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Index:
Under-23 World Championships, 20th-23rd July 2006 Welcome to the Under-23 world championships, the second time it's been run as a proper worlds with FISA supervision. The effect is noticeable - more things are being done 'the FISA way' including the racing programme. This used to be an idiosyncratic order usually involving all the sculling events followed by all the sweep (or women followed by men, or small boats then big boats). Now it's been corralled into the non-Olympic/Olympic order, as per World Cups. Easier to understand, but loses some of the fun of it feeling different. What about the lake? The Bloso course/centre is well known to many crews who have done training camps there, as well as most of the GB senior squad, whose annual final trials are held well away from interfering British spectators. It's a fine lake, plenty of reeds and bushes round the bank to sop up wash, a giant wind turbine turning in the distance behind the start, and good thick forest lining the sides to help stop the wind. Round the finish end cluster a bundle of buildings, including the Bloso centre, several cafes, and the new Antwerp Rowing and Sculling Club boathouse with a very fine restaurant in it. There's a rather lovely wooden table of oval shape in the main clubhouse, with named places for cox to bow of an eight, plus their coach. We heard last night that ARV had to move when their normal water in Antwerp became impossible to use due to wash bouncing off the hardened walls, and they're suffering now from no longer getting the restaurant custom their business-minded members used to bring them. Clearly it's BARJ's duty to help support them by buying as much beer as we can this week.... What about the weather? Well yesterday it was one of the hottest days on record in Belgium, as it was for much of Europe and the UK. When we reached the course in the afternoon everyone was gently melting, with every scrap of shade in use and the grass dry and withered. But FISA had predictions of thunder today, which is why the racing has all been crammed into the morning, races every 5 minutes finishing at 2pm local time. So, off we all went, and I hope the boats were all tied down, because at 10:30pm last night a howling wind began to whip up, very strong indeed. Flashes of sheet and forked lightning soon followed, and about 20 minutes of rain - not actually torrential, though plenty of big droplets. It cooled everything down nicely, but didn't last. This morning, first quite dull cloudy conditions, but very still, then a light tail breeze to start the racing began to blow the clouds away. Five more minutes rain, and now it's quite sunny, with an erratic tail making heat times pretty impossible to compare. Good for the crews, as long as it doesn't get too hot out there. GBR's LM2- just went past with ice jackets for their warm-down, so maybe the heat is starting to rise already The crowd here is pretty mixed: a stalwart line of Kiwis cheering their M4+ as they win a heat, then some pretty vociferous Italians. The spectators are crammed into the grandstand under the awning in case it rains again, with us squeezed into the corner nearest the finish line at press tables. Comedy chairs keep folding up and falling over under people, it's all very school assembly, but the energy is high. Best race so far, RUS's LM4x coming through GER just before the line to claim the only finals spot direct from their heat, though I don't think many spectators noticed. French photographer Igor snaps his country's crew in the same race, then strides off in search of more interesting material under a floppy white-ish sun-hat. Much bigger cheers for the USA half a length ahead of ITA in the other heat. Behind me on some spare tables a load of team managers are pretending to be press, but so far we don't need the space, so it's not too much of a problem. Apart from the BO of some of them, that is. Particularly bad when they raise their arms to applaud. A gap in the market for FISA deodorant perhaps? So, black marks so far: BO stink, my favourite Italian journalists (not) smoking all the time, nasty press tables which bang your knees and chairs which fall over, and slightly too-loud commentary, especially when they get excited. Gold stars so far: very good wireless connection, bouncy parents getting excited about their bairns doing well/badly/anything-at-all, free Opal Fruits in the press centre, and I already know where the beers are. On balance, a reasonable start. And even the Euro-pop played between races isn't too bad at the moment. The Telegraph didn't print very much of the preview they requested, and made it look like only women were racing, so here's the full article, with GB team list. Not huge, but more explanatory. We're up to the women's singles now, and a bunch of young Argentinian lads scream themselves hoarse in support of Gabriela Best, their W1x. It works and she qualifies. Not clear if they're racing (unlikely since they should be getting ready) or not. Perhaps just relatives or friends. A Rode Kruis (Belgian Red Cross) bloke wanders past sporting no fewer than seven badges declaring his role/organisation, just in case anyone isn't sure. Doesn't get a single glance from the crowd, disproving the old adage about women always liking men in uniform. The coxed fours lads are starting to filter into the stands, including an Aussie pair who are going to get yelled at if their coach catches them, since they're wandering about with no tops on in the increasingly strong sunshine. The lake is very still, including the far-bank flags, but up on the finish tower a higher couple of flags are fluttering madly in the increasing breeze. Starts to go very slightly cross-wind too. A big yell from the Kiwis for their M1x sculler Nathan Cohen. I am never reminded more of humanity's connection with the great apes than when watching bent-backed scullers, shoulders round their ears, yanking along flat out. Alex Gregory bucks the trend and sculls rather beautifully to win his heat, coming through some faster starters, but he'll have to be a lot quicker to medal.
Later....
Friday 21st July, reps Yup, they take bank holidays seriously here. Pretty well everything is shut, even petrol stations (on automatic-pay-only). The lake is like a mirror of green glass, hardly a breath of wind, and it's going to be hot again. Even the massive wind turbine behind the start is only oozing lazily round, and eventually stops completely. A word on the press helpers here - they're doing a grand job. Very quick on the draw with results - when they get them from the tower - and yesterday one guy even fetched coffee for me and Chris Dodd: well beyond the call of duty. There's a dog here which is often round the grandstand, and sounds like a man coughing when it barks. Very disconcerting. It's at it again, I keep thinking I should go over and give it the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Can you do it on dogs? More to the point, would you want to? Brilliant W1x repechage crosses the line with two pairs of very close scullers. Double photofinish. Sophie Dunsing (GER) just stays 0.16 ahead of Katalin Szabo (HUN) and Oxana Demchenkova (RUS) gets the last finals place over Ulla Varvio (FIN). Storming stuff. The W1x reps are a bit weird since they put six (2x3) through from the heats and are making up the other six semifinalists from 2x3 repechage places. This is odd because normally you don't make up exactly one SF worth from either heats or reps - it's often more difficult to qualify through one or the other. The USA's M4+ has Chase Phillips coxing them, and came second in their rep earlier to reach the A final. It's good to see Chase is still in the sport - I saw this article about him a few years ago, and he struck me then as a 'make it happen' kind of guy. He went to Gifu last year in the M2+ (bronze for 3rd/3) as well but it was a bit of a dead event, like the lightweight eights. His U23 four are hanging around at the base of the finish tower doing photoshoots with US parents and officials, the course and racers in the background. I wonder what for - publicity, or just spectator stuff. Just found another link to a news story about Chase I'll put in today's Rowing Service news update. Better crack on and do that while waiting for our women's pair to come down. There's a British supporter with two small GB flags sticking out of her cap like horns - I'm wondering if she's Jacqui or Lizzie's mum, she's binocularing the start anxiously. The stand suddenly seems very full of Germans for some reason - athletes round to talk to their friends - and one group are completely blocking the view of the lake, standing right by the front row. Very important, they have to consult the start order standing up. Do they think their heads are transparent? Probably. No comment. Peter Haining comes over with his (chirpier) GBR M4+ to sit in the stands for a while and we have a lengthy rowing-y talk. He has a hundred new theories of rowing as usual, but is good at picking which crews look like they will win. GBR M4- doesn't make it into the A final, so the boys push off again to have some rest. Yesterday I passed some tall NZ-ers over by the accommodation huts, doing a workout on stationary bikes. It looked quite serious. Seeing their pint-sized comrade and counting carefully, I deduced it was the NZL M4+. Further corroboration from the fact that they're training towards Eton, so no doubt extra sessions sounds pretty likely. Anyway, I wonder how many they're doing, and how much they are tapering for Sunday's final. If they don't relax enough, Romania will have the gold like a shot, I reckon. On the less serious side, the athletes now have a mixture of trad-Kiwi black, and white/black kit, which is probably a good idea in this hot weather. No longer the All-Blacks, then....
Afternoon: The afternoon is a difficult time to work - hot, lazy and full of lunch. The wind turbine is barely turning at the speed of a clock minute hand (think about it). Two crowds of local teenagers are swimming in the lake to my right, shrieking wildly. It's such an effort, swimming, flirting and deliberately letting yourself be caught and splashed by the opposite sex, all at the same time. The lake has a bulge to our right from about 1600 to 1800 where they're playing about, and where the crews go to warm down. I sit on the end of the medal-crews dock and dangle my legs in the lake for a while, to cool off a few degrees. Once away from the computer, out into the breeze, it's a rather nice day, not as steaming as it could be. A few small fish in the lake, but they don't fancy my toes much. The workmen have the worst job, out in the afternoon heat making a medal rostrum and stapling red carpet to it. It's rather dingy and dusty red carpet, clearly been used for something else, and they give it a cheeky once-over with the hoover while barely anyone is watching, to smarten it up a bit. The podia are three different heights (unusual for rowing, I bet FISA won't like it) and each big enough to fit an eight on. They'll swamp the single scullers, especially the lightweights. A breath of a breeze starts up, but drops again. The flags are fluttering nicely, but the wind isn't as strong at lake level. A posse of half a dozen jump jets buzzes the lack - probably the entire Belgian air force... There's a flight path mapped out over the lake, running diagonally, which they have used quite a lot this week already. Time to be off. Saturday 22nd July, semis, and B/C/D finals A change of weather, the wind swinging round to much more of a cross-tail (the forecast suggests it might go to cross-head later) and a much cloudier day, with some welcome release from the muggy heat we've had. The wind turbine is doing about 15 revolutions a minute, going pretty fast. The official flags are put up on the grandstand flagpoles for the last day (tomorrow it's quick-change time as they will match medal winners). The helper putting them up is shrieked at since he nearly puts the Belgian Rowing Federation's black dragon in the middle, instead of the FISA flag. An easy mistake to make, since the FISA banner is half the size of the other two - Vlaamse Robiliga and the standard Belgian flag. He corrects them, and the three spectators in the stands beside us can now see what the wind is doing. A trickle more people come in during the C/D semis for the men's light and heavy singles, and then it's on to the C finals. I'm going to keep a list at the foot of this page of the overall placings for all the finals, a quick guide to where people finished. Togo's LW1x, Denise Pitakani Tango, finishes a minute behind the rest of her C/D semi, sculling solidly along to good applause from the spectators. The sky's darkening, it looks like rain. Then a flash of lightning, and I bet the FISA radios are working overtime trying to sort out what to do with competitors and the racing programme. The best plan would probably be to stop new crews going out, and race those who are waiting down as fast as possible - it's a much quicker way to get them back into shelter than to have them all paddle back. I haven't seen anyone else go up to the start for a few minutes, but that could be because the morning programme is pretty short. Still no rain yet though, and there is lighter sky over the start, so maybe it will blow past. An amazing M2x C final race ends, impossible to tell who's going to win until about the last three strokes, between four crews. Argentina get it, just. You've got to remember that for many countries nowadays, funding depends on their overall world ranking, whether age-group or senior. It's good for the rest of us, as C and D finals are raced out every bit as hard as those for the medals. Here comes the rain! Everyone scurries under the shelter of the tents, suddenly paying for a grandstand place is a lot more popular. It's quite fine rain at the moment though, no stair-rods yet. A lanky young chap wanders up behind the finish tower, playing on some kind of balalaika/ukelele/banjo strapped across his chest. He has an Australian flag tucked into the strap of his backpack, and sits down on a bench in the rain to strum to himself without any sign of wanting an audience. Maybe the Muse has struck and he has to try a tune running round in his head, straight away. Last race of the morning comes down, the men's quads, with GBR just pushed into 3rd. That's it for two hours folks, everyone's off to grab a coffee and get in the dry.
Later.... Despite many requests, they still haven't yet sorted out the volume levels for the commentators, which do tend to be either inaudible or ear-bending with unpredictable irregularity. Not helped by the fact that Last night FISA commentators Robert (GBR) and Sebastian (GER), the two FISA commentators, were playing up to a joke about pretending to be a couple deeply in love. (They had to share a room on the first night, is where this comes from). With the commentary broadcast online as well, I have challenged them to call each other 'darling' tomorrow during the finals, but I think they're too chicken to do it. Today they're in different cars, paired up separately with the two local commentators, so it will have to wait until they're doing a race together. Ooo the racing is really sparking off now, some cracking finishes. Alex Gregory finds his semi too hard, and comes in fourth in a competitive field, but the GB men's pair lead their race home. The Dutch phalanx behind me get geared up for their rather young W2x, and chant "HOL-LAND, HOL-LAND!" steadily throughout the whole last 250m, willing their girls to qualify for the final. They do, but it's a very slow race compared with the previous semi. Mind you, the wind really is playing tricks, I don't think any of the times are at all comparable today. Dutch dog remains unimpressed with the whole event, but has now accepted I'm friendly and no longer looks worried when I nip in and out of the desks, despite the occasional fur-treading (it is very fluffy). Now s/he's after some cheese sarnies his adults are eating for their lunch, but is given some agua instead. From somewhere, a load of mossies are having fun munching on hot humans. I have bites all over, it's not clear whether from last night or today. Gits. The waterbottle-pusher for the crews is in full swing, out on the lake. It emerges the online commentary broadcast is being done with the FISA racetracker: if you have the live results up, the commentary (a little bit delayed) should be coming through too. A brilliant M2x semi, Italy, Russia and Australia crossing the line almost in synch. The sun's starting to beat down, lots of parental sunbathing going on. And the wind's up again, the wind turbine back up to 12 revolutions a minute after dropping a bit earlier. A shocker in the second LM2x semi, Frenchman Quentin Coulard catching a crab while they're in a qualifying position 400m from the end, and being overtaken by Hungary and pushed into fourth. Head-hanging cock-up, what a miserable way to lose your medal opportunity. B finals feel a bit of a let-down, though it will ensure more spectators in the stands tomorrow. GB's Jacqui Round and Lizzie Hodges look really good winning their B race, with Jacqui's aunt (the one with two GB flags on her tinselled headband) jumping up and down in excitement. It's not just flags either - Union Flag earrings, t-shirt, and handbag complete the set this year. Much excitement from the Dutch posse for the men's eights B final, in which Croatia get the nastiest-lycra award for their white with a splattering of small red checkerboxes. Their blades are red-checkered and look a bit kid's kindergarten too. OK, racing's over, the wind has gone (timing!) and everyone's disappearing. More tomorrow.
Sunday 23rd July, finals Welcome to finals day at Hazewinkel, and with a splash of overnight rain followed by some morning sunshine the course is fresh, clear, and ready for action. Not that this stopped the bloody mozzies taking another dozen chunks out of me last night. There's a busy hum round the grandstands, everyone gathering to cheer their nations on. The Dutch posse behind me has been replaced by the lanky ukelele player, who is strumming away. I'm glad for once that the commentary is quite loud, since it means I can still hear what's going on down the course, while he jams through a mixture of half-familiar tunes. Conditions for the rowers are pretty good - a breeze is starting to ruffle the lake, but it's turning tail, and the M1x sculler from Lithuania in the B final is only 6 seconds outside the world best time for this age group. Behind him, Alex Gregory has a good race to come 8th overall, with a really strong race profile. I wonder if he'll be GB sculling spare for the Worlds? The wind turbine has speeded up over the last two races and is now going about 9 revolutions a minute, as the women's doubles B final charges towards the line, four boats in a line. A cry of "Gaeouaziz" from the lanky tunester behind me has me puzzled, until I look at the race list and put some mental consonants in to resolve it into "Go you Aussies" with a broad Antipodean twang. Everyone's getting ready for something: the medal-presenting girls are busy practising their protocol. They're dressed in OC t-shirts and skirts, but have jazzed the outfit up by tying the back of the t-shirt in a knot above their waists which makes it look much more flatteringly fitted from the front, as well as exposing a bit of cheeky midriff. In the finish tower, going to the one loo becomes an obstacle course because the floor of the washroom is filled with buckets of presentation flowers being kept cool. I also spy what look like goodie bags - enough for the medallists. Don't have time for a sneak peek inside but there are nice-looking sports watches buckled round the handles. Parents, I discover, are more inventive than World Cup supporters with their chants. There's a new fashion in yelling, which works really well for the two-syllable countries. An example is "DANE-MARK (clap clap), DANE-MARK (clap clap)" which both sounds punchy and gives your voice a rest half the time. Germany join the fun with "DEUTSCH-LAND clap clap" and yesterday I heard the same from some of the GB bunch. I spy the GBR M4+ going up for their race, as we are about to have a short break between the B and A finals. Apparently Peter Haining, their coach, was so nervous yesterday that he decided to follow all the other finals on his bike, to keep himself busy. Hence the regular mentions in the course commentary, since they drive alongside the race. The USA get very excited about their LM4- winning the B final. Anyway, it's probably too noisy here in the stands for me to catch much of it, but apparently there are various bets on between the commentators so for those listening online you might spot something odd. The French bet Pat, a local commentator, that she wouldn't get 'President Jacques Chirac' into her spiel - she did - and apparently Sebastian did say 'darling' to Robert yesterday, but cheated by doing it during a D final when hardly anyone was listening. I still don't think he'll have the balls to try it again today during the A finals with the whole of FISA listening. The M4x B final comes barrelling towards the line, but Italy's bowman catches a crab with his left scull at about 1970m gone, and they stop, drifting over the line deeply upset. They weren't leading at the time, at least.
Medal finals: Sophie Hosking races her heart out in the LW1x but is bested by Alexandra Tschiavou from Greece. Sophie is obviously disappointed, but I'm pretty sure her 7:40.48 is a new British best time for the LW1x, and it's only 5 outside the record despite the wind dropping a bit. Tschiavou has very long legs, and looks powerful - she clearly was. Storm Uru, last year's bronze medallist, puts New Zealand at the top of the medal table by winning the LM1x pretty comfortably. A bunch of Kiwi rowers - including, I think, the whole of the M4+ and most of the M4- - do an impromptu haka for him after the anthem, which goes down very well with the crowd. Richard Chambers and Chris Bartley do an excellent job holding on in the LM2- to win a gold for Britain. Sadly the GB flag is half the size of the others, looks as if it's been sewn together from bits of old curtain, and refuses to unfurl in the breeze as it rises to the strains of 'God Save the Queen'. Still, a win's a win. The German crowd win the singing competition as their anthem is played for their LM4x, before we take a break for lunch ahead of the Olympic-class finals.
Later - final finals..... The rest turns into a bit of a blur - a cracking silver for the British W4x (ones to watch, for sure) and some amazing eights racing. I'm cobbling together results, stuff for the paper, and flitting about getting quotes. Got to get on the road soon to make our Channel crossing, which is a shame since this has been a friendly and fun regatta. Even the stands stay full, not just with M8+ supporters, for the final presentations. My ratewatch battery had just given out, so I couldn't get the Canadian M8+ rate as they pelted for the line - must have been mid-40's at least. Oh, and allegedly www.avironpassion.com has been putting photos online speedily today, and has pictures of the whole regatta - but for some reason my browser thought there was a problem. They had medal podium access though, so the shots should be good. Final trophy, the Paolo d'Aloja for the most successful team, once again to Germany (98 points) over Italy (44) and Romania (39). Well done Hazewinkel, it's been great. See everyone next year in Scotland? (well except those who will be too old...)
Table of A/B/C/D final placings Results will be filled in through the weekend as the finals take place.
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