The Paralympic Rowing Regatta is regular: twelve crews in each of the four categories; qualifiers then repechage then finals. It moves steadily and predictably. Until no. More than four hours after the opening rounds took place on Friday in the scorching heat of the Sea Forest waterway, official communications began to be released by World Rowing that two separate crews, including a new fastest time holder Paralympic World Championships, had been sanctioned.

The minor error was made by the French PR2 Mx2x, the supposedly experienced Perle Bouge and Christophe Lavigne were relegated last because their boat was underweight after the race, although this only caused them to lose two places and that they were still going to be in the draft. The big mistake came from the winner of the PR1 W1x round, Moran Samuel from Israel, who had done a great job finishing 7.5 seconds faster than Birgit Skarstein in the previous race.

Photo Samuel (ISR) enters the draft today with his seatback now firmly in place

Credit Benoit Tufnell

It had been spotted in the video footage that when Samuel leaned back, the back of his seat seemed to move with her. In PR1 Paralympic rowing, every aspect of the seat should be fixed – no slipping and rigid backrest. After discussing it with the Israeli delegation, Samuel was relegated last in his race – automatically giving Ukrainian Anna Sheremet a pass to Sunday’s final – and is due to participate in the repechage, with her seat checked as fully. fixed before each race. It remains a little unclear whether World Rowing thinks this is Israel’s deliberate innovation or a mistake. In any case, unapproved innovations are not allowed.

Photo Sylvia PIlle-Steppat (GER)

Credit Benoit Tufnell

The extra race barely troubled Samuel, she immediately got ahead of the others, taking several seconds per 500m spread over the times set by Nathalie Benoit (FRA) while winning the first rep, Samuel’s seat extremely visibly strengthened and immobile, but his scull was as beautifully technical as ever. Times were faster due to a lighter headwind than the day before and much flatter water. The finalists for the W1x representatives and places for the finals were also three-time Paralympian from Brazil Claudia Cicero Sabino and Germany’s Sylvia PIlle-Steppat. “Of course I was disappointed and I never intended to go over a rule, everything was done in a very innocent way,” said Samuel. “I had to change my way of rowing a bit. Yes it is hot here but it is a question of attitude. I can’t be mad at the weather, it’s the weather you know? It’s hot, but we can do it.

Photo Ijomah Kingsley (NGR)

Credit Benoit Tufnell

The rest of the reps went well. Draft day is when those who might not win medals can shine. Among these were Ijomah Kingsley, a member of Nigeria’s PR1 M1x and the Marlow Rowing Club, who first got into rowing and then water after a suggestion made by a friend when he was invited to Warwick RC’s dinner party, and ended up competing for the country he left as a young teenager, after World Rowing suggested the option. No doubt they were motivated by the slight difficulty of Great Britain having already at the time two superb para-rowers (Andy Houghton was able to reach the finals, and Benjamin Pritchard was already bidding fair to usurp ). Kingsley finished fifth in the rep won by former world champion Erik Horrie (AUS) ahead of Shmuel Daniel (ISR) and behind Mr Skateboard Michel Munoz Malagon (MEX).

Photo Michel Munoz Malagon (MEX)

Credit Benoit Tufnell

The second rep was won by Benjamin Pritchard (GBR) taking 40 seconds off the best Paralympic time, ahead of Javier Reya Munoz (ESP) who led the first 700 meters before being revised by the Welshman who trains the former Paralympic shell of Tom Aggar. . “My mom and dad are having a street party today, and I’m sure it will be long until tomorrow morning,” Pritchard said afterwards. His new time was less than two seconds off the fastest time. in the world directed two years ago by Roman Polianskyi.

Photo Lludmila Vauchok (BLR)

Credit Benoit Tufnell

One PR1 W1x giving Skarstein a run for his money is Belarusian Lludmila Vauchok, who was the national champion in pairs wheelchair dancing and has also competed in the Summer and Winter Paralympics since 2006. Vauchok was the gate – his team’s flag in Tokyo earlier this week, as has Moran Samuel for Israel – their rival Skarstein has only done this for the Paralympic Winter Games so far (in 2018). Vauchok has been repeatedly beaten by Samuel and Skarstein and may now have surpassed her best, finishing a distant 4th in her performance which sent her to the lower rungs of the B-Final.

The first representative of the PR2 mixed doubles was spoiled by Poles Jolanda Majka and Michal Gadowski who got tangled with their on-board buoy not once but twice. The first time around, they came to a complete stop and had to restart and shoot a good 600m to regain second place in qualifying from Australia, which led the Netherlands to the finish line. The second entanglement came in the final strokes, but despite their blades finishing in the French lane, they managed to sneak past Australia and stay under the white flag to claim a place in the final. The second representative of the event was even closer, with Brazil taking a short lead before being chased by the Ukrainians and Italians. The trio crossed the 1,500m mark almost side-to-side with Ukraine in the lead, then Italy (whose racing man has the best beard in the sport) rowed through Brazil as Ukraine s ‘moved away. The doubles A final appears to be one of the closest races in the entire regatta to the back of the pack.

Photo Best beard in sport (ITA)

Credit Benoit Tufnell

As had been the case all morning, the flatter and less direct crosswind conditions led to fast times in the mixed four-man PR3, in which Italy and Australia first got together. dropped all the way, then France stayed just ahead. a dingdong from Israel and Ukraine in the second repetition, with Israel advancing to the final in the final 250 meters. Australia clinched the victory of rep 1 with a smooth late push to stumble the rough, wobbly Italians, and lowered the GB Four’s new Paralympic best time in the process, only to be beaten again by the French a race later.

Photo AUS PR3Mix4 +

Credit Benoit Tufnell

This was an indication not only of the tight competition but also of the better conditions on the second day of racing, with a lighter and less straight-to-head crosswind helping to speed up the crews although it also edged out many worries near their buoys in the bow. The best Paralympic doubles time set by GBR Mx2x had already been beaten by the Dutch, adding to their best world time, and just seconds behind it. Unfortunately, the forecast for the day of the Finals is likely to be a more direct headwind, which can make it difficult to achieve better Paralympic times or even come close to the best in the world, even in the race for gold in Tokyo. . However, anything can happen in a Paralympic final.