April 22, 2016 – U.S. Olympic Rowing Trials

This morning we watched the qualifying heats for the men’s and women’s single sculls, men’s and women’s double sculls, lightweight men’s and women’s double sculls.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (a) - 2016-04-22Tomorrow the semi-finals will be held and on Sunday morning the finals will determine who will represent the United States in Rio this summer.  It was the first time we’d ever seen any live Olympic events.

Arriving, we passed the staging area where the boats were being waxed

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (c) - 2016-04-22while other rowers loosened up in a make-shift gym.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (d) - 2016-04-22Then the racers carried their boats to the basin before rowing over a half mile to the starting line.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (f) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (g) - 2016-04-22As we were sitting at the 1,750 meter mark (2,000 meter course),

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (g2) - 2016-04-22the starting line was nearly a mile away.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (h1) - 2016-04-22So the only way we could see the start of the races was on a Jumbo-Tron near the finish line.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (h) - 2016-04-22With rare exception, the winning rowers covered the course in between six and seven minutes.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (m) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (l) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (k) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (j) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (i1) - 2016-04-22 Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (i) - 2016-04-22Interestingly, the large orange buoys did not signify the finish line but an imaginary line from the judges stand on the near side of the course and a yellow marker on the other side.

Olymic Rowing Trails, Sarasota, FL (p) - 2016-04-22We’re hoping to get back for the finals on Sunday.

We also watched some “locals”, none of whom were paying any attention to the races.

Royal Tern

Royal Tern, Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, FL - 2016-04-22Osprey

Osprey, Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, FL - 2016-04-22Laughing Gull

Laughing Gull, Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, FL - 2016-04-22Grackle

Grackle, Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, FL - 2016-04-22

 

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