Australia strong in Sydney World Cup heats

Today saw World Champions being showed up with the Dutch men's four finishing second to a storming Australian crew. Australia did it again in the women's double sculls when they beat World Champions Lithuania to the line.

Men's Pair (M2-) – Race for Lanes

Women’s Pair (W2-) – Heats
New Zealand took bronze in the women's pair at last year's World Championships. Rebecca Scown was in the boat. For Sydney, Scown has a new partner, former Olympic quad sculler Louise Trappitt, and they raced in Heat One. The duo, continuing on from an impressive result in their country's recent time trials, dominated the field. Scown and Trappitt will go to Sunday's final in a centre lane and the potential favourites.

In Heat Two Christine Roper and Ashley Brzozowicz of Canada led the way to have an easy win. Both Roper and Brzozowicz come from Canada's top ranking women's eight and if they stay in the pair for this season they will be a crew to watch. The Canadians now join New Zealand in the final. All other crews will return to race the repechage on Saturday.

Qualifiers: NZL, CAN

Lightweight Men's Single Sculls (LM1x) – Heats
In Heat One Tiexin Wang took off like a rocket and never looked back. Wang has quite a rowing pedigree behind him having rowed internationally in many boat classes, including the open men's double sculls and the lightweight men's double sculls as well as the lightweight men's four at the London 2012 Olympic Games. At the end Wang had recorded the fastest qualifying time and also formed a huge margin over the rest of the field who will now need to race in Saturday's repechage.

Richard Coakley of Australia made easy work of Heat Two. This looks good for the final for Coakley who is rowing for Australia for the first time. Coakley was part of the Irish lightweight four at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Qualifiers: CHN, AUS1

Lightweight Women's Single Sculls (LW1x) – Heats

With 12 boats entered this is one of the more popular boat classes for Sydney. The winner only from each of the two heats qualified directly to the finals and in Heat One it was Wenyi Huang that earned the spot. Huang is the London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist from the lightweight women's double sculls and one of China's top scullers at present. All other crews have to return for Saturday's repechage.

Despite Huang's Olympic medal skill, it was fellow-team mate, Dandan Pan (CHN3) who recorded the fastest qualifying time. Pan won Heat Two in a time of 7:57. Pan last rowed internationally in the open women's double sculls and she will now face Huang in the final on Sunday. This final is likely to be a crowd favourite when these two scullers go head to head.

Qualifiers: CHN1, CHN3

Men’s Four (M4-) – Race for Lanes
This race did not bring medals, but it brought a lot more for the crews on the water. For Australia, it was not only about taking on the World Champions, the Netherlands, but also about proving to Australian selectors that they had got it right (or wrong) when picking the crews.

The Netherlands has had to change one member of their World Champion crew, with Vincent van der Want stepping into the boat. At the start Australia1 got into the lead and remained there for the entire race. A slow start by the Dutch saw them playing catch-up, but they ran out of water with Australi

a1 crossing the line in first. These crews will race for the medals on Sunday.
Results: AUS1, NED, AUS4, NZL, AUS2, AUS3
 

Heat Two recorded a slower winning time than Heat One with Julia Lier and Mareike Adams of Germany2 having a relatively easy time of it against a hard-working Canadian boat.

Qualifiers: AUS1, GER2

Lightweight Women's Double Sculls (LW2x) – Race for Lanes
Despite winning on this very same course a year ago, Julia Edward and Lucy Strack of New Zealand could not pull it off in today's race for lanes. Instead it was Ella Flecker and Georgia Nesbitt of Australia1 who showed the way. Times, however, were close and it will definitely be a great final on Sunday.
Results: AUS1, NZL, AUS2, CZE

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Heats

The two heats in the men's single sculls saw Australia's Nicholas Purnell not only win Heat Two but also record the fastest qualifying time. Purnell moved into the single last year after spending the majority of his rowing career in team boats. His first place finish was over World Championship finallist, Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania. Griskonis, in second, will have to return for Saturday's repechage.

In Heat One three Dutch crews took on Olympian Liang Zhang of China. Dirk Uittenbogaard of the Netherlands1 had the best race and will go directly to the final on Sunday.

Qualifiers: NED1, AUS1

Women's Single Sculls (W1x) – Heats
This much anticipated boat class opened with two of the 2013 World Championship medallists facing each other. Heat One had Emma Twigg (NZL) and Mirka Knapkova (CZE) meeting for the first time this season. Twigg showed the form that indicated she is well primed following her national team trials. Taking off quickly at the start Twigg had open water over the rest of the field through the middle of the race. Knapkova, who sat in third for the first half of the race, then opened up a sprint at the end. Twigg, however, remained in the lead to qualify for Sunday's final.

But the real highlight for this mainly Australian crowd was Kim Crow lining up in Heat Two. The reigning World Champion and London double Olympic medallist raced a crowd-pleasing race by leading from start to finish and recording the fastest qualifying time. The cheer for Crow at the finish is only an indication of what will be heard when she races in the final on Sunday.
All other crews will get a second chance to make it to the final in Saturday's repechage.

Qualifiers: NZL, AUS

Lightweight Men's Double Sculls (LM2x) – Heats
Last season Eleftherios Konsolas and Spyridon Giannaros of Greece showed that they were stepping up in the world of elite rowing. They finished the season off by winning the lightweight men's quadruple sculls at the World Championships after racing some of the season in the double. Today Konsolas and Giannaros made easy work of Heat One to finish first and qualify with the fastest time. In second, CHN1 also made it directly to the final.

Heat Two saw a second crew qualify for the final. China2 of Hui Li and Deming Kong had to battle against Hong Kong and Australia1 before crossing the line in first. But the Chinese margin was tiny with Australia just 0.06 of a second back. These two crews go directly to the final.

Qualifiers: GRE, CHN1, CHN2, AUS1

Men's Quadruple Sculls (M4x) – Race for Lanes
China's young crew overtook a fast starting Australia2 to get in front. Australia2 did not seem too concerned amongst these three boats (Australia1 withdrew).  In the final 250m China picked up their rating with Australia2 reacting back.
In the last 50m Australia chose to let the Chinese go. China will now face Australia1 in the final along with the rest of the field.

Results: CHN, AUS2, RUS

Women's Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Race for Lanes

Australia won this event last year at the Sydney World Rowing Cup and two of the crew have remained in the boat. But this year Australia was up against World Champions, Germany (with two changes to the crew).
Germany had the lead at the start by little more than a bow ball and the two boats remained locked together through the middle of the race, with Poland close behind and very much on the pace. These three boats were still stroke-for-stroke  coming into the final sprint. Australia and Germany then pushed away from Poland and in the charge for the line there was nothing in it.
At the end Australia earned bragging rights by finishing just 0.16 of a second ahead of Germany.

Results: AUS, GER, POL, VIE

Men's Eight (M8+) – Race for Lanes

Australia is focussing on the eight and they have put together a top boat. Just to prove their worth, the Australian number one boat took off in the lead. But there was very little in it at the start. Australia1 then managed to get a very slight lead over the Netherlands with New Zealand holding onto the pace.
The Dutch showed their sprint and challenged for first. Australia1 tried to attack back, but the Netherlands had the lead.

Results: NED, AUS1, NZL, AUS2, CHN