This is the World Championships, yes, but in the fog of the morning, and under the setting sun, the boatyard is just a training site, as it would be for all those the athletes left back home. There is a quiet hum in these off-hours, when spectators have not yet arrived, or after they have packed up their parasols and lunch bags and headed home. In the midst of the craziness of the week: dancing mascots, and cheerleaders, high stakes and hard losses there is a calm. The training hours are where crews get to make the improvements they need; where they polish their catches, smooth their drive, and make their powerful finishes more precise. The sound of rowing falls onto the venue; the clacking of oars as they're placed on the dock, the tear of Velcro on the foot stretchers, the slapping of water as a crew weighs-nuff.
There were two incredibly close races for the US crews today—-the kinds of races where the whole crowd waits with bated breath as the boats emerge in front of the grandstand; the kind of race that is determined by tenths of seconds, by half a stroke.
The M2- of Mike DiSanto and Alex Karwoski racing for one of the top two spots that would send them to the semifinal sat in third as the crowd caught sight of the two. The announcer was going nuts in this race; and as they entered the last 300 meters he commented, "The Americans have work to do in last 300 but they have had such a smooth rhythmic row that I imagine they will make a move."
And move they did, they began to walk to the Argentinean crew two lanes over and through the last 150 meters the two crews were racing bowball-to-bowball. Their move was just a touch too late, and the Argentinean crew took the second place spot. "A superb race and an agonizing finish for the Americans."
Though it has a happier ending, the W4x race was no less stressful. In a massive sprint, the USA W4x held off New Zealand to finish in second for a ticket to the final. This seasoned crew, comprised of four London medalists, led Poland for the second half of this race with the Kiwis a solid two seconds back, as they approached the sprint, the Polish crew leapt ahead and the US crew was faced with a rapidly approaching New Zealand. The experienced racers were able to hold them off, earning themselves a spot in the final. Based on the margins today, it should be a great race indeed.
Nick Trojan and Austin Meyer, who, together finished 4th in the LM2x at the 2012 under 23 Worlds, faced some of their competitors from last summer in today's race. The Germans (The announcer was thrilled that the USA bow seat had a German name—Meyer, announcing that the first three people across the line would be German names.) were out ahead for the entire race with the US crew about 20 meters back, but well in second where thy finished. They still have a quarterfinal and final ahead, but they are feeling confident.
"Our first race was a good chance to get the cobwebs out," said Meyer. "We have improved as a boat, but obviously the other guys have too. Today we were more composed just making sure we advance for tomorrow for a shot at going at it again with the Germans."
"A couple of the guys we raced last year were racing all the World Cups and doing really well," said Trojan. "A couple of them medaled we had this little bit of confidence of where we sat."
Meyer just finished his senior year at Harvard, and because of school the two have had to train very differently from their European rivals, "It's hard for us because most of the European crews race together all year and raced all the world cups together," he added. "Our first international race this year was…yesterday."
The day opened with the race for lanes for the W4- and the LM8+, the fastest crews today will be placed in the center lanes in their final on Friday. It's a tricky race to judge because while most crews are in "go-mode" at the start, but there is a temptation to save energy crews are not eliminated. First and second places have effectively the same advantage as they will sit next to each other, but it's smart to not fall too far back as you'll end up with a disadvantage in an end lane.
In the W4- the USA boat, made up entirely of first-time senior national teamers, took the lead by the halfway mark. In the second half of the race, in typical US women fashion, they took off, winning by three and a half lengths. They will race the in the final on Friday afternoon where we will get a better idea if the other crews were pushing today, or holding back.
With only three entries in the LM8+, all athletes in the boat class have arrived in Chungju knowing they will leave with a medal as FISA policy dictates; the real question is who will go home with the coveted gold? The race for lanes today brought us not a hair closer to the answer. Most of Italians in the LM8+ have won gold medals in various U23 boat classes in recent past and they showed their experience as they led the field easily throughout the race, with the US crew following. The Australian crew, however, have a history of success in this event, and while they are expected to be quick, they decided not to show their cards today; they rolled into the finish a casual 24 seconds behind Italy. I guess we'll have to wait for Friday to see where the crews really stand.
The USA M4x of Derek Johnson, Hans Struzyna, Andrew Gallagher and Ryan Shelton demonstrated a powerful start, and were in second place coming through the thousand-meter mark. However, they could not keep pace with the field and finished in fourth place.
They will be joined by New Zealand in the B final, who has a new bowman, Karl Manson, brother of Robbie Manson who went undefeated in the M2x in this summer's World Cups. Karl was brought in to replace Nathan Cohen who was removed from the boat after their heat on Sunday due to a newly diagnosed heart condition.
A slight cross breeze picked up after lunch in time for the afternoon's para races; not enough to really kick up the water, but just to stir it up from the dead-flat state it has been in all week.
In the first races of the afternoon, Dana Fink and Daniel Ahr, racing in the arms-shoulders singles raced their repechages, both finishing in fifth; they will race in the B final tomorrow. This 1x event is quite competitive in both the men's and women's events and the results are spread wide across the course.
Racing for lanes were the LTAMix2x of Paul Hurley and Natalie McCarthy and the LTAMix4+ of Jenny Sichel, Andrew Johnson, Eric McDaniel, Kathy Byington and Jaclyn Smith. Hurley and McCarthy stayed in third place throughout the race, finishing there; the LTAMix4+ remained in 4th place for their race. In a slight change of schedule today, because of anticipated storms on Thursday afternoon, all para finals will take place tomorrow.
A few oar-related issues at the start today: In the LW2x, the Australian stroke, Alice McNamara didn't quite close the gate on her oarlock…remember to check those pesky oarlocks, kids! Within the first 500 the oar came out, but she was able to get it back in, screw the gate closed and make up for lost time, qualifying for the semis. Another oar issue came in a collision during the warm-up, where the Russian LTAMix2x snapped an oar in half, delaying the race a bit. It may be the World Championships, but it is still another regatta, and these things happen on every level of the sport.
It looked like Chungju elementary took a field trip today as 40 or so small children showed up at the course, snacks in hand. Sitting in the grandstands, they clapped, pointed and waved as races went by, and photographers mobbed them with attention. With all the muscle and bulk around here, it was a fun change to see some little people. A few of them hammed it up for the camera, while some were too consumed with their juice boxes to know what was happening. Who knows, maybe these youngsters will find inspiration to be future rowers themselves.
Finals begin tomorrow here in Chungju, by the time you are all waking up on Wednesday morning we'll be back with more results and hopefully the first of the USA medalists.
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