The crosswind returned this morning, this time with a slight tail component, and FISA did a redraw, placing the heat- and semi-winning crews are racing in Lanes 5 and 6, next qualifiers (2nd in semi or 1st in rep) in lanes 3 and 4, and so to lanes 1 and 2. All finals are A finals today, all petite racing having been completed yesterday.
Lightweight men's pair
The Italians, who had shown potential gold-medal speed, attacked the first half of the race with the fierceness that has characterized the Italian squad throughout the Worlds. All the ITA crews seem intent on establishing the lead with complete abandon, racing in the 40 spm range well into the second 500 in every event. In this event, ITA, with multiple gold-medal winner from the 8 Carlo Gaddi at stroke, did the same, leading to the 1000 before the French crew snuck through in the third 500, never to relinquish the lead, finishing just over 1 second ahead of the Italians. The Chile crew, which is the first crew from Chile to make an A final, I believe, won the bronze after the slowest first 500 in the race, and a screaming fast last 1000 meters. SUI, AUS and GER followed, in that order.
Lightweight women's quad:
The American crew, which was forced to make a substitution the day before Worlds began, with spare Cass Cunningham getting the call, was the first US crew to race today. The German crew set the pace of racing throughout, leading from start to finish, followed by the US crew, which had a big third 500 to come from fourth to second, and held off a hoary charge by the Greek and Chinese crews to hold on to the silver, followed by Greece, China, Australia, and Great Britain.
Lightweight men's quad:
Fast fact: This event sports to brother pairs, the US Sean and Conal Groom, and the Owen and Neal Byrne of Ireland.
The Argentine crew set the early pace, attacking fiercely on the start, but the ITA crew soon took command of the lead to the bridge at the 700 meter mark. By the 1000, ITA seemed ready to break from the field, working toward open water, with Germany charging into a strong second. The US and Ireland were fighting for bronze by 500 to go, with the US crew establishing a slight lead crossing the 1500. They continued to extend in the final 500, winning the first US medal in this event, followed by Ireland, Mexico, and Argentina. The Germans challenged Italy, but fell short for the silver in an event characterized by truly impressive rowing.
Open men's coxed four
Australia went out very aggressively, but was able only to get about a deck to a half-length on Italy, who held a slight lead over the US and Croatia. The Germans had gotten off to a slow start, and trailed in fifth. Followed by the peloton cluster of red jackets on the bike path, the US and CRO crews attacked in the third 500, stressing the Italians to their limit. The Croatian crew as able to get through into silver position, but the Italians barely held off the US crew to win bronze, followed by the US, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Lightweight women's double
On the clock, the US crew of Sara Garner and Christine Collins seemed the dominant crew by a stretch. In the first minute of the race, the Romanian crew established an extremely slight lead in lane 1, where they may have been getting a little help from a cross-tail, but POL, GER, and the USA were nearly even only inches behind. In the second 500, the US began to show their speed, almost comfortably moving out on the field for a stretch before the GER crew decided to go with them. The German attack was brief, however, and the US crew pushed out hard in the third 500 to about two feet of open water by the 1500 gone mark. The Germans and Romanians fought terribly for the silver position, and pushed into the US lead to closed water, but couldn't get through. The US wins gold, folowed by Germany, Romania, Poland, Denmark, and Italy.
Lightweight men's double
Defending World champs and world record holder Poland led this race by the 500, taking an apparently commanding lead very early in the race. The rest of the field raced in a pack about 2/3 length behind, witht he Italians holding a light edge throughout. By the 1000, the SUI and GER crews were in a near dead-heat for third, with the Poles out to clear water over Italy in second. The Poles were truly impressive, with open water all the way down the course, and Italy with open water over third place by 500 to go. The Italians seemed to be in trouble in the last 250 as the SUI crew powered from fourth into third with a grinding last 20 strokes, finishing a few feet ahead of Germany, followed by NED and FRA.
Lightweight men's four
The defending World Champ Danes were a strong favorite, and they did not disappoint, although the French crew, sporting the red, white and blue hair styles, gave them a scare coming into the finish. The Australian crew placed fourth, followed by GBR, SUI, and Spain.
Open women's quad
By now the wind had come around to more of a variable cross, and the lane shift started making a lot of sense. The wind was still tricky, however, and the flags lining the course could indicate a tail at one point, and a head 100 meters down the course.
Germany and Russia went out into the lead together, and extended to a generous margin on the field, with Germany slowly ekking out seats on the Russian crew through the middle 1000. The Germans kept cranking through the finish, winning with slight overlap over the Russians, then open water back to Australia in bronze position, then China by a photo finish over Poland, with Denmark in sixth.
Open men's quad
Italy was truly dominant in this race, leading from the start, and barely increasing the cadence to the finish line. They were so comfortably out front that they posted the fifth fastest last 500, and still won by 4.94 seconds, followed by Germany, Austria, the USA, Australia, and Poland. In this race, all crews were in their finishing positions at every 500 meter mark, a very unusual scenario at the Worlds.
Open women's eight
The United States went out hard, and took an early lead of up to 3-4 seats in the first minute of the race, but Romania came through by the 500 for a slight lead, followed by the US and Canada. Canada snuck past the US briefly, then the two crews went stroke for stroke for at least 250 meters, with the US slightly ahead of CAN at the 1000, and Romania extending slightly. The US went after Romania, and got a slight lead on Canada in the process in the third 500, with racing extremely intense, the cost of every inch of margin showing on the crews. By 500 to go, the US has pushed out to over a second on Canada, and started going hard after Romania with 400 to go. They pulled with 4-5 seats, but couldn't do more, and finished in silver position, followed by Canada, Australia, Belorussia and Germany.
Open men's eight
"The US can't repeat" was the mantra uttered around boathouses this year, a little like "The Americans have no speed" comment that inspired the US 8 last year.
This was an incredibly tight race early, with no one ahead, no one behind for the entire start, and only 1.69 seconds separating first from sixth at the 500, with Russia in the lead, and the US in sixth. Things changed very quickly - by the 750, RUS, ROM and the USA were dead even, and by the 1000, the US was in the lead. From there, the US had a tremendous third 500, pulling out to almost 2/3 length on the field. In the fourth 500, the entire field was coming strong, but the US held on to repeat as World Champions in the men's 8.
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