ROWING: The first day of the 2014 World Rowing Junior Championships started well for the Junior Australian Rowing Team. Four crews were set to compete in Hamburg in blustery conditions with each crew requiring a top three or four finish to progress into the quarter-finals.
The Junior Men's Single Scull, featuring New South Welshman, Tom Schramko, saw the largest field of the men's boat classes, attracting 33 nations. They were divided into six heats with the top three crews only from each heat earning a direct path to Friday's quarterfinals.
Schramko featured in Heat Five and the 203cm-tall Schramko o used his height to his best advantage and not only led the entire race, but he simply dominated. Lithuania, in second, could not get anywhere close to Schramko who won in a time of 7:37:42, however he will need to increase his speed if he is to challenge the best qualifier, Germany's Tim Ole Naske who had a winning time in Heat 3 of 7:24:14.
"I am pretty stoked with how my heat played out; I wanted to ensure I got out in front and hold on to win and was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. Thankfully I was able to put myself in front from the start, so with plenty in the tank Nick (coach) and I are looking forward to the Quarter Finals on Friday."
Previously, the Junior Men's Coxless Pair of Joseph 'Jex' Fatin and Sam Marsh competed in the Junior Men's Coxless Pairs. This boat class attracted a large field of 26 nations. They were spread over five heats with the top four boats in each heat advancing to Friday's quarterfinals.
Racing in Heat 2, the heat was led from the front by France's crew of Adrien Decriem and Paul Goetchebeur, who claimed the win, with Fatin and Marsh finishing in second, with a time of 7:19:58. This left the big battle in their heat went between Georgia and Kazakhstan for the fourth qualifying spot. Georgia managed it despite a huge sprint by the Kazakh crew.
Post-race Marsh said: "We were ready to race, and while we got the job done (qualifying for quarter finals), there are a few things we can work on with our coach Paul Bolton, and both Jex and I are really looking forward to our next hit out in the Quarter Finals on Friday."
Fatin echoed Marsh's sentiments saying: "It was very exciting getting out on the World stage for the first time, seeing such great athletes from all over the world doing the same thing that we love. We have worked hard in our training, and are really happy to have achieved what we set out to do, by avoiding the repachages."
Second out for Australia was the Junior Men's Double Scull of Adam Bakker and Tyron Boorman who won an exciting Heat 4, beating China into second place. Boorman and Bakker got out quickly as they were chased hard by both Turkey and Great Britain. Turkey kept the pressure on through the middle of the race before deciding not to sprint the finish. The sprint instead went to China. Boorman and Bakker managed to hold China off, but all crews will now be aware of what Junjie Chen and Sensen Chen of China can do. Australia and China recorded the top two fastest qualifying times, Australia's being 6:51:81.
Coach of the JM2x, Christian Oneto commented: "We were really happy with the race today, the boys executed the plan really well. We came into today with one objective; win the heat and move straight into the Quarter Final and it was a great way to start our racing campaign and we are eagerly looking forward to the next step, the Quarter Final on Friday."
Rowing Australia
