2010 WUC Rowing Update: Day 2 of Competitions

SZEGED – Today, August 14^th, second day of competitions at the 11^th WUC, we can easily understand that Rowing is a demanding sport requiring strong balance as well as physical strength and cardiovascular endurance.

In the morning, the repechages and semi-finals were held from 10am to 12am.

A meeting was held with a delegation from Banyoles, organizers of the next World University Championship in 2012 in order to give the guidelines for organizing such an event and explaining the general organizing chart put in place there. The delegation was composed of the Vice-Chancelors of the University of Girona, Jesus Garcia-Gil, and Mrs. Rosa Terradellas, the Sports Service Director of the University, David Grau and the Coordinator for the Volunteers, Sunsi Puigvert Morata.

During the lunch, an interview was made by FISU to Mike Williams (GBR), Treasurer of FISA and Member of the Executive Committee of FISA and the Council of FISA.

“I am very happy to be involved with the FISU Rowing World University Championship since 1998 when I was an umpire in Zagreb, and then later in Poznan, Nottingham, Brive-la-Gaillarde, Belgrade and now Szeged.

Unfortunately I missed the 2006 World University Championship in Trakai because it was the day they closed the London Airport because of a terrorism scare.

FISA and FISU signed a convention agreement for the operation of this event and for which FISA provides assistance with the umpiring and in the technical areas.

We are very happy with the collaboration, particularly because Rowing is the original University Sport from 1829, i.e. the first Oxford & Cambridge boat race.

Now, we can say University Rowing is established all over the world and it is great to have a competition for all these athletes at a very high standard. The standard at this event is very similar to the level of competition at the World U23 Championships. Many of the crews competed at both events.

Rowing will be organised as optional sport in Kazan and Gwangju Universiades, which is great for FISA.

I really like the friendly atmosphere at the FISU World University Championship. The competition is tough but the respect of the athletes of fair-play and sportsmanship is obvious.

I hope I will have many more invitation as umpire to the FISU events.”

(Source: Nicole Mangelschots, FISU Asst. WUC)