High rating B finals at Lucerne Rowing World Cup

Portugal demonstrated a lesson in full-on sprinting when they raced in the B-final of the lightweight men’s double on the final day of the third Rowing World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. With temperatures in the much more comfortable low 20s Celsius, sun shining and no wind, racing got under way on Lucerne’s famous Rotsee Lake.

Women’s Pair (W2-) – Final B

Racing for position seven to 11 at this regatta, China did their best to redeem the fact that they did not make the A-final. Twins Meng and Tong Li were third at last month’s second Rowing World Cup and today they raced with heart overtaking Croatia to finish seventh overall. Their pace meant that at the finish line the Chinese had a full seven seconds lead, about four lengths, over Croatia in second. It is yet to be seen if the Li’s will hold their spot in this event when the World Rowing Championships come around later in the year.

Results: CHN1, CRO, FRA, CHN2, RSA

Men’s Pair (M2-) – Final B

The standard has definitely stepped up at this final Rowing World Cup. Last month, at the second Rowing World Cup, Serbia’s Marko Marjanovic and Nikola Stojic finished third. Today they raced in the B-final and after an initial opening fast action by the United States, Marjanovic and Stojic took over in the lead. With the Netherlands pulling in behind them, Serbia remained in the lead. Coming into the final sprint the Dutch, Nanne Sluis and Rogier Blink, gave it their utmost. Rating 41 the Dutch closed on Serbia with Great Britain Two charging down the outside. Serbia held on to take first.

Results: SRB1, NED, GBR2, USA, GER2, RSA

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x) – Final B

Italy was the classy crew in this race with Laura Schiavone and Elisabetta Sancassani leading the way. Schiavone and Sancassani have been competing together since 2006 but have rarely made it into the medals. Today they held off a fast Chinese crew who challenged them the whole way. Yan Jiang and Min Zhang of China did a huge late charge, rating 39, over Italy’s 36. But the Chinese ran out of water and remained in second at the line.

Results: ITA, CHN, BLR, CAN, DEN2, FRA

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) – Final B

Greece led the way at the start of this B-final and still had the edge coming through the middle of the race. But then Norway did a huge piece that got them an inch ahead of the Greeks. Coming into the final sprint Portugal and the United States joined in a huge battle. Then Portugal – Pedro Fraga and Nuno Mendes – let loose their signature sprint. Rating 42 strokes per minute, Fraga and Mendes took the lead. Fraga and Mendes have every intention of racing at the 2012 Olympics and each race sets them a step closer to their goal.

Results: POR, USA, NOR, GRE, AUT, CHN2

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x) – Final B

When Katya Herman and Tracy Cameron of Canada missed out on making Final A after yesterday’s semifinal, they were very disappointed. Cameron is a medallist from the Beijing Olympics in this event and the duo have high expectations. Today Herman and Cameron made the best of the B-final and led from start to finish. Behind them Rianne Sigmond and Maaike Head of the Netherlands followed in second being under little threat from the rest of the field. A closing sprint by China forced the Dutch to push hard towards the line and in the process they closed the gap on Canada. The Canadians did just enough to remain in front.

Results: CAN, NED, CHN, ESP, JPN, SUI1

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) – Final B

The new Italian double of Luca Agamennoni and Paolo Perino jumped into a small lead over Norway and the United States. By the half way point Agamennoni and Perino remained in the lead with Norway and the United States sticking right with them. Coming into the third 500 Nils Jakob Hoff and Kjetil of Norway did a solid piece to draw level with the Italians. Glenn Ochal and Warren Anderson of the United States moved with them. In the final sprint Norway took their rating to 39. But the Americans were too good. Ochal and Anderson cross the line in first. Hoff and Borch looked very disappointed.

Results: USA1, NOR, ITA2, CUB, POL, SLO

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-) – Final B

This event often sees close finishes and this race was no exception ending in a photo finish between Germany and Australia. The majority of boats in this race contained very accomplished lightweight rowers, some of them medallists from other events like the lightweight double. Today the Czech’s had the fastest opener out of the starters hands, but they were soon mowed down by Australia. The Australian crew of Edwards, Skipworth, Tunevitsch and Beltz contain two athletes from the Beijing Olympics and once they were in front they did just enough to stay there. The Czechs continued to challenge hard with Germany now looking to overhaul the Czechs. Coming into the line Australia was at 39 with Germany on 38 and the Czech Republic at a whopping 43. Boats sat past the finish line waiting for the results.

Results: AUS1, GER, CZE, FRA, JPN, AUS2

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) – Final B

This event often only attracts enough boats to make up an A-final, but the record-breaking number of entries here at Lucerne saw the quads racing a Final B. Raced between China Two, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belarus it was clear who the finishing line crowd was backing. With cow bells banging away Switzerland took to the lead. Regina Naunheim, Nora Feichter, Katja Hauser and Martina Ernst of Switzerland medalled at the first Rowing World Cup this season and they continue to work together this season. Behind Switzerland the Netherlands tried to hold on, but didn’t quite have the same pace. Coming into the line Switzerland managed a comfortable 34 over the Dutch rating 38. Belarus did a last ditch push to get past China, but didn’t succeed.

Results: SUI, NED, CHN2, BLR

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x) – Final B

It has been a long time since Poland has raced in a B-final. World and Olympic Champions, Poland have not been having a good season. This morning they raced in the delayed semi-final and did not make it through so today they found themselves in the B-final. But the Poles made the best of it leading from start to finish over the United States. With stroke man, Adam Korol out of the boat due to surgery, 24 year old Piotr Licznerski came in to take his place. Also surprisingly in this Final B was the Italian crew that contained two Olympic Champions (in the quad) from Sydney 2000. Italy finished in fourth behind the fast finishing Belarus. Is this the end of the line for Poland? The talk in the Polish press is that this Polish line up that has remained unchanged since 2005, will be open to new members coming in.

Results: POL, USA, BLR, ITA, NZL, CHN

Women’s Eight (W8+) – Final B

As commentator Paul Castle described at the Rotsee course, this race presented 24 big, powerful women and three very small women. The powerful Russian’s, stroked by Natalia Melnikova took over at the start and moved away from Belarus in second. Russia maintained their pace and moved to nearly an open water lead. Belarus had no answer and Russia cruised through into first rating a solid 36 strokes per minute. Poland’s coxswain, Paulina Gorska could be heard trying to motivate her crew to take second, but they had left their sprint a little too late.

Results: RUS, BLR, POL

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x) – Final B

This race had a good cross-section of new names to the world of the women’s single and the race itself saw the lead change several times between these scullers. Poland’s Agata Gramatyka had the fastest start but then totally slipped back through the middle of the race. This gave Canada’s newcomer, Isolda Penney, a chance to move into the lead with her solid middle 1000m. Then Genevra Stone, who had started off relatively slowly, came into her own and charged towards the finish line.

Results: USA, CAN, POL, BEL, GER1, NZL2

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x) – Final B

Cuba may not have a huge rowing population or a huge budget, but they continue to plug away and today Angel Fournier Rodriguez of Cuba, put in a great effort to win the B-final over a very solid and impressive field. Reigning European Champion, Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania, could only manage fifth, while fourth place at Beijing, Tim Maeyens was at the back of the field. Fournier had to overtake Falko Nolte of Germany to earn the lead, which he held until the finish.

Results: CUB, NED, SUI1, GER2, LTU, BEL1

Men’s Eight (M8+) – Final B

China medalled at the Rowing World Cup last month, but with the ever-increasing standard, at this regatta they had to settle for the B-final. The Chinese, however, made the most of it leading from start to finish and clocking a very solid 5:39. Italy held on at the start but then could not match the flying Chinese. Then the Netherlands, stroked by the very experienced Diederik Simon, tried to close the gap on the Chinese. They were not successful. China crossed the line a full four second ahead of the Dutch in second.

Results: CHN, NED, EST, ITA, TUR