The final repechage was similar again, this time a win for Carsten Finderup of DEN and HKG's Hiu Fung Law, over GEO and MKD.
Two reps with two from each to the A final. In the first race, the American pair did an excellent job and rowed strongly but with style to take the first place. Next Croatia and Russia bashed each other over the head repeatedly in the effort to grab the second finals spot, while UKR and GBR were nowhere in the picture. Final order is USA, CRO (to the A final), RUS, GBR, UKR (to the B final).
Venezuela were unable to get on terms in this race, and dropped well behind the field early on. But CZE, ITA and PER had a terrific fight for the two qualifying places, and at times it was in serious doubt that anyone had it guaranteed. The finale was nail-biting, all three within a few short feet for several hundred metres, until Italy could no longer find anything else to throw at the other pairs, and the Czechs and Peruvians came through. PER won the mind-games too, in a hugely successful race, as they not only qualified but sneaked past the Czechs to do so in first place.
Junior Men's Coxed Pair, JM2+
An interesting race, this first repechage, with two through to the A final, the rest to the B. Russia shot off the blocks, but paid for it almost immediately, and were overtaken first by the USA and then by Croatia. With just over 500 metres to go the Russians must have still hoped, but they had lost too much ground, and with Croatia on a roll they were unable to get the last half-length back. GBR and UKR plodded along in the rear of these three for the second half of the race, well back off the pace.
A very different story in the second repechage, where at first it seemed that Italy were going to rise to the challenge of their great coxed pairs history. Then the Czechs pushed through them, and then Peru, who had very carefully stalked the two leaders down the course, cleverly raised the game to take the lead with just a couple of hundred metres to go. They had saved just enough power to hold on to this, and despite a good try from the Italians, the Czechs were easily able to keep the second place. VEN fourth, twelve seconds back.
One rep of six boats, three to the semi's. In front of me a group of young Slovenians, come to support their girls, have one bloke wearing the best t-shirt I've spotted so far: "I AM VERY SORRY FOR BEING SO FUCKING GOOD". Perhaps his national federation will work out one day that a few asterisks might come in handy when attempting to not offend the grannies in the audience. Anyway, they start cheering, as it becomes apparent that Slovenia's gone into the lead, although Poland is looking very dangerous a couple of lanes away. China are also sticking in a big push at 250 to go, and this takes them through the Slovenians just as Poland also manage it. But SLO are safe, with a big gap to CRO, and the final order being POL, CHN, SLO (to the A/B semi's), CRO, ISR, RSA (to the C final).
Junior Men's Double Sculls, JM2x
From each of four repechages, two go to the A/B semi-finals, the rest to the C/D semi's. This is a competitive event overall, but the first race is readily won by the Canadians with Norway in second, both doubles unpressed, and NOR strolling at 32 for the last couple of hundred metres. China and Latvia haven't got a hope in hell, and the race is decided long before the beeps.
The second race is just a little bit tighter. Australia and Germany opened the bidding, but Belarus were hot on the Australian heels. Coming to the finish Germany opened up a safe gap in front, while BLR had already managed to stick in a good push to secure second place at half-way, leaving AUS with no reply. CYP were not in the same race really, coming fourth by half a minute.
An unaccustomed lull in the wind for this race, though gusts are visible on the water at 1000 metres as the crews pass the mid-marker. DEN and CZE in lanes one and two are setting the pace, but CRO is coming up rapidly and by 400 to go has passed the others and can relax a little. CRO, CZE (to the A/B semi's) and DEN and RSA faded to the C/D semi's.
The sky's quite a lot hazier now, which has eased the heat considerably, and this patchy wind brings great relief to the racing crews, as well as the rest of us. The final repechage seems to have been delayed, and is in abeyance while the women's quads take their turn first. Finally it comes on, several races late, and it's the Ukraine who have control of the race at mid-way, keeping a sharp eye on Greece beside them. Meanwhile Yugoslavia and Spain have realised they are too far back to qualify for the semi's, and don't need to lift it, and the USA are fifteen seconds back looking very downcast. Ukraine successfully hold off Greece, to give UKR, GRE (to the A/B semi's), YUG, ESP, USA (to the C/D semi's). Apparently the Ukrainian double had broken a blade before the start of the race, hence the delay while they fixed themselves up to row. They'll be happy with the outcome, though the opposition may not be so enchanted with waiting in the heat!
Junior Women's Quad Sculls, JW4x
Three reps with the first three boats to the semi's, the rest to the C final. A close quartet for much of the course, here, with first Japan in the lead and then CZE and ESP pushing through neck and neck. GRE started to join the party as JPN faded, but the Asiatic crew then took up the fight again, and surged one more time to pull out the third place, while CZE pipped Spain ahead of them. CZE, ESP, JPN (to the A/B semi's) and GRE, EST (to the C final).
The second race of this trio is a bit of a dull one, NED leading POL and ROM strongly home to the three semi-final places, while DEN gave it a good try but trailed several lengths behind. Just at the very end, POL and ROM had a brief argument about who was going to grab second, won by Poland, but the result was important only to work out who was going into which semi-final, a matter which also depends on the speed of each rep.
The final rep made up for it, with four crews all having to give it some serious welly to guarantee their places in the next round. Australia had broken out from second place for much of the race to a useful lead in the last few hundred metres, pushing aside a sprinty-looking Russian quad next to them who attacked hard in order to push back the marauding Chinese and Austrian quads. It was the Austrians who broke first, China putting a useful sprint on to ensure their progression. AUS, RUS, CHN (to the A/B semi's), AUT, CRO (to the C final).
Junior Men's Quad Sculls, JM4x
Two to the A/B semi-finals, the rest to the C/D semi-finals, and the first race gave the crowd something to chant about, with three crews in contention at first for the qualifying places. At first it looked as if Spain, who had stayed handily in contact with UKR and SLO, would be in with a good shout, but they couldn't muster the final sprint required to stay on terms, and had to settle for third place, while the other two vied for the first-place honours. To vociferous partisan support, Slovenia leapt ahead to take first, Ukraine second, Spain third, while Estonia were off the pace and knew it.
In the second race it was Norway who were not going to be anywhere close, while AUS, GRE, SUI fought it out several lengths up. The Swiss led from the front, but had to avoid some determined attacks, which they did with some excellent lifts and pushes. Sprinting at 38 to close the race took them over the line first, with Greece managing to make the Australians look slow and uninventive in second and third respectively. SUI, GRE (to the A/B semi's), AUS, NOR (to the C/D semi's).
The third race was another of the same mould, this time even closer. Forgetting Hungary, who were five seconds too slow, POL, CRO and BUL were no more than 3 feet apart, Bulgaria being overtaken from an earlier lead, Croatia sticking in the raciest sprint, and Poland impressing with a slower rate but very effective, long strokes. As they crossed the line the scoreboard went blank, denoting a photofinish, and it eventually went to the deserving Poles by 0.49 seconds, over Croatia, who snatched the second semi-final place from Bulgaria by the merest whisker, just 0.04 seconds. .
After that, the final repechage was a wee bit of an anticlimax, Japan and Russia unable to keep up with the Czech Republic and Sweden, who kept pace with each other to the line. This let the other two crews close deceptively on them, despite some terribly erratic Russian steering which had them sliding into lane 0 for several hundred metres. CZE, SWE (to the A/B semi's) and RUS, JPN (to the C/D semi's).
Junior Women's Eight, JW8+
A single repechage letting four crews through to the A final, so the order of finishing will decide the lanes for the final, making it an important race still. Old Cold War rivals USA and Russia were the stars of the show, making it look easy a couple of lengths up on everybody else for the major part of the race. Canada had a good start and held third doggedly behind them, fighting off first the Ukraine and then GBR, who put in a sustained effort during the middle of the race to overhaul a fading UKR and grab fourth. While USA and RUS sped serenely on, and CAN dug in against GBR, NZL were sneaking up quietly on the outside lane. CAN protected their third place, and a good finishing stretch from GBR put them in the fourth qualifying spot, despite NZL's excellent try. USA, RUS, CAN, GBR (to the A final), NZL, UKR (to the B final).
Junior Men's Eight, JM8+
The men's eights had a tougher job, just two going through. USA relished the challenge, and put in a commanding performance to lead the field home securely. Poland, safe behind them and nearly two lengths up on Canada, did not need to pull out all the stops, but practiced just as much of their race-plan as necessary, finishing with a quick 10-stroke lift at 200 to go, before cruising in. Canada looked stumbling behind them, and had to harden their drive to beat back a rampant Italy, on a late but essentially fruitless charge to the line. Ukraine came in fifth at the tail.
The second rep was a steadier case, the Russian boys matching their girls and taking first safely, ahead of Romania by nearly a length. Croatia gave it a good try, collapsing exhausted on their blades at the finish, but were too many seconds adrift to reasonably challenge for second, and had to settle for third ahead of Austria and New Zealand.
