Author: AlgemeenPersaccount

-The Men’s Eights final at 5:12 pm will feature, among others, three
home crews: KNRB 1, KNRB 2 and KNRB 3. As you may know, KNRB is the
abbreviation used for the Royal Dutch Rowing Association, and they
have entered thee rowing generations: the Junior Men’s eight, the U23
Men’s eight, and the Senior Mens’s eight.

The story of successful Dutch eights is not a long one thus far. In
1996 the legendary ‘’Holland 8’’, stroked by Nico Rienks, rowed to an Olympic
gold medal in Atlanta. A portion of the crew tried to repeat the feat
in Sydney four years later, but stranded in the repechage. The Holland
8 then recovered with a silver medal in Athens 2004, and they added a
bronze at the recent Olympic Games in Rio last year.

Some may ask: will the golden times of the famous 1996 Holland 8 ever
return? The answer may be present at this Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker as the future
generations will show their potential alongside their senior
colleagues. The Dutch U23 eight in particular has a lot of prospect,
as they are reigning World Champions.

They took the title last year with a gutsy and dominant first
kilometre, after which they successfully defended their lead for the
remainder of the race. Many of these athletes have returned in this
year’s U23 eight. Additionally, many of them have something in common:
they row and study in America. For example Bram Schwarz, Simon van
Dorp, and Michiel Mantel all row at the illustrious University of
Washington. Maarten Hurkmans represents the University of California –
also known as the bears -, and Max Ponsen rows in the colours of
Boston University. Furthermore, Lex van den Herik, Jaap Scholten, and
Michiel Oyen all rowed in the winning Dutch Eight at the World Cup in
Belgrade, proving they have what it takes to perform at World class
level.

Then the Juniors: since 2013, coach Ronald Florijn has been building
towards a successful Junior rowing squad, with the eight as a central
focus. This culminated into a gold medal at the 2015 Junior World
Championships in Rio. This year’s eight however, hasn’t reached
that level so far. They ended up in 5th place. The Juniors showed
their improvement in yesterday’s final, posting an impressive 5:38 time.

This afternoon the Junior and the U23 Eight will line up against their
senior counterpart, and many would not be surprised if they succeed
to cling on to the National Eight. The future for Dutch Men’s rowing
is looking bright. Although a Olympic Gold medal in the Men’s Eights
has not been won for more than 20 years, the chances that the crew from
1996 will have a successor are definitely growing.

As the weekend progresses, we are getting to the business end of the regatta. This afternoon we will know who may lift the Holland Beker, and if Emma Twigg can defend her Ladies’ Trophy. A livestream is available here. Results can be found through this link.

Ladies’ Trophy (3:40 pm)

Olympic silver medallist Inge Janssen looks in form as she posted the fastest time this morning in the semi-finals. She was 4 seconds faster than Cambridge RC’s Mary Jones and a stunning 12 seconds faster than Emma Twigg, who was racing in the other semi-final. Twigg however may not have spent as much effort, as she lead the whole race from start to finish in front of Constanze Duell from Münchener RC and Reading RC’s Laura Meridew. Also keep a close watch on Karolien Florijn, who finished third in the first semi-final but posted a sharp time as well.

Holland Beker (4 pm)

In contrast to his recent performances, Damir Martin seems to be back on track. He took a 2 second lead on Ondrej Synek by the halfway point this morning and successfully defended his lead. Martin may be the favourite to lift the Holland Beker this afternoon. However, one should never underestimate Ondrej Synek as he may have saved his best for last. Laga’s Amos Keijser joins the two gentlemen in the final as Holland’s sole chance for a Holland Beker win.

In the other semi-final, Stephan Krueger went out fast. In the second half of the race, Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen came close, but Krueger used his experience to secure the first spot in the final. The final qualifying spot went to Jon Stimpson from Nottingham RC, fending off the challenges from German Olympic Champions Karl Schulze and Hans Gruhne.

Who to watch

From 1 pm, there are plenty of other finals to enjoy. One of the first most notable races, are the A finals of the Men’s and Women’s U23 single. The field comprises rowers from the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic, among others. Shortly after those finals, is the Women’s double sculls at 1:37 pm, featuring Dutch internationals Roos de Jong and Marloes Oldenburg and an interesting composite crew comprising Olympic Champion in the Women’s Lightweight double Maaike Head, and Leal Fernanda from CR Flamengo.

The Men’s pair at 2 pm is another high-profile race, as yesterday’s winners Dunkley-Smith/Booth will have to test their speed against Dutch World Cup participants Wullings/Uittenbogaard. The latter had the fastest time in the heats this morning, therefor this should be a very interesting race. Following the Men’s pair, are the Lightweight Men’s and Women’s double sculls. With crews from Hong Kong, Denmark and the Czech Republic, there is no doubt we will see some high-class racing. Also watch out for British Olympians Graeme Thomas and Angus Groome in the Men’s double sculls at 2:22 pm. From 2:37 pm, it’s time for the Women’s and Men’s coxless four. Particularly the Men’s race is going to be an exciting match up between the Dutch National Four, and the Dutch U23 four.

The late afternoon will be a showcase for the Dutch National squad as both the Men’s and Women’s quad take to the water. At 5:12 pm, there is a very exciting final in the Men’s eight, featuring the Holland 8, and the Dutch U23 eight, reigning U23 World Champions. We finish the regatta with the Freshmen eights and Development fours, where the best freshmen and sophomores of the country battle it out for the most prestigious win in their current season.

-After some suprising results in the Holland Beker heats yesterday, the likes of Ondřej Synek, Karl Schulze, Hans Gruhne and Agustin Diaz had to qualify for the semi-finals via the repechages. This morning however, they will have only one shot for the final. Read about it, and other races, in this morning’s guide:

We kick off the day with the Junior Men and Women double sculls. At 9:10 am, it is time for the heats of the Men’s pair. Yesterday, the composite crew of Mercantile RC and Melbourne UBC with Dunkley-Smith/Booth won by over 4 seconds over the Dutch U23 pair. However, today they will also have to face the Dutch World Cup pair of Bo Wullings and Dirk Uittenbogaard. Following the Men’s pair will be the heats of the Men’s double sculls. British Olympians Graeme Thomas and Angus Groome won yesterday with a dominant performance, and they will be looking to repeat that feat.

At 9:35 am, it’s time for the Lightweight Women’s single sculls to line up on a fast Bosbaan course. It was a Danish 1-2 yesterday, with Iben Østergaard from KC Bagsværd taking the famous KHB medal. Dutch international Amber van Zomeren from Willlem III will race today, and potentially try to spoil another Danish party. The Lightweight Men’s single heats will start from 9:50 am. There are significantly more entries for today, leaving lots of question marks as to who will be the favourite. One thing is for sure: yesterday’s winner Luke Epain from CA Nantes will have to prove himself once again.

Next up is the spectacle of eight’s racing. Starting with the Women’s eight at 10:30 am. In contrast to yesterday, there are two eights from the Dutch National Team, both a mix of experienced Olympians and strong U23 athletes. Also watch out for a strong Silvia crew, a project set up by Dutch double Olympic Champion Nico Rienks, aimed at sending a crew to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The heats for the Men’s eight start from 10:40 am, with in heat one the Dutch National Junior eight, and the Dutch U23 eight, who are reigning U23 World Champions. In heat two Australian school Champions Scotch College and the club eight of Proteus-Eretes will fight it out for the last qualifying spot, as the pace of the ‘Holland Acht’ and UC Berkeley will likely be too hot.

From 11:06 am, it is time to get to this morning’s most important part: the semi-finals. As mentioned, there are no second chances today and athletes will have to go all the way to secure a spot in the grand final this afternoon. The Junior Men kick off, followed by the two semi-finals of the Ladies’ Trophy. In semi-final 1 Inge Janssen, Karolien Florijn, and American Mary Jones are the favourites. In the second semi-final, Emma Twigg will likely be the first to reach the finish line, but the fight for the other 2 qualifying spots are far from decided. In the Holland Beker, the first semi-final’s line-up could be a final by itself: there is no clear favourite as Sverri Nielsen, Stephan Krueger, Jon Stimpson, Agustin Diaz, Karl Schulze and Hans Gruhne race for only three spots in the final. Be sure to arrive on time, or watch our livestream (starting from 11 am), because this is a race you do not want to miss. And while you are watching, the second semi-final is potentially just as exciting: we will see a duel between Ondřej Synek and Damir Martin, and the surprise of yesterday: heat winner Steven Hiestand from Flamengo CR. It’s going to be a day filled with top rowing!

After a rainy and windy morning, athletes and spectators will be relieved to hear the finals this afternoon will take place in mostly dry and fast conditions. If you are travelling towards the Bosbaan, or watching our livestream, these are the races you don’t want to miss this afternoon:

One of the first exciting races in the schedule, is the U23 Lightweight Men’s double sculls at 1:36 pm. With entries from Australia (Banks/Mercantile composite), Hong Kong, Denmark (Lyngby RK), and the Netherlands (Nereus), this final is small but diverse. From 1:54 pm, the finals of both the Men’s and the Women’s U23 coxless four will take place. While the Men’s final looks to be a prey for the Dutch U23 four, there are multiple contenders in the Women’s final, including Danske Studenters RK, Nereus, and Czech Republic, who all impressed this morning in the heats.

From 2:42 pm, the majority of the Dutch National squad will head out on the Bosbaan, starting with the Women’s pair. This race is followed by the final of the Men’s pair, where we will likely see a battle between Australian Olympians Josh Booth and Josh Dunkley-Smith, and the Dutch U23 pair of Sander de Graaf and Jochem Kostelijk. The Women’s four at 3:12 pm features antoher Dutch National U23 crew, as well as a crew from Sydney RC and a Mercantile RC composite. At 3:40 pm, the big guns from the Men’s double sculls will line up alongside each other for the final, including British Olympians Graeme Thomas and Angus Groome, Luuk Adema and Melvin Twellaar from Groningen, the Dutch National Lightweight double of Jort van Gennep and Bart Lukkes, and Dutch World Cup participants Gerard van der Velde and Vincent Klaassens.

At 4:12 pm, it’s time for the final of the Lightweight Men’s quad. With four crews finishing under or around the 6 minute mark this morning in the heats, it promises to be a close race. Watch out for the crew from the Czech Republic as they posted the fastest time this morning. Directly after this race at 4:18 pm, their heavyweight counterparts will race in the Men’s quad, including a crew from Leander (GB) and Schuylkill Navy (US).

If you like eights rowing, then you should definitely tune in during the late afternoon. First, at 4:24 pm, it’s the Dutch National Junior Men’s eight racing the Australian Schoolboy Champions from Scotch College. At 4:30 pm it is the National Dutch Women’s eight racing on the course, shortly followed by their male colleagues, the Holland acht, in the Men’s eight. The men are facing opposition from the University of Groningen’s Temple eight, and an eight from UC Berkeley.

The last races in the afternoon are the repechages in both the Ladies’ Trophy and the Holland Beker from 5:18 pm. In the repechages of the Holland Beker, the big surprise is Ondrej Synek who failed to directly qualify for the semis, losing out to Sverri Nielsen from Denmark. Also Hans Gruhne and Karl Schulze from Germany will be racing the repechages, and Agustin Diaz from CR Flamengo. The latter lost by just 3 hundredths of a second in the heat to his clubmate Steve Hiestand.

Dutch students will finish the first day of the regatta in the traditional freshmen and development races. Only the best six crews in the general classification, held over races from February until July, may race at the Holland Beker. It is regarded as a great honour for these first and second year rowers to perform on the same stage as Olympic rowers, and the competition for the first place is always fierce.

Fast conditions guaranteed this morning as rowers at the 2017 Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker will enjoy a strong tailwind over the course. In short, this is who you should watch this morning as the heats kick off.

Who to watch

From 9 am, we can enjoy the races of the U23 Women’s coxless four. With entries from Boston, Czech Republic, as well as a strong crew from Nereus, there will be some class rowing on display. Shortly thereafter, from 9:30 am, the Men’s pair heats will take place. Only 5 of the 7 crews will progress to the final, and with entries such as the Dutch U23 pair, and the Australian Olympic silver medallists Josh Booth and Josh Dunkley-Smith, everyone will have to go flat out to secure a spot in the final. The Men’s double sculls boasts a strong and competitive field as well, featuring the Dutch National Lightweight double, British Olympians Angus Groome and Graem Thomas, and Dutch World Cup participants Gerard van der Velde and Vincent Klaassens among others.

The Men’s coxed four, usually a less popular boat class on the international stage, seems to make its revival at the Aegon KHB. Twelve crews will line up on the start from 9:40 am, including several Henley participants such as Laga and Syndey RC. The same goes for the Men’s Intermediate Eights, starting from 10:40 am, which features Henley Temple contender Njord and a fast Proteus crew.

From 11 am until the Lunch break, it’s time for the single sculls. First off will be the juniors, followed by the heats of the Ladies’ Trophy at 11:30 am and the heats of the Holland Beker from 11:48 am. The first three finishers of every heat in the Ladies’ Trophy will progress to the semi-finals. In contrast, only the winners of the Holland Beker heats will directly qualify for the semi-finals. All others will have to race the repechage this afternoon. This will make for some tight racing this morning, especially in heat 4 where German scullers Hans Gruhne and Karl Schulze will go head to head.

A livestream will be online from 11 am. A full list of entries, as well as all results, can be found here. Information for spectators can be found via this link.