Rowing: Drysdale overcomes sticky situation

New Zealand rower Mahe Drysdale appeals to have the race stopped just after the start of his men's single sculls semifinal. Photo / Alan Gibson

Mahe Drysdale is alive to defend his world single sculling title tomorrow after a dramatic semifinal yesterday.

A few strokes into his semifinal, the four-time champion stopped and raised his hand to signal a problem with his boat.

He had arrived at the start line without the obligatory stickers of his country and the world rowing organisation on either side of his boat. The stickers were put on, but there was a problem once the race began. A plume of water was coming up off the boat.

"The stickers weren't put on above the waterline and were causing the plume," Drysdale said.

Failing to have the stickers on earned Drysdale a yellow card from race officials - two yellows which can come from a variety of offences mean automatic disqualification.

When the race began a second time, he went on to win the semifinal, in what became a two-man race against the year's in-form sculler, Czech Republic's Ondrej Synek, clocking 7min 12.74s, to Synek's 7:15.08.

"That was the most stressed I've ever been going into a race, that's for sure," said a relieved Drysdale. "It's not the way I'd like to prepare but it's ultimately my responsibility to have the stickers on my boat."

Rowers are allowed to pull up within the first 100m for breakages to the boat. Whether the incorrectly placed stickers constituted a breakage is a moot point, but none of his race rivals objected and the officials were satisfied it met the criteria for a restart.

"They were happy it was a legitimate breakage. I've never had to use it [the restart] before and I hope I never have to again," he said.

Britain's Alan Campbell won the other semifinal in the quickest time, 7:10.07, with Norwegian double Olympic champion Olaf Tufte and Luka Spik of Slovenia also progressing to the final.

Men's coxless pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond won their semifinal against British rivals Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed by almost seven seconds.

Call it a dress rehearsal for tomorrow's keenly anticipated showdown and little should be read into the margin.

Both combinations had eased the foot off the floor well before the end, with the top three advancing into the final. Italy joined them, but Reed is sure it's a two-horse race.

"We're not here to pick up the silver medal. No one else in the field can upset the first two places. It's just a case of which way round it's going to be," he said.

The New Zealanders have now won their past 11 head-to-head battles with the Brits, but Murray appreciates the rivalry.

"We're happy we've been on top all the time, but we know they're hunting us down," he said.

The rest of the day was a mixed bag for New Zealand. The men's eight continued a fine regatta by qualifying for their final on Sunday, but the women's eight missed out and will race the B final.

Single sculler Emma Twigg was third in her semifinal, comfortably advancing to her final tomorrow, but well off the pace set by multi-medalled Belarusian Ekaterina Karsten and Czech Republic's Mirka Knapkova.

New Zealand are now confirmed in 13 A finals out of 18 crews, with prospects for two more out of semifinals today. Britain are in 16 finals out of a possible 20.