First medals collected Belgrade World Rowing Cup

Three finals took place including the lightweight men’s and women’s single and the lightweight men’s pair. Under the hot afternoon sun with barely a breath of wind and flat Sava Lake conditions, three gold medals were handed out.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x) – Final
Michaela Taupe-Traer, 36, of Austria has been racing internationally for more than two decades and she shows no signs of slowing down. Today Taupe-Traer got the 2012 season going by winning the first gold medal of this regatta. Leading from the start Taupe-Traer was pushed hard by Kathryn Twyman of Great Britain.

Twyman, 25, is in the early years of her rowing career. She began in 2005 and last year became a World Champion when she raced in the lightweight quad. Switzerland’s Pamela Weisshaupt challenged Twyman’s position and this pushed the pace throughout the race.
As the rowers passed the 1500m mark a shift in gears brought Taupe-Traer and Twyman up to sprint pace hitting a stroke rate in the high 30s while Weisshaupt kept her stroke long but her stroke rate remained around 29. Coming into the final metres Taupe-Traer showed her gold medal intentions by hitting 39 strokes per minute to hold off Twyman. Taupe-Traer earns the first gold medal of this regatta.

Results: AUT, GBR, SUI, SWE1, IRL, CRO

Michaela Taupe-Traer (AUT) – Gold
“It feels really good and so much fun racing alone. I love the sport, I love the training on the water and still I am motivated to race. I love it very much.”

Kathyrn Twyman (GBR) – Silver
“It was really exciting being in the single, but it was also a little nerve wracking as I capsized in the single scull while on training camp. It was a bit bouncy out there because of wash but luckily I’m used to it and I got back into my rhythm.”

Pamela Weisshaupt (SUI) – Bronze
“It was an okay race. It was only the start for me for this season.”

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x) – Final
Coming through from this morning’s semifinals, Italy’s Pietro Ruta looked like the one to beat. As the silver medallists from 2011, Ruta is the highest ranked in this event. But it was the fast starting Peter Galambos of Hungary who jumped out at the start. Galambos moves back into the single after trying to qualify for the London Olympics last year in the lightweight double.

The initial fast pace seemed to wear on Galambos and going through the middle of the race both Ruta and World Best Time holder Jeremie Azou of France had overtaken Galambos. The Hungarian, however, held on and all three countries still had a shot at gold coming into the final sprint. Ruta, it seemed, had paced his race the best and was able to get enough in front that Galambos and Azou had to chase him. Rating 33 to Hungary’s 38 stroke rate Ruta remained in the lead and will take back to Italy a Samsung World Rowing Cup gold medal.

Results: ITA, HUN, FRA1, FRA2, GBR, NOR3

Pietro Ruta (ITA) – Gold
“This race was very important because it was against strong crews. The first 500 meters were good and I decided to attack when I saw an opportunity to get an advantage. I dedicate this win to my Pepporuta fan club.”

Peter Galambos (HUN) – Silver
“The first part was fantastic but then Italy came up on me the middle. I tried to get back into lead position in the last 400m but couldn’t.”

Jeremie Azou (FRA) – Bronze
“The race was good but not enough to win. However, Italy and Hungary were better today. I am satisfied with the result and I am very happy because it means a lot that two Frenchmen got the medals.”

Final B
Spyridon Giannaros of Greece is about to turn 20 and is at the very beginning of his rowing career, with 2011 being his first season on the international scene. Giannaros has to be happy with his B-final win which places him seventh overall at this regatta ahead of Richard Vanco of Slovakia and Abdelmohsen Massoud of Egypt.

Results: GRE, SVK, EGY, CZE, AUT, ITA2

Lightweight Men’s Pair (LM2-) – Final
Last year Great Britain earned World Champion status in this event. Here in Belgrade a completely new line-up upheld their country’s standing by finishing first. Paul Mattick comes out of the 2011 lightweight four and crewmate, Adam Freeman-Pask raced in the lightweight single as the 2011 World Rowing Championships.

Mattick and Freeman-Pask took the lead right from the start holding, off a feisty 2000m challenge from Jiri Kopac and Miroslav Vrastil of the Czech Republic who kept their boat overlapping with the British boat. Mattick and Freeman-Pask left nothing to chance and closed the race with a 38 stroke rate sprint. The Czechs had to settle for second with France’s former World Champions, Fabien Tilliet and Jean-Christophe Bette back a bit in third.

Results: GBR, CZE, FRA, NED2, CHN, HKG

Paul Mattick (GBR) – Gold
“It was a good race. I pretty much enjoyed it. It was quite simple.”

Miroslav Vrastil Jr (CZE) – Silver
“I’m a little disappointed. Great Britain were a little too fast for us today. We are part of the lightweight men’s four so this was part of our training for Lucerne.”

Jean-Christophe Bette (FRA) – Bronze
“We are a little disappointed because we wanted to win of course, but we haven’t raced against the British yet so we’re didn’t know our level. Selection is ongoing for our lightweight four so we will see what happens.”

Final B
Three boats raced on the Sava Lake course for spots seven to nine in this Final B. Denmark’s Jens Vilhelmsen and Christian Pedersen had to push past early leaders, Austria to get in front where they remained for the rest of the race. It is likely that Vilhelmsen and Pedersen will be the spare rowers if needed for their country’s flagship boat, the lightweight men’s four.

Results: DEN, AUT, POR