LUZERN, Switzerland – U.S. crews fared well overall on the first day of competition at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. Five of the six crews are headed to the finals, while the lightweight men’s four will have a second opportunity to advance in Monday’s repechage.
The women’s double sculls crew of Sarah Trowbridge (Guilford, Conn.) and Margot Shumway (Westlake, Ohio) kicked off the afternoon for the United States – winning its heat to advance directly to Tuesday’s final.
Trowbridge and Shumway led from the start, crossing each of the 500-meter marks in first place. The U.S. posted a 6:59.97 at the finish line, followed by Spain in 7:02.10 and Denmark in third (7:02.27).
Racing next for the U.S., Warren Anderson (Paso Robles, Calif.) and Sam Stitt (McLean Va.) finished second in their heat of the men’s double sculls to advance to the semifinals Tuesday. Italy was first out of the starting blocks, with China staying in a solid second through the halfway point. The U.S. crew was able to walk through the Chinese in the final stretch, edging ahead by 0.05 seconds for a second-place finish in 6:26.76.
In the women’s single sculls, Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.) also finished second to secure her spot in Tuesday’s semifinals. In a gusty cross-tailwind, Stone moved from third to second place by the 1,000-meter mark, crossing the finish line in a 7:32.00. Australia won the heat in 7:29.48. Stone finished 11th at the world championships on Lake Bled last summer and will be looking to finish in the top four in order to qualify for London.
Racing in the third heat of the lightweight men’s double sculls, Will Daly (Vail, Colo.) and Andrew Campbell (New Canaan, Conn.) pushed through Spain and held onto the lead to secure a spot in the semifinals on Tuesday. The U.S. crew posted a time of 6:24.40 to Spain’s 6:24.71. Switzerland also advanced with a third-place time of 6:35.65.
Robin Prendes (Miami, Fla.), Nick LaCava (Weston, Conn.), Will Newell (Weston, Mass.) and Anthony Fahden (Lafayette, Calif.) finished second in the first heat of the lightweight men’s four, just missing a spot in the final. The U.S. was in the lead crossing over the 1,500-meter mark, but could not challenge the Dutch crew that pushed through for the win. The Netherlands posted a time of 5:57.55 to the United States’ 6:00.47. The U.S. will have a second opportunity to qualify for the final in Monday’s repechage, scheduled for 6:31 p.m. local time.
The final race of the evening was the much-anticipated race for lanes in the men’s eight. The U.S. crew blasted through New Zealand and France for the win, posting a time of 5:34.01 for the top seed in Tuesday’s final.
“We wanted to go out and have a clean race down the course,” said coxswain Zach Vlahos (Piedmont, Calif.), who is leading the men’s eight in his first international race at the senior level. “We wanted to make sure we executed our race plan, and to go out there and race like we do every day in practice. I think we did that.”
The U.S. crew of Vlahos, Grant James (DeKalb, Ill.), David Banks (Potomac, Md.), Steve Kasprzyk (Cinnaminson, N.J.), Jake Cornelius (Brooktondale, N.Y.), Brett Newlin (Riverton, Wyo.), Ross James (DeKalb, Ill.), Will Miller (Duxbury, Mass.) and Giuseppe Lanzone (Annandale, Va.) took the lead by the 500-meter mark, and extended it over the course of the race to finish more than eight seconds ahead of New Zealand and more than 17 seconds ahead of France.
The U.S. will need to win Tuesday’s final in order to secure a spot in the 2012 Olympic Games.
For a complete schedule and live results tracker, visit www.worldrowing.com.
U.S. Results for Sunday, May 20, 2012
Women’s Double Sculls (W2x), Heat 2
1. United States, 6:59.97; 2. Spain, 7:02.10; 3. Denmark, 7:02.27; 4. Finland, 7:05.45.
Men’s Double Sculls (M2x), Heat 1
1. Italy, 6:24.91; 2. United States, 6:26.76; 3. China, 6:28.81; 4. Slovakia, 6:49.89; 5. Georgia, 6:57.28.
Women’s Single Sculls (W1x), Heat 2
1. Australia, 7:29.48; 2. United States, 7:32.00; 3. France, 7:37.38; 4. Poland, 7:41.15; 5. Cypress, 7:48.99.
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x), Heat 3
1. United States, 6:24.40; 2. Spain, 6:24.71; 3. Switzerland, 6:35.65; 4. Czech Republic, 6:49.21.
Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-), Heat 1
1. The Netherlands, 5:57.55; 2. United States, 6:00.47; 3. Brazil, 6:12.53; 4. China, 6:13.14; 5. Russia, 6:13.67; 6. Argentina, 6:20.97.
Men’s Eight (M8+), Race for Lanes
1. United States, 5:34.01; 2. New Zealand, 5:42.46; 3. France, 5:51.05.
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