2016 FISA Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, Korea.
2016 FISA Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, Korea.

This is the first time that there has been an Olympic qualification regatta combining two separate continents.   It recognises the recent rise of rowing in the South Pacific (Oceania) outside of Australia and New Zealand.   Oceania is represented by Kesaia Ucuna (Fiji) in the W1x as well as Daniel Marquardt (Samoa) and Luigi Teilemb (Vanuatu) competing in the M1x.   Australia and NZ are required to qualify through Europe. 

The Tangeum Lake international rowing venue played host to the 2013 World Rowing Championships and the refurbishments for the championships has made the venue one of the most liked in the region.

Olympic qualification is in the men’s and women’s single sculls and the lightweight men’s and women’s double sculls. The men’s single has attracted the most entries with 20 nations taking part. Racing began with heats on 22 April and rowers will progress through repechages, semifinals and then finals on25 April.

Racing in the heats today, athletes had ideal conditions with a faint tail wind. For the men’s and women’s single there are seven Olympic qualifying places each to be won and a first or second place was required to progress directly through to the semifinals on Sunday.

Men’s single sculls (M1x)
 Heat 1
  Kim of Korea led all the way to win in a smart time of 6:46.49 just edging out Yakoviev of Kazakhstan (6:48.04) who had a real battle to the line with Kholmurzaev of Uzbekhistan (6:48.82).   Qualifiers: KOR, KAZ

Heat 2   Al-Khafaji of Iraq overcame a slow start to take the lead at the halfway mark and hold it to win in 7:02.19 ahead of Nguyen Van of Vietnam (7:06.82) and Rozali of Malaysia (7:10.45). Marquardt of Samoa clawed his way back from a slow start to be gaining on the leaders recording a personal best time of 7:11.30.
Qualifiers: IRQ, VIE  

Heat 3 Another nail biter for the coaches with Memo of Indonesia leading Bhokanal of India by just half a second throughout the entire race and finishing in the fastest time of the day in 6:46.26 with Bhokanal following in the second fastest time – 6:46.35.
Qualifiers: INA, IND  

Heat 4   Law of Hong Kong led all the way with Saensuk  of Thailand closing in the 3rd quarter to take out second by 1.32 and comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
Qualifiers: HKG, THA

Women’s single sculls (W1x)
 Heat 1  Huang of Chinese Taipei took charge of the race at the 1000m and won comfortably from Abujbara of Qatar in the fastest time of the day 7:31.15.  
Qualifiers: TPE, QAT

Heat 2   Pham Thi of Vietnam lead from the start through to the 1500m mark but faded in the final quarter allowing the fast finishing Javar of Iran to take the race.  Javar was at least 5 seconds faster than all the other scullers in the race over the final 500m which is a testament to her fitness.   
Qualifiers: IRI, VIE  

Heat 3 Kim of Korea and Germanovich of Kazakhstan left the rest of the field behind with Kim prevailing in a time of 7:32.21 – a boat length ahead of Germanovich.
Qualifiers: KOR, KAZ

Lightweight men’s double sculls (LM2x)
The winner of the two heats progress directly to the A -final.   The crews from Japan, India and Indonesia appear at this early stage to be the likely candidates for the three qualification places.  Nakano and Omoto of Japan won the first heat by two lengths over China in 6:20.70. India just pipped Indonesia in heat two with Roopendra and Vikram stopping the clock at 6:22.75 ahead of the faster finishing Hadid and Ihram who recorded 6:22.86 but are consigned to the repechage.  Japan and India directly through to the A-final with the rest to the repechage

Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x)
The first two in each of the two heats progress directly to the A-final.    

Heat 1   The lead changed at least three times.   Vietnam led at the 500m, Hong Kong took over the lead by the 1000m but from that point Japan took charge and finished first in 7:05.95 with Hong Kong also qualifying for the A-final in 7:08.24.  Snapping at their heels were Vietnam finishing in 7:12.02 and Kazakhstan in 7:13.66.   Japan and Hong Kong to the A-final.

Heat 2   This was the race of the day with Korea and Iran maintaining control at all times.   Iran led until just before the finish line when the sprint from Korea put it ahead by just 0.17 seconds – half a bow ball.  Ji and Choi of Korea recorded 7:09.35, Malaei and Barzegar Tamrin of Iran 7:09.52 with Indonesia third in 7:15.46. Korea and Iran to the A-final.

A national federation can only qualify one male crew and one female crew at this regatta. If, say, it qualifies a men’s single and a lightweight men’s double sculls, it will have to elect which class of boat it wishes to take to Rio. This keeps hopes alive for those countries that finish just out of a qualification place.   

Copy thanks to Lee Spear