Spares provide exciting racing on Olympic course

The first crews raced on Tokyo’s Sea Forest Waterway today as the Spares’ Races were held. All crews completed in a time trial and then a side by side race, with racing across five boat classes.

Results:

W2-/W2x: GBR (W2x), USA (W2-), AUS (W2-)

M2-: GBR, ITA, AUS

W1x Heat 1: NED1, FRA, GER, POL

W1x Heat 2: ITA, NED2, ROU, CAN

M1x Heat 1: ROU, NED, CAN, SUI

M1x Heat 2: GER, EST, NOR, POL

After the races, we caught up with a few of the rowers to ask about their experiences of racing on the Olympic course.

What were your first impressions of racing on the course today?

 Saskia Budgett, GBR, W2x:

 “I really enjoyed just racing down the Olympic course and having that experience and trying to soak it all up. I think my favourite moment was seeing on our boat the Tokyo 2020 sticker with the Olympic rings and it just made it feel really real and alive. We had a great race for us and I was just like enjoying every moment really.”

Maddie Arlett, GBR, W2x:

“The volunteers were really helpful, good instructions and, I guess, good for them to have a practice as well. It was super straightforward.

 Stephan Riemekasten, GER, M1x:  “I have like a million messages on my Instagram right now from so many athletes asking what the conditions are like. Even Olli Zeidler messaged; ‘Congratulations, what’s the wind like?’

 First of all, the water is really fast. You can just feel that the water is soft. Sometimes there are small stretches where it feels like a headwind but still the water is soft and you can just row through it. Then the last 600 or 700m for me, the wind really felt like a tail wind and the last 500m felt like my fastest.

 At the beginning, during training, I thought ‘wow this is really bumpy with a lot of waves’, but the wind is really consistent and you can very much get used to it and it’s very easy to row and it’s fun. It’s a great course!”

How did your race go?

 Mathilde Veldhuis, NED, W1x:

“Pretty good. We started with a time trial so it was like to practice for the side-by-side race which was 1 hour later. My start was good and then the weather was also pretty nice – no waves and I could race how I wanted to race. Clara Guerra from Italy was ahead of me so for me it was second place, but it was lightweight and heavyweights mixed so I was pretty happy. It was nice to race here on this course at the Olympics.”

 How did you find racing in the heat?

 Saskia Budgett, GBR, W2x:

 “I think it’s going to be tough for the crews, but I think most countries are ready with cooling strategies. We’ve got ice vests and amazing support staff who are there to help us as soon as we’re off the water.”

 What is your role as a Spare?

 Mathilde Veldhuis, NED, W1x:

“I am the spare for the lightweight double from the Netherlands so I have to weigh-in all of the days that they weigh in so I am the back-up. For me, the spare race helps me to stay fit and hopefully not, but I am ready to stand in if needed. But it is very good to be here!”

Racing will get underway at 08:30 local time tomorrow with the heats of the men’s single sculls.