BEIJING - The women's single sculls, men's single sculls, men's pair and men's four will race for spots in the finals on Wednesday as the first day of semifinals get underway at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. The top three finishers in each semifinal will advance to the finals.
In the women's single sculls, Michelle Guerette (Bristol, Conn.) will race in the first of two semifinals against the Czech Republic's Mirka Knapkova, China's Xiuyun Zhang, Sweden's Frida Svensson, Australia's Pippa Savage and Italy's Gabriella Bascelli. Guerette and Knapkova enter the race as the top seeds, having won their quarterfinals. Zhang and Svensson finished second in their quarterfinal races.
In the men's single sculls, Ken Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) will race in the second of two semifinals against New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale, the Czech Republic's Ondrej Synek, Great Britain's Alan Campbell, Lithuania's Mindaugas Griskonis and Greece's Ioannis Christou. Drysdale, the three-time defending world champion, and Synek won their quarterfinals and are the top seeds in the race. Jurkowski finished third behind Drysdale in his quarterfinal.
Twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Greenwich, Conn.) won the men's pair repechage to advance to Wednesday's semifinals. The duo will take on Australia, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Denmark in the second of two semifinals. Australia's Duncan Free and Drew Ginn are the defending world champions in the event.
The men's four of Brett Newlin (Riverton, Wyo.), Giuseppe Lanzone (Annandale, Va.), Paul Teti (Upper Darby, Pa.) and David Banks (Potomac, Md.) advanced to the semifinals off of a third-place finish in its heat. The quartet will face Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland and France in the first of two semifinals. Great Britain and Australia won their heats on Saturday, while New Zealand is the defending world champion.
In other action, the men's double sculls tandem of Elliot Hovey (Manchester-By-The-Sea, Mass.) and Wes Piermarini (West Brookfield, Mass.) will take on Iraq in Final C to determine places 13-14.