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 By Melissa Bray
Chinese rowing is getting used to being in the limelight and last weekend at the Head of the Charles in Boston, USA, they stole the 8,000-rower strong show.
Peking University, China, lined up in the 41st race of the weekend against 60 other collegiate men’s eights and starting in the middle of the pack of this single-file three-mile race, the crew picked off crews one by one. But a bump to the bow of the boat soon turned to disaster when 600 metres before the finish, and at the last of seven bridges on the Charles River course, the boat sunk completely.
Peking University had borrowed local university coxswain and Mandarin Chinese speaker Amy Sun after their own coxswain could not get into the United States due to visa issues. Sun said after the race that her main disappointment was the crew was doing so well and may have even been in a medal position.
The day’s racing included oldest competitor, 80-year-old Frederick Osborne (USA) who finished 19th in the men’s 70+ single and some of the best from the international scene.
Canada’s internationals dominated the lightweight events winning the lightweight women’s eight by a handy 41 seconds over Princeton University. The Canadians also took out the lightweight men’s eight dedicating their race to coach Bent Jensen who undergoes surgery in Denmark this week.
The United States national team pulled off a double-header by winning both the men’s and women’s championship eight. Last year, in the absence of the US crew, the Princeton university crew won the men’s eight with Great Britain’s Cambridge University in second. But this year Princeton could only manage 10th just behind Cambridge in ninth.
The winning women’s eight included all but two of the crew that won this year’s World Rowing Championships. The United States finished a comfortable 18 seconds ahead of Canada’s national team crew that finished fifth at this year’s World Rowing Championships.
Finishing first in the lightweight women’s single, Renee Hykel of the United States stayed ahead of Daniela Nachazelova of the Czech Republic. Hykel is best known for her silver medal performance in the double at the 2005 World Rowing Championships.
Crowds of over 200,000 people enjoyed the calm and sunny Sunday of racing with the banks of the Charles River crowded with vendors, spectators and live music.
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