Close B Final racing at the Paralympic Rowing Regatta

B Finals opened up the day of racing. B Finals are an opportunity for rowers to race for places 7 – 12 in the world.

Arms Only Women’s Single Sculls (AW1x)

Korea and Israel got off to a fast start with Jong-Rye Lee of Korea having the edge. Lee qualified for the Paralympic Games earlier this year in Munich where she won her qualification race. But Lee was unable to hold on to the lead. Coming into the 250m mark a huge push by Israel’s Pascale Bercovitch took her into the lead. Then Agnese Moro of Italy attacked. Moro is a very experienced adaptive rower. She won bronze back in 2004 at the World Rowing Championships, but since then Moro has hovered on the edge of the A Final.

Today this was 52-year-old Moro’s race. Taking over the lead at the half-way point, Moro held on. In second Bercovitch looked to be finding the pace a bit tough. Coming into the final sprint, however, Bercovitch got a second wind and went after Moro. Moro just held on to cross the finish line in the lead.

Last year’s bronze medallist, Martyna Snopek of Poland did not start due to injury.

Results: ITA, ISR, KOR, HKG, POR

Arms Only Men’s Single Sculls (AM1x)

France’s Patrick Laureau came to these Paralympic Games with the aim of being in the Final. He was disappointed not to make it. Instead he gave the B Final his best shot. Laureau finished fourth last year in his adaptive rowing international debut and he has mastered a long stroke and strong finish to the stroke.

By the first 250m mark Laureau had nearly a boat length lead over his nearest rival, former paratrooper, Steve Daniel of Canada. By the half-way point Laureau had edged out to a full boat length lead with Brazil now pulling into second. Then Simone Miramonti of Italy began to move. Miramonti has already competed at the Paralympics as a swimmer and the power of his years of training was beginning to show. Miramonti moved past Canada then Brazil and closed on Laureau.

Miramonti had left his surge just a fraction too late. Laureau crosses the line in the lead.

Results: FRA, ITA, BRA, HUN, CAN, ESP

Trunk & Arms Mixed Double Sculls (TAMix2x)

They are undoubtedly the most experienced crew in this event and it would be hard to rival the number of kilometres that they have rowed. Scott Brown and Angela Madsen of the United States have been competing ever since adaptive rowing became a World Championship event in 2002 and have three World Championship golds. Last year Madsen, with a French rowing partner, successfully completed the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race.

Brown and Madsen, racing in the B Final, show how far the sport of adaptive rowing has come in just a few years. The United States jumped out to an early lead and already had a full boat length over the rest of the field that remained tightly clumped together.

Going through the middle of the race Brown and Madsen were still rating 39 strokes per minute and had moved further away from Ukraine in second. A problem in the Israeli boat then saw them slip from third to fifth, but then pick up the pace towards the end. Brown and Madsen continued to move away from the rest of the field and they crossed the line with an open water lead.

Results: USA, UKR, GER, ISR, CAN, JPN

Legs, Trunk & Arms Mixed Coxed Four (LTAMix4+)

In yesterday’s repechage Russia got off to a flying start but could not maintain it until the finish. Today the Russians took the start slightly more conservatively, coming out in second behind Brazil with South Africa hot on their heels.

By the 500m mark Brazil remained in the lead coxed by the experienced Silva Nilton Alonco, who was a coxswain at the 1984 Olympic Games. But margins were close. Russia was still nipping at Brazil’s heels and South Africa was right on Russia’s pace. These three crews sprinted to the line while a large group of Dutch supporters chanted for the Netherlands crew in fourth.

At the line Brazil had just held off their rivals with South Africa getting the better of Russia.

Results: BRA, RSA, RUS, NED, DEN, ISR