New best time set by China at Rowing World Champs

The Chinese pulled off an upset by beating World Cup leaders Ireland in the lightweight men’s four. They also surprised by setting a new World Best Time in the lightweight women’s quad. Read on for reports of today’s racing.

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Heats

Great Britain’s Chris Bartley and Richard Chambers have been together ever since they won silver last year as under 23s in the four. This season they go unbeaten with a Rowing World Cup win and champions in the pair at the Under 23 Championships. Today they got off to a solid senior start by leading heat one over Italy. With three boats qualifying Italy’s Andrea Caianiello and the very experienced (nine international medals) Salvatore Di Somma held on to second with Japan’s Kazuhiro Takahashi and Yuta Hamada sprinting from the back of the field to take the third qualifying spot through their awesome sprint finish.

Heat two was led by Australia’s duo of Tim Smith and Olympian Cameron Wurf but with strong challenges coming from Spain’s Juan Manuel Florido Pellon and Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez. Smith and Wurf held on to first with United States way back in third also qualifying.

Heat three featured Germany’s Felix Otto and Ole Rueckbrodt who have medalled at every international race they’ve been in since 2003 with their sites set on the Olympic lightweight four boat. The duo got out in front and left Russia and France to battle it out for second. A better second half by Russia gave them the second spot with all three crews qualifying.

Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Sculls (LW4x) – Heats

Often underrepresented as an event due to it not being part of the Olympic programme, the lightweight women’s quad this year is represented by seven countries and there was no doubt about the quality as China took heat one by the scruff of its neck and set a new World Best Time. China did it by getting out at the start with a 42 stroke rate, maintaining 40 through the 250 metre mark and still at a 38 at the 500 metre mark. They kept the rating high, moved to an open water lead over Denmark and take the only qualifying spot.

Hua Yu, Haixia Chen, Xuefei Fan and Jing Liu become the new best time holders removing a reference time by Australia that has stood since Seville 2002.

Heat two was not so quick. Great Britain took the lead and held off an early challenge from the United States, but then pushed away to qualify with an open water lead. Surprisingly, last year’s champions, Canada sat off the pace and back in third with two from the same crew that won in 2005.
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Heats

A well represented 23 countries lined up in four heats with one boat from each heat going directly to the semi-final. Poland’s Magdalena Kemnitz and Ilona Mokronowska led the way. Kemnitz is a gritty competitor and has been a finalist in every international race she’s been in, including the 2004 Olympic Games. The older Mokronowska is in her 14th year of international competition and is aiming for her third Olympics – Beijing. The duo kept a comfortable lead over Finland and Greece and will move on to the semi-final.

After an initial lead by Spain in heat two, Australia’s Marguerite Houston and Amber Halliday took to the head of the field with Canada in hot pursuit. Halliday and Houston last raced Canada at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup in July and at this race Canada won with the Australians back in fifth. More time in Europe (at their Italian training camp in Varese) must have worked for Australia as they shook off Canada and kept ahead of Spain to take the only qualifying spot. Australia rowed away on their cool down row rating a low 14 strokes per minute as they passed the many Australian supporters in the grandstand.

They’ve come through the season looking in top form with bow Dongxiang Xu proving to be one of the best lightweights in the world. China are the new force in lightweight women’s rowing and today partnered with Shimin Yan, they had heat three well in their control and, unlike their quad counterparts, Xu and Yan settled into a lower rating comfortable 33. This left Great Britain and reigning World Champions Germany, to tussle with each other for second. At the line Xu and Yan had gone below seven minutes and earned a spot in the semi-final.

The Unites States most stable combination, Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols have been partnered since 2005 and took silver last year at the World Rowing Championships. Today they grabbed hold of heat four and took ownership of the lead with a dominating 35 stroke rate. Ireland tried to hold the pace but the Americans countered every move that Ireland threw at them. At the line Ireland had closed the gap but it’s Hykel and Nichols that will move on to the semi-final.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Heats

The biggest event of these World Rowing Championships, 28 countries, 56 athletes lined up in six heats with the top two advancing to the semi-final. Olympic Champions from Poland, Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz took an early lead in heat one with France’s Fabrice Moreau and Frederic Dufour holding the pace. Dufour finished second to the Polish at the 2004 Olympics and this is the first time he’s raced the champion duo since.

Kucharski missed last year’s world champs due to injury and he has kept a low profile this season, but today they looked back on form despite letting France slip through to first by the 500 metre mark. These two crews completely outclassed the rest of the field with France remaining in the lead and Poland settling into a comfortable 30 stroke rate. Both crews move on to the semi-final.

Winners of two Rowing World Cups this season Italy’s four-time World Champion Elia Luini and the younger Marcello Miani overtook Russia to get in front of the second heat. Settling into a 34 stroke rate pace, Luini and Miani kept a close eye on both Russia and Austria. A very consistent race gave Italy first with Austria’s Juliusz Madecki and Sebastian Sageder overtaking Russia to take the second qualifying spot.

Last year’s single champion Vasileios Polymeros of Greece has teamed up with Dimitrios Mougios in the double this year and with every race they appear to be improving. Today they conducted a very close battle with Japan’s Takahiro Suda and Daisaku Takeda. But the Greeks managed to get the better of the Japanese in the final sprint. Meanwhile, Canada did their best to come back from a slow second 500 and nearly did it, but a crab just before the finish line cut their sprint short. Greece and Japan qualify.

Heat four was dominated by Australia’s Sam Beltz and Tom Gibson. This duo competed at two Rowing World Cups this season finishing just outside the medals in fourth. Today they were drawn in the same heat as reigning World Champions, Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga of Hungary, but managed to stay ahead of the champion duo. Both boats were forced into a final sprint by a flying Chile, but it’s Australia and Hungary who will qualify for the semi-final.

Up until heat five finishing times had been around 6:22 for the 2000 metre race. Denmark’s Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Hansen blew this time away despite completely outclassing the entire field and rating a reasonably comfortable 34 stroke rate for the body of the race. Rasmussen and Quist finished with a time of 6:14.55 – less than four seconds outside the World Best Time. Were they relishing in the rain that had just started to fall? Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Maros Sloboda and Lubos Podstupka were unchallenged in their second qualifying place and rated a comfortable 27 stroke rate.

Heat six opened with a close tussle between Great Britain’s James Lindsay-Fynn and Mark Hunter and Germany’s Joerg Lehnigk and Manuel Brehmer going head to head. This moved the two countries clean ahead of the rest of the field with the Germans seeming to be satisfied with second after the initial tight racing. Great Britain take first and Germany, now rating 27, qualify from second.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Heats

Four heats began with the Germans overtaking a fast starting United States to take the lead. But the margins were close and even going through the half way point less than three seconds separated the top five crews. Margins remained minimal as the last 500 metres came into sight with Germany just in front, Canada and South Africa neck and neck for second and the United States just a fraction back. The sprint was on. Finishing in a photo finish between Germany and Canada, Germany earned the only qualifying spot that takes them through to the semi-final.

Australia grabbed hold of heat two and let the Netherlands do the chasing. The Dutch chased hard using the same 37 stroke rate as the Australians in the final sprint, but Australia just held them off and will move on to the semi-final.

The reigning World Champions, France wanted to stamp some authority on their race – heat three. They did this by leading from the start, shaking off an early challenge by Russia and then fighting with a gutsy performance by the unseeded Italians. Sitting in three seat of the Italian boat, the very talented Leonardo Pettinari tried his best to bring his crew to the front, but France held them off. France moves on to the semi-final.

One of the biggest upsets of the day came in heat four when last year’s silver medallists and winner of the final two Rowing World Cups, Ireland found themselves in the unfamiliar second position. What was more surprising was that the boat in the lead was China. China has come out of nowhere racing for the first time internationally in this lineup here at the World Rowing Championships. Stroke Jun Tian raced at two Rowing World Cups finishing in the A Final and today he took his crew down the course at a rapid 38 stroke rate. The Irish couldn’t hold them and China advances to the semi-final.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Heats

Germany had a tight grasp on this race for years, but since their silver medal finish in 2005, their grasp has loosened and it appears that this year the double has become the priority boat. This gave Australia a chance to take the lead in the first of two heats and, despite a close challenge from Germany, Australia held on to the lead. Australia advances directly to the final.

In an almost upset finish, reigning World Champions, Great Britain found themselves in the unusual position of second place. Sitting in front was Russia stroked by the very accomplished Irina Fedotova. Fedotova and her crew finished third in this event last year and they were not happy with this result. But the leading Russian margin was small and Great Britain held on tightly. It was going to be decided in the final sprint. Stroking two beats higher, Great Britain managed to take the lead in the last 20 metres to move on directly to the final.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x) – Heats

The first of three heats opened with an incredibly tight two way battle between Italy and the United States. The US had already indicated their boat speed by finishing third at the final Rowing World Cup beating Italy on this occasion. But the Italians have found another gear and were sticking to the Americans like glue. In the final sprint Italy and the United States ended in a photo finish. The lower rating Italians had come out on top. With three boats qualifying the United States in second earns a spot in the semi-final as does France, also on the pace, in third.

Similar to heat one, heat two had two crews, Poland and Russia, pacing each other at the head of the field. Poland are the current World Champions and Russia the current Olympic Champions and by the half way point these two crews looked comfortable and content to sit on a 36 rating. Australia followed in third pulling out a 41 stroke rate sprint to close on the leaders at the finish. All three crews advance to the semi-final.

It was all surprises in the final heat with Estonia the shock leader and the recorder of the fastest qualifying time. They did this by rating a solid 37 through the body of the race and staying just ahead of Ukraine in second. More surprisingly the Czech Republic, featuring legendary rower Vaclav Chalupa, sat back in third. But this was enough to qualify. Estonia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic advance to the semi-final with the best qualifying times.

Women’s Eights (W8+) – Heats

A solid field of 12 countries were split into two heats with just the first in each heat advancing directly to the final and in heat one Australia made their intentions very clear by jumping out at the start in first. Germany took off in hot pursuit and kept their boat overlapping with the Australians. Australia has mixed and matched its crew into the four and pair that raced yesterday while Germany’s stroke pair also race in two events. Australia continued down the 2000 metre course rating a steady 35 to stay just out of range of the Germans. Australia qualifies for the final.

Meanwhile, Surprisingly Romania could do nothing more than hold on to third, while Great Britain sunk back to last after a crab upset the rhythm of the boat. These crews will get a second chance in the repechage.

The second heat was completely dominated by the United States who managed to jump out to an impressive open water lead within the first 500 metres. The crew, stroked by the statuesque Caryn Davies, remained easily in the lead and comfortable enough to drop their stroke rate to a 33. China, in second, pulled out a 42 stroke rate sprint, but it had no impact on the American’s lead. The United States go directly to the final.

Men’s Eights (M8+) – Heats

The first of three heats required a top two finish for the direct route to the semi-final and the United States, with four of their 2005 World Champion crew in the boat, showed that they had the form despite this being their first international race all season. This left Poland, stroked by 187cm tall Bogdan Zalewski, to push through from the back of the field and play a catch up game. The Polish got within striking distance of the Americans, but ran out of metres. Still, both crews will advance to the semi-final.

Heat two saw Belarus, with 48 year old coxswain Piotr Piatrynich, take and early lead earning a margin over Germany in second. But the Belarusian’s seemed to pay dearly for their initial speed and coming into the second half of the race Germany had managed to take of the lead. But the big surprise was charging up the outside lane. Unseeded Great Britain had found a second half gear and were advancing on the Belarusian’s. At the line Germany had earned first with Great Britain scoring a deserved second and other qualifying spot.

It took until heat three for the top qualifying time to be met. After overtaking an early challenge from France, Australia, under the guidance of 19 year old stroke Jeremy Stevenson, took the lead and worked their way away from the rest of the fleet rating a solid 35 strokes per minute. But then Italy picked up another gear and moved past France and China to go after a qualifying position, No one could catch the leaders and Australia and Italy move on to the semi-final with the psychological advantage of the two fastest qualifying times.