Who to watch at the Rowing World Cup in Munich

18/06/2010

The weather forecast may indicate damp, cool conditions but the competition has definitely heated up for the second stage of the 2010 Rowing World Cup in Munich, Germany. Australia and New Zealand are arriving with full teams, China is back with re-vamped combinations on the back of their results at the first Rowing World Cup in Bled, Slovenia. Germany is there in force including three entries in the men’s four. And Great Britain is hoping to ride on their success last month in Bled.

Women’s Pair (W2-)
China may have found the winning formula by pairing up twins. Tong and Meng Li finished second at last month’s Rowing World Cup and are one of China’s strongest women combinations. Australia’s Sarah Tait and Sarah Cook may be a new combination but between them they have a world of experience that can only look favourably upon them. New Zealand also line up with a new grouping. Beijing Olympian Juliette Haigh returns to international competition at Munich, racing with Rebecca Scown. This leaves home favourites Kerstin Hartmann and Marlene Sinnig of Germany to build on their fourth place in Bled and also the two crews of Romania’s top sweep rowers.

Men’s Pair (M2-)
New Zealand’s Eric Murray and Hamish Bond have not lost a race since they left the four behind and formed a pair last year. New Zealand and Great Britain will meet for the second time this season in Munich. It will take a huge effort for any other country to catch these two leading boats. Amongst the entries are some established names like South African regulars Ramon Di Clemente and Shaun Keeling. Serbia’s rowing stalwart Nikola Stojic is competing with Marko Marjanovic representing a combination of experience and rising talent.

The Polish Men's Eight / The Ukrainian Women's Quadruple Sculls
Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)
It is going to be hard to look past Anna Watkins (nee Bebington) and Katherine Grainger of Great Britain. The duo looked awfully comfortable during their race in Bled last month, doing just enough to hold off the second-place getters, Liang Tian and Yangyang Zhang of China. As in Bled, Watkins and Grainger will be aiming for a double-header, racing in the women’s quadruple sculls as well. Top German sculler Annekatrin Thiele with new crewmate in the double Julia Richter will be after Watkins and Grainger as will the Chinese who will hope to better their Bled placing.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)
Last month at the first stage of the Rowing World Cup, Marcus Bateman and Matthew Wells (GBR) were the winners, but the duo will face much stiffer competition in Munich. France’s top two scullers, Cedric Berrest and Julien Bahain are back together. An injury for 2009 World Champion Eric Knittel means that the German double will not be competing. Wells and Bateman will still face loads of competition as they will be challenged by Allar Raja and Kaspar Taimsoo of Estonia who finished third at Bled. Then there’s the ever improving Swiss duo of Andre Vonarburg and Florian Stofer to contend with, as well as New Zealand’s new combination which includes Olympian Nathan Cohen, and under-23 world champion, Joseph Sullivan.

Competitive weekend
Racing begins on Friday 18 June and goes through to semifinals and also A-finals in the three International Events on Saturday, 19 June. Races will also be held in the categories of Eight, Single Sculls, Quadruple Sculls, Lightweight Four, Lightweight Double Sculls and Four. World Cup finals will conclude the regatta on Sunday 20 June.

Source: worldrowing.com

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