It’s our way on the highway
Four Kiwi crews make the middle lane the fast one.
Lane three turned into a one-way route to the next stop for the New Zealand rowers at the Olympics regatta in Vaires-sur-Marne overnight.
Emma Twigg and Tom Mackintosh qualified for the semifinals in the single sculls and the men’s and women’s doubles will now race the final on Thursday evening NZT.
Emma Twigg was up against Last Chance winner Virginia Diaz Rivas from Spain and the enigmatic Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen of Switzerland.
She’s someone trying to do things a bit differently, Macon blades, the only athlete driving a Swift single, feet really high and a unique style as she rolls into the catch.
It works for the 20-year-old who won bronze at World Cup III in June.
But Emma was in a zone of her own, asserting her dominance at the 1300m mark to cross in 7min 26.89sec.
Janzen was second in 7.31.12 with Diaz Rivas crossing in 7.34.01.
Today was all about perfecting brackets of the race for Emma, who’s now rowed the single 124 times at an international regatta.
“I knew there’s be a race unfolding behind me and I knew I needed to be ahead in that last 1000m to fend off any challenges. I’m just trying to sharpen everyday, I definitely tweaked what I did in the heat and felt really comfortable out there, I’ve got another day to tweak for the semifinal which is going to be a brutal race.”
The regular chats with double Olympic gold medallist Mahe Drysdale have helped.
“He gave me a few pointers,” says Emma. “No doubt he’ll have something to hassle me about today. I guess it’s become a bit of a tradition. In Tokyo I’d give him a yarn after every race...he’s a calming dude and will always say it how it is.”
Emma Twigg racing in the Women's Single Scull quarter final of the Paris Olympic 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
Tom Mackintosh was next to own the lane three highway, his closest competition coming from Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen.
“I was really happy with the first half of the race,” says Tom. “Second half?...maybe coming into the last quarter would like to step on it a bit more.”
Lane three was also the winning runway from which Germany’s Olli Zeidler, the Netherlands’ Simon van Dorp and the neutral athlete from Belarus, Yauheni Zalaty, launched into the semifinals.
Here’s a time comparison that kind of means nothing but is still interesting.
TMack: 6.48.01.
Zeidler: 6.45.32.
Van Dorp: 6.49.96.
Zalaty: 6.49.27
And as someone who’s fallen foul of split times at an Olympics, maybe it’s worth comparing them as well.
TMack: 1.38.43, 1.43.57, 1.42.57, 1.43.44
Zeidler: 1.38.53, 1.43.27, 1.43.08, 1.41.16
Van Dorp: 1.39.41, 1.42.09, 1.42.48, 1.45.98
Zalaty: 1.39.52, 1.44.12, 1.44.17, 1.41.46
Tom Mackintosh racing in the single scull quarter final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
The Women’s Double of Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis made it three wins from three in lane three, qualifying fastest for Thursday night’s (NZT) final in 6.49.49.
Lucy and Brooke had their first introduction to competing against the hosts and the home crowd.
Emma Lunatti and Elodie Ravera Scaramozzino won their heat and the decibel levels were even greater for the semi.
There was a top-notch Dutch crew on the outside to cover off as well.
The Dutch claiming second in 6.50.20, the French crossing third in 6.51.30.
We are growing in confidence, says Lucy. We believed the whole time that we could be in an Olympic final.”
Their lead-from-the-front tactic paid off.
“You can’t really approach a semifinal any other way,” says Lucy. “That was going to be brutal, that was going to be tight. We had to go out to win it.”
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis racing in the semi final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo Art of Rowing
Jordan Parry and Robbie Manson were the last riders in lane three. A while ago Robbie referred to the Men’s Double as a shark tank. It’s ferocious in there but they got the job done in a stacked pack of crews.
Germany, silver World Cup III.
USA, winners at Regatta of Death in May.
Ireland, gold World Cup III.
Norway, a new crew with nothing to lose.
France, out in the far lane but carried by a crowd you could hear in Akaroa.
In the end it was Ireland over first in 6.13.14, USA second in 6.14.19 and New Zealand third in 6.14.30.
It’s Robbie’s third Olympics and he will now row his first ever final at the Games.
“I’m incredibly proud of us, we’re a great team,” says Robbie. “We take the piss out of each other, we take the piss out of our coach Gary. We’ve not only made the final but we’ve had fun doing it and we’ve tried to, and I emphasise the word ‘try’ to enjoy the experience as well.”
Jordan’s at his second Games.
“If I reflect on Tokyo, it’s more of a ‘I tried, I tried, I tried, I tried so hard, but ultimately I failed.” There’s a small laugh. The years have obviously allowed him to get a different perspective on his 13th placing.
“Whatever the result [this time] I feel like I’m fast for me.”
A while ago Robbie described the Men’s Double as a shark tank.
That’s going to be true in a final where just 2.59secs separated the six qualifiers.
The sharks are circling.
Dorsal fins on show down lane three. Cutting the surface nicely.
Jordan Parry and Robbie Manson in the Men's Double Sculls semi final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
Andy Hay
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It’s our way on the highway
Four Kiwi crews make the middle lane the fast one.
Lane three turned into a one-way route to the next stop for the New Zealand rowers at the Olympics regatta in Vaires-sur-Marne overnight.
Emma Twigg and Tom Mackintosh qualified for the semifinals in the single sculls and the men’s and women’s doubles will now race the final on Thursday evening NZT.
Emma Twigg was up against Last Chance winner Virginia Diaz Rivas from Spain and the enigmatic Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen of Switzerland.
She’s someone trying to do things a bit differently, Macon blades, the only athlete driving a Swift single, feet really high and a unique style as she rolls into the catch.
It works for the 20-year-old who won bronze at World Cup III in June.
But Emma was in a zone of her own, asserting her dominance at the 1300m mark to cross in 7min 26.89sec.
Janzen was second in 7.31.12 with Diaz Rivas crossing in 7.34.01.
Today was all about perfecting brackets of the race for Emma, who’s now rowed the single 124 times at an international regatta.
“I knew there’s be a race unfolding behind me and I knew I needed to be ahead in that last 1000m to fend off any challenges. I’m just trying to sharpen everyday, I definitely tweaked what I did in the heat and felt really comfortable out there, I’ve got another day to tweak for the semifinal which is going to be a brutal race.”
The regular chats with double Olympic gold medallist Mahe Drysdale have helped.
“He gave me a few pointers,” says Emma. “No doubt he’ll have something to hassle me about today. I guess it’s become a bit of a tradition. In Tokyo I’d give him a yarn after every race...he’s a calming dude and will always say it how it is.”
Emma Twigg racing in the Women's Single Scull quarter final of the Paris Olympic 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
Tom Mackintosh was next to own the lane three highway, his closest competition coming from Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen.
“I was really happy with the first half of the race,” says Tom. “Second half?...maybe coming into the last quarter would like to step on it a bit more.”
Lane three was also the winning runway from which Germany’s Olli Zeidler, the Netherlands’ Simon van Dorp and the neutral athlete from Belarus, Yauheni Zalaty, launched into the semifinals.
Here’s a time comparison that kind of means nothing but is still interesting.
TMack: 6.48.01.
Zeidler: 6.45.32.
Van Dorp: 6.49.96.
Zalaty: 6.49.27
And as someone who’s fallen foul of split times at an Olympics, maybe it’s worth comparing them as well.
TMack: 1.38.43, 1.43.57, 1.42.57, 1.43.44
Zeidler: 1.38.53, 1.43.27, 1.43.08, 1.41.16
Van Dorp: 1.39.41, 1.42.09, 1.42.48, 1.45.98
Zalaty: 1.39.52, 1.44.12, 1.44.17, 1.41.46
Tom Mackintosh racing in the single scull quarter final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
The Women’s Double of Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis made it three wins from three in lane three, qualifying fastest for Thursday night’s (NZT) final in 6.49.49.
Lucy and Brooke had their first introduction to competing against the hosts and the home crowd.
Emma Lunatti and Elodie Ravera Scaramozzino won their heat and the decibel levels were even greater for the semi.
There was a top-notch Dutch crew on the outside to cover off as well.
The Dutch claiming second in 6.50.20, the French crossing third in 6.51.30.
We are growing in confidence, says Lucy. We believed the whole time that we could be in an Olympic final.”
Their lead-from-the-front tactic paid off.
“You can’t really approach a semifinal any other way,” says Lucy. “That was going to be brutal, that was going to be tight. We had to go out to win it.”
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis racing in the semi final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo Art of Rowing
Jordan Parry and Robbie Manson were the last riders in lane three. A while ago Robbie referred to the Men’s Double as a shark tank. It’s ferocious in there but they got the job done in a stacked pack of crews.
Germany, silver World Cup III.
USA, winners at Regatta of Death in May.
Ireland, gold World Cup III.
Norway, a new crew with nothing to lose.
France, out in the far lane but carried by a crowd you could hear in Akaroa.
In the end it was Ireland over first in 6.13.14, USA second in 6.14.19 and New Zealand third in 6.14.30.
It’s Robbie’s third Olympics and he will now row his first ever final at the Games.
“I’m incredibly proud of us, we’re a great team,” says Robbie. “We take the piss out of each other, we take the piss out of our coach Gary. We’ve not only made the final but we’ve had fun doing it and we’ve tried to, and I emphasise the word ‘try’ to enjoy the experience as well.”
Jordan’s at his second Games.
“If I reflect on Tokyo, it’s more of a ‘I tried, I tried, I tried, I tried so hard, but ultimately I failed.” There’s a small laugh. The years have obviously allowed him to get a different perspective on his 13th placing.
“Whatever the result [this time] I feel like I’m fast for me.”
A while ago Robbie described the Men’s Double as a shark tank.
That’s going to be true in a final where just 2.59secs separated the six qualifiers.
The sharks are circling.
Dorsal fins on show down lane three. Cutting the surface nicely.
Jordan Parry and Robbie Manson in the Men's Double Sculls semi final at the Paris Olympics 2024. Photo: Art of Rowing
