Italy advance 12 boats at 2015 Universiade

A maximum of 12 crews in each event advanced from the heats and repechages into the semifinals, where the top three of each will advance to the A-final for a shot at a podium placement.

Italy proved to be both the largest and the most efficient team in terms of events entered, advancing all of their 12 crews through to the semifinals. Other teams with early success following the first day included the Netherlands with nine of nine crews advancing to the semifinals and Germany with eight of eight crews advancing.

Poland and Ukraine both entered seven events and all of these advanced into the semifinals. Lithuania stands at five for five after all of their crews advanced directly from the heats. All four of New Zealand and Hungary’s crews advanced and Austria, Japan and Estonia each advanced in the three events they had entered.

Of the nine nations that entered only one event, athletes from five (Belarus, Monaco, Portugal, Switzerland, and Slovakia) made it through into the semifinals.

The largest boat class by number of entries came in the women’s single sculls with 17 scullers. (The men’s single sculls matched this number after a late entry.) The number for the women’s single shows an increase from the 12 competitors in this boat class at the 2014 World University Rowing Championships. Lithuania’s Lina Saltyte posted the fastest time in women’s single, winning her heat in 7:48 ahead of Aleksanra Smirnova of Russia, who advanced to the semifinals with a time of 8:01.

The other two heats went to Ukrainian Olympian Nataliia Dovgodko, who won her heat in 7:57 with Krisztina Gymes of Hungary crossing the line soon after in 7:59. And Marloes Oldenburg of the Netherlands took first in her heat, finishing in 7:57, followed closely by Joanna Dittmann of Poland. Joining these six in the semifinals will be Mahsa Javar (Iran), Madara Stautmane (Latvia), Adelle Stead (New Zealand), Yeji Kim (South Korea), Kate Christowitz (South Africa) and Eleonora Denich (Italy), who advanced through the repechage round.

Racing continues until 7 July 2015 and medals will be awarded on both the second and third days of racing.

The Summer Universiade is held every two years in different parts of the world. Organised by FISU, the International Federation for University Sports, it includes compulsory sports and up to three optional sports chosen by the host country. The event regularly attracts over 9,000 student-athletes and officials. It is open to all student athletes between the ages of 17-28 that have not been out of university, or its equivalent, for more than one year. 

For full results: http://www.gwangju2015.com/