A fine pair starts a cup run
Christopher Dodd on finals day, Saturday April 28th, Mercer Lake, New Jersey.
James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent chalked up their first 8 maximum points in the 2001 World Cup on Saturday on Mercer Lake, Princeton. Igor Francetic and Kresimir Culjak from the Croatian bronze medal Olympic eight ensured that the new British pair would have to work for it by leading to 500 metres, and Jon Beare and Henry Hering from Mike Spracklen's Canadian squad put the pressure on in the last 500 metres by advancing from fourth to second, finishing less than two seconds behind Cracknell and Pinsent.
"My disappointment is that we had a better row yesterday than today," said Cracknell, who has now broken his duck in the pair and has a personal score of 2-nil in his new boat. The wind caused him to make things uncomfortable for Pinsent, but the smile on the face of coach Juergen Grobler said it all. "personally I was pleased with the conditions for a new pair in a new boat," he said. "We have six weeks until the next round. Other crews will turn up, but we are optimistic. We know our problems and how to work on them."
It was a another fine day at the first ever Zurich Rowing World Cup regatta to be held outside Europe. The sun was hot and the breeze cut cold to the bone. No chance of a world's best time on this venue in such conditions. Hopes were raised during Friday's racing when, in a race to decide lane order for the final, the Danish lightweight four were given a time nine seconds inside the world's best time - in a cross-head where the two front runners, the Danes and the French Olympic champions, did not threaten each other nor were they threatened by anyone else. Disbelief all round was well-founded when it was admitted that the finger which started the clock did so some time after the crews had started.
Matthew Wells accounted for himself well, finishing third for five points behind Olaf Tufte of Norway and Xeno Mueller of Switzerland. The young British sculler had his best race of his three, and was pleased with his result. The surprise, perhaps, was Mueller's failure to get the better of the Norwegian Olympic doubles silver medallist. Maybe the Swiss Olympian's girth, which he claimed was his enemy at this time of year, got the better of him.
"From the heats and reps we realised that it was competitive over the first 1000 metres, so I worked to improve the third 500," Wells said. "After 250 metres you hit a brick wind wall, and it's a struggle for the next 250 metres. After that you are into a heavy cross wind, but not as bad as that 250 metres. I made an effort there to scull properly and use my back. I made a bit of a move at 1000. The next thing I remember was looking round and seeing Xeno and Olaf just ahead. I decided to have a go, but obviously it wasn't enough." In Cracknell's estimation, Wells maintained his record of "never losing to anyone he shouldn't".
Wells is not competing in Essen but will do the other World Cup regattas and Henley. "I am keen to do well at Henley having pulled out last year," he said. His important scalp on Mercer Lake was that of Aquil Abdullah, last year's Diamonds winner. The 2000 under 23 champion is also forfeiting this year's Nations Cup to his brother Peter, just coming up to his nineteenth birthday and third in the recent Hazewinkel time trial. Matthew is a sprightly 22 years old, and keen to return to the US after his first visit for another regatta if the World Cup is repeated here.
The Danes are back. The new line-up of Thomas Evert, Thomas Poulsen, Soeren Madsen and Eskild Ebbesen beat the French Olympic champions by three seconds in the 5:54.60, nine seconds off the world's best time which they hold. The Canadians pulled up to third from fourth, while the new British combination finished fifth.
David Tanner, Britain's international rowing manager, was impressed with the organisation and the venue, and indicated that he would be prepared to send more crews next time. Princeton's World Cup should not be judged solely on the poor turn-out, he said. after a moribund first day on the bank, Saturday's finals, preambled by a well-supported college regatta in the morning, brought hundreds of supporters, spectators and sponsored guests to the bank of the Mercer Lake. Cracknell said that he hoped the event would be in a more sensible place in the calendar in future, but it was an enjoyable occasion and the winners were of high calibre.
World Cup first round, Princeton.
Men's coxless pairs: 1 James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent (GB) 6:50.75 (8 points); 2 Jon Beare and Henry Hering (Canada) 6:54.26; 3 Igor Francetic and Kresimir Culjak (Croatia) 6:54.26; 4 Vladimir Volodenkov and Anatol Tchermachentsev (Russia) 6:54.73; 5 John Cashman and Gabe Winkler (US) 7:12.26.
Men's single sculls: 1 Olaf Tufte (Norway) 7:05.43; 2 Xeno Mueller (Switzerland) 7:08.06; 3 Matthew Wells (GB) 7:12.24 (5 points); 4 Todd Hallet (Canada) 7:12.48; 5 Mohamed Ahmed (Egypt) 7:16.17; 6 Aquil Abdullah (US) 7:19.60.
Men's lightweight fours: 1 Denmark (Ebert/Poulsen/Madsen/Ebbesen) 5:54.03; 2 France (Porchier/Bette/Hocde/Dorfman) 5:57.44; 3 Canada (Hassett/Mandick/Davidson/Brambell) 5:59.01; 4 Austria (Koubau/Wakolbinger/Engl/Sigl) 6:02.80; 5 GB (Matthew Beechey, Stephen Lee, Mike Hennessey, John Warnock) 6:07.81 (3 points); 6 Brazil (Sobral/Lamm/Zennaro/Loureiro) 6:18.18.
Other winners: Men's coxless fours: Canada 6:05.57. Men's double sculls: Bjorn Hendrickx and Stijn Smulders (Belgium) 6:27.29. Women's double sculls: Manuela Lutze and Kerstin Kowalski (Germany) 7:06.08. Women's single sculls: Ioulia Alexandrova (Russia) 7:57.12. Women's lightweight double sculls: Catherine Humblet and Mary Obidinski (US) 7:11.82. Men's lightweight double sculls: Nicholas Laett and Markus Gier (Switzerland) 6:27.06. Women's quadruple sculls: Germany 6:33.55. Men's quadruple sculls: USA 6:10.89. Men's eight: USA 5.38.67.
World Cup 2001 Princeton: 1 USA 44 points, 2 Canada 23 points, 3 Switzerland 23 points. GB 16 points.