Badgers advance at world rowing championships
September 01, 2015 | Women's Rowing
Former Badgers Vicky Opitz (women's eight), Kendall Schmidt (assistant team manager) and Grace Latz (women's four) pose for a photo at the 2015 World Rowing Championships.
Sept. 1, 2015
AIGUEBELETTE, France - With the 2015 World Rowing Championships underway in France, three of the four former Badgers opened racing in the first three days of the event and all three remain in the medal hunt.
The 2015 worlds are key for 2016 Olympic qualifying as countries look to finish above a certain placement to guarantee a spot next summer in Brazil.
Leading the way so far is two-time world championship Vick Opitz. The Middleton, Wisconsin, native and her women's eight won their heat on Monday to advance directly to the finals. The Americans posted the day's fastest time in the event of 5:59.580 to beat out Netherlands (6:02.120) for the top spot, though the Netherlands also advanced directly to the final.
The boat must finish in the top five in the event for the boat to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The Americans are in search of their 10th-consecutive world championship in the women's eight.
In the men's pair, Tim Aghai (Skokie, Illinois) placed second in his heat on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals. With the top four boats advancing, Serbia won heat two of four in 6:34.440, but Aghai and his American partner Michael Di Santo cruised to a 6:36.680 over 2000 meters for second.
The Americans will need to finish in the top three of their Wednesday quarterfinal to reach the semifinals and stay alive for one of 11 Olympic qualifying spots. The U.S. will race against Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and Chile in its quarterfinal.
An Olympian in 2012, Grant James (DeKalb, Illinois) and the men's eight took third in heat one and will race in Wednesday's repechage as only each heat winner advances directly to the final. Germany took that spot with a time of 5:29.530. Poland was second in 5:32.990, with the Americans third in 5:34.310.
James and the Americans must finish in the top two of their repechage to reach the final. To do that, they will have to get through Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia. They will need to place in the top five overall in order to qualify the men's eight for next summer's Olympics.
The fourth Badger competing is Grace Latz (Jackson, Michigan), who will race in the women's four. Not one of the Olympic events, it will be run as a finals only on Wednesday with five entries including Ireland, China, Germany, Great Britain and the USA.
2015 World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, France
2,000 meters
Women's Eight
Heat 2
1. USA, 5:59.580; 2. Netherlands, 6:02.120; 3. Great Britain, 6:03.720; 4. Russia, 6:07.510; 5. China, 6:11.340
Men's Pair
Heat 2
1. Serbia, 6:34.440; 2. USA, 6:36.680; 3. Canada, 6:38.700; 4. Poland, 6:39.580; 5. Argentina, 6:56.350; 6. Finland, 7:08.060
Men's Eight
Heat 1
1. Germany, 5:29. 530; 2. Poland, 5:32.990; 3. USA, 5:34.310; 4. France, 5:34.970; 5. Spain, 5:42.970; 6. China, 5:43.790
