(22 July 1996; Day 3)
Exciting Races Welcome Lightweight Rowing Events
to the Olympic Games
In their Olympic rowing debut, the lightweight events provided an exciting morning and jump-started a day of upsets during Monday's races at Lake Lanier. For the first time in Olympic history, the rowing competition hosts lightweight events (men's and women's lightweight double sculls and the men's lightweight coxless four).
In the men's lightweight double sculls, Jose Maria de MARCO and Juan Carlos SAEZ of Spain ousted the pre-Olympic favorite Italian team of Marco AUDISIO and Michelangelo CRISPI, which will go to the repechage for a final chance to qualify for the semifinals on Friday, 26 July.
"In the beginning we were not a favorite. There was no pressure," said de MARCO. "We had nothing to lose and everything to win."
And the crew did just that with a time of 6:46.66, just .60 faster than the Italians. Neck and neck with 250 meters to go, the Spaniards made a final run to earn the upset victory. Despite the shocking defeat, the crew from Italy knows what lies ahead of them.
"The problem is that since the World Championships, we always now find ourselves too far behind in the first part of the race," said the Italian coach GIANNI POSTIGLIONE. "We are confident going into the repechage, and we can then prepare better for the semifinal. The rowers are very disappointed, but they know that they can still win the gold. "
Also advancing to the semifinals was the world championship crew from Switzerland, brothers Markus and Michael GIER, and Maarten van der LINDEN and Pepijn AARDEWIJN of the Netherlands.
"With only two boats for the lightweight men to compete in, everybody is looking to be in the lightweight double or coxless four," said DeMARCO. "That is why I think we are very close to the heavyweights now. The same thing would happen if there was only two heavyweight events."
In the women's lightweight double sculls, the favored Canadian team of Colleen MILLER and Wendy WIEBE was defeated by the Romanian crew of Constanta BURCICA and Camelia MACOVICIUC in another shocking upset. And the same fate followed for the Italian and German men in the lightweight coxless fours as the two crews were denied advancement to the semifinals but will get a "second chance" in the repechage on Wednesday.
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Lynne Bragg.
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| An estimated 5.3 million visted Centennial Olympic Park between opening day - 13 July - and closing day - 4 August, making the park the most single most visited Olympic site during the Games. |