Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-08-09 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 8 (Xinhua) — Germany proved to be the world’s strongest junior rowing team as it finished first in 6 of the 13 competition disciplines in the heats of the World Rowing Junior Championships here on Wednesday.

China was second to Germany with 5 fastest qualifying times in the heat.

More than 600 rowers under or at 18 years old form 50 countries and regions are competing in the four-day regatta held in the newly-build Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

After the first day of competition, German team got the berth to the finals in women’s four, men’s coxed four, women’s pair, women’s quad sculls, women’s eight, and men’s eight.

No other countries and regions could enter the finals in more than one discipline before the repechage on Thursday and the semifinals on Friday.

“We hope we can do our best and win a medal,” Anna-Maria Kipphardt from Germany said after her boat won the ticket to the women’s four final.

But some of her teammates are cautious about the final results. Navina Passmann, also in Kipphardt’s crew, said “many countries and regions are quite strong actually. They are all potential rivals.”

Seventeen-year-old Chinese rower Zhu Weiwei, who finished first in the heat of women’s single sculls, said: “I achieved a little success today. I was rather relaxed in the heat, but the pressure will be heavier in the final with many strong foreign opponents.”

Although some athletes from Russia and other high latitude countries felt a bit hot in Beijing’s August, other rowers enjoyed the weather.

“It is very satisfying — not much wind and not much wave,” German rower Ronja Schutte said.

Matt Smith, executive director of the International Federation of Rowing Association, told reporters that the heats were very smooth despite two boats from China and Russia were relegated to the last place as they were found under weight.

The World Rowing Junior Championships is the first of a series of international sports events in 2007 in Beijing called “Good Luck Beijing Sport Events (GLBSE)”. The GLBSE is seen as a rehearsal before Beijing’s holding of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The heat kicked off exactly one year to the day of the opening ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Updated: 2007-08-09 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 8 (Xinhua) — Chinese girls led in the heats of women’s four at the World Rowing Junior Championships here on Wednesday.

China won the heat by 6:53.68 and entered the finals together with Germany, which finished the heat in 7:07.11.

Nine teams participated in the first day competition. The other seven, with the United States as the fastest, will compete in the repechage tomorrow.

The US crew was second to China in heat 2 with a result of 6:59.79, but only the first crew in each heat group will automatically enter the finals.

More than 600 junior rowers from 50 countries and regions participate in the 4-day World Rowing Junior Championships.

Updated: 2007-08-09 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, August 8 (Xinhua) — Young Chinese rowers hope to turn in good performance at the four-day World Rowing Junior Championships, so as to have an opportunity to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The championships, one of the “Good Luck Beijing” tests, were held in the newly-built Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in northeastern outskirt of Beijing. It was served as a test tournament for the Beijing Olympics and attracted more than 600 rowers under or at 18 years old form 50 countries and regions worldwide.

Chinese rowers took part in 12 of the 13 disciplines on the first day and finished first in seven of the 41 heats of the championships, which Liu Hong, a member of China’s Women’s Four, said she wanted to achieve good results because whether she will have the chance to join the Games depends on match results from now on.

“The championships can be regarded as preparation for the Olympics. To compete with so many world top young rowers will greatly enrich our experience and help improve our performance in later competitions,” said the 18-year-old Chinese.

She added that it is hard to make predictions for the final results as she knows little about her rivals, especially those from overseas.

China’s Women’s Four finished the 2,000-meter-course in 6:53.68, trailing the 7:07.11 of Germany who ranked first in another heat.

Zhu Weiwei, who finished first in the second heat of the women’s single sculls, said that to compete in Beijing Olympics is the dream of all young Chinese rowers.

“I played quite well today. I’m rather relaxed on the heat, but the pressure will be heavier at the final with many strong foreign girls,” said the 17-year-old rower.

Download the Qualification System

In Detail — In Summary

ATHLETE QUOTA

Men 350 (123 boats)

Women 194 (77 boats)

Tripartite Commission Invitation places 4 ( boats)

Host Nation 2 (2 boats)

TOTAL 550 (202 ( ) boats)

MAXIMUM PER NOC An NOC can enter a maximum of 1 boat per event

ALLOCATION OF QUALIFICATION Qualification is attributed to boats and NOCs, not crews

QUALIFICATION SYSTEM PRINCIPLES – MEN AND WOMENEventQualificationTotal2007 FISA World Rowing ChampionshipsThe majority of the quota places (between 7 and 11 per category for men and between 5 and 9 per
category for women) will be allocated to NOCs based on the results at the 2007 World ChampionshipsMen: 84 boats
Women: 45 boatsContinental Qualification RegattasAsia:
12 places for men and 11 places for women will be allocated at the Asian Olympic Qualification RegattaMen: 9 boats
Women: 8 boatsAfrica:
6 places for men and 5 places for women will be allocated at the African Olympic Qualification RegattaMen: 5 boats
Women: 4 boatsLatin America:
12 places for men and 11 places for women will be allocated at the Latin American Olympic Qualification RegattaMen: 9 boats
Women: 8 boatsFinal Olympic Qualification Regatta48 places for men and 37 places for women will be allocated at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta, open to all NOCs except in the events offered at the Continental Qualifications RegattasMen: 16 boats
Women: 12 boatsHost nation1 men’s place and 1 women’s place in the single sculls events will be allocated to the host nation should it not have achieved a qualification placeMen: 1 boat
Women: 1 boatTripartite Commission Invitation4 athlete places will be reserved for allocation by the Tripartite Commission( boats)TotalMen
Women124 ( ) boats
78 ( ) boats

Updated: 2007-11-27

It’s been going 17 years and it continues to grow. This year’s British Indoor Rowing Championships attracted a huge 3,203 competitors ready and willing to spend a few minutes pulling as hard as they could on the ergometer, the indoor rowing machine.

The biggest jump in numbers turned out in the junior category, helped by the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, under the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, backing a new indoor rowing challenge which takes the ergometer into schools. It is estimated that 70,000 school children will give it a go.

World Rowing contributor Lisa Lynam was there not only to observe the action, but to take part. Lynam, from Canada, reports:

“From age 10 to 84, the Brits seem to embrace the much bemoaned ergometer like no other nation. How else can you explain a record turnout of over 3,200 competitors at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England? From Olympians and Team Great Britain members, to school children, to grandmothers and fathers, to University students, hundreds of ergs on the Arena floor whirled while announcers shouted out exciting match-ups and a three-story screen projected the race developments to cheering fans in the Arena seats.

By far the most brilliant (as the Brits would say) event was the open men’s heavyweight with Graham Benton retaining his British title and breaking a championship record in the process. The deafening crowd nearly raised the roof to confirm how truly exciting the indoor aspect of Britain’s most prominent Olympic sport is.

And kids are catching on. The arena was full of children eager to play on an erg. Competing in team events, kids joined in by the hundreds dressed in school uniform and having fun competing for bragging rights.

This is definitely one of those events every rower must try sometime in their rowing careers.”

In between writing Lynam also raced to second place in the women’s open lightweight category.

Giving it a try again, three-time British champion Graham Benton went after another champion title when he faced off against the best of the British squad in the highlight race of the day, the men’s open heavyweight. The rumour was that Benton also wanted to take the British record, currently held by Matthew Pinsent.

The tension was obvious with two false starts being called before the race could truly start. Benton, at the start, held his trademark 1:11 (per 500m split) to take the lead over Rick Egington from Great Britain’s men’s eight with Andy Hodge (Great Britain’s men’s four) holding the pace. Benton held off his competition to finish in 5:42.5. Benton had missed out on Pinsent’s record by 2/100ths of a second. He did, however, record a new open championship record. Egington finished second and Matt Langridge secured third.

(Credit: FISA. Click here for further information.)

Updated: 2007-11-21

It has become a highlight of the head racing season. Italy’s 16th annual Silverskiff regatta attracted not only the best of the elite, it also brought together some of the top masters rowers from around the world and also featured the Kinderskiff for 11 to 14 year olds.

At the head of the field for this single sculls only 11km stake race, was once again current World Champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand. Drysdale first raced the event last year, taking away top honours as well as winning extra gold coins for setting a new course record. This year Drysdale replicated this performance by breaking his own record by 15 seconds.

On the women’s side the powerful Michelle Guerette of the United States was the first woman home in the open women’s section. Guerette also gained 43rd fastest time out of the nearly 400 male and female single scullers entered. She came up short in her bid to break Italy’s Elisabetta Brugo’s longstanding record but still left with 800 Euros in winnings. Brugo has won the event 10 times and continues to compete this year finishing 3rd woman overall and first in the women’s masters A category.

Italian elite lightweight Elia Luini finished second overall and first in the lightweight category followed by American Steve Tucker who, like Guerette, has been in Europe for the early winter training. The first lightweight woman home was Sara Karlsson of Sweden with her identical twin sister Lena taking third. Normally the Karlsson sisters race together competing internationally for Sweden in the lightweight double.

Top masters included Beppe Girone who again won the F category. Girone is a multiple Italian gold medallist from the 1960s. Top masters from the United States included perennial Head of the Charles age group winner Ellen Kennelly who won the women’s masters C. Also Henry Hamilton and Carlo Zezza who won the men’s masters G and H respectively on the back of their Head of the Charles success.

The one of its kind Kinderskiff race attracted 252 entries and encouraged some father and son racing combinations. Donal Casey from Great Britain raced in the Silverskiff while his two sons, Dominic and Samuel raced in the Kinderskiff. Australian Adam Morgan brought his son Jacob who was one of the youngest competitors in the Kinderskiff race. Dad, Adam finished 111th overall and 10th in the masters B category.

For the two days of racing the weather stayed cool, crisp and sunny with a slight breeze which varied over the course.

This year the Silverskiff attracted rowers from 17 countries including top scullers from Egypt, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, Slovenia and Serbia as well as the usual large Italian turnout. A large portion of the France’s men’s national team tried their luck at the gold as well as Slovenia’s best, Luka Spik and Iztok Cop and Serbia’s top rower Nikola Stojik.

Overall Results:

Men

1. Mahe Drysdale, New Zealand

2. Elia Luini, Italy

3. Lorenzo Bertini, Italy

4. Julien Bahain, France

5. Jean-Baptiste Macquet, France

6. Iztok Cop, Slovenia

7. Steve Tucker, United States

8. Sjoerd Hamburger, the Netherlands

9. Mario Gyr, Switzerland

10. Daniele Gilardoni, Italy

Women

1. Michelle Guerette, United States

2. Mareike Adams, Germany

3. Elisabetta Brugo, Italy

4. Sara Karlsson, Sweden

5. Gaia Palma, Italy

6. Martina Boesch, Germany

7. Lena Karlsson, Sweden

8. Cristina Romiti, Italy

9. Nicola Gavel, United States

10. Alessandra Caraffini, Italy

(Credit: FISA. Click here for further information.)

Updated: 2007-11-19 From: Xinhuanet

WELLINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) — New Zealand Olympic rowing champion Rob Waddell is to return to the sport but will combine it with his day job on the Team New Zealand America’s Cup squad.

Waddell, who won gold at the 1998 and 1999 world rowing championships and the 2000 Olympics, before becoming a grinder for the 2003 America’s Cup defense and this year’s unsuccessful challenge, said at the weekend that he has been back to boat for over two months.

Waddell said rowing would be a “short-term commitment, first through to trials, and then perhaps to the Olympics.”

He has constructed a training program with NZ National Team which allows him to combine the two sports. But he said his level of fitness, whether he could reach the required standard quickly enough and the logistics of combining the two sports meant he was unable to say he was definitely committed to trial for a national boat.

Rowing New Zealand high performance manager Andrew Matheson said it was up to Waddell to prove himself between now and February’s national championship and declared it “premature” to discuss which crew might accommodate him in Beijing.

NZ National Team agreed Waddell could return to competitive rowing, although probably only until the end of the Beijing Olympics.