Men's single sculler Ken Jurkowski advanced to the semifinals on Sunday at the 2008 FISA Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poznan, Poland. The qualification regatta serves as the last chance for the United States to qualify boats for the 2008 Olympic Games in the men's single sculls, lightweight women's double sculls and lightweight men's double sculls.
Racing in the third of three heats in the men's single sculls, Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) passed Slovenia's Andraz Krek in the final 500 meters to finish second behind Estonia's Andrei Jaemsae. Krek led the race for the first 1,500 meters, while Jaemsae and Jurkowski stayed close behind the leader. In the final 500, Jaemsae pulled away to cross the line with a time of 7:09.91. Jurkowski finished comfortably in second, clocking a 7:14.30, with Krek finishing ahead of Cyprus' Valentinos Sofokleous for third. The top three finishers advanced directly to Tuesday's semifinals.
The lightweight men's double sculls tandem of Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Cody Lowry (Bristow, Okla.) finished third in its heat and will now race in a repechage, or second-chance race. Rowing in the third heat, the duo sat in third position the entire way down the course. New Zealand's Peter Taylor and Storm Uru led the race from start to finish, crossing the line in a 6:29.21. Turkey finished second in a 6:34.63, while the American boat clocked a 6:44.36. New Zealand and Turkey advanced directly to Tuesday's semifinals. Urevick-Ackelsberg and Lowry will take Belarus, Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan in the first of two repechages on Monday. The top three finishers will move on to the semifinals.
The lightweight women's double sculls tandem of Jennifer Goldsack (Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom) and Renee Hykel (Haverford, Pa.) will hit the water for the first time on Monday. The duo will take on Russia, Switzerland, Poland and New Zealand in the first of two heats, with the winner advancing to the final and the remaining crews going to the repechages.
Racing continues Monday with heats and repechages. The remaining repechages and semifinals take place Tuesday, with finals taking place Wednesday. At the qualification regatta, three spots for Olympic competition remain open in the men's single, while two each remain open in the lightweight men's double and lightweight women's double. The United States has already qualified boats in 11 of the 14 Olympic rowing events to be contested in Beijing.
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