| UPDATE - MILAN, August 28, 2003: Dale Doornek Edges Closer to Trials |
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Release Media
Contact: Mike McQuaid
George Pocock
Rowing Foundation 2003 World Championships - August 24 – 31, 2003, Milan, Italy
Nelson and Jones row to world rowing finals Five western Washington rowers to compete for world titles 2004 Olympic Games competition qualification at stake MILAN, Italy – Aug. 28, 2003 – Seattle’s Lianne Nelson and Standwood’s Sarah Jones helped their crews earn spots for the United States in the finals of the 2003 World Rowing Championships by finishing second and third in their semifinal events Thursday on the Idroscalo in Milan, Italy.
Nelson, a graduate of Seattle’s Lakeside School, who began rowing at the Bush School, finished second in the women’s pair while Pacific Lutheran University graduate Jones finished third in the women’s quadruple sculls. The U.S. men’s eight and lightweight women’s double sculls also qualified for the finals during Thursday’s racing.
Five western Washington rowers are now in contention for a World Rowing Championship in their respective events. The rowers include former University of Washington rowers Anna Mickelson and Mary Whipple in the defending World Champion women’s eight, former Husky oarsman Matt Deakin in the men’s four, Nelson in the women’s pair and Jones in the women’s quadruple sculls. The U.S. has qualified 13 boats for this weekend’s finals.
In one of the most compelling races of the day, Seattle’s Nelson and Katie Hammes (La Crosse, Wis.) crossed the finish line in second place in their semifinal of the women’s pair to advance to Saturday’s final. Great Britain jumped out to a solid lead in the first 500 meters of the race, while the Ukraine, Germany, the U.S., and Canada sat almost even for second place as they crossed the 750-meter mark. That’s when Canada made its push. The Canadians moved into second position at the midway point, with the U.S. passing Germany to stay nearly even with its neighbors to the north. Nelson and Hammes then put together the fastest final 1,000 meters of the field to chase down Canada. In the end, Great Britain held on for a 0.96-second victory, clocking a 7:10.02 to the United States’ 7:10.98. Canada held on for third, finishing in a 7:11.12. Germany finished fourth, failing to make the final. In the first semifinal, Romania, Belarus, and China took the top three positions. Romania clocked a 7:10.18 en route to the victory. The top three finishers in each semifinal advanced to the final.
PLU’s Jones (Stanwood, Wash) and partners Danika Harris (Durham, N.H), Laurel Korholz (La Jolla, Calif.) and Hilary Gehman (Wolfeboro, N.H.) held on to third place in their semifinal of the women’s quadruple sculls to advance to Sunday’s final. The quartet got off to a fast start, grabbing the lead by the 500-meter mark, and continued to build its lead over the next 500 meters. By the 1,000-meter mark, the U.S. boat had taken a boat-length advantage on the field. That’s when Australia began to move, overtaking the U.S. with 500 meters to go. At the same time, Belarus was charging hard. As the crews crossed the finish line, Belarus won the race in a time of 6:15.00, 0.88 seconds ahead of the Australians. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:17.03, 0.09 seconds ahead of a fast-charging Denmark crew. In the second semifinal, Germany clocked a 6:18.57 to earn the victory. Great Britain and the Ukraine rounded out the top three, followed by the Netherlands. Belarus, Australia, Great Britain, the Ukraine, Germany, and the United States now will face off in the final.
Earning spots in the “B” level finals were former Washington oarsmen Steve Gillespie (men’s double sculls) and Erik Miller (lightweight men’s four) Kristin Goodrich (women’s single sculls) will also compete in the “B” level finals, while Pocock’s Julia Nichols (lightweight women’s single sculls) will compete in the “C” level finals. Although the “second and third level” finals are not in contention for a world title, they are important as they will determine initial national qualification for competition in the 2004 Olympic Games.
2004 Olympic Games national qualifying Fri. Aug. 29 Schedule for Seattle athletes
Three western Washington rowers will have the opportunity to qualify the United States for the Olympic Games in their boat classes on Friday at the 2003 World Championships on the Idroscalo in Milan, Italy.
The U.S. men’s double sculls, men’s four, and women’s single sculls not only will be racing for their final placement at the world championships but for the United States’ automatic qualifying spot in the 2004 Olympic Games. In addition the U.S. will attempt to qualify in the women’s double sculls, men’s pair, lightweight men’s four.
The men’s double sculls duo of former Husky oarsman, Steve Gillespie (Renton, Wash.) and Brett Wilkinson (Hyde Park, N.Y.) finished fourth in its semifinal to advance to Final B. Gillespie and Wilkinson will take on boats from Cuba, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, and Hungary on Friday, with the top five finishers earning their country a men’s double sculls berth in the Olympics. Norway, Cuba, and Estonia are the top seeds going into the race.
The U.S. lightweight men’s four of former Husky and Eastside Catholic graduate, Erik Miller (Renton, Wash) will join Paul Teti (Upper Darby, Pa.), Steve Warner (Livonia, Mich.), and Matt Smith (Woodbridge, Va.) finished fifth in the second of two semifinals and will race in Friday’s B final. The crew will take on Australia, Russia, Poland, Spain, and Great Britain. Australia and Spain are the top two seeds in the heat. The top five crews earn their country a spot in next year’s Olympics.
Women’s single sculler Kristin Goodrich (Portola Valley, Calif.) finished sixth in her semifinal and now will race in Final B. Goodrich will face scullers from New Zealand, Great Britain, Latvia, Switzerland, and Spain. A top nine finish would qualify the United States for the Olympics in the women’s single sculls.
Seattle athletes are competing in eight of the 24 events entered by U.S. crews in Milan. Racing runs from August 24-31. Placement finals for crews not making the top six will be held Friday. Finals will be held on Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31. In addition to crowning the world’s best in each of the 24 disciplines, this week’s world championships also serve as the initial qualifier for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, as 130 of the 202 boat spots will be determined. Rowers in the 14 Olympic-class boats – the men’s single sculls, women’s single sculls, men’s double sculls, women’s double sculls, men’s quadruple sculls, women’s quadruple sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls, lightweight women’s double sculls, men’s pair, women’s pair, men’s four, lightweight men’s four, men’s eight and women’s eight – will be fighting for their countries’ Olympic berth in each of the disciplines. Countries that do not qualify in a particular category in Milan will have a second chance to qualify for the Games early next summer.
Sultan’s Doornek to compete in Adaptive World Rowing Championships
Dale Doornek, 38, an adaptive rower from Sultan, Wash. will compete, Friday in the seeding heats of the A (arms only) single sculls event of the Adaptive World Rowing Championships. Doornek, who lost the use of his legs in a 1994 motorcycle accident, will face scullers from Australia and Great Britain. The 500-meter race is for athletes who can only use their arms. The U.S. will be represented in the single sculls, double sculls, and four with coxswain.
This year marks the second year that adaptive events have been included at the world championships. These championships are an important step towards FISA’s goal of having rowing included in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. To meet the eligibility criteria, there has to be a minimum of 24 countries from three continents competing in adaptive events at the world championships, with at least two adaptive world championships being held by 2004. Last year, 36 countries signed the Seville Adaptive Rowing Protocol which committed them to enter crews in adaptive events at the worlds by 2004.
Short Strokes – Pocock’s Groom and DuRoss awarded Pan Am bronze medal in quad
Olympian Conal Groom and J. Sloan DuRoss of Seattle’s Pocock Rowing Center (www.pocockrowing.org) have been awarded the bronze medal in the quadruple sculls at this year’s Pan American Games following a positive drug test and disqualification by the third place Argentinan crew.
Led by a gold medal in the men’s eight, western Washington rowers won six of 10 U.S. medals at the 2003 Pan American Games August 4-10 on Rincon Lake in Rincon, Dominican Republic. The medalist include Gold: John Stillings and Dave Friedericks (men’s eight), Silver; Groom and DuRoss (men’s double sculls), Friedericks (men’s four), Sarah Hirst (lightweight women’s quadruple sculls), Bronze; Hirst (lightweight women’s double sculls), Groom and DuRoss (men’s quadruple sculls). The U.S. brought 14 crews to the Dominican Republic and walked away with one gold medal, three silver medals and six bronze medals during the six days of competition.
For complete results please visit www.usrowing.org or www.fisa.org
Biographies of U.S. National Team members can be found at http://www.usrowing.org/itemdisplay.asp?id=162
Founded in 1984 as a tribute to the late world renowned shell builder, George Pocock, The George Pocock Rowing Foundation serves as a catalyst and a national model for the development and growth of rowing for all ages and abilities. Its facility, The Pocock Rowing Center is located on Seattle’s Portage Bay and is home to over 400 Seattle rowers and 6 rowing clubs. The foundation also provides public learn-to-row classes, rowing opportunities for “at risk” children in the community, meeting space for community events, and sponsors men and women training for the U.S. National Rowing Team.
-- www.pocockrowing.org –
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