ROWING SERVICE SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 AT DORNEY, ETON Sculler's Saturday WorldsBlog 2006 chapter 8a: 26th August (Trevor reporting) I wonder what garish shirts the commentators will sport today - yesterday Garry Herbert's shirt of a NY (I think) skyline narrowly beat Martin Cross's liberty print number..mind you, it's been raining so I think it will be colourful rain jackets or splashtops to the fore unless things improve. It is brightening up a bit though. It was the British Association of Rowing Journlist's BBQ for foreign journalists last night, so I see them all in a new light today, "fresh" from the sing-song. That god the Scottish band member had a guitar rather than bagpipes... Before racing starts, a quick reflection on the training outings yesterday after racing. I've seen (and done) square blade paddling, of course, but the GB Lwt 4x paddle by with a variant new to me: finish and feather, then square immediately for the recovery - sort of square blade paddling but with feathered finishes. They're doing it very well... There were lots of covered-up lightweights out yesterday evening after racing, just making sure that they were in control of their weight. They looked a bit silly in woolly hats in the sun! There have been some comments about the policing (or should that be enforcement) of the dress code. FISA rules state that crews must be dressed identically, so one double had to decide which one should take their cap off, - it's ok for them not to both wear them, but if they do they, have to be the same. These differed - by a solitary Nike tick! The French ML4- also got into a spot of bother because although they all had the same colour socks on, they were not all wearing them at the same height. Really, does it make that much difference? A wag here thinks we should try to encourage a crew to all wear their socks at different heights to wind up FISA... I don't suppose it matters, at all, but more of the crews rowing in Empachers were out practising last night. It made the racks look like they were full of Filippis , whereas actually they were just devoid of 'packers. There are boats spread out all over the lake, in every class and from every country, and it's a fantastic sight to just sit and watch the best in the world going through their routines in the soft evening sunlight, very soothing. This is the place to be :-). The ducks asleep on the winners raft act like they've seen it all before and couldn't care less, but they haven't seen a regatta of this stature here before, and Steve Williams of the GB 4- was quick to pick up on the significance of this the other day when he said that he dearly wanted to win the world title here on home water "because then I'll have got something Matthew Pinsent hasn't"... Immediately below me last night someone was bashing in metal fence stakes with a sledge-hammer he's just secured the head back onto with brown parcel tape... didn't look too safe. In my home club bailer-twine is the universal solution to most problems, but I suppose that wouldn't help much here... A quick thank you to John Wylder, who emailed in to explain that the curious stern-ball on the women's lightweight sculler's boats (see Thursday's blog), is a ruse to make the boats comply with the FISA minimum-length rule. This rule is because some multi-lane course pontoon systems can't offer enough fore-aft adjustment and so a minimum-length rule is specified. So now you know. We've had this backed up by a member of the FISA rigging survey team, no less, in between moaning about not being able to find some of the competitors boats. Anyway on with the action. The first race is the men's lwt 2x C final, and it's a close affair with the Slovaks leading home by half a length from Cuba and Chile. Weather wise, it IS a bit chile sitting around in short-sleeves, over- cast but brightening, and there's a crosswind almost filling the flags, which might exercise the minds of the Fairness commission in a minute. 09:40: the next race is a slightly delayed start to the first B final, women's lightweight single sculls, featuring Antonia van Deventer for Britain in lane 1. Not sure if she was expected to do very well, but she has a great row and finishes third. 10:05: Stojic in the Serbian coxless pair in the B final, is also doing the coxed-pairs final 75mins later, as a medical replacement for Marko Marijanovic. I wonder if he's cottoned onto the James Cracknell jelly-baby recovery plan (or if they even have jelly babies in Serbia?). The race is duly won by Di Clemente and Cech of South Africa, who really shouldn't have found themselves in the B final in the first place, but made a late mistake in the rougher conditions on Thursday and couldn't get back into contention in time. That ends what they probably think was a pretty average season. 10:30: the B final of the men's coxless 4s is storming down the course, and the Canadians, who led for the first 1500m, can't hold off a great last quarter from the Irish crew, who have been picking up speed the whole length of the course and win by a canvas. Great result for them. There's now a bit of a break, for half an hour, and then the A finals start. That gives me a chance to pick up the photocopying for Rachel and staple copies of todays Eton Mess together. It's a shame I had to cycle round the lake to collect it on a bike with a wet saddle though! Speculation has been rife all week as to the identity of the VIP gracing us this weekend. Blair is back in Britain, briefly at least, and we hear that Baldrick aka Tony Robinson is digging up Her Majesty's lawn for Time Team this weekend, just in sight on the horizon beyond the regatta buildings, so might it be her? Anyway it's all getting a bit more serious now. There are some empty seats in the stands opposite, but that's probably because the banks are pretty packed. There are certainly a lot more photographers about too, swarming around in their green and yellow bibs, attended to by their minders making sure that they don't stray from the zones marked out for them. 11:10: The first A final, Women's coxless 4s. A "straight 4s" final indeed as there was no need for heats or semi-finals, though they did race for lane positions in the final. Australia have a clear water lead and are laying down the gauntlet to the others. Behind them the Chinese and Americans take the other medal positions. 11:25: Coxed pairs - fraught with danger trying to predict this one, as it's a straight final of a non-Olympic event, and anything could happen. Due to the low entries, this event is getting dropped from the Worlds programme after this year, thus depriving federations of one of the grooming-events for the Olympic claases. The American crew did the most kilometres after racing had finished last night if that's a clue to anything. It is for a bit, as they pass the 500m point in the lead. The doubling-up Stojic shows no sign of tiredness though, and together with crew-mates Popovic and Ninkovic, Serbia win, with a length of clear water to spare. We now have the first medal ceremony of the day, for the women's coxless fours. The crews are assembled below me awaiting their cue to march up to the podium, and the Australian girls are straightening their one pieces and each other's hair, trying to make sure that they look good - which they do. Somewhat less good are the flagpoles, which they had a lot of trouble putting up last night and are none too vertical even now, but at least the Navy are here to wrap the flag up properly... 11:45: the women's lightweight single scullers are "enjoying", if that's the word, a decent tailwind. The water is a bit lumpy, but defending champion Marit van Eupen from the Netherlands led all the way and wins. The Spaniard Mas De Xaxars and Germany's Carow held the other two medal places all the way, swapping round with 500m gone. 11:55: Now one we've been eagerly waiting for: Zac Purchase in the lightweight single. Pappas has gone out first, but is now being overhauled by Guimerans from Spain, who looks strong but you wouldn't really want to coach anyone to scull like him really. Purchase is now beginning to move and it's these three level! At halfway Purchase shows in front by a whisker, taking Guimerans with him as he makes his move. Pappas has fallen back a bit, and these three are fighting it out. Purchase's face is showing the effort, but it's working and he's almost a length up - he could really do this! Coming into the last 500m the volume is turned up in the stands and well it might as here comes Purchase! Guimerans is attacking and is half a length back, Zac has responded and got his length lead back. New Zealand's Grant come though almost unnoticed in third as Pappas blows and lets Slovenia's Pislar through too, but it's GBR and Spain out ahead. Fantastic! It's a new world-best time too in the tailwind! 13:05: Right, I've let this blog slip for a bit as I was trying to cover Rachel's commentary blog whilst she was off interviewing medallists. I start having a thought that now is not the time to start comparing Apple Macs to PCs but then it all got a bit frantic! I fear both blogs sufferred from an over dilution of my modest typing skills, but this is not the time for a catch-up though, as it's the men's pairs now, so the broken medal table will just have to wait. At 500m, one length separates the first 4 crews, the experienced Australian pair of Ginn and Free leading at 750m. It's a bit lumpy out there, but AUS look quite composed and impassive with their shades on, and have just over a length. They're catching the water a bit, but staying relaxed, rowing at 34 and not letting the conditions bog them down. GBR have slipped slowly but surely back to 6th. It's AUS from GER, with NZL trying to come back and indeed coming through GER. AUS are dominating in lane 4, and the GB pair (from opposing boat race crews remember) don't seem to be able to go with the increased pace in the second half of this. NZL, rating 44, are attacking hard in the last 250m, and get back to 2/3 of a length down on AUS, but won't make any more inroads, and Canada keep China at bay for Bronze. 13:30: The men's single sculls was a cracking race. Hacker went out first and lay down a gauntlet for Drysdale et al to pick up, and coming down the last 200m it was still the big German. It was still the big German with 20m to go, and possibly 2m to go - if the race had been any shorter Drysdale would have run out of time, but as it was he seized it right on the line for another new world best time. Hacker looked delighted with second, and immediately went over to Drysdale to congratulate him. Just as well he nurtured this friendly rivalry, because whilst waiting for the medal ceremony he collapsed in front of the media grandstand. I was having shades of deja-vu after a more serious collapse at my own regatta 2 years ago, and as it was he was eventually carted off in an ambulance whilst the world's media was shooed out of the way, and his coach collected his medal on his behalf. It seems it was just dehydration though, and after being on an IV drip he was fine and giving an interview in the media centre. Chapeau to someone who can scull themselves out of it to that extent. 13:30: Another Antipodean affair in the women's doubles, and it's AUS leading the Kiwi Evers-Swindell sisters. They have a length on the Kiwis who look a bit worried and their short snatchy stroke doesn't compare with the longer fluid AUS boat. NZL are setting about it though, rating 39, but GER is having a go at NZL too. The GBR crew of Vernon and Bebington are in 4th having an excellent season together. In the last 250m AUS, NZL, GER and GBR are all together with barely half a length in it...the upset result is that AUS win from GER, with NZL just holding off a fast finishing GBR double for bronze. The Evers-Swindell sisters are absolutely gutted by that, but the Brits are happy and only 0.14s behind! 13:35: Penultimate final of the day before the big one for the GBR flagship 4- crew. Reigning world champions Spik & Cop seek to defend their men's double sculls title. They'll all need to be a bit careful as the conditions get bumpier as the race unfolds though. FRA, silver last year but Olympic champions, are really going for it and lead by half a length. FRA and SLO are out in front almost in a separate race with 500m left, with clear water separating them from the race for third, where BEL are holding off POL. FRA at 36 look solid and long, SLO are over-rating them but not as fluid. GBR have been pushing since half-way and are in the remaining medal place, and whilst they might be benefitting from the conditions, the splits show that they are the fastest in the last half of the race. Anyway, they certainly benefitted from the home-crowd support, that's for sure. Great result for GBR, nearly catching the renowned Slovenians on the line, and winning a senior world's sculling medal fir Great Britain! 13:50: just one race to go. If the conditions are affecting the results, then the favourites GBR are going to have to win despite them and not because of them... Wow, they do! Doing it the way Jurgen no doubt wanted, from the front. Behind them the USA stayed closest until halfway, but then the Dutch accelerated, and the Germans started their push and come from last to second with a very fast last 500m. They were very pleased with that, and celebrated the most immediately past the finish line, almost as much as the home winners at the medal ceremony too! After a protracted photo-opportunity for the world's press, our boys paddle over to the spectator's side of the course and take the applause and applaud the support in return. They slow right down opposite the main spectator's bar area, and then all jump out - though I'm not sure Reed had any choice after the other three almost left him to it - and into the crowds. It strikes me that this is the rowing equivalent of Pat Cash winning Wimbledon in 1992 and then climbing over the grandstand to get to the families' box. Some time later they get back in (not without difficulty as they have reeds and thigh- deep water to contend with - and paddle up and down the last 250m twice before finally going back to the pontoon. Jurgen is there to meet them, and whilst I am sure he is pleased, observed through the binoculars it looks like they are getting the sort of "and what sort of time do you call this?" berating they probably last got from their parents when sneaking in late at night. But as freshly crowned world champions I bet they can take it! Ah, that's better, he's posing arms round them whilst the volunteer shoe-gophers take photos to remember this superb event by. Whilst all that was going on, the repechages of the adaptive events have been going on. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but it looks funny seeing guide dogs - there are at least 2 - with athlete accreditation badges. They sit very companionably, awaiting the return of their charges, but I don't suppose they care much for the action, with the possible exception of what Hodge in the GB coxless 4 has been calling "the Bitch event" all week... Now that we're back in the Leander library, the business of correcting typos incurred in the heat of the moment, and the serious business of producing the Sunday edition of the Eton Mess can proceed. I feel quite honoured to be on the inside of this, and not a little fraudulent, so review my blog and redo the medals table which went badly wrong in the heat of the moment and which shows Australia leading from Britain, and generally help proof read and try to be useful. We might get dinner yet! I like the way James Cracknell sits down to watch the odd race, catches up with a few old adversaries, and then swans off - somehow I don't think he's still tapping away at a keyboard anywhere...

Copyright the Rowing Service 2006. Special Worlds 2006 coverage courtesy of Rachel Quarrell, Paul Azzopardi and Trevor Chambers. Additional contributions and heckling from Hammer Smith Esq.