Ken Jurkowski advanced to the final of the men's single sculls on Tuesday to highlight the third day of competition 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 second semifinal, Jurkowski (New Fairfield, Conn.) finished third behind Lithuania's Mindaugas Griskonis and Greece's Ioannis Christou to advance to tomorrow's final. Jurkowski sat in second position behind Griskonis after 500 meters before dropping back to third place during the second quarter of the race. The Lithuanian led the race from start to finish, crossing the line in a 6:50.48. Christou finished second in a 6:51.04, followed by Jurkowski in a 6:52.69. With only the top three finishers moving on to the final, Austria's Ralph Kreibich finished fourth, 2.26 seconds behind Jurkowski. Estonia's Andrei Jaemsae won the first semifinal in a 6:58.58. Slovenia's Andraz Krek and Croatia's Damir Martin also advanced. The top three finishers in the final will earn spots in the 2008 Olympic Games.
Unfortunately, the lightweight men's double sculls tandem of Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Cody Lowry (Bristow, Okla.) finished fifth in its semifinal and failed to advance. The duo got off the line in sixth position and was never able to mount a challenge on a top three position and a spot in the final. Canada won the race in a 6:23.59, followed by the Czech Republic in a 6:25.37 and Slovakia in a 6:26.28. Urevick-Ackelsberg and Lowry crossed the line in a 6:30.40. With the duo being eliminated from competition, the U.S. will not have a lightweight men's double competing at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Like Jurkowski, the lightweight women's double sculls tandem of Jennifer Goldsack (Banstead, United Kingdom) and Renee Hykel (Haverford, Pa.) will also be racing for a spot in the 2008 Olympic Games on Wednesday. After easily winning its heat on Monday, the duo will take on The Netherlands, Italy, Belarus, Poland and Switzerland with the top two finishers earning spots in the Olympics.
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