Who to watch: Rowing World Cup III Lucerne

A final opportunity for the best in the world of rowing to test their boat speed before the World Rowing Championships, the third Rowing World Cup has attracted 41 nations to the famous Rotsee regatta course. Starting with heats on Friday 7 July, a top class field will compete in 23 events.

Women’s Single Scull (W1x)

Watch out Knapkova, Svensson means business. Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic has been sitting firmly in second behind reigning World Champion Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, denying all other scullers of a silver medal. But at the Dutch Holland Beker Regatta in June, Frida Svensson of Sweden gave Karsten a run for her money, finishing just two seconds down on the legend from Belarus. Was Karsten toying with the 24 year old Svensson? From all accounts, Svensson demonstrated a potential that caught Karsten off-guard.

Svensson also has the luck of Lucerne on her side. The only time Svensson has won a World Cup medal was last year at the Rotsee. Now, as an added benefit, in the absence of France’s Sophie Balmary and Peggy Waleska of Germany from this regatta, Svensson must have the confidence boost necessary to help her performance.

Also keep an eye out for world bronze medallist Michelle Guerette of the United States. Guerette appeared in Munich at the first Rowing World Cup finishing fifth before returning home for some heavy duty training.

Men’s Single Scull (M1x)

World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand stormed past Munich World Cup winner Alan Campbell of Great Britain at the second Rowing World Cup regatta last month. These two will meet again – Drysdale racing on the back of an easy win at the Henley Royal Regatta. But Drysdale may have a new challenge on his hands. At the Holland Beker Regatta Sweden’s Lassi Karonen rowed a superb race to win over Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte of Norway.

Karonen and Tufte are regular training partners and the mutual help may be edging both of these athletes closer towards leader of the pack; Drysdale. Last year’s phenomenon, the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Synek appeared to be off form at Poznan but he may have learnt from his mistakes and will be ready to come back for this final Rowing World Cup. Watch out also for home town favourite, Switzerland’s André Vonarburg. With the cow bells ringing in support Vonarburg will be giving this race all that he has.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

The last Rowing World Cup was all about Germany and Australia in this event. Between the two countries they managed to shut out any other nation from the top five spots. But with the Australians absent from Lucerne and back home training, and Germany still mixing and matching their combinations, the top spots in this event could be anyone’s guess.

World Champions Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh of New Zealand failed to fire at Poznan, their first race in Europe this season. And now, with a month of European living behind them, they will be a force to contend with. The one stable outcome from the continuous German reshuffling, Nicole Zimmermann and Elke Hipler could turn out to be the crew to beat. Zimmermann and Hipler won at Poznan and remaining together, this duo is bound to be on the improvement path. They both also have the experience of the 2004 Olympic women’s eight behind them.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

Out of the picture at Lucerne are gold and silver medallists from the Poznan Rowing World Cup, Australia and Serbia & Montenegro. This could potentially open up the field for Poznan bronze medallists, Jochen Urban and Andreas Penkner of Germany. The German men’s squad will use Lucerne to help finalise World Championship line ups but the result of Urban and Penkner winning bronze last month has kept them together as a crew and out of the men’s eight. Sitting back in fifth at Poznan, current World Champions, New Zealand’s Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater did not perform to expectation and will have spent the last three weeks doing the necessary tweaking to put them back in the medals.

Keep an eye out also for Croatia. The longstanding Skelin brother combination has broken for the first time in five years. Younger brother Niksa is teaming up with Milan Razov who leaves the Croatian eight to be part of this event.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

There’s little doubt that current World and Olympic Champions Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell of New Zealand are the favourites in this field. The Evers-Swindell’s showed that they are back on form for another year after winning at Poznan and another month in Europe can only help their acclimatisation. But a little gremlin hangs over the twins at Lucerne. They were beaten for the first time in three years on the Rotsee course last year. Will this play to the favour of the British?

In the absence of Australia’s top two boats (who finished second and third in Poznan) a gap could open up for the new rising stars in British sculling and winners of the first Rowing World Cup, Annie Vernon and Anna Bebington. Then there is also the experience of two-time Olympians Volha Berazniova and Yuliya Bichyk of Belarus.

Watch out for last year’s Junior World Champions, and 2006 Munich bronze medallists, Jitka Antosova and Gabriela Varekova of the Czech Republic. They may continue to show the extend to which they can foot it at the senior level.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

At Poznan last month a new World Best Time was set in a very tight race. Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet of France just nipped into first at the line over current World Champions Luka Spik and Iztok Cop of Slovenia. Spik and Cop then took another blow when Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham of Great Britain got the better of them last week at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Also in this exciting line up are the ever improving 2001 World Champions Hungary’s Akos Haller and Tibor Peto and Germany’s very accomplished Rene Bertram and Robert Sens. Both crews were very much on the pace at Poznan.

Added to the mix on the Rotsee is the return of 2005 silver medallists Luca Ghezzi and Federico Gattinoni of Italy. Ghezzi and Gattinoni missed out on the A Final at the first Rowing World Cup and it can only mean they will be more fired up to prove their status at Lucerne.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Great Britain has controlled this event since the beginning of last year, however at the first Rowing World Cup in May the Brits received a warning when Germany and the Netherlands finished less than half a second behind. Germany’s Munich line up, that was rearranged in Poznan albeit to ill effect, is back together. Be sure to remember the names Gregor Hauffe, Toni Siefert, Urs Kaeufer and Philip Adamski. The Netherlands missed the second Rowing World Cup but went last week to the Henley Royal Regatta only to win by default when Great Britain withdrew due to illness.

There is little doubt that Germany and the Netherlands want to knock the British off their perch but they are not the only ones. Stepping up the pace at Poznan, Slovenia showed that they are no longer content hovering on the edge of the medals. They took second with a new look New Zealand crew who finished third.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

Maybe the absence of the dominating Chinese at Lucerne will bring smiles to some of the athletes’ faces. Maybe the arrival of Australia’s Amber Halliday (former World Champion and World Best Time holder) and partner Marguerite Houston will bring trepidation. Maybe the joining of Canada’s lightweight quad World Champions Mara Jones and Tracy Cameron (Munich lightweight single winner) will cause eyebrows to raise. Perhaps the return of last year’s silver medallists, Renee Hykel and Julia Nichols of the United States will spark a flurry of attention.

Regardless, whoever makes it through to the final at Lucerne will have to race with much haste to get there. Also fronting up are the ever improving Irish combination of Sinead Jennings and Niamh Ni Cheilleachair who finally got to the medals podium in Poznan in bronze position. Then there’s the current World Champions Daniela Reimer and Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany. Reimer and Draeger failed to perform in Poznan and will most certainly want to prove to coaches that they are the right combination to go forward to the World Rowing Championships.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

A top line up of 21 entries can only spell tough times and tough racing for the athletes in this event especially as many of the old favourites are back. Poznan winners Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist of Denmark are leading the way for their country with a new look racing potential and the expert eyes of new coach Thomas Poulsen guiding them. Then there’s last year’s formidable single winner Vasileios Polymeros of Greece who has teamed up with Dimitrios Mougios to get back into this Olympic event. Yellow jersey holders Elia Luini and Marcello Miani of Italy will be hoping to earn medal number three for 2006 and retain the yellow jersey.

Also back on form is Japan’s most successful rower, Daisaku Takeda who reappears with partner Takahiro Suda. Then there’s our current World Champions, Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga of Hungary who turn up for their first Rowing World Cup this season.

Although they did not perform so well at the first Rowing World Cup, Miguel Cerda and Felipe Leal of Chile have very good credentials for their transition from sweep to sculling. And don’t discount last month’s bronze medallists from Great Britain, James Lindsay-Fynn and Mark Hunter.

Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-)

After missing Poznan due to illness the current World Champions France finally get to compete. With the same line up that won gold in Gifu, the French will face an Irish crew that is on a medal winning roll. Gearoid Towey, Eugene Coakley, Richard Archibald and Paul Griffin won silver at Munich and stepped up to gold at Poznan. But, for both France and Ireland, there is more to be met in this competitive mix. Canada appears for the first time this season to show the impact of their new coach, and former Danish lightweight coach Bent Jensen.

Watch out too for the colourful Egyptians. Showing the way for their country, the Egyptian lightweights demonstrated at Poznan that using a fast start would not deny them of a medal. They finished a very close third, nipping Germany in the process. But still don’t discount the Germans. Their strong rowing tradition is sure to boost them along.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

World Champions Great Britain continue to show their form with a two for two record this season and a yellow jersey to match. There is no doubt, however, that Germany will be targeting the number one position. The German’s have remained with their bronze medal Poznan crew as coach Jutta Lau aims to spin some more magic.

In the absence of China keep an eye out also for Denmark. Juliane Rasmussen, Katrin Olsen, Maria Pertl and Sine Christiansen were just outside the medals at Poznan and continue to plug away in their chosen event.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

A somewhat weaker field fronts up at Lucerne with the absence of current World Champions Poland and Poznan silver medallists France. This could potentially open up the doors for The Czech Republic which features Tomas Karas, Vaclav Chalupa, Milan Dolecek and David Jirka. These four had a successful 2005 season, finishing a close fourth at the World Rowing Championships and with just one change in the boat they have continued to do well.

Also back on the scene are Olympic Champions Russia who retain three of their four 2004 crew. And reappearing again for 2006, Estonia’s Jueri Jaanson. Now 40 year-old Jaanson recently opened his 2006 season by racing at Amsterdam’s Holland Beker regatta in the single. However, he failed to impress, so is back in the quad that won bronze last year.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

This season’s yellow jersey holders, Romania, won at Poznan over one of the biggest eights fields to be boated in recent years. In Lucerne the Romanians appear again but they will miss the fight of the Chinese. Instead Romania will have to re-confront their defeaters from Munich, Germany. This time the German crew will race in just one event, not double up with the pair as well, so Romania will be up against a potentially more rested crew.

Always sparking keen interest in the eight, the United States boats their first eight for the 2006 season. With four athletes remaining the same as the 2005 boat that just got piped at the line in Gifu, and with World Champion and Olympic medallist Caryn Davies back in the middle of the boat, expect power from this crew. Part of this crew US crew raced last weekend at the Henley Royal Regatta and not only won, but also set a course record. Romania had better watch out.

Great Britain front up again for Lucerne with the crew that finished third last month at Poznan. They look to be demonstrating an ongoing improvement in this event although at the Henley Royal Regatta they were beaten in the semi-final by the United States.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

A less favourable result in Poznan has caused another German reshuffle. Now sitting near the front of the boat are former Cambridge University rowers, Thorsten Engelmann, Sebastian Schulte and Bernd Heidicker. Also licking their wounds, Italy recorded poor results at the first Rowing World Cup and sent the team away for an overhaul. Former stroke, Carlo Mornati moves to the bow of the boat while last year’s bronze medallist from the pair, Luca Agamennoni joins the team along with Olympic sculling champion Alessio Sartori.

Romania keeps all but one of their bronze medal Poznan crew, but has done some internal reshuffling in the hopes of stepping up to the position of their women counterparts. Meanwhile Poland returns to the World Cup scene intact and unshuffled to aim for an improvement on their Poznan fourth place finish.