The under-23 women 500m had Denmark get off to a very fast start. Var Guriardottir Hansen had qualified with a 1:31.5 and she continued to lead over Julia Stepien of Poland. Hansen had a high-handle finish to the stroke with a lot of layback to keep in the lead. She finished in a time of 1:30.7. Estonia’s Lisa-Marie Laane in second and Stepien holding on to third.

For the under-23 men 500m all eyes were on Victor Gairy Aasmul of Denmark who qualified with a 1:15. The canoeist who uses the indoor rower to keep fit took off at a 1:09 pace and was in the lead. Aasmul scored 1:14.5 at the finish with Estonia’s Leo Muiste in second and Ukraine’s Artem Zakharov taking third.

In the open women’s 500m  Olena Buryak of Ukraine who was a favourite to win was absent. Instead Bianca Piloseno of the United States took the lead holding 1:26 and she was able to put some distance between her and Jade Lally of Germany in second. China battled it out for third. The winning time by Piloseno was 1:27. As Buryak was not able to race due to safety concerns, World Rowing took her qualifying time and awarded Buryak the silver medal – read the full statement here.

After a false start Daniel Satch of Great Britain led the way at 1:18. in the lightweight men’s 500m. Could Satch maintain this pace? Then Mohamed Kota of Egypt took over in the lead. He held it to the end finishing in 1:20.7 with Sensen Chen of China in second and Satch in third. The times were slower than the qualifying times.

In the anticipated open men’s 500m, it was a three-peat for Phil Clapp of Great Britain. He is the World Record holder in this event. Clapp held off a late surge from Cameron Wharram from Canada. And a great performance from Anton Grassl from Slovakia, who finished third and managed to also get a gold medal half an hour later in the Masters 40-49 category! The race began badly with a false start which meant a couple of minutes wait as the monitors had to be reset. Clapp opened with 1:07 to take the lead and finish in a time of 1:11.6. Wharram’s time: 1:11.9.

The best race of the day turned out to be the masters women 40-49 500m that saw Henrietta Högberg of Sweden and Arabella Carbutt of Great Britain tie for gold in a time of 1:32.5. Then Lene Biesland of Norway and Morgan McGrath of the United States tied for bronze medal in 1:33.8. What a race!

See you tomorrow!

Watch live on www.worldrowing.com