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Greece in control at Mediterranean Games

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29/06/2009

It comes around every four years, in the year following the Olympic Games. Rowing at the 16th Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy, has crowned new winners.

As one of 25 sports at the Mediterranean Games, rowing attracted a strong contingent from 15 countries of the Mediterranean Basin region, who competed over three days of racing. The weather was favourable on Finals day which contrasted to a head wind that the athletes confronted on the previous two days of racing.

Outstanding on Finals day was Greece who, under the guidance of head coach Gianni Postiglione left with five gold medals from the eight events. The three other golds went to France with two, and Spain’s single sculler, Nuria Dominguez, earned the remaining gold in the women’s single. Host nation Italy was unlucky on the gold medal front but still managed seven medals of the silver and bronze variety. The Italians dedicated their medals to the earthquake that hit the Abruzzo population.

Greece’s gold medal haul began with Ioannis Christou in the men’s single. Christou was a last-minute qualifier for the Beijing Olympics after spending most of his lead-up in the double. The single has proved to be a worthy change for Christou who beat second-placed Marion Vekic of Croatia by two seconds.

Another win for Greece went to the Gkountoulas brothers in the men’s pair. This close race opened with Egypt leading before Greece took over in the front. Greece was then challenged right to the line by France who finished second ahead of Olympians Serbia in third.

France’s new men’s double combination of their top two single scullers Julien Bahain and Cedric Berrest came through from behind to win over Slovenia’s Spik brothers, Jan and Luka. Surprisingly, the experienced Simone Raineri and Matteo Stefanini of Italy finished third.

Greece’s under-23 champion and Olympian Alexandra Tsiavou held off the competition in the lightweight women’s single leaving Laura Milani of Italy with silver and Croatia’s Mirna Rajle Brodanac with bronze. The lightweight men’s single also went to Greece. The country’s most medalled rower, Vasileios Polymeros, sprinted home first ahead of Italy and France.

Greece received a confidence boost in the lightweight women’s double with Rowing World Cup finalists from Banyoles, Christina Giazitzidou and Triantafyllia Kalampoka, coming home in first.

An upset in the lightweight men’s double had France’s Jeremie Azou and Frederic Dufour beating Beijing Olympic fourth-place finishers, Italy (Luini and Miani) by nearly three seconds. Slovenia followed in third.