Instead, opening today’s racing, the crews battling for seventh to twelfth place overall raced before an appreciative crowd on calm waters and under sunny skies on Amsterdam’s Bosbaan rowing course.

Junior Women’s Four (JW4-)

The United States – Canada showdown didn’t eventuate when Canada had steering problems that took them into the US lane and so badly crooked that they had to stop. The unfased Americans took an easy lead and earn a seventh place ranking overall. Canada undertook a dynamic comeback but never regained their rhythm. Romania pulls through to second.

Junior Men’s Coxed Four (JM4+)

The United States earn another seventh overall position by going head to head with Ireland for a full 1500 metres before wearing the Irish out and finishing with an open water lead. Ireland held on to second, but only just over Great Britain in third.

Junior Women’s Single Sculls (JW1x)

Donata Vistartaite of Lithuania made easy work to earn first in her B Final and a seventh place overall. This is Vistartaite’s first ever appearance at the international level and she had such a comfortable lead that she had no need to sprint. Instead Visartaite left the sprinting to France who overtook Great Britain near the end to take second.

Junior Men’s Single Sculls (JM1x)

In the world of single sculling Russia’s Ivanov is a three-time Olympic gold medallist legend. Three years ago Russia won at the junior level. Today Dmitry Khmlynin competed in the B Final at his first international event. The distinctive black and blue row suit of Russia led from start to finish easily ahead of a close tussle going on behind him between Sweden, Denmark and France. Khmlynin held on to first and a very happy Sigmund Verstraete of France got the better of the tussle to take second.

Junior Women’s Pair (JW2-)

The United States (Michaela Strand and Caroline Nash) may have thought they had the event wrapped up after managing to shake off all of their challengers, but Strand and Nash were unprepared for the sprint of Kinga Mikolajczyk and Marta Liniewska of Poland. Moving up from the back of the field Poland, rating 40, took the lead in the last stroke over the US. Coming in third South Africa finished eleventh at last year’s junior champs and increase their ranking this year to ninth overall.

Junior Men’s Pair (JM2-)

Definitely the excitement of an A Final as six well-matched crews tried to psyche each other out over the Bosbaan rowing course. France’s Jérémie Doucet and Vincent Cavard had an early slight advantage over Denmark with nothing between them and the rest of the field. Sprinting for the full 2000 metres France kept the pressure on and the rating high to finish in front with Denmark taking second and a photo finish between New Zealand, Italy and Croatia going Croatia’s way.

Junior Women’s Double Sculls (JW2x)

Greece had the early lead with Italy and Switzerland in hot pursuit. As Italy ran out of puff, Tamara Urech and Katja Hauser of Switzerland held on to Greece and pulling out the more impressive sprint, Switzerland take first and seventh overall at these championships. In the excitement of the final sprint an unlucky United States, sitting in fourth, caught a crab sending them to the back of the field.

Junior Men’s Double Sculls (JM2x)

The race opened with Hungary in the lead, but their margin over France’s Jeremie Azou and Benjamin Chabanet was small and by the half-way point France had pushed into the lead. Hungary held on, poured on an impressive final 200 metre sprint (rating 39), but Azou and Chabanet held them off to take first and seventh overall.

Junior Men’s Four (JM4-)

The Dutch supporters got a chance to show their enthusiasm dressed appropriately in the colours of the royal House of Orange, they watched the men’s four come down their home course in the lead. But Belgium was not going to let the Dutch have it all their own way. Moving into an overlapping position, Belgium tried to hold on. The Netherlands moved away and end with an easy win over Belgium.

Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls (JW4x)

One of the slowest qualifiers for this event, Russia showed that their semifinal race was not their best by leading for the entire race. This left Ukraine to do the chasing from second. But the comeback of the day award goes to Slovenia who sat way back in the field only to come alive in the second 1000 in an aim to chase down the leaders. They didn’t quite pull it off but earn third for their attempt.

Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls (JM4x)

It must be hard when your main competition is four lanes over and hard to see. In lane two Portugal had the lead, but creeping along in lane six was Greece. The creeping earned them the lead over Portugal. The Portuguese fought back using a higher stroke rate. The Greeks continued to hold on and taking the race to a photo finish, Portugal claim first by a mere one hundredth of a second.

Junior Men’s Eight (JM8+)

The Netherlands must have heard the shouts from the finish line grandstand. Sitting in second they worked to chase down the leading Croatians. The Dutch nearly pulled it off. Nearly. Croatia takes first and seventh overall with the Netherlands in second and Poland in third.