Two U.S. boats will begin their attempts to make the 2008 Olympic Games on Sunday at the 2008 FISA Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poznan, Poland, while one U.S. crew will have to wait until Monday to start its quest.
The qualification regatta serves as the last chance for the United States to qualify boats for the 2008 Olympic Games in the men's single sculls, lightweight women's double sculls and lightweight men's double sculls.
In the men's single sculls, Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) will race in the third of three heats. Jurkowski, who finished ninth in the event at the 2008 FISA World Cup Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, will take on scullers from Estonia, Slovenia and Cyprus on Sunday. The top three finishers will advance directly to the semifinals, while the fourth-place finisher will race in a repechage, or second-chance race.
The lightweight men's double sculls tandem of Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Cody Lowry (Bristow, Okla.) will also race in the third of three heats. The duo will take on crews from Turkey, Croatia, New Zealand and Azerbaijan, with the top two crews moving on to the semifinals.
The lightweight women's double sculls tandem of Jennifer Goldsack (Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom) and Renee Hykel (Haverford, Pa.) will compete in its first race on Monday. The duo will take on Russia, Switzerland, Poland and New Zealand, with the winner advancing to the final and the remaining crews going on to the repechages.
At the qualification regatta, three spots for Olympic competition remain open in the men's single, while two each remain open in the lightweight men's double and lightweight women's double. The United States has already qualified boats in 11 of the 14 Olympic rowing events to be contested in Beijing. Racing begins each morning at 9:30 local time, with heats taking place on Sunday, heats and repechages on Monday, repechages and semifinals on Tuesday, and finals on Wednesday.
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