ROWING: It was a busy fourth day of the 2015 World Rowing Championships with 10 crews in action on Lac d’Aiguebelette with a number of Australians qualifying into the next round of competition.

Kim Crow continued her good form in the Women’s Single Scull by leading her quarter-final from start to finish and booking herself a place in the semi-finals. The London 2012 bronze medallist in the boat class needs to finish in the top nine here to qualify the boat for Rio de Janeiro, but her eye is not only on Rio but also on taking home a second World Championships title.

The Women’s Double Scull of Sally Kehoe and Olympia Aldersey raced in their repechage requiring a top two finish to qualify for the semi-finals. Facing off against Canada, South Korea, France and Sweden, Jason Lane’s crew led the race from start to finish. The 6:58:98 win secured the double a place in the A/B semi-finals on Friday. 

In chilly conditions after heavy rain, first on the course was Tim McDonnell in the Lightweight Men’s Single Scull. Up against scullers from Puerto Rico, Portugal, Germany, Slovenia and Peru it wasn’t to be for McDonnell who finished sixth in the quarter-final and will now contest the C/D Semi-Final.

Following McDonnell it was the Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Scull of Jonothon Hookway, Tom Perry, Edward de Carvalho and James Wilson. The crew needed a top two finish to go through to the A-Final and were in the contention for the majority of the race leading with Great Britain.

However, at the 1250 metre mark the USA crew put their foot on the gas and an almighty battle began between Australia and USA to decide who would take the second A-Final qualification place with Great Britain having sewn up the lead. As the crews approached the line, the Australians gave it one last push but it was the Americans who surged ahead to claim the second A-Final place by just 0.27 seconds.

In the Men’s Pair quarter-final, the U23 silver medallists of Nick Wheatley and Jack Hargreaves needed a top three finish to qualify for the semi-finals in their boat class. The young pair sat in second throughout the race with Serbia claiming the win, the Aussies coming in second while Spain took third place and all three booking their spots in the semi-finals.

Olympic hopes of Alice McNamara and Ella Flecker in the lightweight women's double scull are all but over after they were fourth in their quarter-final. The Australians were up in contention for a top three finish with Denmark and Sweden at the halfway mark but in form Charlotte Taylor and Katherine Copeland of Great Britain saved their energy to push through in the final 500 metres to usurp all the crews and take the win, followed by Denmark and then Sweden. The result means that Flecker and McNamara head to the C/D semi-final

In a big blow Australia may head to Brazil next year without either a men's or women's eight after missing qualification in France on Wednesday. Both crews had to finish in the top two out of five starters in their repechages at the world championships on Lake Aiguebelette to advance to Sunday's final and keep alive their hopes of booking their boats for a start in Brazil.

However, neither crew went close to making the cut. The men's crew were fourth, almost 10 seconds behind second-placed New Zealand who were just behind the Netherlands.

The women were in contention at the 1000m halfway mark, but faded to come in fifth with Great Britain and Russia moving through to the final, where the top five out six are assured an Olympics berth.

Now the only chance Australia's two big boats have of going to Rio is to be top-two at the final qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland next May. This will the final chance for other classes that do not qualify through the World Championships also.

In the Paralympic events, Erik Horrie in the Arms and Shoulders Men’s Single Scull continued his fine form to book a place in the A-Final of his boat. Horrie will be hot favourite to retain his World Championship title for a third year in a row when it comes to tomorrow’s para-rowing finals especially after winning so conclusively today in France.

By virtue of making the A-Final, Horrie has booked a place for his boat class at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, just as Gavin Bellis and Kathryn Ross have done already in the Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Scull by virtue of make their final. Both crews will bid to make it a triumvirate of World Championship titles tomorrow when they compete in their A-Finals.

Still in with a chance of qualifying their boat class for Rio de Janeiro will be the LTA Mixed Coxed Four. The crew finished fifth in their semi-final which was won by an inform USA, so the crew coxed by Jo Burnand, will now contest the B-Final tomorrow. Should they finish top two in the B-Final, they will then qualify the boat for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

Thursday in France sees the following Australians competing (* Olympic events), including to A-Finals where Erik Horrie, Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis will be aiming to win their third successive World Para-Rowing Championship title:

Lightweight Women’s Single Scull, Georgia Nesbitt (coached by Ellen Randell). Semi-Final, Lane 5. 18:42 AEST (10:42 Local Time). 1-3 to A-Final; 4… B-Final

Men’s Pair *, Nick Wheatley and Jack Hargreaves (coached by Mark Prater), Semi-Final, Lane 5. 19:03 AEST (11:03 Local Time). 1-3 to A-Final; 4… B-Final

Men’s Four *, Alex Hill, Spencer Turrin, Josh Dunkley-Smith and Will Lockwood (coached by Simon Cox), Semi-Final, Lane 3. 19:45 AEST (11:45 Local Time). 1-3 to A-Final; 4… B-Final

Men’s Quad Scull *, David Watts, Cameron Girdlestone, Karsten Forsterling and David Crawshay (coached by John Driessen), Semi-Final, Lane 3. 19:52 AEST (11:52 Local Time). 1-3 to A-Final; 4… B-Final

Men’s Double Scull *, Alexander Belonogoff and James McRae (coached by Rhett Ayliffe), Quarter-Final, Lane 5. 20:14 AEST (12:14 Local Time). 1-3 to Semi-Finals; 4… Semi-Final C/D

Lightweight Men’s Single Scull, Tim McDonnell (coached by Brett Crow), Semi-Final C/D, Lane 1. 20:29 AEST (12:29 Local Time). 1-3 to C-Final, 4.. to D-Final

Women’s Pair *, Molly Goodman and Gen Horton (coached by Bill Tait), Semi-Final C/D, Lane 3, 20:49 AEST (12:49 Local Time). 1-3 to C-Final, 4.. to D-Final

Lightweight Women’s Double Scull *, Ella Flecker and Alice McNamara (coached by Mark Fangen-Hall), Semi-Final C/D, Lane 4, 21:14 AEST (13:14 Local Time). 1-3 to C-Final, 4… to D-Final

LTA Mixed Coxed Four, Kate Murdoch, Jeremy McGrath, Alistair Chong, Sara Waitzer and Jo Burnand (c) (coached by Gordon Marcks), B-Final, Lane 5. Top 2 qualify for Rio 2016 Paralympics

AS Men’s Single Scull, Erik Horrie (coached by Jason Baker), A-Final, Lane 3. 00:55 AEST (16:55 Local Time).

TA Mixed Double Scull, Kathryn Ross and Gavi Bellis (coached by Gordon Marcks), A-Final, Lane 4. 01:10 AEST (17:10 Local Time)

AAP/ROWING AUSTRALIA