Photo by: USRowing
Badgers set for finals at the 2018 World Rowing Championships
September 14, 2018 | Men's Rowing, Women's Rowing
Wanamaker and Opitz set for A finals on Saturday and Sunday; Aghai and Knippen race Saturday
PLOVDIV, Bulgaria – All four Wisconsin rowing alumni competing in the 2018 World Rowing Championships have taken charge and will compete in finals this upcoming weekend. Two Badgers, Vicky Opitz and Maddie Wanamaker will race in the top "A" finals.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Dariush "Tim" Aghai and the USA men's four finished third in their repechage with a time of 5:56.070, behind Switzerland (5:53.470) and Czech Republic (5:52.870). With this result, the USA boat headed to the C/D semifinal on Thursday.
In this three boat semifinal where only the top two move on to the C final, USA took the lead and won the race in 6:02.670, finishing over two seconds ahead of second place Russia (6:05.050). The USA boat will race in the C final in lane three on Saturday at 7:17 a.m. CT.
On Wednesday, Vicky Opitz and the USA women's eight crossed the finish line first in heat 1 with a time of 5:56.680, an entire three seconds ahead of second place Netherlands (5:59.510). This win sends the USA boat straight to the A final, where they will race out of the lane three on Sunday at 4:47 a.m. in hopes of winning the world title.
Thursday, Sept 12 was a busy day as three of our Badgers raced to be in the top "A" final.
First, the women's pair, featuring Opitz, just missed the A Final by over a second finishing fourth in their A/B semifinal with a time of 7:16.610, right behind Spain (7:15.300). The USA pair will race in the B final out of lane four Saturday at 1:38 a.m.
This was Opitz' fourth race of the week and she gears up for two more.
Maddie Wanamaker and the women's four are on fire. After winning their heat, the USA boat went on to win the A/B semifinal clocking in at 6:41.100, which was over a second faster than the rest of the field, with second-place Australia crossing 2000 meters in 6:42.280. These back-to-back wins sends the USA boat to the A final racing out of lane four on Saturday at 4:31 a.m.
The last Badger to race on Thursday was Michael Knippen in the men's quadruple sculls repechage, where the USA boat finished fifth with a time of 5:55.030. Only the top two finishers in this rep move on to the A final, so the USA boat will race in the B final in lane six on Saturday at 2:34 a.m.
It has been a busy week for our Badgers, but it is not over yet. Don't forget to watch all four Badgers race in finals this Saturday morning, with Wanamaker in the women's four taking on the A final and Opitz on Sunday morning in the women's eight A final.
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2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Sept. 11-13, 2018
2000 meters
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Tuesday, Sept. 11
Men's Four (Dariush Aghai)
Rep 2 (Places 1-2 to A/B semifinal, rest to C/D semifinal)
1. Czech Republic, 5:52.870; 2. Switzerland, 5:53.470; 3. USA, 5:56.070; 4. France, 5:56.230; 5. Austria, 6:60.550
Wednesday, Sept. 12
Women's Eight (Vicky Opitz)
Heat 1 (Place 1 to A Final, rest to repechage)
1. USA, 5:56.680; 2. Netherlands, 5:59.510; 3. China, 6:05.310; 4. Canada, 6:07.690
Thursday, Sept. 13
Women's Pair (Vicky Opitz)
A/B Semifinal 2 (Places 1-3 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. Ireland, 7:14.670; 2. Italy, 7:14.990; 3. Spain, 7:15.300; 4. USA, 7:16.610; 5. Great Britain, 7:17.950; 6. Russia, 7:29.110
Women's Four (Maddie Wanamaker)
A/B Semifinal 1 (Places 1-3 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. USA, 6:41.100; 2. Australia, 6:42.280; 3. Russia, 6:44.160; 4. Netherlands, 6:45.200; 5. Great Britain, 6:49.650; 6. New Zealand, 6:57.510
Men's Quadruple Sculls (Michael Knippen)
Rep 2 (Places 1-2 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. Australia, 5:42.810; 2. New Zealand, 5:43.210; 3. Lithuania, 5:43.700; 4. France, 5:53.510; 5. USA, 5:55.030
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Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Dariush "Tim" Aghai and the USA men's four finished third in their repechage with a time of 5:56.070, behind Switzerland (5:53.470) and Czech Republic (5:52.870). With this result, the USA boat headed to the C/D semifinal on Thursday.
In this three boat semifinal where only the top two move on to the C final, USA took the lead and won the race in 6:02.670, finishing over two seconds ahead of second place Russia (6:05.050). The USA boat will race in the C final in lane three on Saturday at 7:17 a.m. CT.
On Wednesday, Vicky Opitz and the USA women's eight crossed the finish line first in heat 1 with a time of 5:56.680, an entire three seconds ahead of second place Netherlands (5:59.510). This win sends the USA boat straight to the A final, where they will race out of the lane three on Sunday at 4:47 a.m. in hopes of winning the world title.
Thursday, Sept 12 was a busy day as three of our Badgers raced to be in the top "A" final.
First, the women's pair, featuring Opitz, just missed the A Final by over a second finishing fourth in their A/B semifinal with a time of 7:16.610, right behind Spain (7:15.300). The USA pair will race in the B final out of lane four Saturday at 1:38 a.m.
This was Opitz' fourth race of the week and she gears up for two more.
Maddie Wanamaker and the women's four are on fire. After winning their heat, the USA boat went on to win the A/B semifinal clocking in at 6:41.100, which was over a second faster than the rest of the field, with second-place Australia crossing 2000 meters in 6:42.280. These back-to-back wins sends the USA boat to the A final racing out of lane four on Saturday at 4:31 a.m.
The last Badger to race on Thursday was Michael Knippen in the men's quadruple sculls repechage, where the USA boat finished fifth with a time of 5:55.030. Only the top two finishers in this rep move on to the A final, so the USA boat will race in the B final in lane six on Saturday at 2:34 a.m.
It has been a busy week for our Badgers, but it is not over yet. Don't forget to watch all four Badgers race in finals this Saturday morning, with Wanamaker in the women's four taking on the A final and Opitz on Sunday morning in the women's eight A final.
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2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Sept. 11-13, 2018
2000 meters
Â
Tuesday, Sept. 11
Men's Four (Dariush Aghai)
Rep 2 (Places 1-2 to A/B semifinal, rest to C/D semifinal)
1. Czech Republic, 5:52.870; 2. Switzerland, 5:53.470; 3. USA, 5:56.070; 4. France, 5:56.230; 5. Austria, 6:60.550
Wednesday, Sept. 12
Women's Eight (Vicky Opitz)
Heat 1 (Place 1 to A Final, rest to repechage)
1. USA, 5:56.680; 2. Netherlands, 5:59.510; 3. China, 6:05.310; 4. Canada, 6:07.690
Thursday, Sept. 13
Women's Pair (Vicky Opitz)
A/B Semifinal 2 (Places 1-3 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. Ireland, 7:14.670; 2. Italy, 7:14.990; 3. Spain, 7:15.300; 4. USA, 7:16.610; 5. Great Britain, 7:17.950; 6. Russia, 7:29.110
Women's Four (Maddie Wanamaker)
A/B Semifinal 1 (Places 1-3 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. USA, 6:41.100; 2. Australia, 6:42.280; 3. Russia, 6:44.160; 4. Netherlands, 6:45.200; 5. Great Britain, 6:49.650; 6. New Zealand, 6:57.510
Men's Quadruple Sculls (Michael Knippen)
Rep 2 (Places 1-2 to A Final, rest to B Final)
1. Australia, 5:42.810; 2. New Zealand, 5:43.210; 3. Lithuania, 5:43.700; 4. France, 5:53.510; 5. USA, 5:55.030
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