World Rowing Under 23 Championships open with a bang

As the rain came in fits and starts, all were warmly welcomed to the Bosbaan Regatta Course. One athlete from each country carried an oar, and paraded in front of the crowds to symbolise their participation in the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Following this, three parachutists fell through the skies to land in the Bosbaan lake, carrying a FISA flag, the national flag of The Netherlands, and the flag of the Dutch National Rowing Federation. 

Council Member for sport in the city of Amsterdam, Eric Van der Burg, summarised the good feeling already apparent at the Championships.

"Sport is important to the city of Amsterdam, it is something we will invest in".

He emphasised the welcome to the competing athletes:"I'm glad we can offer you our hospitality. This shows our international focus and our Olympic ambition. We aim to host the 2028 Olympic Games here in Amsterdam, exactly 100 years since it was last here. You are key figures in the next four days. This is your Championships."

And we are certainly in for an exciting four days of racing. There are an impressive number of athletes who have enjoyed success at senior level competing here on the Bosbaan. A key boat to watch must be the Great British men's lightweight pair, Keiren Emery and Peter Chambers, silver medallists in Munich at the first Samsung World Rowing Cup, whilst Peter Chambers recently enjoyed victory in Lucerne in the senior lightweight men's four. In the women's pair, the reigning champions United States of America looked in supreme form and dominated their heat this afternoon, as Grace Luczak looks to add a fifth medal to her collection, which includes a bronze from the World Rowing Championships last year in the women's four. They may be challenged by The Netherlands, who will join experienced sweep rower Femke Dekker in the women's four for the World Rowing Championships in Bled after these Championships. 

Similarly, the Great British lighweight men's four, defending World Under 23 Champions and seventh placed in Munich in an intensely competitive field, will be the ones to watch for gold. Defending champions Greece must be favourites for the lightweight women's double sculls, but we should witness more open racing in events such as the men's coxless four, the lightweight men's double sculls and the men's quadruple sculls. Silver medallist in Karapiro, Greece's Stergios Papa Christos, is a very strong contender in the men's single, whilst Carina Baer of Germany, who has won multiple medals on a senior stage, will be firm favourite for the women's single scull.

As the opening ceremony came to a close, the skies remain relatively clear over the Bosbaan, with highs of around 20 celcius, but cooler and more blustery, unsettled weather is expected come the weekend for the two days of finals.

As Matt Smith declared the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships open, jump-rope dance group "Double D Force" performed to the crowd's delight. Despite the risk of thunderstorms delaying the weather-sensitive main act, the parachutists, until the end of the evening, the opening ceremony was enjoyed by all and demonstrated the impressive amount of work that has gone into organising the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.  

Now, all eyes turn to the racing as heats start again in earnest tomorrow morning at 09.30 CET. 

As Joost de Geus, President of the Organising Committee, aptly stated in his opening speech: "It's rowing that counts on the Bosbaan."

Follow all live results from the racing in Amsterdam here.

Take a look at all our photos here

For all Under 23 information, please click here