Host Germany shone with six boats advancing to next round and
one leading in lane-framing competition at the World Rowing
Championships in Munich on Tuesday.
In men's coxed pair, Germany took off in the lead of repechage
two with Michael Ruhe sitting in stroke seat.
Two years ago Ruhe fought successfully against cancer and, in
the mould of Lance Armstrong, is back as an elite athlete and
hoping to break again into the men's eight where he used to hold
stroke seat.
The Germans' lead was soon taken over by Canada with Brian Price
sitting in the coxswain's seat.
Price has also suffered from cancer. As a child leukemia
impacted on his potential size. But Price said it made him an ideal
coxswain size. Price also coxes the men's eight who are on a 2007
winning run. At the line Canada just took first over Germany with
both boats qualifying.
In women's lightweight single sculls, Germany went ahead into
the semi-final A/B as the second finisher in repechage one.
This event had four repechages and top two places in each
advance to the semifinal A/B. In repechage one, Canada's Melanie
Kok dominated.
Kok is a World Champion after winning the lightweight quad in
2005 and when she's not competing for Canada instead to row in the
United States at Virginia University, as a heavyweight sweep
rower.
In men's lightweight single sculls, repechage two was led from
start to finish by Germany's Jonathan Koch. This left Slovakia and
Chinese newcomer, Dong Tianfeng to go after the second qualifying
spot.
Dong has moved into the single after spending most of the season
in the lightweight double and on Tuesday he pushed past Slovakia
with a rating of 35 to take the second qualifying spot. Koch and
Dong advance to the semifinals.
In the lane race of men's lightweight eight, perhaps for the
cross wind, the United States lost their bow number coming to the
start. This delayed the race a tad, but did not help United States
chances.
Italy come into this event as the favorites with so far a
successful season. But Germany upset that. With a boat full of
brothers, two Schoemann-Fincks and two Rueckbrodts, the Germans had
the skill to take the lead and hold off Italy.
Italy challenged back. Germany held them off. Germany will take
the favored center lane for Saturday's final.
Germany also led the quarterfinal four in men's single sculls
and topped the repechage one in men's four, clinching two berths in
semi-final A/B.
The last semi-final A/B chance came from the men's double sculls
as the hosts finished second in quarter-final four.
Rowing powerhouse Australia also notched down six places for
next round. Britain had five and United States four to the semis or
finals. United States ended up in fifth in lane race of the men's
lightweight eight.
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2007)