Second chances at Rowing World Cup II

This is the second Rowing World Cup for 2006 and day one of three days of racing and a slight head-wind situation kept times relatively slow. Jo Lutz and Robyn Selby Smith of Australia finished the day with three races under their belts after racing the heat and repechage in the pair as well as the heat of the eight. In both events they advanced to the next round of racing.

Lightweight Women Single Scull (LW1x) – Repechages

One race, three boats to qualify, one to miss out. Pamela Weisshaupt, Switzerland’s sole representative, saved her chances by winning the repechage after leading the entire race. Weisshaupt began competing internationally in 1995 and she moves on to the semi-final along with Finland and Ireland.

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)– Thursday final

The small number of entries in this event meant that crews got a warm up “final” race today to establish who would make the middle lane their home for Saturday’s final. This honour went to Munich winners and last year’s under-23 four winners Ole Rueckbrodt and Felix Otto of Germany.

Women’s Single Scull (W1x) – Repechages

One repechage added three more rowers to the semi-final and these three spots were established right from the word go. Ireland’s Caroline Ryan is in her first year on the international scene and today she established a handy open water lead over Anna Markulinova of Slovakia, also in her first year representing her country. Norway also qualifies for the semi-final.

Men’s Single Scull (M1x) – Repechages

Four repechage with the top two positions qualifying for the semi-final indicated the depth of numbers in this event. The depth of talent was indicated by the presence of Munich medallist Sweden’s Lassi Karonen in repechage one. Karonen had earned himself open water by the half way point and goes through to the semi-final along with the accomplished Leonid Gulov of Estonia who comes out of the bronze medal 2005 quad.

Great Britain scores a second boat in the semi-final from repechage two and causes an upset in the process. Last year’s bronze medallist Ondrej Synek doesn’t seem to have found his pace this season and despite leading for the first half of the race, Synek couldn’t maintain it. This gave two metre tall Alex Gregory of Great Britain the lead followed by Hungary’s Gabor Bencsik – the two qualifiers.

Repechage three added two more names to the semi-final with Ariel Suarez of Argentina and Austria’s Christof Uhl establishing themselves in these spots early on in the piece. The order remained unchanged to the line.

The final repechage had a two way battle between Romania’s Daniel Frateanu and Yoennis Hernandez. Frateanu, 19, is a truly international rower having competed in the United States’ Head of the Charles and Amsterdam’s Holland Beker as well as a former junior Champion. Hernandez and Frateanu swapped the lead several times then settled on a close finish with Frateanu just in front. Both boats move on to the semi-final.

Women’s Pair (W2-) – Repechages

Three boats would qualify from two repechages and repechage one had Denmark’s Majbrit Nielsen and Fie Graugaard snatching the lead off China 1’s Chengxi Yu and Yanan Zhang. China 3 meanwhile sat back in third. In the final sprint Denmark sat on a comfortable 30 stroke rate with Yu and Zhang setting a 36 stroke rate rhythm and China 3 on 33. All three boats move on to the semi-final.

In repechage two a very relaxed looking Dutch combination of Annemarieke van Rumpt and Annemiek de Haan took the lead over Australia and maintained it. This was a change from this morning when the Dutch appeared tired in the final sprint, but this afternoon they came back relaxed and in control. Hats off to Jo Lutz and Robyn Selby Smith of Australia. This is their third race of day,  the pair, the eight then this repechage. Finishing second they add another Australian boat to the women’s pair semi-final. China 2, finishing in third, add a third Chinese crew to the semi-final.

Men’s pair (M2-) – Repechages

Holding up the side for the whole of Africa, El Bakry Yehia and partner Mohamed Gomaa of Egypt battled with Belarus for the lead. Egypt rowed the better race with Belarus then slipping back to third after Ireland’s Sean O’Neill and Sean Casey charged through. All three countries move on to the semi-final.

Women’s double (W2x) – Repechages

Marianne Nordahl and Heidi Veeser of Norway led the way in the first of two repechages. The top three boats would qualify and it was Hungary and France that kept very careful check on the leading Norwegians, both of whom also double as physiotherapists when not rowing. In the close of this race barely one second separated these three boats as they all continued to race to the line. All three advance to the semi-final.

Germany and the Czech Republic took up the leaders fight in the opening of repechage two. By the half-way point Jitka Antosova and Gabriela Varekova of the Czech Republic had the edge and proceeded to move further into the lead from Germany. Varekova, 18, and Antosova, 19, were last year’s junior champions in this event and they look to be producing a solid performance at the senior level.  Meanwhile, China had slipped comfortably into third. All three crews move on to the semi-final.

Men’s double (M2x) – Repechages

The two repechages required a top two finish and in repechage one Norway (Nils Simonsen and Morten Adamsen) and Australia (James Gatti and Dan Noonan) took off at the head of the field. An early challenge from Lithuania soon was discarded with the Norwegians and Australians choosing their own private battle. Lithuania tried for a late charge but had lost too much through the middle of the race. Norway and Australia become semi-finallists.

The second repechage saw a similar pattern develop when Ukraine (Kostyantyn Zaitsev and Hennadii Zakharchenko) and Belarus (Pavel Shurmei and Valery Radzevich) tussled with each other in the top two spots. All four of these athletes have loads of rowing experience. Zaitsev dates internationally back to 1997 and includes the Sydney Olympics. Partner Zakharchenko has been on the international scene since 1993. Shurmei has won many indoor rowing competitions and, along with Radzevich, is an Olympic finallist. Both boats move on to the semis.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Repechages

Three qualifiers from each of the two repechages was the deal and in repechage one Ukraine’s Oleksandr Serdiuk and Valerii Chykynda led the way. Meanwhile a slow start by Ireland was overcome as they worked their way into second with bow man, Tim Harnedy, back from ankle surgery, showing definite improvement. China held on to third and also qualify for the semi-final.

Like a procession, repechage two sorted itself out very early on. The Vetesnik brothers from the Czech Republic led the way, Portugal followed and Finland held onto third. Open water was between each boat. This is how the day wrapped up at the Malta Regatta Course.