MILAN, Italy - Seeding time trials in the adaptive events at the 2003 World Championships were held Friday afternoon on the Idroscalo in Milan.
In the TA (trunk, arms) double sculls, Scott Brown and Angela Madsen, who won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the adaptive single sculls race at last year's world championships, easily won their time trial on Friday. The duo covered the 1,000-meter course in a time of 4:28.96. Italy finished second, 1:53.71 seconds behind.
In the LTAMx (legs, trunk, arms) four with coxswain, the U.S. crew of coxswain Lisa Boron, Aerial Gilbert, Jennifer Klapper, Dwayne Adams, and Jim Falls finished fourth. The crew clocked a 4:03.08 over the 1,000-meter course. Australia won the time trial in a time of 3:49.70, followed by the Netherlands and Portugal.
In the A (arms only) single sculls event, Dale Doornek finished third in the time trial. Doornek clocked a 3:36.21 to finish 40.69 seconds behind Australia's Peter Taylor, who won the bronze medal in the adaptive single sculls event last year. Great Britain's Robert Holliday finished second.
Finals in the adaptive events will be held on Saturday.
This year marks the second year that adaptive events have been included at the world championships. These championships are an important step towards FISA's goal of having rowing included in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. To meet the eligibility criteria, there has to be a minimum of 24 countries from three continents competing in adaptive events at the world championships, with at least two adaptive world championships being held by 2004. Last year, 36 countries signed the Seville Adaptive Rowing Protocol which committed them to enter crews in adaptive events at the worlds by 2004.