LUZERN, Switzerland – The United States women’s eight won its heat and set a new world best time to highlight the opening day of racing at the 2012 Samsung World Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland. With temperatures rising to the mid-70s and a stiff tailwind, the U.S. crew was one of six boats to set records Friday morning on the Rotsee.
Coxswain Mary Whipple (Orangevale, Calif.), Caryn Davies (Ithaca, N.Y.), Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.), Taylor Ritzel (Larkspur, Colo.), Meghan Musnicki (Naples, N.Y.), Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jamie Redman (Spokane, Wash.), Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.) and Esther Lofgren (Newport Beach, Calif.) beat the previous world best time of 5:55.50, set by the U.S. in 2006, by more than a second.
Racing in the second of two heats, the U.S. crew led from wire-to-wire to cross in 5:54.17 and advance directly to Sunday’s final. Great Britain trailed by 7.68 seconds in a 6:01.85, with Belarus third in 6:07.44. Canada won the first heat in 5:55.71 to advance to the final, sending The Netherlands, Australia and Germany to the repechage.
“It was a solid effort,” said Redman, a five-time national team member. “Sometimes it can be hard to maintain control in tailwind, but we were relentless. We went out there to beat the clock.”
In addition to the women’s eight, the U.S. women’s pair, women’s quadruple sculls and men’s single sculls crews also advanced from the first round of racing.
Coming off of its silver-medal finish at the first world cup stop three weeks ago, Eleanor Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) and Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.) won the second of three heats to advance to the semifinals of the women’s pair.
The duo won gold in the women’s eight at the 2008 Olympic Games, and has already qualified for London in the women’s pair, which it has until May 30 to accept.
In the heat, Logan and Cafaro were first off the line, gaining nearly two seconds on the field in the first 500 meters. Australia’s 2011 bronze medalists Kate Hornsey and Sarah Tate stayed even with Great Britain’s second entry of Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Jo Cook through the middle of the course, before pulling away in the third 500.
The U.S. posted a time of 7:06.40, with Australia second in 7:13.27 and GB third in a 7:18.01. All three crews advanced, sending China’s second entry of Xiaoxia Yan and You Wu to the reps.
The U.S. entered two crews in the women’s quadruple sculls event. The USA 1 entry of Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.), Adrienne Martelli (University Place, Wash.), Natalie Dell (Clearville, Pa.) and Stesha Carle (Long Beach, Calif.) advanced directly to the final with a second-place finish in the first of two heats.
The U.S. crew was in fourth place crossing the first 500-meter mark, but worked its way through the field over the middle thousand and pushed past China in the final stretch. Germany’s Stephanie Schiller, Tina Manker, Carina Baer and Julia Richter won the race and set a new world best time (beating the previous world best time set in 1996 by nearly 1.5 seconds) in 6:09.38, with the U.S. sprinting to second in 6:10.09.
Racing in the second heat, the USA 2 entry of Megan Kalmoe (St. Croix Falls, Wis.), Kara Kohler (Clayton, Calif.), Kady Glessner (Seattle, Wash.) and Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.) finished fourth with a time of 6:21.85, and will have another chance to qualify for the final in Saturday’s repechage. Ukraine (6:13.79) and New Zealand (6:17.76) advanced from the heat.
Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) advanced to the quarterfinals in the men’s single sculls with his second-place heat finish. With 26 entries, the event is one the most contested in Lucerne this weekend. Jurkowski finished 12th at the first world cup in Serbia, and will be looking for a top four finish at this regatta in order to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Czech Republic’s Ondrej Synek, 2010 world champion and 2011 silver medalist, won the heat in 6:53.55. Jurkowski crossed the line in 6:56.95, ahead of Argentina’s Santiago Fernandez and Slovenia’s Matej Rojec.
Like Jurkowski, the U.S. lightweight women’s double sculls crew of Julie Nichols (Livermore, Calif.) and Kristin Hedstrom (Concord, Mass.) are in pursuit of a top-four finish to secure its spot in London. Racing in the first of two heats, the U.S. worked its way from fifth to second over the course of the race, but could not hold off the late charge of Great Britain. The U.S. finished third in 6:54.72.
New Zealand’s Julia Edward and Louise Ayling won in 6:49.43 for a new world best time, with GB second in 6:52.66. Nichols and Hedstrom will have a second opportunity to qualify for the final in tomorrow’s repechage.
The second of three world cups features more than 550 rowers from 45 countries competing in 17 events. Racing continues Saturday at 9:30 a.m. local time. Click here for Saturday’s start list. For a complete competition schedule, entries and results, visit www.worldrowing.com. For live video of finals, visit http://www.worldrowing.com/video.