Women’s quad delayed a day – Rowing World Cup II

Cloudy skies with a slight tail wind greeted the women’s quad who did not get to race yesterday.

Warming up before the start Germany’s new line-up featuring the most medalled woman rower in the world, Kathrin Boron, had a boat damaging collision. This forced a delay in the race until today.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Heats

Germany lined up in the first of two heats with just number one position allowing a direct path to the final. A scratch by Belarus for medical reasons left the field with four boats and China, who finished with silver at the first Rowing World Cup came out ahead of the Germans to help cement their superiority in this event. Germany finished second but will have to return for the repechage.

Great Britain are on a winning streak and they continued it today by easily winning heat two. By 750m they had established such a fine open water lead that they did not need to show all of what they had to move on to the final.

Women’s Four (W4-) – Race for lanes

In recent years Australia has made this their race, using it for athletes on the edge of their priority boat, the women’s eight, or using it as an extra race for women in the eight. Today in the race for lanes in the final Australia’s second crew took to the lead and finished well ahead of the rest of the field – an open water well ahead. There is every indication that they will repeat this in the final.

Lightweight Men’s Eight (LM8+) – Race for lanes

In similar style to the Australian women’s four, Germany took off at the head of the field opening up a comfortable gap over the Netherlands. Germany use this event as a feeder into their top lightweight men’s four and take it seriously as a training tool. With a boat full of brothers, The Rueckbrodt’s and the Schoemann-Finck’s the German’s crossed the finish line well ahead of the Dutch in second.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Race for lanes

Large gaps separated this procession of a race between three crews. Matt Beechey and Daniel Harte of Great Britain easily won and will move on to Sunday’s final in the favoured middle lane.