More finals today and the wind is now a straight tail and no lane disadvantage.
Men’s coxed pair: Final. Italy lead off the start with Australia close behind – both crews at 36 and by 500m Italy has half a canvas lead. Half way and Australia take the lead with both having clear water over Germany and USA. Their half canvas lead is increased slowly and becomes half a length at 1500m where the Italians raise their rate and seem to have fewer balance problems than the Australians – both sprint up to 38 and 39 strokes per minute but the Aussies pull away to win by 2/3 length in 7:03.32; Italy silver, Germany bronze. FISA results.
Women’s lightweight quadruple sculls: Final. Ideal conditions for lightweights and Germany. China and USA take full advantage off the start and quickly pull ahead of Italy and Britain who are equal. By 1000m the leading pair are three seconds ahead with clear water back to China and Britain who start a battle that the Chinese win. The third 500m is decisive for Germany who manage to put 2/3 length on USA who fight back too late in last quarter but can’t make up the ground. Germany romp home for gold in 6:44.94 with USA silver and China bronze. FISA results.
Men’s lightweight quadruple sculls: Final. Four crews with similar boat speeds Germany, France, Denmark and Italy lie abreast nearly to the half way. Germany has nudged a 2/3 length lead with Italy and France behind. Denmark seems to be losing the pace. Germany is the quality crew and pulls clear water ahead of Italy by 1500 who fight France with the Danes nearly a length down. As the sprint develops Germany watches from the front and France wins out over Italy who gets a double whammy as the Danes charge through to bronze medal position on the line. Germany gold in 6:11.44, France silver, Denmark bronze. FISA results.
Men’s lightweight four: Final. Australia are the early leaders by a small margin in this most competitive of events there are three crews in a line a half way, Germany, Australia and Britain with the Aussies having a small lead. Going through the third quarter the British push out and briefly take the lead but Australila follows with Germany a canvas behind. by 1500 the British have a canvas lead over Australia and Germany are a couple of feet behind and China and Italy fight for fourth spot. Coming into the sprint the British still lead with Australia on their shoulder and Germany close behind but a Chinese attack pushes them past Germany and nearly catch Australia. A photo finish gives Great Britain gold in 6:10.71, Australia silver 6:10.78 and China bronze 6:10.79. FISA results.
Women’s pair: Final. this was the New Zealander’s race from start to finish – they led out chased by Britain and Canada leaving the defending title holders from the USA two seconds behind. By the 1000m the kiwis had three seconds on Britian who still overlapped Canada and Australia. The lead extended to 7 seconds in the third 500m Great Britain led the rest of the pack from Canada and Australia and as they start to close down towards the line Canada decreses the gap to Britain to half a length and both gain on New Zealand but the USA sprint for their lives and nip Australia on the line to take bronze. Gold New Zealand in 7:17.12, silver Great Britain and USA bronze. FISA results.
Men’s pair: Final. Great Britain’s determination to overcome their kiwi nemises showed in their race strategy – they led from the start and had New Zealand and Greece level pegging behind for the first half of the race. Italy, Germany and France did not feature after half way as these three crews pulled further ahead. By half way the Kiwis had dropped the Greeks and were coming level with the British and by 1250 they were level. Both crews increased their stroke rate through the 1750 mark and the lead switched to the home crew but the British continued to push back and both powered onto the line to a 3 foot margin on the line for New Zealand. Gold New Zealand 6:30.16, silver Great Britain 6:30.48 and bronze, Greece. FISA results.
Women’s single scull: Final. A determined start by Frida Svensson of Sweden gives her the early lead over Knapkova of Czech Republica and Belarus who are quarter of a length behind and New Zealand’s Emma Twigg nearly 2 seconds back. She extends the lead to half a length at 1000m and it’s clear Karsten is sculling conservatively still behind the Czech and Emma Twigg looks round as she’s now close to Karsten. Svensson leads by a length and coming into 1500 Karsten has begun her customary push back and closed the lead to one second. Twigg closes on the Czech and begins to sprint hard. Frida leads into the last 250m with NZ doggedly continuing her press past the Czech and closing hard on Karsten all rating 38 as they cross the line Sweden hangs on to a 3 foot win and gold medal in 6:47.61, Belarus silver in 6:47.79, New Zealand bronze. FISA results.
Men’s single scull: Final. Alan Campbell of Great Britain takes his customary lead off the line and is closely followed by Synek of Czech Republic with China and Slovenia together. Tufte of Norway and Spik of Slovenia don’t feature in the later race. Through half way and Czech, New Zealand and Great Britain are racing stroke for stroke (great TV pictures) and pull ahead of the rest of the pack Synek has nudged ahead by 2/3 length and Drysdale is overtaking Campbell. Closing into 1500 Synek now has a second over New Zealand and Campbell appears to fade but suddenly he takes his rate up. Drysdale does not respond and the margin between the two closes through the last 300m. New Zealand clearly can’t catch the Czech but the Briton does his utmost to win the silver but the line comes up too soon. Gold Czech Republic 6:47.49, silver New Zealand 6:49.42, bronze Great Britain 6:49.83. FISA results.
Related articles
- Men’s four win gold for Britain (news.bbc.co.uk)
- Fours crew add to gold haul (mirror.co.uk)
- Kiwi gold rush at World Rowing Champs (3news.co.nz)
- Canada wins gold, bronze at world rowing championships (cbc.ca)
- World Rowing Championships 2010: men’s pair edged out in thriller (telegraph.co.uk)
