PRINCETON, N.J. - Four crews earned spots on the 2003 World Championships Team on the third day of competition at the 2003 World Championships Trials for Olympic-class Boats. The boats will now compete at the world championships August 24-31 in Milan, Italy.
In the second final of the men's single sculls, Ann Arbor Rowing Club's Mike Perry claimed a spot on his first national team by clocking a 6:59.0 to finish 11.3 seconds ahead of Vesper Boat Club's Paul Falcigno. Perry had no trouble sweeping the best two-out-of-three final. Falcigno finished with a time of 7:10.3, while Augusta Rowing Club's Jon Werner stroked a 7:20.3.
For the second year in a row, Potomac Rowing Club's Steve Gillespie and Brett Wilkinson swept the men's double sculls trials. The Potomac duo clocked a 6:23.6 to finish 4.5 seconds ahead of the Princeton Training Center/Pocock double of J. Sloan DuRoss and Conal Groom. DuRoss and Groom finished with a time of 6:28.1 followed by Princeton Training Center's Henry Nuzum and Grant Nichols, who clocked a 6:34.7.
In the men's pair, the Harvard Boat Club duo of Artour Samsonov and Luke Walton also swept the best two-out-of-three final. Samsonov and Walton clocked a 6:30.9 to finish nearly eight seconds ahead of the Princeton Training Center crew of Adam Holland and Dave Friedericks, which clocked a 6:38.5. Princeton Training Center's Mark Flickinger and Matt Rich finished third.
Saugatuck's Kristin Goodrich won the second final of the women's single sculls, earning her third straight national team spot. Goodrich stroked a 7:41.8 to finish five seconds ahead of Augusta's Cindy Bishop, who clocked a 7:46.8. Saugatuck's Sharon Kriz finished third in a time of 7:55.4.
In the first final of the women's double sculls, the Princeton Training Center boat of Laura Rauchfuss and Kelly Salchow clocked a 7:00.9 to finish 5.2 seconds ahead of the Pocock duo of Carol Skricki and Anne Browning. The duo took over the lead in the second half of the race. Skricki and Browning clocked a 7:06.2, followed by Potomac Boat Club's Katie Madigan and Catherine Humblet in third place. PTC's Lia Pernell and Frederique Garnier finished fourth. The top three finishers advanced to tomorrow's second final.
The best two-out-of-three finals format continues Tuesday at 8 a.m. with the second final of the women's double sculls. The third final will take place on Wednesday at 8 a.m., if necessary.