Three U.S. boats - the women's single sculls, men's four, and women's double sculls - advanced to the semifinals to highlight the first day of competition at the 2006 FISA World Rowing Championships on Dorney Lake in Eton, England.
In the women's single sculls, Michelle Guerette (Bristol, Conn.) advanced to Thursday's semifinals with a second-place finish in her heat. Racing in the fourth of four heats, Guerette finished 6.36 seconds behind France's Sophie Balmary. Balmary took control of the race off of the start, while Guerette grabbed the second position from Slovenia's Majda Jerman during the second quarter of the race. Balmary clocked a 7:28.67 to win the heat, while Guerette finished with a time of 7:35.03.
The men's four of Brett Newlin (Riverton, Wyo.), Josh Inman (Hillsboro, Ore.), Matt Schnobrich (St. Paul, Minn.), and Michael Blomquist (Greensboro, N.C.) also finished second in its heat to advance to Thursday's semifinals. The defending world champions from Great Britain led the race from start to finish, with the U.S. maintaining second place at each 500-meter split. Great Britain clocked a 5:53.45 to finish 2.01 seconds ahead of the United States' 5:55.46. France finished third.
In the women's double sculls, Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.) and Brett Sickler (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished third to advance to Thursday's semifinals. The duo took control of third place and the last qualifying spot for the semifinals during the first 500 meters of the race. Italy mounted a small challenge for the spot during the third quarter of the race, but Francia and Sickler responded quickly and pulled away from the Italian crew. Belraus led the race from wire-to-wire, clocking a winning time of 6:52.13. Australia finished second with a time of 6:53.74, followed by the U.S. in a 6:57.07.
In the women's four, Rachel Jeffers (Los Gatos, Calif.), Esther Lofgren (Newport Beach, Calif.), Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.), and Portia Johnson (Seattle, Wash.) finished second in their heat and will now race in Tuesday's repechage, or second-chance race. The crew sat in third position, just behind the Netherlands, through the 1,000-meter mark before inching ahead in the third quarter of the race. Australia led the race from start-to-finish, coming home with a time of 6:38.61 to advance directly to the final. The U.S. clocked a 6:40.74 to finish 0.41 seconds ahead of the Netherlands. China won the other heat with a time of 6:39.01 to also advance directly to Saturday's final.
Anna Mickelson (Bellevue, Wash.) and Megan Cooke (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished third in their heat of the women's pair. The duo sat in third position behind Germany and New Zealand the entire race. Germany grabbed the lead in the first 500 meters and cruised to a 2.22-second victory. The German duo finished with a time of 7:00.93, followed by New Zealand in a 7:03.15. Mickelson and Cooke finished third in a 7:03.76. Germany advanced directly to the final, while the U.S. will race in Tuesday's repechage. Canada won the second heat with a time of 7:03.83 to earn the other automatic qualifying spot for the final.
Ten-time national team member Lisa Schlenker (Lake Oswego, Ore.) finished third in her heat of the lightweight women's single sculls. Schlenker held a slight lead over Spain's Teresa Mas De Xaxars, last year's bronze medalist in the event, through the 1,000-meter mark. However, the Spaniard passed Schlenker during the third quarter of the race and then Italy's Erika Bello passed the American in the final 250 meters to claim second place and the last automatic qualifying spot for the semifinals. Mas De Xaxars crossed the finish line with a time of 7:50.65, with Bello following in a 7:52.19. Schlenker finished with a time of 7:53.69 and will now race in Tuesday's repechage.
Jamie Schroeder (Wilmette, Ill.) finished third in his heat of the men's single sculls and will now race in a repechage on Tuesday. Schroeder sat in fourth position for most of the race before moving into third place in the final 500 meters. Norway's Olaf Tufte, the defending Olympic champion, won the race with a time of 6:50.86 to secure the automatic berth in the semifinals. Schroeder clocked a 6:59.29.
The men's pair of Sam Burns (Seattle, Wash.) and Dan Beery (Oaktown, Ind.) finished fourth in its heat and will now race in the repechages. The duo sat in fifth position at the 1,000-meter mark before passing Greece during the third quarter of the race. New Zealand held off a mid-race challenge from Canada to win the heat in a 6:22.79. Canada finished second in a 6:24.94, with Germany finishing third. The U.S. clocked a 6:37.52. Both New Zealand and Canada moved on to the semifinals.
The men's double sculls tandem of Francis Cuddy (Amherst, N.H.) and Shane O'Mara (Tampa, Fla.) finished fourth in its heat and will now race in the repechages. The duo sat in third position off of the start before falling to fourth at the midway point of the race. Slovenia's Iztok Cop and Luka Spik won the heat with a time of 6:13.77 to advance directly to the semifinals. Cuddy and O'Mara crossed the finish line with a time of 7:21.73.