2006 Concept2 Euro Open Report
The Concept2 Euro Open returned to Amsterdam this year and the Sporthallen Zuid, scene of the 2004 Open. The Sporthallen is an excellent venue for a race, being just the right size. Midway through the day, the bleachers were full of cheering spectators, with the added bonus of the Dutch university boat clubs taking every opportunity to burst into their club song. Under the grey skies and the horizontal rain of a lowlands country in December, Team GB brought home a cracking haul of 11 golds, 7 silvers and 5 bronze.
The first race of the day was the veteran women and was a very successful one for Team GB. Tracey Axten led from start to finish yet again to comfortably win the 40+ Hwt race in 6:58.7, rowing under seven minutes to beat her own championship record. The 50+ Hwt race saw Anna Bailey have to settle for a rare silver as the US's Carrie Graves won in a time of 7:23.8 with Anna second in 7:33.8. Christina Nugent-Lee continued her successful return to the indoor racing arena, winning the 40+ Lwt race in a time of 7:26.0. The 30+ Lwt race saw a GB 1-2, as Shelley Wilkins won in 7:44.3, ahead of Avelline Deighton with 7:55.2.
In the 60+ Hwt, Patricia Gould won gold as did Josephine Timms in the Women's 70+ Hwt race. Mavis Surridge, however, had to settle for silver in the 70+ Lwt race, just behind the US's Laurette Rindlaub. Unfortunately, Great Britain was denied a medal in the 60-69 Lwts, as Geri Bright was disqualified due to confusion over weigh-in times.
In the veteran men's events, the most eagerly anticipated race was the Men's 50+ Lwt race, which saw a stellar cast, including former world record holder Rich Cureton and world 55-59 champion Dennis Hastings from the US plus Roy Brook and David Hislop from the UK. Flying out of the blocks, it was Brook who took the lead and although the line can never come soon enough, especially when its arrival means you're European champion, he was able to hold on to win in a time of 6:47.9. Just behind him, Hastings sneaked in with a few metres to go to pip Hislop to the silver in 6:49.5 against 6:49.8.
The Men's 60-69 Lwt race saw an early shock, as Roger Prowse was beaten for once. Brian Bailey, who raced heavyweight at the British IRC, made weight and rowed a phenomenal 6:47.5, beating Roger's old British record in the process and only a second outside Lyle Parker's world best.
Geoffrey Knight took gold in the 70-79 Lwt race with a 7:21.8, while the oldest competitor of the day was Alan Hanna from Telford. Cheered on by both his son and grandson, Alan rowed a sturdy 8:42.2 for his gold medal in the 80-89 Lwt event.
The Men's 40+ Hwt race saw a terrific three-way tussle between Germany's Jurgen Schwab, Norway's Kent Pettersson and the UK's Andy Sangster. Pettersson led for much of the way, until Schwab, who has won plenty of silvers and bronzes at big championship but never the main prize, finally came through at the end to win a time of 6:12.0. Pettersson finished second in 6:14.5 while Andy Sangster won bronze with 6:17.1.
In the Men's 50+ Hwt, there was a great race between Jonathan Bone of the US and Estonia's Madis Lohmus. Bone just found enough strength at the end to win in a time of 6:34.8, with Lohmus just behind in 6:36.6. The UK's Adrian Van Schalkwyk was just, just unable to do enough to take the bronze, being narrowly edged out by a single tenth by Johna Bielderman of the Netherlands, who had the third place with a 6:40.5.
The Men's 30+ Lwt saw the last gold of the day for Britain, as Mark Mitchell roared through the field to win in a time of 6:26.4, well ahead of Finland's Toni Pykko. Like Adrian Van Schalkwyk, Alistair Harsant was also just nudged from the podium, this time by Italy's Gianluca Penta, who took the bronze in 6:51.1.
The Men's Open Hwt race was won by Anton Grassl from Slovakia. A canoeist, although Grassl isn't the biggest rower around, he's got possibly the biggest back in the world, with deltoids like great hocks of ham. Rowing at a slower rate than anybody else in the field, he started at 1:17s and never looked in danger of being overtaken, coming home in a nice and controlled 5:54.7. Behind him, Peter Vos took silver for Holland in 5:59.4, with Italy's Diego Rivieri third in 6:01.1.
The Women's Open Hwt was an incredibly close affair. Jenny Van Dobben de Bruijn of the Netherlands won in a time of 6:47.6, just ahead of her fellow countrywomen Marlies Smulders and Sanne Beukers. Marlies won silver by the smallest of margins, just one-tenth of a second, in a time of 6:50.8.
The Men's Open Lwt also saw a fantastic duel for silver and bronze. Gerard van Den Linden made an early break to win the gold in 6:10.9, but just behind him Filippo Mannucci of Italy had to fight hard with Denmark's Rasmus Quist over the closing stages to take second in 6:13.3 with Quist just behind in 6:13.9.
In the Women's Open Lwt, Juliane Elander was able to better Rasmus's medal with a gold of her own, winning in 7:05.3. She was made to work hard, however, by Holland's Katrien Hautvast who finished second in 7:07.9, a short way in front of Marit Van Eupen who rowed a 7:09.4.
