Rio Olympics Day 4 and 5 Preview
Following race cancelations due to weather, here is the race preview for what is happening on day 4 and 5. The events covered in this article are the Women's Single (quarter-final), the Women's Pair (rep), the Women's Eight (rep) and the Men's Quad B-Final.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2016
Women's Single (Quarter-Finals)
First up at 5:30am PT (or 8:30am ET), is the Women's Single Quarter-Finals. The crews in QF #3 are: Algeria, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Canada, Denmark and Bermuda.
In lane 1 is Algeria. Having already raced at London 2012, Amina Rouba is looking experienced and ready for Rio. While she mainly competes at lightweight level, she's earned a spot here by winning a silver medal at the African Qualifying Regatta. Her best result is a 9th place finish at Varese this year.
In lane 2 is Nigeria. The first Nigerian to row at the Olympics, Chierika "Coco" Ukogu is wanting to show her potential. A Stanford rower, Coco knows how to compete.
In lane 3 is Zimbabwe. Micheen Thornycroft has been setting high standards for Zimbabwe since her in international debut at U23 Worlds in 2006 and again in 2012 at a senior. Finishing a respectable 14th in London, Thornycroft hopes to better that with a B-Final finish in Rio.
Lane 4 is Canada. Pan Am gold medalist and rising star, Carling Zeeman, has quickly given Canada some major hope for this and future Olympics. Zeeman showed her form at World Cup #1 by winning gold. While relatively new to the sport (in comparison to some of her competitors) she has shown the commitment needed to be a medal contender in Rio.
Lane 5 is Denmark. Fie Udby Erichsen is one of the favourites to win a medal in this event, and a perfect test of speed for Carling. Winning at silver at London 2012 in the Women's Single, Erichsen is ready to do one better.
Lane 6 is Bermuda. A two-time Junior Worlds Champion and a Harvard oarswoman, Michelle Pearson is a force on the water. Racing internationally in the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race also shows her pedigree.
Women's Single Overall: Kim Brennan (Australia) and Emma Twigg (New Zealand) are both favourites for the gold, with Carling Zeeman (Canada), Mirka Knapkova (Czech Republic), Gevvie Stone (USA) and Ekaterina Karsten (Belarus) all having a shot at medals.
Women's Pair (Repechage)
Next up at 7:10am PT (or 10:10am ET), is the Women's Pair. Crews racing are: Netherlands, Italy, France, Canada, Belarus and Romania.
In lane 1, is the Netherlands. Like Canada, this is a relatively new combination, with only one international race together. The crew was beaten in their heat by Canada right on the line with a time of 7:23.
Lane 2 is Italy. Raced right to the line trying to get the last qualifying spot for direct advancement to the Semi-Final, but couldn't pass Poland. Italy's time was an impressive 7:13 in the heats.
Lane 3 is France. They also were one place out of the automatic advancement spot, but they were far off the pace, pulling a 7:26. The rep will show if this crew was conserving energy during the heat.
The Canadians, Nicole Hare and Jennifer Martins, are in lane 4. With a bumpy start to their heat, the Northern Pair steadied themselves and ended up racing right back into a solid 4th place (beating the Dutch). Their time in the heat was 7:22
Lane 5 is Belarus. They had major troubles staying with the race pace of New Zealand in the heat and dropped off to 6th. Pulling a time of 7:35, we will see if they have something special saved for this rep.
Lane 6 is Romania. While they also finishing in 6th, this crew seemed to put down a great time of 7:18. Romania has posted some great results this season and they could still be on for a medal, so this is likely going to be the top crew for Canada to challenge in the rep.
Women's Pair Overall: Heavy favourites are Great Britain, with USA and New Zealand likely fighting it out for the other medals. Otherwise, other crews for Canada to watch include South Africa, Denmark and Romania.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
Women's Eight (Repechage)
Next up at 5:50am PT (or 9:40am ET), is the Women's Eight. Crews racing are: Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania and Australia.
Lane 1 is Canada. A long standing tradition of being the top favourites for silver (USA haven been undefeated for many years now), now the rest of the world has caught up to Canada, resulting in very tight racing. Between 2009 and 2014, Canada won four silver medals at World Championships and will need to show similar speed again here in Rio if they want to medal. Their time in the heat was 6:12.
Lane 2 is Netherlands. Had a solid race against the top ranked American crew, placing second and putting down a time of 6:14. With the crew from the Women's Pair moving into the eight, this could be a very quick eight when needed.
Lane 3 is New Zealand. Getting the better of Canada by 0.3 of a second in the heat, this crew is hoping to gain a medal at these games. Having never qualified a W8+ for the Olympics, they are hoping to set a new standard. Their time was 6:12.
Lane 4 is Romania. Once the dominant force in women's rowing, Romania has been pushing to get back to that level for years. The 2015 and 2016 season hasn't shown any medals, and Rio will likely be the same. Romania's time in the heats was 6:16.
Lane 5 is Australia. Thanks to Russia's disqualification, this crew is now here in Rio. They are a young crew, with only one previous Olympian in it, but they are ready to do their best with what was given to them. A top B-Final finish would be a win for this crew. Australia's time in the heats was 6:22.
Women's Eight Overall: The USA haven't lost in a long time - winning 2 Olympic titles and the last 8 World Championships - making them the clear favourites. Outside of that, it is going to be a tight race between Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain and the Dutch.
Men's Quad (B-Final)
Next up at 6:10am PT (or 9:10am ET), is the Men's Quad. Crews racing are: New Zealand, Switzerland, Lithuania and Canada.
Lane 1 is New Zealand. This crew wasn't planning on even being at this regatta, but due to Russian disqualification, they have made the most of the situation. They finished right behind Canada in the reps, with a time of 5:58.
Lane 2 is Switzerland. Just ousting Canada, this crew is young (average age of 22) and tough. Like the Canadian's this crew has two Olympians onboard and should be their top competition for the B-Final win. Their time in the rep was 5:56.
Lane 3 is Lithuania. Finishing just 2 seconds out of qualifying for the A-final, Lithuania has had some great races this regatta. Like the Swiss, this is a young crew that will likely be in Tokyo for 2020. Their time in the rep was 5:55.
Lane 4 is Canada. Not making the A-Final had a heavy toll on the crew and hopefully a solid B-Final race will help them reset and show their true speed. Their time in the reps was 5:56. With all four crews within 2 seconds of each other, this B-Final promises to be a drag race from start to finish.
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Jordan Wille
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