Poland quad out of the fog at European Champs

In flat calm conditions this tightly-packed regatta saw rowers return to the waters of the River Mondego to race in the semi-finals. The temperatures remained cool with the mist taking a good proportion of the morning to disappear.

Poland’s men’s quad looked to be back in form after a rocky early season. They won their semi-final and will meet their nemesis, Croatia in the final. Germany’s lightweight men’s four also look like their season is picking up after winning their semi.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – semi-finals

" border="0" src="/display/modules/media/cropimage.php?mediaid=362516&x0=91&y0=46&x1=241&y1=326&zoom=0.8" _cke_saved_src="/display/modules/media/cropimage.php?mediaid=362516&x0=91&y0=46&x1=241&y1=326&zoom=0.8" title="PHOTO/IGOR MEIJER" />Close racing in yesterday’s heats pointed towards close racing today with France’s Cederic Berrest and Julien Bahain looking to be the crew to beat. Berrest and Bahain raced in semi-final one and got into the lead going through the second 500. Following very closely behind, Poland, Switzerland and Belarus were pushing France hard. Berrest and Bahain have been racing together for a number of years. They medalled at the 2008 Olympics in the quad before moving to the double and taking silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships.

Coming into the final quarter of the race Poland’s Michal Sloma and Wiktor Chabel, who showed such class in yesterday’s heats, moved up on the French with Switzerland’s Florian Stofer and André Vonarburg also very much on the pace. In the final sprint Poland took their rating to 37, desperately trying to catch Berrest and Bahain. The French held them off. France, Poland and Switzerland are the first three finishers and they move on to tomorrow’s final.

A very classy field lined up in semi-final two with both the European Champions (Estonia) and the World Champions (Germany) racing. Neither of these crews, however, had won their heat yesterday. What would they do today? Italy took off at the front of the field but soon lost it to Estonia as Allar Raja and Kaspar Taimsoo moved past with the Czech Republic and Germany holding on tightly. As Italy began to drop back, Estonia, Germany and the Czech Republic looked to be the crews that would qualify for the final. But in what order?

A smooth and controlled Estonia remained in front and despite a big closing push by Germany’s Eric Knittel and Stephan Krueger, Estonia finished first. Estonia, a very delighted Germany and Petr Vitasek and David Jirka of the Czech Republic are in the final.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – semi-finals

Five nations must have audibly groaned when they saw that their draw for the semi-final included the practically invincible Ekaterina Karsten-Khodotovitch of Belarus. Karsten hasn’t lost a race since the 2008 Olympics and it was one of her rare losses in her 19 year international career. But Frida Svensson of Sweden, known for her gutsiness, decided to take Karsten head-on. Svensson shot out in the lead and held it for a good 900m before Karsten smoothly moved through. Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic then pulled out a piece that took her through the Swede and closer to leader Karsten. Svensson fought back, but both Karsten and Knapkova stayed ahead while underrating the Swede by more than five pips.

Julia Levina, 37, of Russia continues her long rowing career here in Portugal against much younger competition. In a beautifully timed race Levina did not come out of the starting blocks in the lead in semi-final two. This honour went to Fie Graugaard-Udby of Denmark, with Estonia’s Kaisa Pajusalu following closely. Going through the centre 1000 of the race, Levina moved into second with Graugaard-Udby holding on to first. A very solid final sprint by Levina gave her the lead and a spot in tomorrow’s final. Graugaard-Udby qualifies from second and Pajusalu from third.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – semi-finals

Tonu Endrekson of Estonia has barely raced the single in his long, 14 year international career. As Jueri Jaanson has dominated the single spot for his country Endrekson has always raced in team boats. At this regatta Endrekson looks to be breaking loose. He won his heat yesterday and started out in the lead of semi-final one. By the half way point Endrekson was a full boat length ahead of Slovenia’s Jan Spik in second and Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania in third.

Coming into the second half of the race Endrekson was under threat from a fast-moving Griskonis. But Endrekson looked unconcerned, retaining a steady 30 stroke rate and looking calm and civilised. In the final sprint Griskonis (reigning European Champion) found the lead, Endrekson qualifies from second and Spik qualifies from third. Olaf Tufte (NOR) did not start for medical reasons.

Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic has been on a roll all season. He raced in semi-final two leading from start to finish. This comes after Synek took yesterday’s heat rather casually, but today he did enough to stay ahead of Lassi Karonen of Sweden. These two rowers came down into the finish using very different styles. Synek kept his rating low, below 30 strokes per minute, while Karonen used a shorter, higher rating stroke of the high 30s. Synek, Karonen and Karl Schulze of Germany advance to tomorrow’s final.

Schulze is the replacement this season for Marcel Hacker and comes to these championships as the reigning under-23 champion in the single.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – semi-finals

Pedro Fraga and Nuno Mendes of Portugal continued to do their country proud. Today they made it two wins in two days by taking out semi-final one and they did it against some very tough competition including the in-form Germans. Linus Lichtschlag and Lars Hartig of Germany led at the start and by the half way point they had a half boat length lead over Portugal. Lichtschlag and Hartig must have known about the powerful finish that Fraga and Mendes were capable of and they knew that they had to build up a bit of a buffer before the final sprint. But the German buffer wasn’t big enough. With 400m left to row, Fraga and Mendes did their trademark push. Germany had no reply. Portugal got into the lead and continued to move away from Lichtschlag and Hartig. Portugal, Germany and Austria (Hellmeier and Berg) are in tomorrow’s final.

Greece is the reigning European Champions in this event and their new combination raced in semi-final two. The Greeks got out in front at the start, but by the half way point Jeremie Azou and Remi Di Girolamo of France had moved into the lead followed extremely closely by Lorenzo Bertini and Elia Luini of Italy. With that the race moved into two sub-races. Italy and France battled it out in the lead and Greece and Slovenia had their own battle going on behind the leaders.

The final sprint was going to have to be the decider. Slovenia’s Matevz Malesic and Jure Cvet gave it their all. Moving their stroke rate up to 39 Malesic and Cvet set the challenge. Greece had nothing left and slipped back. Italy and France continued their own battle. At the line the top three qualifying crews were; Italy, France and a very happy Slovenia.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – semi-finals

It was quite a surprise to see Denmark back in third in yesterday’s heats. Was this a glitch, or a true show of form? Denmark is the reigning Olympic Champions, they hold the World Best Time and last year they finished second at the World Rowing Championships. Today the Danes raced in semi-final one and got out with the bunch at the start, just behind France.

By the half-way point five boats were still very much in the bunch with France still remaining in front. This situation remained going into the third 500 with France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark virtually on top of each other. The Netherlands also still held the pace. This race was going to be all about the sprint. Denmark got to 41 strokes per minute, while France hit 40. At the line Denmark had outsprinted everyone. Denmark, France and Switzerland move on to tomorrow’s final.

It looks as though World Champions Germany have got their pace back. The Germans have had a rocky season but today they looked very good as they moved into the lead of semi-final two. Italy followed the Germans very closely but Siebt, Schoemann-Finck and the Kuehner brothers looked better and better as the race progressed. At the line Germany had won by a handy margin. Germany, Poland and Italy earn spots in the final.

Between the two semi-finals, qualifying times of the six boats is separated by just four seconds. This will be a tight final and very difficult to pick a winner at this stage.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x) – semi-finals

Coming out of the starting blocks in semi-final one, less than a second separated the top five boats. Then three boats – Portugal, Denmark and Estonia – dropped off the pace leaving top current crew and under-23 champions, Croatia to take the lead. But Germany and Russia were not letting Croatia get away. A small one second gap is all that stood in the way of one of these crews finishing first.

The second half of the race then began to take its toll on Russia, leaving it up to Germany to go after Croatia. Germany (Gruhne, Grohmann, Schoof and Rocher) tried their best but the Croatians held them off. At the line Croatia, Germany and Russia are the qualifying crews with Croatia earning the fastest qualifying time.

It looks like the reigning World Champions Poland have got their pace back that they lost earlier in the season. Racing in semi-final two, Poland led at the start over Italy. The middle of the race saw Poland and Italy go through in practically identical times with reigning European Champions, Ukraine sitting in third.

Poland then managed to pull away from Italy’s dream team (Raineri, Stefanini, Venier and Sartori). The Italians fought back, taking their rating to 41 in the final sprint, but Poland held them off. Poland, Italy and Ukraine go on to tomorrow’s final.