Nine U.S. boats will race in heats on the first day of competition at the 2007 FISA World Rowing Championships in Munich, Germany. The women's single sculls, lightweight women's single sculls, lightweight men's single sculls, women's double sculls, men's double sculls, women's pair, men's pair, men's pair with coxswain and men's four will begin their quest for medals on Sunday at the Munich Olympic Regatta Course.
Racing in the first of six heats of the women's single sculls, Michelle Guerette (Bristol, Conn.) will take on scullers from Germany, Russia, Norway and Cuba, with the top three finishers advancing to the quarterfinals. Guerette, who won bronze in the event at the 2005 World Championships and finished fifth at last year's regatta, is looking to return to the medal stand this year. In her lone world cup race this season, Guerette won a bronze medal. Russia's Julia Levina, who finished sixth at last year's world championships, appears to be Guerette's toughest competition in the heat.
In the women's pair, Anna Mickelson (Bellevue, Wash.) and Megan Cooke (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished fourth at last year's world championships and won two silver medals on the world cup circuit earlier this year. On Saturday, however, Cooke had to be replaced for medical reasons by Portia J. McGee (Seattle, Wash.). McGee, who also is racing in the four, is a three-time senior national team member and a 2006 bronze medalist in the four. The U.S. duo faces an extremely tough draw as it will take on Romania, New Zealand and Great Britain in the third of three heats. New Zealand, USA and Romania took the top three positions, respectively, at the world cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. New Zealand's Nicola Coles and Juliette Haigh won the event at the 2005 World Championships, while Romania's Viorica Susanu and Georgeta Damian-Andrunache are the defending Olympic champions. The top three finishers from each heat advance directly to the semifinals, while the remaining crews will race in the repechage, or second-chance race.
The men's four of Beau Hoopman (Plymouth, Wis.), Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio), Giuseppe Lanzone (Annandale, Va.) and Matt Schnobrich (St. Paul, Minn.) will take on Serbia, New Zealand, Greece, Argentina and Germany in the fourth of four heats. New Zealand reached the medal stand twice during this summer's world cup circuit, winning the event in Amsterdam. The winner of each heat advances to the semifinals, with the remaining crews moving on to the repechages.
The women's double sculls tandem of Jen Kaido (West Leyden, N.Y.) and Ala Piotrowski (Manchester, N.H.) reached the final at two world cup races. On Sunday, the duo will take on China, Norway, Estonia, Romania and Macedonia. China's Liang Tian and Qin Li won the event at the world cup stop in Amsterdam. The top two finishers in each heat advance to the semifinals, with the remaining crews moving on to the repechages.
The men's double sculls duo of Matt Hughes (Ludington, Mich.) and Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) will race against Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and the Ukraine in the first of six heats. Slovenia's Iztok Cop and Luka Spik won gold in the event in 2005 and silver in 2004 and 2006. The top three finishers automatically qualify for the quarterfinals.
Racing in the first of four heats, the men's pair of Kyle Larson (Seattle, Wash.) and Jason Read (Ringoes, N.J.) will take on crews from Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Croatia and Great Britain. Croatia's Niksa and Sinisa Skelin won silver at the 2004 Olympics, while South Africa's Donovan Cech and Ramon Di Clemente won bronze. The winner of each heat moves on to the semifinals, while the remaining crews will race in the repechages.
The men's pair with coxswain of Dave Florio (Marlton, N.J.), Steve Kasprzyk (Cinnaminson, N.J.) and Patrick Godfrey (Gorham, Maine) will face the Czech Republic, Canada and Croatia in the second of two heats. The winner of each heat advances directly to the finals, while the remaining crews go to the repechages. Last year, the U.S. boat, which included Godfrey, finished fourth in the event.
In the lightweight women's single sculls, Jen Goldsack (Banstead, Surrey, United Kingdom) will race for the U.S. team for the first time after competing for the British squad at the 2005 World Championships. Goldsack will take on scullers from Canada, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Italy and Myanmar in the third of four heats. Marit Van Eupen from The Netherlands is the two-time defending world champion. The winner of each heat advances to the semifinals, with the remaining scullers moving on to the repechages.
Lightweight men's single sculler Ivan Baldychev (Newark, Del.) will be making his international debut on Sunday. Baldychev will take on rowers from Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, France and Hong Kong in the first of four heats. The winner of each heat advances directly to the semifinals, with the remaining crews going on to the repechages.
On Monday, the U.S. will have 14 more crews racing in heats. In total, the U.S. has entered 26 of the 27 events. The eight-day regatta, which serves as the primary country qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games, features 1,285 athletes racing in 474 crews from 68 nations. Complete entry lists, heat sheets and results can be accessed throughout the regatta at www.worldrowing.com.