Daily Digest: Finalists confirmed in four more Olympic boat classes

Semifinals took place today for four more boat classes in Paris as the best crews in the world attempted to secure the opportunity to race for an Olympic medal.

Reigning Olympic Champions stamp their mark in the men’s pair

The first semifinal of the men’s pair was absolutely loaded with talent and it was clear from the offset it was going to be an epic race. The field included the reigning Olympic Champions (Croatia) and the reigning World Champions (Switzerland). It was those two boats that got out first and held on to the 1-2 for the entire race. Meanwhile. Spain’s Javier Canalejo Pazos and Javier Garcia Ordonez came through from fifth in the first quarter to take the third qualifying place.

The second semifinal also saw some exceptional talent with this year’s European Champions, Great Britain expected to be the favourites. However, the Brits were only sat in third place at halfway with a strong looking Romanian crew out the front, despite a fast start from Ireland’s Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney. The field realy started to tighten up in the closing stages and nobody could catch the Romanians, Florin Arteni and Florin Sorin Lehaci. In the sprint to the line, Great Britain just managed to hold on to second place while a fading Irish pair managed to hold off New Zealand.

Dutch domination in women’s pair

The Dutch duo of Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester looked absolutely unbeatable in the first semifinal of the women’s pair, they had clear water from very early stages of the race. The Dutch were absolutely uncatchable. Nobody could get anywhere near them. It was Denmark, Greece and Romania battling it out for the other two places. The Romanian pair of Ioana Vrinceanu and Roxana Anghel were working their way through the field and came from fourth at 500m to second with 500m to go, they had overhauled Greece, and pushed Denmark out out of the top three.

In the second semifinal, it was the Abraham sisters from Chile that got out first and established the lead ahead of USA and Australia. However, it was all change by the first timing marker and the American pairing of Azja Czajkowski and Jessica Thoennes had moved into the lead, ahead of Australia and Lithuania. Chile was now in the danger zone. That fast start looked like it had taken its toll for Chile and they were going to miss out. In the final quarter of the race, the Australians Jess Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre made their move and got ahead of the USA boat. It was a win for the 2023 World silver medalists, Australia, finishing ahead of the USA and Lithuania.

Ireland looking to defend Olympic title in the LM2x

Racing for finals’ places in the last ever Olympic final of the lightweight men’s double sculls, there was so much at stake. Ireland are the reigning Olympic Champions and Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan are determined to defend that title. However, it was a slow start for the Irish, and they were sat in third at 500m with France and Switzerland ahead of them. Could the French supporters cheer enough to keep Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig out in front? Into the second half, the French duo were in the danger zone, sitting in fourth place. As expected, it all started to tighten up in the sprint to the line and the Irish were now out in the lead and there was no catching them. Beurey and Ludwig went up but it wasn’t enough, Switzerland and Czechia had beaten them to the line. Heart break for the home supporters, France would go to the Final B.

No strangers to an Olympic podium in the lighweight men’s double sculls, Italy went out fast in the second semifinal. The Greeks Antonios Papakonstantinou and Petros Gkaidatzis then started to make a move and briefly moved into the lead ahead of Italy, but we just knew the famous Italian sprint would kick in – and it did. The top three were looking set with Norway in third place and then clear water back to Spain. The Greeks were throwing absolutely everything at the Italians, what an impressive performance. But it wasn’t quite enough, Italy beat them by 0.51 seconds, with Norway taking the third qualifying place.

More heart break for France

The first semifinal of the lightweight women’s double sculls was absolutely staked with the gold and silver medal-winning nations from the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Could anyone overhaul the Brits? They’re unbeaten since Tokyo. New Zealand were giving them a real run for their money and Jackie Kiddle and Shannon Cox briefly moved into the lead. But Emily Craig and Imogen Grant responded and regained control through the halfway timing marker.

The second semifinal saw the Tokyo 2020 silver medalists, Laura Tarantola and Claire Bove from France, trying to save the host nation’s hopes, but it was all so close. Romania took the lead from the start and held that position throughout. Could anyone catch them? The remaining places were all so close, France, Greece and Ireland all racing for the top three places. The wall of noise increased. Could France hold on? The four boats were sprinting to the line. Nobody could catch Romania and France just didn’t quite have enough. It was heart break again, on home waters. Greece and Ireland had taken the two places behind Romania’s Gianina Elena van Groningen and Ionela Livia Cozmiuc and would be racing for medals on Friday.