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Kiwis get ahead of the cruel progression curve
All New Zealand crews grab automatic entry to next stage in Shanghai.
World Rowing's new progression system has inspired some desperate racing on day two of the World Championships in Shanghai, China.
Top finishers from each heat earn automatic qualifying spots before fastest times across the event decide who advances after that. It's a definite case of snooze for a few hundredths of a second and you lose.
Four New Zealand crews were in action on the Dianshan Lake course, and all went through the automatic qualifying gate.
Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh and Juliette Lequeux produced the highlight of the morning session, winning heat two of the Women's Four.
They won a bronze medal at the World Cup Lucerne event at the end of June in their first regatta together, finishing just 0.43s behind second-placed Australia and three seconds back on winners, the USA.
Today they lined up next to Australia's unchanged crew again and a Dutch combination which included two of the crew that won gold in this event at the Paris Olympics.
The rematch with the Aussies an ideal opportunity to see which boat had kicked on from that day in Lucerne.
"I guess out of the start in Lucerne we were still quite new," says Alana. "It was our first race together and we were just figuring things out. We've just changed it slightly so we can apply our pressure better."
Australia were first to the 500m mark with the Dutch 1.20s behind them and New Zealand third, 2.18s back on the leaders.
New Zealand moved into second by the halfway mark, just 1.32s down on Australia and their boat speed building.
" I had a look around at the 1000 to see where everyone was and I was like, 'Yeah, we've got this,'" says Alana.
The gap closed even further at the 1500m, Australia just 0.27 s up on New Zealand who were visibly maintaining a better length. New Zealand pushed their bow out in front at 1600m and when the call came for another lift from bow seat Juliette with 100m left they put the result beyond doubt.
Australia faded to finish third, 2.79s behind New Zealand, who crossed in 6 minutes 31.51 seconds. The pace of the other heat meant the Australians missed qualification for the A Final on Friday.
Alana Sherman (stroke), Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh and Juliette Lequeux won heat two of the Women's Four and will compete in the A Final on Friday.
The importance of nailing those automatic qualifying spots was no better demonstrated than in the heats of the Men's Four.
New Zealand's Flynn Eliadis-Watson, Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble and Matt Dunham drew European Champions Romania in their heat, which presented a perfect opportunity to chart their progress in the last couple of months. It's been a testing time for the crew with Josh Vodanovich withdrawing because of a medical condition just six weeks ago and Matt coming out of retirement to fill the seat.
He proved to be an inspiration.
"Matt just knows how to race," says Zack. "He's doing a fantastic job, the boat just sits up perfectly."
Having his experience, enthusiasm and eye on how the race was playing out from bow seat was a huge boost.
"When he makes a call, we're all locked in," says Zack. "I'm the one who makes the main calls but Matt provides a bit of hype around them and he definitely had a couple of good calls coming through that middle 1000, it really got us through."
New Zealand were third through the first 500m behind the Romanians and Uzbekistan but had moved into second by the halfway mark. They maintained that position and closed the margin across the line, to finish in 6.00.69, 2.86 s behind the Romanians.
"The hardest part of the race is finding that rhythm," says Zack. "I think we found it pretty well today. Our focus was completing every stroke, like really swinging through and finishing them off so that we could get set up for the next."
That would be the focus for Wednesday's semifinal.
The progression system led to the unusual sight of all four crews from heat four making the semis, Croatia's Sinkovic brothers and Loncaric twins winning in 5.59.89, France second in 6.00.14 and dragging Italy and Ukraine through as well.
Men's Four of Flynn Eliadis-Watson (stroke), Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble and Matt Dunham were second to European Champions Romania in their heat.
Ben Mason and Finn Hamill will have familiar foes Serbia alongside when they race the semifinals of the Men's Double Sculls on Wednesday as well.
The Serbs just pipped them at World Cup Lucerne to win gold by just 0.05s, and they ended up going head-to-head again today.
Serbia had the faster opening 500m, 1.55s up on Ben and Finn.
The margin at the finish was just 1.56s in favour of the Serbs, who crossed in 6.13.18, New Zealand in 6.14.74.
"It would've been cool to have been up a bit closer but they probably raced a little bit differently today," says Finn. "They led by a length basically the whole way down the course. But that's the heat. We've got them in the semi so we'll get to go and do it all again."
Men's Double Ben Mason (stroke) and Finn Hamill finished second just behind the Serbs in their heat - 6.14.74.
Single sculler Logan Ullrich will potentially have the most arduous regatta of the New Zealand squad, facing four tough races in six days if he's to make the A Final.
He finished second (6.52.95) in heat five, 1.55s behind China's Wei Han.
Logan, who's competing in his first World Championships in the single, races the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Single sculler Logan Ullrich will potentially have the most arduous regatta of the New Zealand squad, facing four races in six days if he's to make the A Final. He finished second (6.52.95) in heat five, 1.55s behind China's Wei Han.
New Zealand Crews in action Tuesday Sept 23
2.57pm (NZT) Ben Taylor, Oliver Welch in Semifinal 1 of the Men's Pair.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
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- Home
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- International Regattas
- /
- Kiwis get ahead...
Kiwis get ahead of the cruel progression curve
All New Zealand crews grab automatic entry to next stage in Shanghai.
World Rowing's new progression system has inspired some desperate racing on day two of the World Championships in Shanghai, China.
Top finishers from each heat earn automatic qualifying spots before fastest times across the event decide who advances after that. It's a definite case of snooze for a few hundredths of a second and you lose.
Four New Zealand crews were in action on the Dianshan Lake course, and all went through the automatic qualifying gate.
Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh and Juliette Lequeux produced the highlight of the morning session, winning heat two of the Women's Four.
They won a bronze medal at the World Cup Lucerne event at the end of June in their first regatta together, finishing just 0.43s behind second-placed Australia and three seconds back on winners, the USA.
Today they lined up next to Australia's unchanged crew again and a Dutch combination which included two of the crew that won gold in this event at the Paris Olympics.
The rematch with the Aussies an ideal opportunity to see which boat had kicked on from that day in Lucerne.
"I guess out of the start in Lucerne we were still quite new," says Alana. "It was our first race together and we were just figuring things out. We've just changed it slightly so we can apply our pressure better."
Australia were first to the 500m mark with the Dutch 1.20s behind them and New Zealand third, 2.18s back on the leaders.
New Zealand moved into second by the halfway mark, just 1.32s down on Australia and their boat speed building.
" I had a look around at the 1000 to see where everyone was and I was like, 'Yeah, we've got this,'" says Alana.
The gap closed even further at the 1500m, Australia just 0.27 s up on New Zealand who were visibly maintaining a better length. New Zealand pushed their bow out in front at 1600m and when the call came for another lift from bow seat Juliette with 100m left they put the result beyond doubt.
Australia faded to finish third, 2.79s behind New Zealand, who crossed in 6 minutes 31.51 seconds. The pace of the other heat meant the Australians missed qualification for the A Final on Friday.
Alana Sherman (stroke), Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh and Juliette Lequeux won heat two of the Women's Four and will compete in the A Final on Friday.
The importance of nailing those automatic qualifying spots was no better demonstrated than in the heats of the Men's Four.
New Zealand's Flynn Eliadis-Watson, Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble and Matt Dunham drew European Champions Romania in their heat, which presented a perfect opportunity to chart their progress in the last couple of months. It's been a testing time for the crew with Josh Vodanovich withdrawing because of a medical condition just six weeks ago and Matt coming out of retirement to fill the seat.
He proved to be an inspiration.
"Matt just knows how to race," says Zack. "He's doing a fantastic job, the boat just sits up perfectly."
Having his experience, enthusiasm and eye on how the race was playing out from bow seat was a huge boost.
"When he makes a call, we're all locked in," says Zack. "I'm the one who makes the main calls but Matt provides a bit of hype around them and he definitely had a couple of good calls coming through that middle 1000, it really got us through."
New Zealand were third through the first 500m behind the Romanians and Uzbekistan but had moved into second by the halfway mark. They maintained that position and closed the margin across the line, to finish in 6.00.69, 2.86 s behind the Romanians.
"The hardest part of the race is finding that rhythm," says Zack. "I think we found it pretty well today. Our focus was completing every stroke, like really swinging through and finishing them off so that we could get set up for the next."
That would be the focus for Wednesday's semifinal.
The progression system led to the unusual sight of all four crews from heat four making the semis, Croatia's Sinkovic brothers and Loncaric twins winning in 5.59.89, France second in 6.00.14 and dragging Italy and Ukraine through as well.
Men's Four of Flynn Eliadis-Watson (stroke), Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble and Matt Dunham were second to European Champions Romania in their heat.
Ben Mason and Finn Hamill will have familiar foes Serbia alongside when they race the semifinals of the Men's Double Sculls on Wednesday as well.
The Serbs just pipped them at World Cup Lucerne to win gold by just 0.05s, and they ended up going head-to-head again today.
Serbia had the faster opening 500m, 1.55s up on Ben and Finn.
The margin at the finish was just 1.56s in favour of the Serbs, who crossed in 6.13.18, New Zealand in 6.14.74.
"It would've been cool to have been up a bit closer but they probably raced a little bit differently today," says Finn. "They led by a length basically the whole way down the course. But that's the heat. We've got them in the semi so we'll get to go and do it all again."
Men's Double Ben Mason (stroke) and Finn Hamill finished second just behind the Serbs in their heat - 6.14.74.
Single sculler Logan Ullrich will potentially have the most arduous regatta of the New Zealand squad, facing four tough races in six days if he's to make the A Final.
He finished second (6.52.95) in heat five, 1.55s behind China's Wei Han.
Logan, who's competing in his first World Championships in the single, races the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Single sculler Logan Ullrich will potentially have the most arduous regatta of the New Zealand squad, facing four races in six days if he's to make the A Final. He finished second (6.52.95) in heat five, 1.55s behind China's Wei Han.
New Zealand Crews in action Tuesday Sept 23
2.57pm (NZT) Ben Taylor, Oliver Welch in Semifinal 1 of the Men's Pair.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
