Women's single sculls
A race in which Katrin Rutchow-Stomporowski, lacking Irina Neykova to push her on, swept down the course in first place the whole way. She sculled at 34, relatively high for someone not being threatened, and working hard. Behind here it was a fight for second, won by Miroslava Knapkova who thereby clinched sufficient World Cup points to gain this year's title. Third was Russian Yulya Levina, and fourth Zhang Xiuyun, a Chinese sculler living, working in and competing for Sweden. Xiuyun does not have Swedish nationality, and will be under the flag of her home nation once more come the World Championships. She looked very strong: a new power in this event if she continues to improve.
Men's single sculls
Hacker likes doing it from the front, and today was no exception - he pushed off to as much of a lead as he could get early on, while Cop, Tufte and Chalupa needled each other along behind him. A short battle between Duncan Free of Australia and Dutchman Dirk Lippits had Free up reasonably quickly, but he was too far back off the lead pace to challenge for a medal. Coming to 250 left, things started to get interesting. Tufte, on 12 World Cup points, had to go if he was going to stand a chance of challenging Hacker (on 16). Up went the rate, and both scullers began to hoick the boats along, jamming in their sculls with the solid force we always see from these powerhouses under pressure. For a few strokes it looked as if Tufte could catch Hacker, but then the German responded, and sealed a clean sweep of this year's Cup, and the title, by about half a length. Cop grabbed third over Chalupa.
Women's coxless pairs
A slightly weird race, with Romania saving as much strength as they could for the eights final later today. They got a significant lead, and then let Belarus close back to about a length, as Canada surged on behind them. With Romania sitting on the lead and cruising, it was a surprise to see Canada bashing away hard (since they're also in their eight) to ensure third from Lucerne silver medallists South Africa.
Men's coxless pairs
Following the stride, it's Croatia's Skelin brothers showing an early lead, with the Netherlands starting fast behind them. Lithuania looked quick for a short while, but soon faded. Now it's the Czechs oozing through NED to grab second, but by now the Skelins are clearly out in front, and though rowing flat out, don't need to really stuff in the strokes to hold CZE off. 1250 gone and here come Yugoslavia, last year's silver medallists at the Worlds, blasting through from the back of the field into third. The Czechs have a go, so do YUG, but CRO are obviously going to win this, raising the rate at the end just to make sure.
Women's double sculls
This was always going to go New Zealand's way - after the speed they displayed in their heat, and the fact that their quad oozed out of the doubling-up event, it's no surprise to see them well up by midway. Behind them Lithuania, who led for a while before being overtaken, and then GBR, poling along steadily but not really showing their normal speed. Now the Kiwis are well in control, no need to raise their rate, as LTU, GBR and now RUS1 scrap it out behind them. GBR can't match the final sprints of the other two, and although LTU have little left in the bank, it's enough to hold off Russia and claim silver behind NZL's gold, while GBR lose bronze to RUS1.
Men's double sculls
A real scrap, finishing with the Czechs Synek and Dolocek whipping the gold off Australia in the last few metres, while Hungarian world champions Haller and Petoe also passed AUS from the back of the field to grab silver. The rest were spread out behind AUS in third - Henley Royal champions France came fourth, with UKR and GER1 trailing in considerably slower.
Men's coxless fours
It's the Germans storming out first, getting themselves half a length over the top British four by 500 metres gone and then extending it with their first major push, in the second quarter. Behind it's a bit of a bunfight, sorting out between Slovenia, GBR2 and France while New Zealand slip back into last place. The breeze is stiff cross-tail, and as GBR1 push back, trying to hold onto the Germans, the crews look to be at 35-36. Germany push again after the 1km, and start to ease out to a full length advantage in the third quarter. 500 to go, straight tail for the last bit, GBR now start to sprint for the line at 38, GER responding at 39, GBR go again and are now back to half a length down, GER 37 just lengthening a bit, start to pull out, GBR at top pace now, GER moving out, push after push from both these crews, and Germany cross the line half a length to the good. That makes it two-all in the encounters between these two crews (one each at Duisburg, one each in World Cup races) and gives the WC trophy to Germany.
Lightweight women's double sculls
GBR and NED go out first, GBR with a slight edge. The German double of Blasberg and Radunzel pulled out a few days before the draw, which leaves GBR looking the likely European favourites here. Now it's Australia coming through into second, putting the British double under pressure, Sally Causby and Amber Halliday from the world champion quad at Lucerne last year. Longer strokes from the Aussie duo, very smooth stuff, and they take the lead and edge out to a full length. Coming through 500, AUS have 2.26 over GBR and now NED are surging, only a few hundredths off silver. The Dutch push takes them solidly past Great Britain, Australia are still way out in front with clear water, NED are now giving it some to try for the gold (but probably too far back) as GBR fade into third. NED push AUS into a rate-rise at the end, but only just overlap, and GBR sprint to no avail.
Lightweight men's double sculls
AUS, slow through the repechage, take up the challenge posed by Germany, and follow Ording & Brehmer out into second place, while JPN and DEN and GBR fight it out in the minor places. 500 to go, GER are totally unassailable, GBR trying to sprint back into the medals, JPN are sticking it in and are trying to overtake AUS, DEN get dragged through by the speed and are pushing for third. A few metres before the line, one of the Japanese scullers drops his handle, and the rest of the field fly past leaving them last, and gifting Denmark the bronze medal behind Germany (gold) and Australia (silver).
Lightweight men's coxless fours
The Danes are determined that this year everything will go right for them, and have set about proving their supremacy with every ounce of concentration available. This final is no exception - they go flying out of the blocks, and whizz forward to a full length lead as sharply as possible. Behind them the Aussies are batting along rather friskily, with GER in third. Coming to the final quarter, it's still DEN-AUS-GER, but the Aussies are charging hard and surprise surprise they're pulling Austria, in the lane outside them, through too. This puts Denmark on their mettle, and they're at full stretch, though it looks like not utterly draining the tank. The main object seems to be preventing the Australian green-and-gold bow from getting overlap at the line, but it's already there, and perhaps the Danes do have to work to keep their title. They do, but not with 100% class, and if I were them I'd be watching out for silver medallists AUS, come Seville. AUT row through GER for the bronze medal, a good result for them.
Women's quadruple sculls
Two big names lacking here: Germany withdrew due to illness on the first morning of racing, and Belarus, featuring Ekaterina Karsten, were disqualified after the first heat when their boat was found to be underweight. Ukraine surging off, followed by Australia, and then GBR. Ukraine are looking good from a distance, but tugging it along as the camera moves to close-up, certainly putting in the power to stay in front. Behind, it's settled down into NED-DEN-GER, but these crews are a couple of seconds down on the medal spots. A bit of a procession in to the finish, despite Australia nipping the rate up. GBR also sprint, as do the Dutch but it's too far back for NED to get a medal. UKR gold, AUS silver, GBR bronze.
Men's quadruple sculls
A good old-fashioned pre-Iron Curtain final (all Eastern European crews), with the semifinal seedings showing correct at the start of the race. It's Ukraine who make the best of race, nudging their way out into a pretty decent lead over most of the field, but pushed hard by Germany and Belarus, the latter slow to start but making up for it with a good middle thousand. Coming to the last few hundred metres it's Ukraine secure for gold, Belarus now confident of silver, and Germany desperately failing to better bronze, while Russia try to push them from behind. CRO and SLO are rather out of it.
Women's eights
Germany's pink bow sets off in front, the first time we see them on the TV coverage, and it's not too surprisingly Australia second. With the event a straight final, Australia chose not to row yesterday's "race for lanes" at all (as they are allowed to do, their only penalty being an outside lane, which may well play in their favour). Instead, they got on with their doubling-up crews, quite successfully, and now they're stalking just half a length behind Germany, letting them make the pace. Next it's Romania, also doubling-up, and Canada well ahead of Belarus. Coming to 500 to go, ROM are through into second, and now AUS respond, GER are totally unthreatened nearly 2 lengths up and prompting the grandstand to start collectively clapping in salutation of this excellent display. Australia's push wrests silver off Romania, who have done too much earlier to be able to take it up again, while Canada get fourth easily ahead of Belarus.
Men's eights
Looks like the Germans taking the race by the scruff of the neck, settling to a steady 37 with half a length lead over Australia - the question will be can their men do what the women just did and lead from start to finish? Somehow I think this will be tighter... The German eight's looking very good - brisk, long but powerful, and clearly not about to give the Aussies anything for free. A little push from GER at 900, whcih seems to be giving them a bit more advantage, opening out to nearly a length. The Australians look long and steady, perhaps not as pacey as I'd expect an international eight to be mid-race, maybe they have much in reserve, but with 550 to go, time is running out. Last marker, GEr, AUS, CRO, RUS, ROM, GBR, the fight really on for 3rd. Here go Australia, the Germans are whistling at their headline crew, AUS have overlap but they can't get past in time, GER are steady at 37, AUS sprinting, now RUS getting past CRO for bronze, GBR's last-ditch sprint taking them nearly up to RUS but 0.33 off it. Gold Germany, silver Australia, bronze Romania.
Copyright Rachel Quarrell, 2002. Not to be reproduced in any form without express permission.