China returns in semis at junior champs

Nearly 80 per cent of these athletes have never rowed internationally before and making it through to the semifinal round meant that they now could have an understanding about how they are shaping up on the world junior scene. The temperatures were perfect, the water was almost flat, the wind practically non-existent, if perhaps a very slight tail wind. The athletes were fired up and ready.

JUNIOR WOMEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (JW1X) – SEMIFINALS

When some athletes are wearing teeshirts underneath their one-piece lycra row suits, you know that temperatures have mellowed. These cooler temperatures greeted the six scullers in Semifinal One. The first place finish by Lisa Schmidla of Germany now makes her the target in tomorrow’s Final. Schmidla recorded the fastest qualifying time even though she won by a handy margin and she will surely be an athlete to watch for the future.

As Schmidla led the way down the 2000m regatta course, Austria’s Lisa Farthofer settled herself into second. But a big push by Virginia Diaz Rivas of Spain with Ukraine also pushing hard, saw Farthofer slip back into fourth. The third 500 then really seemed to sort athletes out. With Schmidla still in the lead, Austria and Ukraine began to slip back, only Diaz Rivas was managing to stay in touch with Schmidla. Coming into the line Ukraine had completely lost heart. This gave Farthofer the opportunity she needed and the Austrian charged aggressively for the line. Schmidla, in the lead, asserted her dominance by rating 34 and Spain kept her strokes at a long 30 stroke rate pace to hold on to second. Germany, Spain and Austria qualified for the Final.

After an extremely successful 2007 junior championships for China, the country chose not to compete at the junior level in 2008. In Brive they have brought a small, mixed crew. In Semifinal Two they showed their talent. Ting Cao of China jumped out to an early lead and by the half way point she had built up over a boat length advantage over Cuba’s Aimee Hernandez in second. It seems to be that the third 500 has really been sorting out these races and going into this stage of the race Great Britain, Cuba and Slovenia were practically neck-and-neck. The two remaining qualifying spots would have to be decided in the final sprint.

Cao kept her stokes long and her finishes strong to cross the line first at a 31 stroke rate. Cuba upped the rate to 39 and Slovenia’s Anja Sesum gave it all she had. China, Cuba and Slovenia qualified for the Final.

JUNIOR MEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (JM1X) – SEMIFINALS

At the conclusion of the two races, only four seconds separated the six qualifying boats. There is no doubt that tomorrow’s Final would be hot. In Semifinal One Olexandr Nadtoka of Ukraine, 18, had a blistering start that cried out to his opponents, ‘come and catch me’. China’s Wanjie Yuan decided that he was not going to let the Ukrainian get away with this and spent the middle of the race trying to close the gap.

Meanwhile, Tunisia, Russia and the United States had virtually formed a line across the field, racing neck-and-neck for the in and all out battle for the third qualifying spot. As the line came into view, Yuan continued to attack Nadtoka and rating 40, Yuan managed to get his nose in front. Nadtoka, however, was having none of this and fought back. The two boats crossed the line virtually together. Behind them Matthew Maddamma of the United States had got the better of the three way battle and earned the very important third spot. Ukraine, China and the United States are in the final. Maddamma is the first American to make the final in this race in 11 years.

Poland’s Kamil Zajkowski hit the ground running in Semifinal Two. Bursting out in the lead Zajkowski found that his initial advantage was being eaten away as he rowed through to the middle of the race. Both Serbia (Milos Vasic) and Felix Bach of Germany were making gains with every stroke. Zajkowski held on for all he was worth. Bach and Vasic had more speed. Bach, dressed in long sleeves and leggings indicating the change in temperature, had found the lead going through the 1400m mark. Zajkowski, now in third, did what he could to hold his place. Bach, Vasic and Zajkowski went to the final. 

JUNIOR WOMEN’S PAIR (JW2-) – SEMIFINALS

The United States may not have been rowing together very long, but they have their starts well sorted. In Semifinal One, Kristine Caroll and Lucy Grindalds of the United States got off the line the fastest. But it was not long before Alena Kryvasheyenka and Anastasiya Skrobut of Belarus were able to push through. Once in the lead the Belarusian’s did what they could to maintain the lead. The Americans then found themselves under threat from Dameng Yin and Tian Miao of China.

The United States never likes to be behind China, but today Yin and Miao were proving better boat speed. A full-on sprint to the line by Yin and Miao gave them the second place spot. Belarus, rating 34, remained in front with the United States crossing the line just ahead of Bulgaria. Belarus, China and the United States made it to tomorrow’s Final.

Semifinal Two saw Romania’s Mihaela Petrila and Andreea Boghian get off the line first. This event was won by Germany last year and the Germans slotted into second, holding on to Romania’s pace. Going through the middle of the race Germany had found the speed too hot. Claire-Louise Bode and Kate Christowitz of South Africa were now in the coveted second place position. Italy then attacked. Laura Basadonna and Martina Valtorta of Italy used a strong middle 1000 to get their nose ahead of Germany and close on South Africa.

In the sprint to the line Romania remained in control at a 34 stroke rate with Italy and South Africa duking it out for the remaining two spots. Romania, South Africa and Italy are in the final.

JUNIOR MEN’S PAIR (JM2-) – SEMIFINALS

The athletes row up to the start line past the finish line crowd, past the media centre and past the grandstand before they get to the quieter row towards the start line. At the start it is very quiet. Bush and farmland surrounds with a couple of stone houses dotted around. The rowers in Semifinal One left the starters hands rating in the high 40s and then settled into their race pace. The only sound they could hear at this point was the splash of their oars and that of the competition. Igor Lucic and Luka Djordjevic of Serbia had the lead and by the half way point their margin over Bulgaria in second was a huge six second. Lucic and Djordjevic could now only hear the splash of their own oars.

Meanwhile, Germany, Croatia and Bulgaria were having the battle of their life. The three boats were neck-and-neck and this remained the case right through the middle 1000 of the race. Bulgaria’s Danail Dimitrov and Georgi Maslarov then seized the opportunity and upped their rating to 37 to guarantee a qualifying spot. Bulgaria had broken away from Germany and were closing on Serbia. The long, layback strokes of the Serbians made them look relaxed and in control.

At the line Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia had earned a spot in the final.

Semifinal Two saw four boats jump out together at the start. Greece’s Christos Koutsiaftis and Evripidis Sklivanitis had the smallest of margins, but seemed to have just enough to give them confidence to move away. But there was very little in it going through the middle of the race between France, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and the leading Greeks. As in previous races, margins remained tight in the third 500, the qualifying result would come down to the sprint. To the sound of beating supports drums (and a skilled rhythm one might add), France’s Benjamin Fauchie and Matthieu Moinaux gave it all they had. Rating 36 France was outsprinting the Czechs and the Lithuanians and closing on Greece.

The qualifying boats are Greece, France and Lithuania.

 
JUNIOR WOMEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (JW2X) – SEMIFINALS

Lenka Antosova of the Czech Republic has a famous sister on the Czech senior team. She is also accomplished in her own right being at her third junior championships. But Antosova has yet to medal. This year may be her year. Antosova raced in Semifinal One with last year’s partner Denisa Cvancarova. At the start Antosova and Cvancarova were neck-and-neck with China’s Rui Zhang and Yuwei Wang with Romania managing a very slight lead. These three boats moved away from the rest of the field, but remained in very tight contact with each other. As Romania began to slip back in the second half of the race, their strokes getting shorter, the Czechs took over in the lead with China remaining right on top of them. 

China and the Czech Republic held the pressure right to the end. The Czech Republic, China and Romania are the qualifying boats.

Semifinal Two recorded a much quicker finishing time when Julia Lier and Marie-Catherine Arnold of Germany decided to dominate. This boat is considered to be one of the strongest on the German team which has entered boats in every event. Lier and Arnold were living up to the expectations and having won gold in the quad last year, they had the credentials to pull it off especially as Lier clocks the fastest erg score of the women’s crew.

With the Germans well in front Ireland (Laura D’Urso and Lisa Dilleen) and Italy (Elena Coletti and Enrika Locci) slotted into second and third respectively. The race then turned into a procession. Germany, Ireland and Italy are in tomorrow’s Final.

JUNIOR MEN’S DOUBLE SCULLS (JM2X) – SEMIFINALS

Like their women counterparts, the Germans have prioritised this boat for the men. In Semifinal One Germany’s Hubert Trzybinski and Timo Piontek got into the lead at the start. Trzybinski was the second fastest single sculler at the German trials and has a gold from 2008 in the junior quad. Sitting in bow, Trzybinski helped his boat stay out in front. But the Germans were not having an easy time of it. A battle between Romania and Italy had caused these two boats to close the gap on Germany.

Coming into the close of the race, Italy’s Petru Alin Zaharia and Francesco Cardaioli still had fight left in them. Romania, rating 36, tried to hold on. Germany, Italy and Romania qualified for the final.

Semifinal Two was much less clear cut. Switzerland had the lead early in the race, but the margin was small as only two seconds separated the entire field with 500m rowed. Switzerland then worked to establish a bit of a margin. The other boats, however, were having none of it. With France now a little off the pace, five boats remained overlapping and in close contact. Then Serbia’s Radoje Djeric and Jovan Jovanovic let rip and moved through the field, working their way into a small lead. Switzerland clung on but the final sprint would be the decider. Four boats charged. Three boats had more push. Serbia, Lithuania and China all finished in under a second of each other and became the three qualifying crews.

JUNIOR MEN’S FOUR (JM4-) – SEMIFINALS

This is becoming one of the most hotly contended event of the regatta judging by the large crowd support as the two semifinals came down the 2000m regatta course. In Semifinal One, Australia had the lead at the start with Great Britain right on their tails. By the half way point Great Britain, stroked by Constantine Louloudis, had earned the lead. Australia tried to hang on with Spain slotting into third. As the boats headed towards the finish they were able to hear the support.

Great Britain and Australia remained in the top two positions rating 34 and 37 respectively. Turkey then charged at a 41 stroke rate pace, trying to catch the Spanish. They ran out of race. Great Britain, Australia and Spain went to tomorrow’s Final.

Slovenia had the early advantage in the second Semifinal. But there was very little in it with Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic all very close. As the Czechs began to drop back in the second half of the race, Slovenia still remained under constant challenge from Romania and the Germans. Romania, rating 37, had the best sprint. Romania, Slovenia and Germany are in the Final tomorrow.

JUNIOR WOMEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS (JW4X) – SEMIFINALS

Semifinal One recorded the fastest qualifying time when China overtook the fast starting Dutch and Germany to earn the lead. China considers this their strongest boat on the team and the crew proved themselves today against the talented competition. Germany may feel a certain ownership of this event, but they could only manage second against the Chinese. Underrating the Germans by three beats, China finished first in a time of 6:36. The Netherlands, back in third, kept the pressure on until the end. China, Germany and the Netherlands are the three qualifying crews.

This year Australia is using a new selection process. Their crews have been decided through talent identification targeting the 2016 Olympic Games and they see this regatta as just one step in a long process. In Semifinal Two, Australia overtook France to take the lead. Much to the crowd’s delight, France held on tightly and coming into the line three boats were practically on top of each other with New Zealand right there. Australia, out in front, rated the lowest on 30 strokes per minute.

Greece tried a last minute dash to try and get into a qualifying position, but they did not quite make it. Australia, France and New Zealand will meet again in tomorrow’s Final.

JUNIOR MEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS (JM4X) – SEMIFINALS

At the conclusion of the two semifinals, the top six boats had a finishing time spread of less than six second. The Czech Republic earned the fastest time in Semifinal Two to earn a centre lane in tomorrow’s Final. Will they be the best on Saturday when medals are at stake?

In Semifinal One Ukraine had an edge at the start with Australia, Poland and New Zealand in hot pursuit. Ukraine kept the pressure on with New Zealand doing the best job to remain in contact. This left Poland and Australia to hold a neck-and-neck fight for the third qualifying spot. Last year none of these boats made the A-Final. A clean slate had been drawn for 2009.

Coming into the final sprint the race had turned into three mini races. Ukraine and New Zealand were going at it at the head of the field. Australia and Poland where neck-and-neck in the fight for third and Russia and Norway were on top of each other at the back of the field. At the line Ukraine, New Zealand and Poland qualified for the Final, in that order.

Semifinal Two opened with Germany in the lead. The Germans are the reigning World Champions, but they found themselves under ever increasing pressure from the Czech Republic. Coming through the third 500, the Czechs had taken a slight lead. Germany tried to hold on. Meanwhile a very tight battle was going on between Italy, the Netherlands and Argentina. Only one qualifying spot remained and all three boats were rowing as if their life depended on it.

In the closing 100m of the race, the Czech Republic and Germany held their stroke rate at 36 and 35 respectively. Italy upped the rate to 39 and Argentina topped out at 42. Argentina had done it. The Czech Republic, Germany and Argentina are the qualifying boats.