Top sprinters ready to race in St Petersburg
09/06/2011 - 17:39:00
Some of the best rowers in the world have arrived in Russia for the 2011 Golden Blades of St Petersburg City Sprints Regatta. Slotted conveniently in between the first and second Samsung World Rowing Cups of the season, the sprint will be raced on 12 June 2011.
The Golden Blades Regatta has more than 40 years of history, but this year it has been reshaped into a 250m sprint regatta with a number of the world’s best single scullers and best eights competing.
The short head-to-head racing format is designed for the greatest spectator enjoyment on St Petersburg’s Fontanka River right in the heart of the city and spectators will get to see high stroke rates and frantic finishes as races will take less than a minute to complete.
For the elite races, entry was by invitation and reads as follows:
Women’s single sculls:
Frida Svensson – current World Champion from Sweden
Emma Twigg – 2010 bronze medallist from New Zealand
Julia Levina – Olympic and World Championships medallist from Russia
Iva Obradovic – Under-23 Champion from Serbia
Mirka Knapkova – Olympian, European Champion and World Championship medallist
Men’s single sculls:
Mahe Drysdale – four-time World Champion from New Zealand
Luka Spik – Olympic and World Champion from Slovenia
Women’s eight:
The Netherlands – Olympic silver medallists
Canada – 2010 World Championships silver medallists
Men’s eight:
Germany – under-23 crew
The Netherlands – under-23 crew
The United States – Olympic bronze medallists 2008
The regatta will also include university eights, junior and masters rowers racing as well as coastal-style rowing boats and dragonboats.
St Petersburg is the original home of rowing in Russia. The ‘English Rowing Club’ was founded in 1864 and continued through until World War II. In 2009 the club was rebuilt in nearly the same place and now includes the National Sports Rowing Museum.
This regatta is organized by the Russian Amateur Rowing Association, FISA and Gazprombank. It is part of a concept of City Sprint regattas which is intended to develop into a series sanctioned by FISA over the coming years.
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