Beautiful conditions of barely a breeze, flat water and warm conditions was the sight at the Racice regatta course for the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the Czech Republic. Today was the second day of racing and the second day of heats as the championships progressed.

Women’s Four (BW4-) – Heats

The top two boats would advance to the final in these two heats and in Heat One all boats got away quickly together. Then Chile caught a crab that slowed them down, but by just a bit. By the middle of the race Germany had managed to get a half boat length lead over Chile in second with Spain and Russia slipping back. Then Romania did a piece that got them closer to Chile. At 40 strokes per minute it looked like Romania was trying to break Chile. Germany remained in front with the fastest pace. Chile was aware of the Romanian challenge and was holding them off and in the process closing on Germany. The Germans got there first.

Heat Two had the United States jumping out ahead of Great Britain and these two boats formed the fast pace at the head of the field. At the last under-23 championships in 2019 Great Britain won and the US got the bronze. The US have retained one member of the 2019 crew. The two countries had now moved clean away from the rest of the field and despite being secure in their positions they continued to race each other. At the line it was the United States in first and with the fastest qualifying time.

Qualifiers: GER, CHI, USA, GBR

Women’s Double Sculls (BW2x) – Heats

Fifteen crews contested this boat class and they were divided into three heats with the goal to be a top three position to get to go directly to the semifinals. Greece had a great start in Heat One. By the middle of the race the Greek crew of Angeliki Arabatzi and Evngelia Fragkou had a boat length over Romania. They rated 32 strokes per minute, lower than other crews, but still leading. Hungary sat in the third position but they had Argentina and Slovakia closing on them. Greece went to 34 in their final sprint and stayed ahead of Romania. Argentina’s final sprint gave them the third spot. For Heat Two it was Germany moving the fastest at the start. Cora Loch and Judith Guhse of Germany rated 35 to stay in front. Belarus was chasing hard with Belgium very much on the pace. Going into the second half of the race Germany and Belarus looked comfortable enough that they weren’t really pushing it. Belgium was now easily in third but had to keep an eye on Lithuania. In the close of the race the order did not change.

Heat Three started with Great Britain in the lead with a line of four boats following behind them. By the middle of the race Great Britain remained in the lead with the Netherlands and Italy being the closest challengers. In the final sprint the Dutch went to 37 with Great Britain remaining at 34. Both crews were in a comfortable qualifying position but the Dutch decided to push it. Lisa Bruijnincx and Fien van Westreenen of the Netherlands are the 2019 junior champions in this event. The Dutch had won and with the fastest qualifying time.

Qualifiers: GRE, ROU, ARG, GER, BLR, BEL, NED, GBR, ITA

Men’s Double Sculls (BM2x) – Heats

There were 21 nations in this race and they were divided into four heats with the goal of finishing first for a direct path to the semifinal. Heat One opened with Italy in the lead and they were still there in front at the half way point. Then in the third 500 both Belarus and Russia did a big push to move into first and second respectively. Belarus (Shliupski and Brynza) kept the pace on and crossed the line easily in first.

Greece had the lead at the start of Heat Two and that left Germany and Great Britain to take chase. By the middle of the race Greece’s Cristos Stergiakas and Athanasios Palaiopanos had a handy boat length lead over Germany in second. Through the second half of the race it looked like only Germany were close enough to challenge Greece. The Germans couldn’t do it. Greece were too strong and they held on to first.

It was all about France and Switzerland at the start of Heat Three. These two boats – from opposite sides of the course – went out hard and took a boat length off the rest of the field. This was a race of Haguenauer and Harat of France against Schaetzle and Roth of Switzerland. By the second half of the race Switzerland had moved away from France and the race looked all but over. The Swiss remained in front right through to the line with no pressure.

By far the fastest pace at the start of Heat Four was the Spanish crew. Spain still had the lead at the half way point and by that stage Daniel Panisello and Aleix Garcia of Spain had an open water lead. Spain rated 35 strokes per minute coming into the final 500 metres. Behind them the United States had got ahead of the Croatian crew of Ivan-Ante Cragic and Patrik Papac who had been in third for most of the race. Spain could watch the battle as the four boats behind them were all within a second of each other. Spain had the qualifying spot but Denmark won the sprint for second.

Qualifiers: BLR, GRE, SUI, ESP

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (BLW1x) – Heats

This boat class had three heats and the goal was to be in a top two position for a direct path to the semifinals. At the start of Heat One Ireland had the lead. But it didn’t last long as Russia’s Alekasndra Fomina took the lead. These rowers all raced each other at the 2019 junior championships. By the middle of the race Russia was still in the lead and she started to move clean away from the rest of the field. This left a battle for the second qualifying spot with the Netherlands and Switzerland battling it out. The Dutch won the fight (in the fastest qualifying time overall) and goes to the semis along with Russia.

In Heat Two it was a flying start by Italy, Belarus and Austria. Italy’s Silvia Crosio had a rather nice lead. Crosio raced at World Rowing Cup III last month getting silver in the lightweight double. Following the closest to Italy remained Austria and Belarus. This meant that Austria and Belarus had to fight it out for second and Austria was doing it the best. With Crosio crossing the line easily in first Austria’s Lara Tiefenthaler grabbed second.

Heat Three had a slight delay with Moldova and Estonia getting a yellow card for being late to the start. The race then got away with Greece just ahead of Germany. Evangelia Anastasiadou of Greece tried to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in the lightweight double back in May, she missed out and is back to race under-23. Germany’s Cosima Clotten held on to the Greek’s pace and these two moved clean away from the rest of the field. Clotten was now in the second half of the race and did not look like she was ready to attack Clotten leaving the order the same. In the final sprint Greece remained in front with both boats rating 32 strokes per minute.

Qualifiers: RUS, NED, ITA, AUT, GRE, GER

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (BLW2x) – Heats

This boat class had two heats with the gold of getting into the top two positions for a direct path to the finals. Heat One had a yellow card handed out when one boat threw their plastic water bottles into the water. The race then got away with Greece, Germany and France leading the way. Greek sisters of Eleni and Eirini Varelopoulou had the fastest pace and they remained slightly in the lead. Behind them Germany, Hungary and France were neck-and-neck which kept them up with the Greeks. In the final sprint Germany (Hulsen and Sauter) upped the pace and got ahead of Greece on the line.

Heat Two saw a very fast starting Italian crew of Saffirio and Parravicini. By the middle of the race Italy had a full boat length lead over Switzerland in second with Poland moving on Switzerland. Italy kept the pressure on to remain in front as Poland pushed into second. Then Poland moved away from Switzerland and got a bit closer to Italy. The order didn’t change through to the line with Italy earning the fastest qualifying time.

Qualifiers: GER, GRE, ITA, POL

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (BLM2x) – Heats

This race had three heats and the aim was to be in a top three position for a direct path to the semifinals. Italy, Germany and Ireland had the fastest pace at the start of Heat One with the Italians getting a very small leading margin. By the middle of the race Switzerland had got ahead of Ireland with Italy and Germany in first and second respectively. In the third 500 Germany really pushed it. Kress and Mueller-Ruchholtz of Germany remained in front and got to the finish line in first.

Heat Two had four crews so all bar one would make it to the semifinals. At the start it was really even between Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. Only the United States was off the opening pace. But there was 1500m left to race and Belgium was now moving very well and had found a boat length lead over the Dutch in second. Colpaert and Vyvey of Belgium had raced together at World Rowing Cup II earlier this season and had finished second. Belgium remained in front with Portugal getting overtaken by the Netherlands to take third but still qualifying.

France got away quickly in Heat Three with Poland the closest challenger. The French crew of Ludwig and Marcelot now moved away from the field. The duo raced together at the 2021 European Rowing Championships and they took silver. They looked smooth as they got a full boat length lead over Austria in second and Poland in third. In the final sprint France rated a comfortable 33 as Austria and Poland challenged each other for the second-place spot. France crossed the line in the fastest qualifying time.

Qualifiers: GER, ITA, SUI, BEL, POR, NED, FRA, AUT, POL

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BM4x) – Heats

This boat class had three heats and the goal was to be in a top three position for a direct path to the semifinals. In Heat One Germany had a small lead. Three of the German crew raced at the 2019 World Rowing Junior Championships, two of them taking gold in the quad. Then Italy did a piece, using a higher stroke rate and got into the lead. Once in front Italy looked very comfortable and left Germany to chase them. Italy dropped their stroke rate to 37 and continued to lead. Italy, like Germany, has medallists from the 2019 junior championships. Russia followed Germany in third. At the line Italy had a time of 5:56.95 to be first.

The fastest start in Heat Two came from the Netherlands with France and Romania in hot pursuit. Two of the Dutch crew raced to bronze at the 2019 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the men’s eight. The Netherlands remained the fastest boat on the water going through the middle of the race as France tried to establish themselves in second. The order didn’t change through to the line.

Much to the delight of the locals, the Czech Republic was the fastest off the line in Heat Three. There was a bit of a delay in this heat as Argentina received a yellow card for being late to the start. Poland took off after the Czechs with Argentina in third. The Czechs continued to lead through the middle of the race as lots of bikes followed them down the far side of the 2000m regatta course. As the Czechs increased their lead, the United States came up to overtake Argentina and move into third, but Argentina fought back. Poland remained in second. The Czech crew raced at World Rowing Cup III last month and finished sixth. It must have been great pre-under-23 training as they finished in first.

Qualifiers: ITA, GER, RUS, NED, FRA, ROU, CZE, POL, ARG

Women’s Single Sculls (BW1x) – Heats

Twenty-one crews lined up in this boat class and they were divided into four heats with the goal of finishing first for a direct path to the semifinals. In Heat One South Africa had the lead at the start. Katherine Williams of South Africa had a large lead by the half way point. It looked like no one could catch her. Estonia was in second with Lithuania in third, but Williams had open water over them by the middle of the race. Williams competed at Racice as a junior in 2018. Now 21 years old she’s back in style.

Fastest off the line in Heat Two was Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Janzen. This is Janzen’s first time racing internationally and she was putting in a fine performance as she led through the middle of the race. But France and Ireland were still in touch and Janzen would have to keep up the speed through the second half of the race. It was interesting to see Janzen using macon oars and rating at a rather low 27 stroke rate pace. In the final sprint Ireland had closed on Switzerland, but Janzen held her off.

Heat Three had Germany jump out at the start with Great Britain in hot pursuit. By the middle of the race Germany’s Alexandra Foester still had the lead. Foester finished with gold at the 2019 World Rowing Junior Championships and she also tried to qualify for Tokyo at the 2021 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta finishing sixth. Great Britain’s Lauren Henry remained in second as these two boats moved away from the rest of the field. Foester then managed to move away from Great Britain to qualify for the semifinals and in the fastest qualifying time of 7:45.

The Netherlands and Slovenia shot out together in Heat Four. The Dutch sculler of Benthe Boonstra then had Italy and the Czech Republic move up. Boonstra raced to a nineth-place finish at World Rowing Cup II earlier this season in her warm up to this regatta. Coming through to the final sprint Boonstra remained in front with Italy shaking off the Czech to be in second. But Italy could not catch Boonstra and neither boat sprinted the finish.

Qualifiers: RSA, SUI, GER, NED

Men’s Eight (BM8+) – Heats

This boat class had 12 countries lining up. They were divided into two heats with the winner of each heat getting to go directly to the finals. In Heat One it was Italy and the United States that shot out at the start. This left the Czech Republic in third. Going through the middle of the race the United States had a small lead over Italy who refused to give up. But then, rating 30, the United States gained a length advantage over Italy. The Italians had no answer to the American pace. At the line the United States had qualified for the final and with the fastest overall time. .

It was the German crew that were moving well at the start of Heat Two. Great Britain was the 2019 under-23 champions and they sat in lane one. But it was Germany who continued to lead. Germany got fifth in 2019 and they have some members of that boat racing today. Great Britain then did a piece and by the middle of the race the British had the lead. They used a 38-stroke rate to try and hold the lead and they made it look easy. The Netherlands was back a bit in third. Coming through to the final sprint Germany was at 37 strokes per minute and were trying to take the British. At the line Great Britain had won the qualifying spot. Meanwhile the Netherlands had pipped the Germans for second.

Qualifiers: USA, GBR

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Racing begins at 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships

Racice sets perfect rowing conditions for day two of the World Rowing Under 23 Championships

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