Thursday racing

Despite the cruddy conditions today there was some great racing. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see all of it- I got called away from the course for about and hour and a half. So some of my comments aren't as informed as I'd like. Take them for what they are.

It can't be overstated-- experience at this level makes a huge difference. The first full day of racing at Dorney has borne that axiom out. Athletes racing in their first Worlds almost always come away with the same impression: "That was faster than I thought it would be". Those that can re-calibrate their mindset and approach can often make huge improvements over the course of the regatta. Those that can't get left behind very quickly.

The US girls' straight four is one of our most experienced crews and raced with confidence and composure. They quickly established themselves as a crew that has one place in mind. Coach Trond was pleased with their first attempt. "They had a great start and handled the conditions very well."

The boys' coxed four came off the line with the leaders and in reality were able to match the pace for much of the race. There were moments before the 1000m that their competition edged away, but it is an issue that can now be addressed. The guys have a lot of power but the test now will be to see if they can make the adjustments and execute their revised race plan.

Coach Maloney was pleased the composure the girls' pair displayed in the opening quarter of their race. The crew did not match the pace of the fastest crews off the line, but rather than begin to panic they stayed together and built their rhythm piece by piece. It was a good first piece from the girls- a strong start to build from.

The boys' pair also produced an aggressive initial offering. Upon reflection Coach Hargis characterized his attitude as "bullish" with regard to his boys' performance. The pair didn't think their start was the best they could do, yet they were very competitive and they showed good closing speed in the final 500m. Not the biggest guys on the squad, the headwind was a big challenge for the boys. But guess what? The forecast for tomorrow calls for a tailwind.... :)

The girls' double did what they needed to do. I wasn't able to watch the race, but if I were a betting man I'd guess these two are just getting warmed up. Third place was five seconds back, so it wasn't exactly tooth and nail to the line.

The boys' double and quad, on the other hand, may be recalibrating their ambitions for the finals. Of course the number one goal remains the same: to produce their best possible performance. But these two categories are hotly contested by the Europeans and there are some monster athletes in these crews. I haven't talked to the crews so I don't know how the rows went, but clearly a couple of these outfits might be too hot to handle.

Speaking of hotly contested, have you seen how many single entries there are. It is a cornucopia of different styles, shapes and speeds. Both Sophie and Ryan deserve credit for going out there alone and going after their first piece. Coach Catalano was pleased with Ryan's row. The mission was to qualify and call it good. Mission accomplished. No sense in burning all the jet fuel if you don't need to.
Speaking of which, the girls' eight came down the course ; )

The US won the boys' eight last year, much to the surprise of the crowd, who had watched the crew struggle through the heat and rep. There are a lot of pieces to put together in the eight. Look, their competition is really good, but if the guys are willing to stick their necks out and assert themselves early in the race, good things can happen. If they step up, they'll be there. If they don't, they won't. That's what we're here to find out.

Our day finished with some great finishes. The boys' straight four looked much sharper today than yesterday (what a difference that experience makes) and were competing with the fastest crews all the way down. If they put their foot to the floor in the final 500m they'll be there. Coach Kusturic was happy with the row, but maybe not satisfied...

The girls' quad look great. G-Man couldn't quite conceal the smile on his face when they crossed the line. "It was a good row."