Today’s racing includes a long string of A/B semifinals, then all the D/E finals, then the women’s quad semis. This is due to doubling up of the N-Zed double into the quad; on the original schedule, there would have been only 90 minutes between the double and the quad, a superhuman turnaround even for the twins.
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Men’s eight semifinals! No one on site can remember the last time this happened; it’s certainly been at least the past two quadrennials. Anyone? Anyone?
The US commanded their heat until a killer charge from the field in the final 500, which pushed the US to a 1:23 last 500 to hold on to the lead. Canada, on the other hand, rowed home at 34 or so, with a final 500 of 1:28. Although Canada’s splits at the 1000 and 1500 bested the US by 2 and then 3 seconds, respectively, the pressure in the US heat pushed the US to have a faster time overall. The best analysts in the world figure it’s a wash to predict; we’ll leave it to the racing.
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The race of the day had to be the second semi of the women’s pair – the Brits took the lead early and for good, but the US and Canadian boats went to the 500m mark in fourth and fifth, respectively, with Germany in third, in a three-to-qualify race that had 0.4 second from 2nd to 4th at the thousand, and .85 second from 2nd to 4th at the 1500. Both the US and Canadian crews snuck past the Germans in the 3rd 500, and duked it out to the finish to qualify GB, USA, and Canada within 1.1 seconds of each other, just a second ahead of the Germans.
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Another candidate: the first semi of the women’s quad. The US took a convincing early lead, racing almost clear of the field, then the lot of them came storming up, with the Belorussians and the Australians getting through, leaving the US and Denmark to race it to the wire. The US hung on to place third by a foot, taking a spot in the A final. The first five places were within closed water of the leader.
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Julie Nichols did a nice job winning the C final of the LW1x, finishing 13th overall, as did Mike Perry in the D final, finishing 19th overall.
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The Italian LW1x is Marta Doña; the Aussie W1x is Donna Martin.
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US Olympic qualifying situation: W1x – Kristen needs to place top 5 in the petite final to come in the top 11 required to qualify the event W2x – the double needs to place top 2 in the petite final on Saturday to come in the top 8 required to qualify the event W4x – since this is a top-7 qualification, the crew qualified the crew for the Olympics by making the final
W2- - since this is a top-8 qualification, the crew qualified the crew for the Olympics by making the final W8 – needs to place in the top 5 in the final
M1x – rowing in D final, will not qualify M2x - needs to place top 5 in the petite final to come in the top 11 required to qualify the event M4x – rowing in C final, will not qualify
M2- needs to place top 5 in the petite final to come in the top 11 required to qualify the event M4- needs to place top 5 in the petite final to come in the top 11 required to qualify the event M8 - since this is a top-7 qualification, the crew qualified the crew for the Olympics by making the final
LW2x - since this is a top-9 qualification, the crew qualified the crew for the Olympics by making the final LM2x – rowing in C final, will not qualify LM4- needs to place top 5 in the petite final to come in the top 11 required to qualify the event
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We’ve noticed fewer blistering sprints and more completely spent crews in the final 100 meters of racing in these semis than is usually the case; it could be that the weather and conditions are taking a toll on the crews.
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The Swiss single sculler flipped after his semi; how is it that more crews seem to flip at World Championships than at any other regattas?
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Here’s a drill you don’t see much, in the States at least: in practice this morning, the French eight was rowing outside arm only, on the feather.
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row2k videographer Oli Rosenbladt is now on site, having had lightning strike twice on his Air France flight. Last year Air France lost Oli’s luggage en route to Seville, and didn’t return it until the following Wednesday back in Massachusetts (along the way making a half-dozen promises that a driver was on the way to the hotel with the bags at that very moment).
This year Oli took the same airline, through the same airports - indeed it was the same Tuesday night Boston-deGaulle flight, same flight number – and once again: “Sir, your luggage ees meesing.”
At least this year he packed some clothes in his carry-on, and won’t have to buy official Worlds shorts and shirt and live in them for three days.
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The racecourse is aligned on an almost perfectly North-South axis, with the crews racing northbound, and the sun rising on one side of the course, setting on the other. The orientation sets up very dramatic lighting for the morning and evening practice sessions.
The organizers have also placed floats with water in them in each lane beyond the finish line; instead of the sometimes sloppy and even dangerous water bottle toss, the crews just pull in to the floats and get water.
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