Colourful showing in lesser finals

Dressed in their country’s colours, many of these athletes had qualified for the Beijing Olympics through the continental qualification regattas.

WOMEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (W1X)

E Final

Egypt’s Heba Ahmed jumped out at the start and moved through the 500m mark with a full boat length lead. But Ahmed could not maintain it and lightweight rower Ka Man Lee of Hong Kong China was able to haul her in. Lee used the World Rowing Under 23 Championships as her warm up to these Olympic Games. She went to an open water lead over a slowing Ahmed, who held on to second.

Results: HKG, EGY, ZIM, IRI

D Final

Taking a flying start, Fabiana Beltrame of Brazil got her boat in front and took complete ownership of the race. With only 700m rowed, Beltrame had an open water lead leaving the rest of the field to row for second. Korea’s Yeongeun Shin took hold of the second spot and held off Myanmar’s Zin Latt Shwe. Despite her lead Beltrame continued to drive home, her stroke rate remaining above 31 strokes per minute. Beltrame finished 14th in this event at the 2004 Olympics. This Olympics she finished in 19th position overall.

Results: BRA, KOR, MYA, ESA

C Final

The camera boat following the race picked up the sounds of the splash of oars hitting the water at the catch. Hitting the water the strongest, Rika Geyser of South Africa placed herself in a dominating position. By the first 500m mark Geyser had nearly a full boat length lead. Cuba’s 40 year old Maira Gonzalez then started to advance and overtook Chile to take second. Geyser held off the Cuban. In the third 500 Spain’s Nuria Dominguez started to move. Overtaking Gonzalez, the Athens Olympics sixth place finisher, Dominguez went after Geyser, but Geyser was in control and held onto her winning position to secure her 13th position at this Olympics.

Results: RSA, ESP, CUB, ARG, CHI, KAZ

MEN’S SINGLE SCULLS (M1X)

E Final

Stamping his mark on this race at the start was Dhison Hernandez of Venezuela. Hernandez maintained a 35 stroke rate pace through most of the first half of the race before Mohsen Shadi Naghdeh of Iran forced his way through at the 1250m mark. Shadi shot to fame when he finished second at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships last month. He accomplished this result with just 10 months of rowing under his belt. Shadi held the lead through the middle of the race with Hernandez looking like he had little left to give. But in a final burst of power, Hernandez reeled in the fading Shadi in the final 100m of the race to cross the finish line first.

Results: VEN, IRI, UZB, COL, CMR, ALG

D Final

Bajranglal Takhar of India is getting a reputation for his fast starts and, not surprisingly, he was the first to show in this race for Olympic positions 19 to 24. Remaining at a 33 stroke rate, Takhar held the lead through the middle of the race. Could he maintain it until the end? Coming into the final sprint this race turned into the closest of the lesser finals. Uruguay’s Leandro Salvagno was flying. Rating in the low 40s, he had found a new gear. Takhar did not have the energy to react. Hong Kong’s Hiu Fung Law also joined in the sprint with Monaco holding on. Salvagno looked to be smiling coming into the line. His race had been perfectly timed. Finishing 19th overall gives Salvagno a one-better position than his 20th place at the 2004 Olympic Games. Monaco’s Mathias Raymond struggled to make the finish line in the last 50m.

Results: URU, HKG, IND, MON, TPE

C Final

Mexico’s Patrick Loliger is getting a reputation as a fighter. Making the best of this C Final, Loliger jumped out at the start. But, on either side of him, Sjoerd Hamburger of the Netherlands and Oscar Vasquez of Chile were giving him no space. It took 550m for Loliger to lose the lead and Hamburger to take over in front. Hamburger is the toast of Dutch sculling and was very disappointed not to make the A/B semifinal. By the 1300m mark, Hamburger had a full boat length lead, sitting at a comfortable 28 stroke rate pace. But coming into the final sprint, Anderson Nocetti of Brazil let loose. Hamburger upped his rating slightly and held off the Brazilian.

Results: NED, BRA, MEX, CHI, EST