Cover image: World Rowing / Benedict Tufnell
The fight for Olympic qualifications was on, met with drama and upset. Thursday presented some of the harshest conditions seen as the crews fought not only each other but waves and whitecaps. With the A-finalists and winner of each B-final qualifying for the Olympics, everyone wants to be in the top three of their semi, but it’s not game over just yet if they don’t. Who has made the early Olympic qualification? Who stands a chance in their B-final? Who looks to be out of the pack altogether? Thursday presented some truly exciting racing.
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls
The first semi-final saw the Olympic champions, and favourites to win, fight the tough conditions to secure their lane, a game that is all more important in these conditions. The Irish had their usual slow start, placing fifth through the 500m, but were back in contention by the 1000m marker. Despite their slow start, the Irish looked good, securing extremely fast, snappy catches, allowing them to get the edge they needed to take the lead and extend it to a win by clear water. The Czech crew managed a second place finish, followed closely by the Norwegians, giving them the early Olympic qualification spot. The second semi-final, however, was a far more dramatic affair. The Swiss crew were the one to watch, taking the early lead and not relinquishing all the way down the course. Our eyes were drawn to the Germans however. Sitting in fourth, just outside of Olympic qualification, they tried everything to become the first German crew of the day to qualify, but as they passed through the 1000m mark, only two seconds behind third, they lost control of their blades in the rough conditions and capsized. The Swiss, looking very loose and fluid (mightly impressive in the rough waters) took the win, while Italy and Spain were neck and neck to the line.
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls
The first semi-final in the women’s lightweight double sculls saw favourites to win, GBR, sitting in third place at 500m, with China in first, closely followed by Italy and Greece. Powering through, the British crew took the lead by 700m, a lead they would keep edging out to take the win and secure Olympic qualification. Behind them, the fight for a top-three finish was brutal but it was eventually Romania and China who pulled through to gain berths in the A-final. Harder gearing allowed for more load on the GB blades, which perhaps gave them an edge in the rougher conditions. In the second semi-final there was a massive battle for the top three spots. The New Zealand crew were very smooth, exhibiting the best technique in the pack. However, the Canadians had the more powerful style, resembling that of the British crew. The two fought for first place, whilst behind them the USA and Ireland tussled for the all-important third slot.
Men’s Pair
A strong headwind made the pairs tough to row, but these world-class rowers showed their true capability. In the first semi-final, the British pair took the early lead and extended it to clear water, keeping a safe distance beyond the rest of the field. The Swiss retained second, and had a push to the line to have overlap with the Brits. The USA boat looked smooth and strong, important in these tough conditions, and dispatched the Croatians, who tried to replicate their quarterfinal and push for the third place spot, but faded before the line and drifted over in fourth. The world champions from Romania fought tough Irish and Australian competition, who both led the former to the 500m. A battle for positions between the 600m and 700m saw the Romanians and Australians swap positions to be in first and third respectively, with the Irish still in second. Yet, with the Australians beginning to fade, a well timed push from the Republic of South Africa saw them take third place, resulting in a win for the Romanians, second for the Irish and a third place for the Republic of South Africa.
Women’s Pair
The women’s pair showed just how strong the Romanians are. In the strong headwind it’s easy to fatigue, but the Romanians took the lead early and continued to extend it throughout the race. The Irish and Chilean crews were close behind at 1k, but with only 0.28 seconds separating them it was anyone’s game. The final 1000m saw the Irish drive ahead of Chile and secure second. The Netherlands took a surprise lead over the Australians in the second semi-final, a lead they held for much longer than anyone anticipated. Looking very loose, especially coming into the catch, the hours of steady state work clearly paid off as they had clear water up to the 1k. The Australians, patient and comfortable in their experience and pedigree, reeled their Dutch counterparts in during the closing stages to win the semi-final. Taking the third place spot would be the USA.
Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Ukraine flew out the blocks in the first semi-final, but it didn’t take long for Italy to take the lead. The favourites to win, Poland, were in third as the crews went through the 500m. The world champions jettisoned the afterburners in the second 1000m to take the lead whilst the battle for A-final slots between Italy, Ukraine and Germany raged. The former hoisted themselves out of the fray into second whilst the Ukraine, clearly depleted after a fast start, were rowed down by a jubilant German crew. In the second semi-final, a slow start saw the British lagging in fifth position, with the Netherlands pushing out in front. A big push saw GB come into third, sitting behind a strong Swiss crew. Not satisfied with a nominal bronze, and poor lane for the final, the Brits continued to push into second place. The Netherlands had moved lengths clear of the pack, taking an easy win, with GB in second and the Swiss crew in third.
Women’s Quadruple Sculls
Some very tough conditions for the women’s quads led to some tough racing. White horses off the start yet the Netherlands led off the start, looking relaxed and fluid. Extending their lead, they let the rest of the pack fight it out for second and third, where the Olympic Champions, the Chinese, were in second position with Romania close behind. Despite the horrible, bumpy conditions there was no drama through the race and each crew held their position, much to the joy of the Dutch, Chinese and Romanian crew who came first, second and third respectively, qualifying for the Olympics. Over in the second semi-final, the GB crew had a fast start and led straight away, above Ukraine in a very close second place and Switzerland in third. By the 1k mark, the GB crew had extended their lead to two lengths, showing the same dominance that the Dutch crew had demonstrated in the previous contest. The Ukraine had given too much too early as they dropped to fourth, with Switzerland in second and Australia in third.
Men’s Coxless Fours
Once again, conditions played a profound role in proceedings. The first semi-final saw the USA stride out into a lead, as their distinctively aggressive yet fluid stroke helped move their boat well through the water. With the Netherlands close behind in second, and France back in a solid third, the race was on to the line. The USA had a push and extended their lead from 1/2 a length to clear water, which proved vital as the French pushed to exert pressure on the Netherlands. While no positions swapped, there was just under one length between each crew across the line. The second semi-final showed favourites to win, Great Britain, control their first punch or two, allowing the New Zealand boat to gain some early impetus. While New Zealand tried to hold their lead, the Australians (the current Olympic champions) trailed in third, but held a big lead over the rest of the pack, wrapping up the Olympic qualification slots. As it was, the order remained unchanged. The final beckons.
Women’s Coxless Fours
The Netherlands, perennially on form at these championships, took the early lead in their semi-final. Australia slotted into second early but the Romanian crew clawed their way back up to take a second place berth, of which they didn’t settle and kept pushing to have an overlap with the crew from the Netherlands. It was Dutch finesse against Romanian horsepower but in the end the orange of the Netherlands triumphed on tricky water. Back several lengths down was Australia, who claimed third and the final Olympic qualification spot of the race. Over in the second semi-final, British power was on full display with two-time Olympic champion Helen Glover on-board. The lead established in the opening 20 strokes wasn’t enough to satiate this hungry crew; they pushed out to a massive lead of nearly five seconds by 500m. No doubt that the GB women’s four is the crew of the day, their power was complimented well by great technique, allowing them to rip away in the tough waters. In the battle for top three, the USA held second place over a boat from China.
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