Racing in a steady cross-tailwind, two more crews made the time standard this morning, while four failed to do so; the official tally:
On or under standard:
M1x Wyatt Allen: 6:53; time standard is 6:54, Wyatt makes the team
LW4x: 6:38, time standard is 6:38, crew makes the team
Short of standard:
LM1x Tim Larson: 7:14, time standard was 7:07
LM2-: 6:50, standard was 6:42
LM8+: 5:49, standard was 5:42
W4-: 6:40, standard was 6:38
Perhaps the most heart-breaking to see fall today was Tim Larson; rowing in one of only three events that required heats and semis on Thursday and Friday, and then winning his event in the third final, this was his sixth 2k (and sixth weigh-in) in seven days; the guy had to be on pure fumes.
The light eight took a chance this morning, changing their entire lineup from a starboard stroked boat to a port-stroked boat. It looked like everyone just changed seats in each pair, but I couldn't be sure. The change didn't seem to hurt, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to shave the significant amount of water they needed to make up this morning.
Wyatt Allen hasn't had an easy road to beating the standard, which was one of the tougher standards this year, due in part to the fact that the field at Lucerne in 2001, on which the US standards were based, was really stacked. After the NSR in which he earned the right to be the single if he beat the standard, he opted to take the day right after the NSR off, and give it a try the following day. As it turned out, his day off featured a tailwind, and he showed up the next day to row into a headwind. Everyone who has been following row2k's coverage knows what happened this week; he beat it by a second on the last possible opportunity; dude has to be pretty hard-baked by now. Who knows, maybe that will be a useful experience come the first weekend in September. And it's not like his life since that NSR has been all hardship; he placed ninth at the World Cup, and won the Diamonds at Henley; not a terrible summer.
The women's four missed by the smallest amount of the day, although that crew was likely to double out of the women's eight, at least in part, so all of those athletes likely still have a shot at making the team in the big boat.
See also row2k's Final Time Trial Photo Gallery.
Once more time, the 2005 time standards:
Olympic Events 2005 Time Standard | |
---|---|
m8+ | 0:05:37 |
m4- | 0:06:06 |
m2- | 0:06:39 |
m4x | 0:05:52 |
m2x | 0:06:26 |
m1x | 0:06:54 |
lm4- | 0:06:05 |
lm2x | 0:06:27 |
w8+ | 0:06:19 |
w2- | 0:07:24 |
w4x | 0:06:33 |
w2x | 0:07:06 |
w1x | 0:07:43 |
lw2x | 0:07:12 |
Non Olympic Events: high number of entries | |
lm1x | 0:07:07 |
lw1x | 0:07:58 |
Non Olympic Events | |
m4+ | 0:06:17 |
m2+ | 0:07:05 |
lm2- | 0:06:42 |
lm4x | 0:06:01 |
w4- | 0:06:38 |
lw4x | 0:06:38 |
lm8+ | 0:05:42 |
The argument has been made that standards should not apply to self-funded crews; I definitely grasp the point, but given how this trials played out, would have to say I disagree, for these same reasons – sending in an entry and writing a check should never be enough to win a spot on a national team. Important disclaimer: this is just one man's opinion, amounts to a hill of beans in the end.
If you have enjoyed row2k's coverage of the trials, please consider supporting the site; we're the only ones out there at dawn every day bringing all of this to you. Thanks!
Comments | Log in to comment |
There are no Comments yet
|
row2k's Worlds coverage is brought to you in part by:
row2k's Worlds coverage is brought to you in part by: