Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 11 (Xinhua) — FISA officials on Wednesday praised China’s hosting of the world rowing junior championships, saying it was very successful.

Mike Tanner, Event Commission Chairman of FISA (International Federation of Rowing Association), said although there were some very minor problems during the regatta, they were all solved with the coordination by Chinese organizing committee.

“It is a very successful championships and excellent test event,” he said.

The whole race went smoothly during the past 4 days, without any accident.

Tanner added “the good water and weather conditions today have left good impression on visiting rowers and coaches.”

“They will go away very happy and looking forward to the Olympics next year,” he said.

The championships, held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, northeast Beijing, is the first of a series of test sports event in Beijing this year before the city hosts the 2008 Olympic Games.

It started exactly one year before the day of the Olympic Games opening ceremony.

During the event, FISA and International Olympic Committee officials inspected the venue’s preparation for next year’s Games and gave some suggestions for improvement.

“We will continue to work with the organizing committee to deal with a number of small issues, and give them suggestions from the point of view of FISA,” Tanner said.

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 11 (Xinhua) — Host country China surprisingly dominated the final races of the World Rowing Junior Championships here on Saturday, by winning 6 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze in the total of 13 competing disciplines.

Forty-five Chinese young athletes participated the racing of 12 disciplines except for the men’s coxed four.

China won in women’s double sculls, men’s pair, women’s pair, women’s single sculls, women’s four and men’s quad sculls.

The traditional rowing strong nation, Germany, got only 3 gold in men’s double sculls, women’s quad sculls and men’s eight. The team also won 6 silver medals and 1 bronze.

Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and Britain each got 1 gold.

Over 600 under-18-year-old rowers from 50 countries and regions participated the 4-day regatta held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, northeast Beijing.

Germany was the most favored country in the heats, repechages and semifinals. However, it lacked behind China since the beginning of the finals, .

“I don’t know why we couldn’t row as fast as before. We don’t know what happened today …” German rower Alexander Schiller said.” We are very disappointed.”

Chinese gold winner Han Yan, who competed in women’s four, said, “We tried our best to extend our lead, but they (German rowers) followed closely. They had a very strong finish.”

Han and her crewmates finished the race in 6:54.19, 2.88 seconds earlier than their German rivals, and earned China the first gold in the regatta.

Zhu Weiwei, who won the women’s single sculls, said that ” because the race is held in my country, there is no time difference and I do not need to adjust to the weather either.”

Chinese rowers was embraced by loud cheers from local spectators during the race. “I felt thrilled by the very loud cheers,” Zhu said.

Chinese coach Gao Jingping told Xinhua in an early interview that China usually send much fewer crews to participate in previous world rowing junior championships. This competition is a good chance for Chinese young rowers to learn about foreign teams’ rowing skills and levels.

Chinese rowing team is eying the gold medals in next year’s Olympics. Jin Shenjun, Chinese men’s pair rower who is also a goldwinner, said, “We will prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games and try to compete at the same venue next year.”

The World Rowing Junior Championships started exactly one year to the day of ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. The 2008 rowing competition will also be held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese girl Zhu Weiwei won China the second gold medal in the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships in Beijing on Saturday.

Zhu finished the women’s single sculls race in seven minutes 53.66 seconds, nearly five seconds ahead of her German rival Tina Manker, who finished the 2000-meter course in 7:58:61.

Zhu said it was a bit easy to win the gold, as she saw no close rival in the last several hundred meters of the course.

Manker said Zhu was very fast. “She was calm during the race,” Manker said.

Nineteen teams participated the race.

China won the first gold medal in women’s four final race, also followed by Germany.

The 4-day regatta is the fiercest competition among junior rowers under 18 years old. Over 600 athletes from 50 countries and regions chased for 13 gold medals.

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

Chinese athletes (bottom) compete during the junior women’s four final A at the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships in Shunyi Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Park in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 11, 2007. They finished first and claimed the title with a time of 6 minutes 54.19 seconds. (Xinhua Photo)

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — China won the first gold medal in the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships in Beijing on Saturday.

China finished the women’s four final race in a winning time of six minutes 54.19 seconds. Germany was second in 6:57.07 and Belarus third in 6:59.58.

Nine teams participated the race.

“Although German team gave some pressure to us, but we reached our best level today,” Chinese rower Han Yan said.

The 4-day regatta is the fiercest competition among junior rowers under 18 years old. Over 600 athletes from 50 countries and regions chased for 13 gold medals.

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — Germany is still the strongest team in the World Rowing Junior Championships after the semifinal races in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

German crews will be in all of the 13 Final A races Saturday, followed by China in 10 and Italy and New Zealand in 5 each.

However, Germany will not easily win most of the races, although it is expected to be the top gold winner.

German single sculls rower Tina Manker commentted on her Chinese rival Zhu Weiwei that “I am not surprised by how good China is. She is very strong and she rowed so fast today. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Zhu finished the semifinal race in 7:49.01, as Manker finished in 8:02.91 on Friday.

Carina Bar, German women’s double sculls rower, agreed with Manker. “China is a big competitor. We are not quite sure that we can win,” she said after her boat won the first in Friday’s semifinals by 0.15 seconds less than China.

Some Chinese rowers are cautious about the final result. “We haven’t competed with Germany so far… We are both very strong. The final victory will go to the team who persists to the last second.” said Chinese women’s double sculls rower Zhang Yangyang.

The weather on Friday was much cooler than the previous day. “But it is still not comforting,” Bar said, “Also the wind makes some waves that can be an influence.”

Officials from the FISA (International Federation of Rowing Association) said there’s nothing to complain about the organizing and service during the regatta so far.

Matt Smith, Executive Director of FISA said at a press conference that “there is very high satisfaction level from the teams and the organization. It is going extremely well.”

The 4 day regatta attracted over 600 rowers from 50 countries and regions to compete for 13 golds.

It is the first test sports event in Beijing this year before the city hosts the 2008 Olympic Games.

Updated: 2007-08-12 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 10 (Xinhua) — Officials from the FISA (International Federation of Rowing Association) said here Friday that they are satisfied with China’s organizing of the World Rowing Junior Championships.

Matt Smith, Executive Director of FISA, said at a press conference that “there is very high satisfaction level from the teams and the organization. It is going extremely well.”

He said that except for some minor issues, there’s nothing to complain about the venue, the organizing and service during the regatta so far.

The minor issues include that the photographer’s truck is a bit high that affected the work of some timers.

The correction of such problems will make everything perfect in next year’s Olympic Games, Smith said.

The World Rowing Junior Championships, held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, northeast Beijing, is the first test event in Beijing this year before the host of the 2008 Olympic Games.

“By hosting these events, we aim to test every aspect of what we have prepared for the Games, including Games-time command system, competition organization, service standards and venue teams in addition to the coordination mechanism between venues and the city, ” Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan said in a written remark before the championships began.

On Thursday, Smith and Mike Tanner, the FISA Events Commission Chairman, praised Chinese organizing committee for efficient distribution of bottled water in the hot weather.

International Olympic Committee and FISA officials on Friday inspected the Park’s preparation for next year’s Olympic Games. Matt said they are satisfied.

The Park was also inspected as the venue for next year’s Paralympics. Some facilities will be added or changed for the convenience of Paralympic athletes, Tanner said.

The 4-day junior regatta attracted over 600 rowers from 50 countries and regions to compete for 13 golds.

Updated: 2007-08-10 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 9 (Xinhua) — China is hopeful to win its first ever Olympic rowing gold medal in next year’s Beijing Games, Denis Oswald, president of the International Federation of Rowing Associations (FISA), said on Thursday.

“China has the world top rowers and it is likely for them to win championships in the Beijing Olympics. But it is hard to make exact predictions,” Oswald said.

Chinese rowing team has become one of the strongest in the world as its senior rowers won several races in the last rowing World Cup, he told Xinhua.

“But I am sure the Chinese rowers will win several medals in the Beijing Olympics,” he said in the newly-built Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in the northeastern outskirt of Beijing.

The FISA president said he was impressed with the performance of the Chinese junior rowers in the on-going 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships.

Chinese rowing crews finished first in seven of the 41 heats on the first day of the four-day championships. They competed in 12 of the 13 competition disciplines.

The 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, kicked off on Wednesday, has attracted more than 600 rowers under or at 18 years old from 50 countries and regions. It is the first of a series of Good Luck Beijing Sport Events served as testing games for the 2008 Olympics.

“The young rowers will be greatly enriched in the championships and help China win more medals in the 2012 London Olympic Games,” said Oswald.

Meanwhile, he hoped the same service personnel in the junior championships will be involved in the Beijing Olympics.

“Their work will become much easier as they know more well of what we expect for them.”

The FISA president said he was also impressed by the world’s first class, state-of-art venue and the smiling and hospitable volunteers.

“I hope that China can provide precise weather forecasts in 2008 Olympics as rowing, an outdoor sport, can be greatly affected by bad weather conditions.”

Oswald cited an experience in Athens Olympics as saying that they successfully avoided bad weather one day by starting competitions one hour ahead of schedule after the weather forecast said there would be heavy wind at noon.