Azerbaijani rower qualifies to World Cup semifinal

Azerbaijani rowers are participating at the first round of the World Cup held in Serbian capital of Belgrade. Our country is represented by two male and three female rowers. Of them, Natalia Mustafayeva performed her first try successfully and passed thought to the semi-final.

The first female duo to come to the start line was Viktoriya Nencheva – Iskra Angelova on a two-seat boat with single paddle. Their rivals were Anastasia Prodan – Alyona Yashina (Ukraine), Georgeta Andrunache – Vioritsa Susanu (Romania), Kerstin Hartmann – Marlen Sinning (Germany), Eric Cafaro – Eleanor Logan (United States) and Claudia Belderbos – Shantal Axterberg (Netherlands) duos. Our due overcame 2,000 metres in 7 minutes 40.26 seconds and reached the finish line fifth. Their rivals will be Vianka van Dorp – Olivia van Royyen (Netherlands), Maria Laura Abalo – Gabriella Best (Argentina), Tatiana Shtekolshikova – Victoria Vikhrist (Ukraine) and Kerstin Hartmann-Marlen Sinning duo (Germany). The duos to take the first three places will move to the semi-final.
 
Then Azerbaijani male rowers Boris Yotov and Alexander Alexandrov joined the rally in a single seat boat (M1X). Rivals of Yotov were Tsang Liang (China), Andrei Sinek (Czech Republic), Lukas Babak (Slovakia), Kennet Jurkovski (United States) and Vladimir Latin (Estonia). Our 17-year old sportsman overcame 2,000 metres in 7 minutes 22.79 seconds and finished the line fifth. Outstripping only Babak, Yotov will join a consolatory rally.

Meanwhile, Alexandrov vied with Urban Ulkar (Slovenia), Alan Campbell (Great Britain), Andre Redr (Slovakia), Tim Meyens (Belgium) and Karsten Brodovski (Germany). Our rower, who received licence to 2012 London Olympic Games, overcame 2,000 metres in 7 minutes 2.09 seconds. Thus our 22-year-old sportsman became fourth outstripping Redr and Ulka. He will also join a consolatory rally. Our two male rowers will vie against each other. Their other rivals will be Yan Spik (Slovenia), Mindaugas Grishkonis (Lithuania) and Kamillo Franek (Austria).

Our rower Natalia Mustafayeva, who has secured a licence for the London Olympics, is acting in a single-seat boat (W1X). Her first rivals in Belgrade were Racel Gembl-Flint (Great Britain), Kaisa Pajusalu (Estonia), Anya Sesum (Slovenia), Mirka Knapkova (Czech Republic) and Annika De Dekker (Belgium). She kept rowing the second since the beginning to the end of the rally. Mustafayeva overcame 2,000 metres in 7 minutes 39.47 seconds. Thus she qualified to the semi-final together with the last world and European champion Mirka Knapkova who reached the finish line first.

The first round of the World Cup will wrap up on 6 May.


/AzerTAc/