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Mindaugas Griškonis, 35, who is already participating in the fourth Olympics, was the first Lithuanian to take the starting line at the Sea Forest track, which was specially opened for the Tokyo Olympics in 2019.
2008 Beijing and 2012 In London, Vilnius ranked eighth in the single boat competition. Four years later, Rio sat down with a couple with Saulius Ritter and brought Lithuania an Olympic silver medal.
This year, M. Griškonis returned to single boat competition and in his first outing he fought with the debutants of the Olympic Games: the representative of Saudi Arabia Hussein Alireza, the Turkish Onat Kazakli, the Canadian Trevor Jones and the rower of the Bermuda Dara Alizadeh.
The Lithuanian and Canadian duo quickly broke away from their opponents and competed for most of the track only with each other.
T. Jonesas finished first (7: 04.12), M.Griškonis – second (7: 05.88), and Turkey’s O.Kazakli (7: 20.11) reached the quarterfinals on Monday.
Representatives from Saudi Arabia and Barbuda will try to extend their march on Saturday in a consolation race.
After the end of M.Griškonis, the head coach of the Lithuanian national team Kęstutis Keblys praised the athletes of our country for the forces evenly distributed by the athletes in the distance, because rowing during frying in the heat of 35 degrees does not It is easy.
“I appreciate the start. Mindaugas said that due to the heat and humidity it was difficult to breathe, and the first paddle was designed to breathe and warm up at this distance. The start of the distance was good, the end too. Mindaugas didn’t push too hard, he He felt confident on the track and finished very close to the first athlete. Our goal today was to get into the top three and advance to the quarterfinals. There was no need to push hard, “said the coach.
According to him, the air temperature in Tokyo is at least ten degrees higher than five years ago at the Rio Olympics.
“As a result, we have to calculate everything very well, heat quietly, because staying in water for a long time in such conditions can quickly overheat. The masks get wet quickly, it is difficult to breathe, but now we are all in that situation and otherwise it will not be fast, ”smiled K. Keblys.
Photo Lithuanian Rowing Federation / Kestutis Keblys
After M.Griškonis, the new double crew of Saulius Ritteris and Aurimas Adomavičius entered the Olympic track. In the third Olympiad in a row, S. Ritter rows with another partner and gets used to a new role for the first time: sitting behind the back of a teammate, not in the position of an entrepreneur, as has been the case so far. . .
However, the Lithuanians who participated in the last third of the swim lacked a lot of sense of smell. Among the four boats, ours were the last and now they will continue to fight in the consolation race.
Photo by Vytautas Dranginis (LTOK) / Saulius Ritteris and Aurimas Adomavičius
The three fastest sailboats reached the semifinals. This year’s European vice-champions and 2020 champions and world cup champions Melvin Twellarr and Stef Broenink (6: 08.38) took first place, followed by Britain’s John Collins and Gareme Thomas (6: 12.80) and the Romanians Ioan Prundeanu. Marianas Enache (6: 13.62).
The Lithuanians were 14.70 seconds behind the winners.
A total of 14 teams competed in this match.
Milda Valčiukaitė and Donata Karalienė, runners-up in Europe and leaders of the Lithuanian team, reached the semi-finals quite easily.
In the women’s doubles competition for Lithuanians, the competition in the final third race consisted of strong teams from Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.
Halfway through the distance, the Lithuanians took the initiative firmly and after 1500m they overtook their closest rivals with almost all the boat hulls. However, in the last stage we lost our rhythm and the Dutch Roos de Jong and Lisa Scheenaard finished first (6: 49.90).
The Lithuanians were 0.48 seconds behind them, and Australians Amanda Bateman and Tara Rigney also reached the semi-finals (6:53.30). The German duo must compete in a consolation competition.
We remind you that five years ago, two Lithuanian teams won medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games: S. Ritteris and M.Griškonis won silver, M.Valčiukaitė and D.Karalienė – bronze in the doubles competition in pairs.
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