Our first races have been run! The boys' and girls' spare pairs came down the course shorty after noon. Conditions were decent- a light crosswind, but good water on the course. The girls got things started on the right foot. In a head-to-head duel with the Germans they quickly established a lead. It was their move at the 1000m mark that proved to be the deciding moment in the race. Our girls pounded through a series of strokes that cracked the race wide open. From then on it was a question of staying focused and getting to the line.
As the USA came into the last 150m the grandstand erupted into chants of "U-S-A" as the rest of our team cheered them home. The girls were very happy with their row, as were the coaches. Job well done.
The boys pair found the going a bit tougher. Although they came off the line like a shot and were the leaders for the first few hundred meters, the German and Italian pairs were not put off. They pushed through our boys as the crews settled into their base pace. The German and Italian programs are certainly two of the world's strongest and the depth of ability in these two pairs was impressive. Our boys couldn't quite match their resources and finished third. The boys did not feel like they had their best row, but the experience they accrued will stand them in good stead the next time. They did us proud with their effort and sportsmanship.
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