28 Jul 2024
Daily Digest: Historic finishes at second day of Rowing at Paris 2024
In a complete contrast to day one, rowers and thousands of spectators were treated to glorious racing condition in Paris as the second day of the 2024 Olympic Regatta got underway. The session started with repechages in the single and double sculls, a second opportunity for some of those who raced yesterday, before heats in six more boat classes.
Historic finishes in single sculls
The repechages of the single sculls provided historic moments as several nations already secured their highest ever finish positions at an Olympic Regatta. The women’s single sculls saw Adriana Sanguineti from Peru finishing second in her repechage and qualifying for the quarterfinals (i.e. a top 24 finish). The pervious highest ranking for Peru was 31st. Meanwhile, Paraguay’s Javier Insfran has also lines himself up to make history when he secured his place in the men’s single sculls quarterfinal. Paraguay has never finished better than 24th, and he is now already in the top 24 finishers!
Heartbreak for Lithuania and Italy.
The Olympic journey came to an end for this year’s European silver medallists Donata Karaliene and Dovile Rimkute of Lithuania after they finished outside the all-important top three in the single repechage for the women’s double sculls. In the men’s double sculls, it was Italy that missed out as Nicolo’ Carucci and Matteo Sartori slipped back from third into the danger zone of fourth place in the second half of the race. For them, the Olympic journey came to an end.
Rowsellas set fastest time in women’s pair
The familiar pair of Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester looked impressive in heat one of the women’s pair. They are reigning World Champions and have been rowing together since their U23 days in 2016! In heats two and three, it was all to play as four crews were racing for just three direct qualification places through to the semifinals. Great Britain and Spain missed out and will need to race the repechage tomorrow. In the third heat, 2023 World silver medallists Jessica Morrison and Annabelle Mcintyre from Australia came through from third at 500m to win, and clock the fastest time across the three heats: 7:16.58
Reigning World Champions into the rep
Daniel Williamson and Phillip Wilson are already Olympic champions in the men’s eight from Tokyo and now they’re in the men’s pair. They flew out of the start in heat one, but they soon came under pressure, particularly from the reigning World Champions, Roman Roeoesli and Andrin Gulich from Switzerland. However, as the line approached, it all tightened up and it went to a photo finish. The crowds were waiting, the photo was being reviewed. The result was confirmed, Switzerland was out of the top three and will need to race the repechage tomorrow (Monday). Spain had won and, in the sprint to the line, they had achieved the fastest time across the three heats. Martin and Valent Sinkovic (Croatia) are the reigning Olympic Champions in this boat class and they indicated their desire to defend that title as they comfortably won the second heat finishing over five seconds ahead of Romania. The third and final heat saw a strong win for Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George of Great Britain – their time just over a second slower than that set by Spain, but without being pushed.
Great Britain looking for redemption
Emily Craig and Imogen Grant finished an agonising fourth place (by 0.01 seconds) in Tokyo but are unbeaten since in the lightweight women’s double sculls and they’re certainly one of the favourites for gold in Paris. They crossed the line with several lengths of clear water ahead of Greece. The second heat was absolutely dominated by Romania as Gianina Elena Van Groningen and Ionela Livia Cozmiuc led from the start and crossed the line still at 39 strokes per minute and over eight seconds ahead of the United States of America, who secured the second direct qualifying place to the semifinals taking place on Wednesday. The grandstands were the loudest they have been yet as Claire Bove and Laura Tarantola, who won silver in this boat class in Tokyo, took to the water. The French duo led for more than the first half of the race but then found themselves in an epic sprint to the line alongside New Zealanders Shannon Cox and Jackie Kiddle. Those two boats will go straight to the semifinals whereas the rest will need to contest the repechage.
Irish lightweight keen to defend title
They’re reigning World and Olympic Champions and they’re back in Paris to defend their title and become the last ever Olympic Champions in the lightweight men’s double sculls. Ireland’s Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan looked impressive in the third heat as they led from the start, despite the attempts of Norwegians Lars Martin Benske and Ask Jarl Tjoem. However, the fastest time across the three heats had been set by Swizterland’s Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada in heat one. Their time was 6:24.88. The Swiss duo finished behind McCarthy and O’Donovan at last year’s World Rowing Championships so it will be exciting to see them go head-to-head again in Paris.
GB stamp authority on women’s four
Great Britain are arguably one of the favourites in this boat class but they weren’t the fastest off the start in their heat. China went out fast and established an early lead. Great Britain started to close that gap in the second quarter of the race but New Zealand was going with them. Three boats crossed the halfway line very close together – it was going to be tense with only the top two securing direct qualification. In the third quarter, the Brits took the lead and China was starting to fade. Great Britain crossed the line first with New Zealand taking the second direct qualification route to the final, a great result for them as it’s the first time New Zealand has had a women’s four at an Olympic Games. The reigning World Champions from the Netherlands looked strong in the second heat and will undoubtedly provide fierce opposition for Great Britain in the final. While the Dutch four held on to the lead, Romania piled on the pressure in the closing stages and really closed up the gap. Both boats will progress directly to Thursday’s final. Great Britain’s time was the fastest across the two heats, but the Netherlands are bound to challenge them in the final.
Kiwi men’s four fastest of the day
The field in this boat class is absolutely stacked and the heats suggested we are in for an exciting final on Thursday. Four of the six crews have already booked their places but neither the defending champions (Australia) or the likely favourites (Great Britain) won their heats. In heat one, New Zealand got out fast and established an early lead. Romania went with them and it was looking like they might be the second direct qualifier, but the British crew made their move in the second half and moved into second place. They crossed the line just under a second ahead of Romania to confirm their place in the final. The home supporters had a French crew to cheer on in the last race of the day, but it wasn’t enough, and they’ll need to cheer them on again in the repechage. The United States of America and Australia took the two direct qualification spots. The USA crew being the only men’s four with no first-time Olympians on board.