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Lucerne World Cup Regatta, 7th-9th July 2006 Friday 7th July, heats and reps This is a very busy morning for me, so I probably won't update this page until much later. But to get you started, there was a terrific storm on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning, which apparently knocked the Rotsee start tower over. Doddie (Chris Dodd, Independent correspondent) said it was 'upside down in the middle of the lake at midday' when he arrived. For those who haven't been here, one of the most fun things about travelling to Lucerne is that the train curls round the hill on the non-spectator side of the lake, so you can see the entire course, start to finish, as it slows down to go into Lucerne station. Sybrand has pictures of the storm (NLRoei) but not the tower, which apparently needed two helicopters to help get it upright again. I wouldn't like to be the starter up there this morning... Now it's calm, very light rain, virtually no wind, and good racing conditions. All I have to cope with is Mike Rosewell (Times correspondent) being unbearably perky next to me: he's not been allowed to go to the other World Cups by his paper and so is making the most of this one. Loon. Anyway, racing's whizzing by, Karsten has just won her nth opening heat, at a steady canter. We've also seen the Danish LM8+ getting straight through to the final in the tightest of finishes (0.01 seconds ahead of the Germans, and ecstatically happy about it). And Zac Purchase looking in very fine form now back from injury, plus Tim Male also qualifying - two GBR LM1x straight into the semifinal, good work. In the M1x Campbell is down to 30 ahead of Hamburger while winning his heat, and asks if we know the time when he sculls away on the warm-down, presumably trying to crack intermediate records. I'm not sure what the 500m is at Lucerne, was probably set at the worlds in 2001. Mahe Drysdale seemed to be playing with his opposition, he sped out ahead, then let them catch up, and just powered on taking 3-4 feet a stroke at the end, to secure the win. Hacker's injured, by the way, FISA writer Melissa Bray says something to do with his leg, so has to miss the regatta. Don't be fooled by the times - the final's going to be a very hard race for everyone. Jess Eddie and Baz Moffat have a hard time in the W2-, something of a surprise to see them race it out since Jess is going to have to replace Carla Ashford later in the W8+. Carla's slightly ill and may be back later under the FISA rules which allow resubstitution of recovered athletes - I'm beginning to wonder why mild stomach aches have cropped up in so many GB athletes recently. Has anyone had a hard think about facilities they share, eg Dorney/Caversham? I know they all use the medical gel to wash their hands obsessively when they feel under threat, but sometimes that isn't quite enough. Maybe a bit more twice-daily wiping of door-handles, light switches and other common areas would be in order - it's easy to forget it needs to be done at home when they have hotel staff doing all that while they're abroad. Later.... Then the men's pair, our first sight of Tom James and Colin Smith, who have been training together for a few weeks after exams. They look superb, great boat-movers both, and effortlessly winning their heat, quicker to every marker than the reigning world champions Twaddle and Bridgwater (NZL). First Brits through to the finals. I think Germany 1 could be quite a danger later, but it's not quite obvious whether they let GB through in the third 500m (perhaps feeling they couldn't quite overhaul so not really trying) or were broken. Either way, Colin and Tom had the answers. Good work both, and Rusty Williams who is coaching them. It's such a nice surprise to have yet another crew not from the official top of the GB heap doing so well - just like Annie and Anna in the W2x earlier in the season. Talking of the girls, they do a magnificent job winning their W2x heat, closed down by Italy but then sprinting and whipping a length out of them remarkably quickly in the last 200m. That gets them the finals spot in real style, and to make it more encouraging they're no more than a length behind the Evers-Swindells' times to any marker, though the New Zealanders were not pressed hard. Still, even to be up there on speed is superb for the British double, still relatively new to this level of competition. A few races later our new 'Matt and Steve' (Wells and Rowbotham) win their heat as well, looking extremely confident, but they're very much in the mix where the times/rates are concerned. The semis could get interesting - it's an event where a) people are getting closer to Spik and Cop than is usual and b) several crews are having good seasons. A bit of a break - I go along for a coffee and talk to various parents in the spectator area. The next race with GB interest is the men's fours - we have both GB crews in the same heat. GB2 is a mix of guys who could still be up for M8+ selection in theory (much may depend on the results here) but if not, will make up a coxed four for Eton. They struggle a bit, rather outclassed (though at least Ric seems to be fit now), while GB1 parade in at the head of the field. Well, I say parade - it looks from our slightly restricted vantage point as if the first 1400m or so goes very well, but then as the rest of the race closes back up, they don't quite seem to have worked out how to finish it off. The resulting 34.5 looks from the outside like a bit of a scramble, not their usual cohesive selves, though it's obvious they aren't really being pushed. Quicky turn-round as normal, and from the first stroke their paddle back along the outside lane looks much better than the power strokes were in the race. The times, when they come, are excellent - clearly there's nothing to worry about, but it doesn't go down as one of their classiest last 500m's. It looks like the Dutch slacked to light 1.5-2 strokes before the line - following coaches can't really see here with the finish grandstand in the way. Knocking it on the head just before the line is a neat way to add half a second or more to your final split, without the other crews usually being aware of it. Even if not on purpose, it's a good tactic. So, on to the second set of Olympic-class races, the ones which would take place on the final day at the worlds. First up for us is the lightweight women - Hester Goodsell and Lindsay Dick running Helen Casey and Jane Hall close, but it's the Aussie double which breaks through not long before the end to seize the semi-final place, with a push the Brits can't match. Jen Goldsack and Antonia van Deventer were on the original entry list for this as a third double, but clearly something's up with Jen, who has had a difficult year with shoulder surgery etc. Antonia's entry was transferred over to the single, which she raced earlier, a long way off the pace. The Egyptian women's lightweight double has just rowed past, both wearing a very clever hood-affair which preserves their Muslim modesty, along with full-length leggings. Clearly doesn't obstruct their rowing, but they've just finished last in the first heat of the event. Then the lightweight men's doubles, GB finding Germany too strong, though it's Denmark once again who impress - only 18 seconds outside the world best time in not particularly fast conditions, and completely unpushed (7+ seconds up on the next crew). Wow. The LM4- is a tidgy bit less exciting, though Egypt's quick time sets everyone guessing. Three qualifying from each heat in this, so it's the repechage where we'll see the last-minute desperate dashes for the line. Women's quads, and Fran Houghton's dad emails to say the race tracker is offline, has been since the fours. Oops, I'd better do a bit more blogging and get this up on t'internet. GB's W4x lollop down the course winning easily - Rosewell mutters 'majestic' next to me. I particularly like how well-connected they are through the 90 at the moment, a very strong style. They are the only crew to stop and give us a quick comment before they set off towards the warm-down area - here in Lucerne all the crews pass the media grandstand on their way back, and if we scramble down to the lake edge we can catch them briefly. Thanks ladies! Then the eights - GBR's women don't look in amazing form, but I expect nobody would, nine seconds behind the Romanians, and carrying a sub who's raced once already today. The USA (half the Henley Royal eight plus four who travelled direct from the States) should be a bit weaker than it was at HRR, but still manage to beat the Romanian finish time, similarly unpushed. If we had betting in rowing the women's eights final would make a good one to cover. Germany finally pick themselves up and turn in a decent men's eights race for the first time since Munich, and GB can't get past Poland so finish third. Quite a few heads in hands at the end - the word was their Henley final was a shocker, uncharacteristically bad start and row, but it's not evident things have gone much better here yet. We'll see - these eights can so easily turn round in a single race, and GB have a habit of doing well in the reps when they have to. In a lavatorial frame of mind, Rosewell divulges that in the men's loos near the press centre, there are stickers in the urinals which change colour and display an advertising slogan, when peed upon. Very creative. Unfortunately the Times correspondent's German isn't up to deciphering the ad. Then Rosie starts burping - he blames the gherkins in the sarnies, but I think he's doing it on purpose. Degoutant. There's a break now, time to see a few of the crews doing prolonged warm-downs or paddles if they're not racing again for a while, but the lake isn't especially crowded. Tonight's practice session will be more worth watching. Much cry of "Forza Italia!" as their men's quad and eight go past. ROM's W8+ is doing a slide-control exercise, looks as if they're doing the recovery in slow motion rather like Ewoud Dronkert's animations. I think the threat of the USA has put a bit of a rocket underneath them - it's the smoothest I've seen them row for years, finally marrying power and technique. Russia's men's four inches past doing catch-drill, not quite in time, to be honest. NED's W8+ come back up to the finish, on their second or third circuit of the course, and do a low-wash turn, alternately dipping slow forward/backing-down catches on either side, very classy. (Not something we see often in Britain, which is why it catches my attention). They're a bit short in the finish when they do row off, though. Mostly quads and eights in possession of the course, since they don't have to race until tomorrow. Brr, it's getting chilly. Time to do other jobs, then I'll mention the reps (esp. GB-relevant) later. Later... Midway through the afternoon, a German female journalist and I think a Swiss male journalist start arguing about her unplugging his computer - "taking my energy". It all gets very serious, but the most amusing bit is both talking the entire time in English, when I'd expect them to prefer Deutsch or Swiss-Deutsch as more effective. Maybe they're both angling for sympathy. The press area at Lucerne is so cramped we all get stir-crazy. Grr. Just rang the desk - a bare 200 words for me. Crossy gets the most - 350 for the Guardian - if he manages to keep it. Everyone else is on short rations because of Wimbledunge and footy. Reps are boring today - not much happening for British supporters. Surprisingly not quite as much close racing as usual, either - sometimes it just happens that the closest in speed are at the top or bottom of the pack, not at the middle where qualification really starts to count. Laura through the LW1x, but Antonia struggles - well up until recently she thought she was coming in the third GB double, it's a fair hiccup. Hester and Lindsay look pretty good in the LW2x getting through in the second qualifying place. The men's second-string four are deeply unlucky. In the fastest rep, for no apparent reason (the conditions don't seem to change), they are third and therefore in the C final, in a time which would have had them winning all but one of the other heats, and certainly qualifying. France meanwhile have a selection problem, with three fours all just about the same speed. The LM2x is the final rep with GB interest. In the first rep, Switzerland scull themselves to a standstill trying to qualify, and the stroke is hauled into the rescue boat at the finish line. Clearly disturbed by his condition (I've no idea if this was justified or not) the rescue boat guys set off up the course towards the boathouses at roughly 1000m, at top speed. Poor rep 2 is coming down - when Slovakia finally win it's not much of a surprise that they're some 4 seconds slower than the previous rep, the wash they had in the last 250m was horrible. But it's so bad it lingers around somewhat. Later, after racing, I meet James Lindsay-Fynn and Mark Hunter on the way back to the team hotel - they say they were disturbed by bad water. Clearly the wash lingered for yet another race, though they do manage to qualify behind Greece in a good quick time. Night night.
Saturday 8th July, semis, reps and non-Olympic finals Down at the course early - it's a dullish day, but with the promise of patches of sun if the cloud shifts a bit. The Rotsee looks gorgeous - deep green, flat as a pancake, and the knock of blades in gates as I walk down the zigzag path towards the finish grandstand. As I get to the lake, the Dutch M4- are oodling slowly past. There's a precise sense of connectedness in their catches, they really do lock on right at the front, and at a paddle it doesn't even look as if they're having to work the boat past the blade, it slides smoothly. A little bit reminiscent of the Dutch 1996 M8+ for anyone who's seen the video footage of them training. Soon enough the last crews go in, and the course speaker system starts playing a mix of Morris music and reggae to get us in the mood for the racing. The cows on the opposite hillside shake their bells in sympathy with something... More usual suspects in the press area - BARJ arrives en masse, nursing slightly dodgy heads in some cases, and Richard Wearne turns up for Pro-Athlete. Martin Cross is the sole BBC representative - they're not sending the usual team this time due to Wimbledunge and The Footy, so he'll be doing live interviews for Grandstand as required, as well as his FiveLive stuff. We mull over plans for tonight - the uncivilised schedule has the non-Olympic finals (W4-, LM/W1x, LM8+, LM2- and LW/M4x) between 6pm and 8pm. To encourage the press corps to stay, they're laying on a barbecue at the course, but the word is now that they're charging 65 Swiss francs for it, which means nobody will go. Muppetry. A reader was asking about the Iraqi LM1x, who didn't finish yesterday. Both Muayied Ali (IRQ) and Takehiro Kubo (JPN) capsized during their heat yesterday, so are unplaced in the competition. However, Denmark's second LM1x, Adrian Tan, who is 19th overall has agreed to race an 'exhibition final' with both of them, at 11:24, since without them he doesn't have a D final. According to FISA's Melissa Bray, the Iraq rowing is part of the FISA development project, and began a couple of years ago. The small team (about 4 athletes, two of them former kayakers) trains in Baghdad near one of the US military bases, under rather dangerous conditions - they have had some close calls with bullets etc. Other Iraq national sports teams training in the area have been killed or taken hostage, so they are known to be under threat. Imagine training under those conditions. We get a few notices - Simon Burkel (GER3 LM2-) isn't feeling well so they've withdrawn, Rika Geyser (RSA W1x) likewise, and unsurprisingly after yesterday so has the SUI LM2x because Mario Gyr (strokeman, see above) is ill. First races of the day, and Laura Ralston doesn't quite manage to catch the qualifying places in her LW1x semi, despite posting the fastest last 500m of the regatta. Marit van Eupen (NED) still looks like a good bet in this, although expect the Spanish girls to give her a very good race. LM1x, and Zac Purchase looks very relaxed winning his semi, a class act. But in the next race, Tim Male paddles in a long way last. Scamper down to ask him what happened, and it turns out he's not feeling well. "I thought I could do this race", he explains, but his body's not playing ball. Poor Tim - it's already pressured enough with Zac coming in as GBR1 and the whole selection issue now up for grabs again, and to make matters worse he's ill on the day of the final, also the day before his birthday. I was so hoping he'd have something to celebrate his day off with. Team announcement is next week - while it's great to have such competition for the LM places, and there is a range of combinations they could go to the worlds in, I do hope they give Tim the credit for his good results so far, or delay the final decisions until the Varese training camp. You have to hand it to him though - as he paddled past explaining what was up, his next thought was for Zac, to make sure he had qualified properly for the final. A great-hearted guy, who really deserves to be wearing a GB all-in-one in Eton in August. C finals, and the GB men's second-string four come down, a much better row than yesterday, from the looks of it. They aren't the fastest of starters, but helped by a quick-finishing German crew, edge back on Italy to finish only a quarter of a length down. Good racing. Later.... Went for a quick wander up to the boat area, roughly at 1000m, stopping on the way to chew the fat with various rowing people. Mike Baldwin is busy with his team putting up a World Champs stall to sell tickets, halfway along, and the athletes are using up the lunch break testing the water. Bill Barry, busy licking Alan's M1x boat clean (well, he might as well be) and then Maestro Campbell himself about to warm up, who got bored the other day and shaved go-faster lines along both sides of his head. Several people say they're not at all sure about the concept of having non-Olympic finals on the middle day, especially as it means the programme drags on until past 8pm tonight. Lunch break coming to an end, boats all being racked, and a few racers getting ready as I walk back. I get congratulated on my coot-rescuing skills by Charley Butt, coaching US scullers. I hadn't written about this yesterday - while taking a break from typing, I discovered a young coot (waterbird) with stubby half-grown wings wandering around bemusedly behind the grandstand tent on the main path. Much cheeping, in a bewildered "where have you put my lake" type of way. It was right in the middle of the lengthy expanse of tent, a long way from anywhere it was going to manage to get through, so I cornered it, picked it up and walked down to the water. Bloody bird wasn't the slightest bit thankful, just swam off without a backward glance. Semifinals start (with a few reps interleaved) and Knapkova and Karsten do their usual stint at the head of the W1x races. Youngest in Knapkova's semifinal, Gabriella Bascelli, qualifies ahead of Peggy Waleska (GER), to a huge cheer from the Italian partisans in the grandstand. She flashes an I-know-I'm-cute smile, which gets the photographers' cameras clicking. M1x semis, and while Mahe comfortably sees off Karonen, the other race is a four-way dash between Hamburger (NED), Tufte (NOR), Synek (CZE) and Campbell (GBR). Tufte looks relatively comfortable as does Synek, and Campbell does his trademark sprint to get ahead of Hamburger just in time for the qualification. There's a bit of background on why this happens, but I'm afraid we'll all save that for our newspaper reports. A bundle of repechages for two-person boats. Then the M2x semis: race one is a corker, very tight between all but Poland. In the end it is Spik and Cop in charge - Spik has braided his hair back tight, all business-like - and France a shade behind. Hungary edge out Norway who keep the lid on a surprisingly decent Belgian double. If the French had had a better start they might have been seriously dangerous. By the way, while in the launch for two SLO M2x races at Henley (their first and the final) I noticed that Cop rockets off the start at about 51-52 every time. Very sharp, and very speedy. Could be worth walking up to the start for at Eton in August. Semi number two has Germany leading for ages, until Estonia and Britain start to close up very quickly. Wells and Rowbotham nip past at just the right point to take the win. It's not quite as quick as the other race, but perhaps because the top three was more obvious - jury's out on just how tight it will be and who between, tomorrow. Yet again the double sculls turning up some of the best racing (it's becoming a habit). News from the team - Carla's still out of the eight for today, but they're not yet sure about tomorrow - they want to race the full line-up if they can. Tim Male will race his B final, so clearly nothing serious was up with him after all. Now the men's fours, and the weather is improving dramatically - real sun, and everyone taking their warm tops off and putting sunnies on. First M4- semi is quite interesting, and quite tight - Slovenia have to work pretty hard to be sure they stay at the head of the field, with NZL second behind them and the Czechs through in third. Second semi has the GB four on top form, rowing clean and long, and never letting the Dutch get a sniff of pushing ahead. Particularly good to see the Brits with the confidence to race below sprint pace only just ahead of their worst rivals here (the other semi is much slower) without letting it push them into rushing in any way or making 'just in case' moves. Very slick. (If you're reading this Hodgemeister, my view is that was your best race so far this season, at least what I could see). Ting! Point to GB. Now what have the Dutch got to counter that? We'll soon find out, tomorrow. Word from a source nearer the NED camp is that they're still hopping mad about coming to Henley just to row over - they're calling Hodgey "the English patient". Ha. Ironically, one of their guys has gone ill this week - they gave Jurgen quite a shock putting different subs in earlier - but he's ok to race now. The Netherlands plan is "we're going to get the Brits" - maybe not this weekend, but definitely some time according to them, and preferably in Eton. Now all we need is the USA, Canada or both to pull out a blinding four and we've got a great event for August. Lightweight women's doubles - Hester and Lindsay come fifth and go to the B final, but are only just behind Helen and Jane (3rd in the other semi) on time - they've been steadily improving all regatta. I get a "back where we belong" comment from Jane as she and Helen row past, rather pleased to be returning to the A final, but it has to be said they didn't need to have the Irish sneak past them in the last few strokes of the semi. Mark and James get third place in the LM2x semi, hounded all the way by the Canadians, and not far behind the winners. It's a massively faster semi than the other, which is a masterclass by Danes Rasmussen & Quist. Competing at Henley hasn't done Hungarians Hirling and Varga quite as much good as they might think, a lowly third for the reigning world champions, albeit behind Vasileios Polymeros (GRE and world LM1x champion last year, now in the Olympic class boat). But they were not troubled by fourth-place Japan, so it's likely there is a lot more speed to come from all three for tomorrow's final. My hunch is another medal will be hard for Hunter and Lindsay-Fynn to get, but there is an outside chance. Britain's LM4- blow their opportunity, first all the way until the closing field catches them out and three boats pass them to leave them very annoyed at being in the B final again. A great shame, when they could have made it and had a chance. I'll bet they're the most upset with themselves. The eights are interesting - Britain's women hang on ahead of Germany to win their rep, but it doesn't really look as if the Germans had entirely tried to sprint. On the flip side, Jess Eddie was rowing for her second flat-out race of the day, and may even be re-substituted by Carla tomorrow, so there should be more GB speed to come. No such obvious option for the men, only 0.16 ahead of Switzerland on the line, though first place will give them a good lane tomorrow, either 2 or 5. The problem is they were 7 seconds slower than the Dutch, second in the other rep, which doesn't bode well, since the Dutch have already looked terribly pedestrian here compared with their racing in Henley. And yes, it is the Grand crew.
Photograph courtesy of Peter Spurrier
Sunday 9th July: Olympic A and B finals The shuffling of all the non-Olympic and C/D/E finals to the previous day makes this a later start - which is welcome, but not necessarily the best way of arranging racing. To make up for it, finally a good weather day, with a bit of sunshine, but cool when the clouds come over. The crews have been up early, including the second GB M4-, paddling at 7:30am (which rather put the kaibosh on their post-racing night out). OK, time for the Alan Campbell story. According to his co-coach Bill Barry (he's also being coached by Jurgen now) Alan's blades were broken in transit - I wonder how, since they're usually brought out with the team boats and all other equipment - and he had to borrow some. They seemed fine for Friday's less pressurised heat, but in the semi apparently they were 'soft' which does explain his difficulties yesterday. Bill whizzed off last night to find some more sculls, and I hear this morning that he's borrowed some from a former training partner of Alan's. On the subject of training partners, it's all very incestuous at the top of M1x. Mahe and Alan training together when they are in the same country, Hacker used to train with Vonarburg (until the young Swiss sculler started to match the German occasionally), and now Tufte has started training with Karonen. That backfired when the Swede won the Holland Beker singles, and he's certainly got a finish to be scared of, he can wind it up from about 600 to go. You've got to admit it must be difficult when you're the quickest single sculler in your country - Alan and the other fast GB boats tend to train up - the quad against the eights, sweep against scullers, and all running gold medal percentage competitions in every piece that's done as a pack. But someone in your own event to train against must be a help, as long as you don't give away too many of your secrets. Right, A finals. More pulling-out news from last night: Spain's LM2-, due to Calvo being ill, Germany's LM1x (Koch) didn't race, and now Peggy Waleska (GER W1x). Zac says it's because there's been a bug going round the German team. brief updates on the racing as I have a lot of other things to do. Zac comes up to the grandstand and we sneak him in to watch the Olympic racing. He does some sterling work keeping my World Cup points list up to date while I go and interview medallists. Knapkova gets closer to Karsten again in the W1x, really makes her work hard. M1x is a cracker. Alan leads out, but as rather expected, the field closes in and Mahe (NZL) makes his strength felt in the middle thousand. Alan drops back - looks as if the new sculls aren't entirely ideal. Then it gets really interesting, Synek and Tufte closing down Mahe's lead, Campbell gets a bit caught in the crossfire and finds it hard to hold 2nd/3rd. 300-odd to go, and Tufte takes the race to Drysdale, lifting once, lifting twice, then again - he seems to be pouring his entire being into getting past the tall New Zealander. It works - they cross the line about a foot apart, the Olympic champion Norwegian has finally found a way to crack the Kiwi. Last year it was Ondrej Synek who beat Mahe here in Lucerne, this time it's Tufte. The usual shoulder-hoist of the winner on the medal podium, then they present Alan with the overall World Cup champion's glass goblet. Slightly spoiled by it being the nearest one to hand grabbed by a non-rowing assistant, so it's got "W8+" written on it. He takes it well, merely commenting "does this mean my prize is a women's eight - which one shall I choose?" My advice is to ask Mahe, who seemed to be doing a good job of checking out both the NED and USA women's eights in Leander at the end of Henley Sunday. Alan's not too enchanted at coming fourth, but manages to get a few sterling comments in about looking forward to putting the record straight at Eton. Bill is keener to point out the real goal is a gold in Beijing. He tells me the blades Alan borrowed for today were Mahe's second set - clearly not up to the usual standard. Men's pairs, and GBR are in the lead while we're talking to Alan. Still leading at halfway, it's looking pretty good as they and the Kiwis open up a massive margin over the rest of the field. I'll let Tom and Colin's (mixed) post-race quotes tell the rest of the story: "Germany and New Zealand pushed hard through the middle K. At the end it was fairly difficult to know when to start fighting back. We took the rate up to try and stay with the New Zealanders. We started at 500 to go but didn't have much impact until 250. With 250m to go we thought we could catch them. The last five strokes it fell apart a bit, tensing muscles and the boat (feel) switched off. New Zealand are big guys and they made sure they were ahead on the last stroke." Tom also explained that they'd aligned, but then drifted in a puff of wind while the starter was about to get underway, and didn't have time to put their hand up before he said 'go'. Mind you, it was a pretty decent start even so. You have to remember they've only been together just over a month, following both of them having exams, and this was just their fourth race together. Very fine work - their FISA biographies say they're a combined 25 kgs (not far off 4 stone) lighter than the world champion Kiwis. While NZL were off-form in Poznan, they've looked much better here, it was a proper test for the Brits, and an incredibly hard race.
Photograph courtesy of Peter Spurrier
M2x now, and they're off before we finish talking to the W2x. Another huge race, this time with all sorts of highly competitive doubles in it - nobody can be completely discounted. It's unlikely GBR will manage to turn over SLO again and repeat their Henley win, but it's a different skill racing multilane, and they're here to test themselves against everyone, and to learn. SLO are very much on their mettle, Spik and Cop bursting off the start very fast, but it doesn't give them more than a few feet in the first hundred metres as everyone else settles into the race pace. GER, HUN and EST drop back a bit, and it's FRA and GBR fighting it out just behind the Slovenians. FRA just have to beat Germany to be World Cup champions - GBR have to beat France by at least four places, which is too much of a stretch. Coming into the final stretch GBR slide past France and start gunning for Spik and Cop, but it isn't going to happen this time. More from Steve and Matt: "our main aim was to stay with the pack and not let anyone move, it worked quite well but it was tight. At 750 left Slovenia just started going and going, we tried to go with them, but they just slipped past us. France were working too hard, and if anyone is with us or we have overlap in the last sprint we'll get them. Slovenia just went off hard, and didn't stop unlike last weekend. It's a fantastic position to take into the world champs, we're second and there's only one place to go. Sculling's on the up!" Men's four - I clock Britain at 52 right off the start. Apparently last night the Dutch were claiming they'd headed the Brits at some point in the semi - pleased because it was the first time it had happened. That confused our boys somewhat - they were rather puzzled trying to work out where it could have been, apparently, though the two crews were just about level for a very long stretch. Anyway, this time they're not even starting to hang about, through the first marker in 1:25.72 a full second up on the Dutch. We're getting used to these close races now - as are they - and the margin never goes to more than a half-length up for the British crew. The Dutch push, the Brits go, Germany are trying to close (a phenomenal 1:25 for their last split if you believe the numbers - which we don't necessarily) and it all gets very hectic. My sense is that the Dutch never quite get a proper grip on the British, and though both are up in the late 30's as they sprint for the line, the outcome never really seems in doubt. Over the line, and as the other three collapse behind him, Hodgey goes for the money photo shot with a massive yell and both arms in the air. Dretful show-off. Clearly quite recovered from the Henley ailment. Pete's arm goes up slightly less energetically, a few seconds later. Off to parade past the crowd and warm down while the M2x are getting their medals. Much verbiage from all as they do their interview duty, but some rather quality quotes for a change - I'll try and get time to put them in here when I'm flying home tomorrow, those we don't use for the papers. Verdict is a good job well done, and of course they're Cup champions and unbeaten both all season and now for the 21st race together. While waiting in the medal line, Alex and Pete and then Hodgey get embroiled in a lengthy discussion with the Dutch. I'm surprised at them, the runners-up are pulling out a huge variety of excuses from being ill (see yesterday's blog) to the fact that they've just done four regattas on the trot. Smacks a bit of trying to persuade GBR they're a length faster than they showed today. I think this is unnecessary - they are clearly a shit-hot crew, so why muddy the waters trying to suggest it could have been closer? It clearly will be in Eton - the game is utterly on for the World Champs. Stevie W sounds particularly pleased to have the Dutch raising their game - "if you're winning races time after time you want to feel you've earnt it", he rightly says. Small break - been filing for the paper, and have to get out of the press office. Now back again for a while before taking a proper break tonight. Lightweight doubles both come last - the LW2x outclassed, the LM2x looking for a while in the mix, but not managing it. Both in lane 6 - the far side, right by the two TV launches - it isn't a lane you want to draw in Lucerne. Ireland win the LM4- by a good half-length, well in charge of everyone, including poor Egypt, who deserve better than fourth. Then the W4x, it takes GBR until 600-odd metres to get ahead, but they're blazing with confidence, know they have a slow start and after that it's not in doubt. They pull in beside the bank while waiting to go ashore for the medals, have a bit of chat and banter with the press. Tommo (Paul Thompson) glowing with pride, doesn't find any fault with them, though they're all quick to say "there is more to come". A whisker of a break, I ring the paper, Federer's up (goody goody). Not sure I'm going to get enough space to do the British rowers justice though. Men's 4x goes to the Czech Republic including Chalupa, a very good row, though the USA and Germany do their best to mount a challenge. Eights: women won by Romania over the USA (brawn against brains?) and then Germany finally recovering their winning form in the men's eights to finish it off and clinch the World Cup trophy. By only 25 points, I might point out. And only 6 in front of GBR at this regatta. We're coming to get you, Germany. Di Ellis (ARA Chairman) had her posh FISA blazer folded up in her tote bag just in case the women's eights won a medal (which would have meant she'd attend the presentation) but it didn't happen this time. Fourth not too bad considering it was Jess Eddie's sixth hard race in 72 hours. Never more than a few feet off the bronze, which was captured in the end by Germany. Grr. You wait until we have a few home supporters, guys. Then the men's eights, and it's desperate for GBR, fighting all the way to the line with NED to avoid coming last - unsuccessfully. There just doesn't seem to be a solution to the GBR M8+ problem at the moment - the guys are strong, working their hearts out, trying their hardest, but it just isn't happening. Flipping Germany win it - I see Berndt Heidicker later (strokeman and former Cambridge Blue) - he's pretty happy with that result. When the other big eights countries come into the frame it's going to get even harder to make the A final. So, end of racing, and Germany win this regatta by 6 points, the overall World Cup by 25. Heinous. Watch out though guys, we're coming to get you - that's the closest we've ever run them for the full three regattas. It's been a pretty good weekend for GB, particularly nice to have all our medals such high quality ones, and some fantastic racing. The medallists rush off, pack, and are back later to do interviews with Crossy for the BBC. The boys spend their time while waiting for their turn, flicking through the crew-name start lists, which this year have the birthdates of the competitors on. For some reason they are only looking at the women's events.... Not that it will do most of them any good, all but one of the GB team are on flights out of Zurich tonight. Alex P comes up and tells me off about not writing enough on the M4- this season. There have been other stories, but they're still our essential material, on medal days at least. Earlier in the week I think it's fair to give closer races a greater share. Perhaps I should do a word count - I bet the M4- are still probably level with the W4x and beating all other crews. It is more difficult for both when you have four names to mention - it's pretty well illegal to name just one person in any boat without including the others, when writing news pieces. Much easier when our pairs, doubles and singles start to win medals. And Hodgey insisting on his full name doesn't help - it makes them a 9-word crew. If you only get 200, it's a large chunk to use up! You can imagine the difficulty when the eights win. Back to the hotel, then out for the evening. The town centre is full of Italians - there's a large ITA population in Lucerne - dressed in their bluest kit and sporting Italian flag belts, bags, banners, t-shirts, hats, the works. Into the Rebstock garden for dinner, and Crossy texts regularly with the score from the plasma screen at a nearby cafe. I go and watch large chunks of the game, but miss Zidane's head-butt, though I catch it later on the news. Groans, squeals and cheers greet every change in the game, and cars start beeping their horns. It goes to penalties, and Italy's coach consults his goalie (who looks 7 feet tall) about who should take them. Clever move, and it pays off. With the last goal slotted in for a clean sweep, there's no point France taking their fifth. Cue ecstatic delight: Lucerne goes wild. The biggest banner - probably double the length of an eight - is unrolled and paraded down to the main bridge where the old town quarter begins, full of hotels and restaurants. Within minutes the town police have blocked that area off to cars, and a street party is starting. Fireworks, people climbing lampposts, cheering, chanting, bongodrums, singing, mega-celebration. All the Italian supporters are beaming their heads off at anyone who makes eye contact. You feel like saying "well done" to the lot of them. Round the corner at Pickwick's you can tell the rowers are in charge as usual - 90% are over 6 feet tall, hardly any smoking, and getting drunk on one beer. A great deal of reliving rowing glories, and swapping "do you know X" stories. Lots of Germans, most of the European mainland teams, the Kiwis, who are staying over here until Eton, and a few Aussies likewise. Oh, and a certain GB strokeman, who looks like a wet spaniel, having just dived naked off the old wooden Lucerne bridge. Now mercifully re-clothed and being bought drinks. I told you he was a gloryhound. Mahe's in dubious shape for the second week running, seems to be attempting to drink his rivals under whatever table he can find. More experienced rowers shake their head and say the money's on Tufte for this one, he is apparently a legend. And so Lucerne's over for another year. On the train the next morning, the Rotsee is still and windless, a glossy green mirror as we speed past with Helvetic efficiency. Nobody at all paddling - normally some of those staying get out for a Monday training session, but I expect they're still recovering. Here's to the hang-overs.
Also in this section - PozBlog, a ramble from the second World Cup three weeks ago. © Copyright Rachel Quarrell and the Rowing Service 2006. Not to be reproduced in any format without express permission.
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