August 26th to 28th 1949 — Amsterdam 40th men’s European championships The presence of the USA and of Uruguay, represented by the scullers Kelly and Risso respectively, was a first step towards the desirable transformation of a champion ship which had until then been confined to European nations into a world championship. Everything was ready on the Bosbaan and, according to Jean Roden- fuser, who had become and was to remain for a long time the linchpin of the French federations official publica tion, “L’Aviron”, this rowing course was perfection. All the facilities were permanent: the glass-fronted starters’ hut and the" judges’ accommodation at the finish, the floating landing stages, the boat-houses and changing rooms, built in a semicircle round the end of the course, the large and comfortable grandstand seating 2,000 spectators, placed at an angle to the rowing course in order to provide the best possible view of the racing. The course was buoyed every 250 metres, with lanes clearly marked right from the start, so that the coxswainless crews would n'ever need to look round during the race. So the list went on; whether it was the tarmacked roads allowing bicycles and cars of all sizes to follow the races in an orderly manner, under the strict but courteous su pervision of the police; the commentary car, equipped with an up-to-date radio transmitter ensuring direct reception with perfect clarity over the loud speaker sys tem; the car-parking arrangements, the grandstand restaurant, etc. Eliminators and repechages Five crews could race abreast in each heat. Where there were seven or eight entries, three eliminating heats were held. In the case of nine or ten entries there were to be two eliminating heats and three repechages. The winners of each eliminating heat and the first or the first two in the repechages went forward to the finals. 4 +: 8 started FI: 1. ITA 2. DEN 3. NED Eli: 1. FRA 2. BEL 3. ESP EDI: 1. SUI 2. NOR Rl: 1. DEN 2. NOR 3. NED 4. BEL 5. ESP 2-: 5 entered - 4 started - POL (scratched - no elimi nators) lx: 10 entered, but no eliminating heats were held, as the following federations scratched: BEL DEN HUN ITA SWE. 2 + : 7 started El: 1. BEL 2. NED 3. SWE Eli: 1. DEN 2. YUG Fill: 1. ITA 2. FRA R: 1. NED 2. YUG 3. FRA 4. SWE 4-: 7 started EL 1. DEN 2. YUG 3. NOR Eli: 1. ITA 2. BEL Fill: 1. NED 2. SUI R: 1. NOR 2. BEL 3. YUG 4. SUI 2x: 9 entered — TCH (scratched) EL 1. DEN 2. ITA 3. GBR 4. BEL 5. POL Eli: 1. NED 2. FRA 3. SUI RI: 1. FRA 2. POL RII: 1. ITA 2. BEL RIII: 1. GBR 2. SUI 8 +: 8 started EL 1. FRA 2. SWE 3. SUI Eli: 1. ITA 2. TCH 3. BEL Fill: 1. NED 2. DEN R: 1. TCH 2. SWE 3. SUI 4. DEN 5. BEL Finals 4 + : 1. ITA 2. SUI 3. DEN 4. FRA 5. NOR Five well-matched crews crossed the line practically together. 2-: 1. SWE 2. BEL 3. ITA 4. DEN Until 250 metres from the finish, Belgium had been leading for 1,500 metres, with Sweden last. Suddenly the young Swedes, Evert Gunnarson and Bernt Tor- berntsson, produced a prodigious spurt, rowing at 41, which left their opponents transfixed. It was the first Swedish victory in a FISA championship. lx: 1. USA 2. TCH 3. SUI 4. POL 5. URU The first USA appearance in a European championship event and their first success, achieved by the famous Jack Kelly, who had already won the Diamond Sculls at Henley in the course of his European tour. Behind the Czech, Vrba, appeared in third place the Swiss, Hans- Jakob Keller, sculling magnificently in the last part of the race, after having apparentiy taken things too easily at the start. The Polish veteran, Verey, European champion in 1933 and 1935, defeated the Uruguayan, Risso, who could not reproduce his performance of the Olympic Games, when he had put out Kelly in the semifinals. 2 +: 1. ITA 2. DEN 3. BEL 4. YUG 5. NED In spite of extreme fatigue towards the end of the race, the Italians clung on to their lead. With less than 100 metres to go, the Danes seemed to be set to overtake but they too suddenly suffered from total exhaustion, and Italy, incapable of any further response, crossed the line, shattered, not a moment too soon. The victory went to the pair who had managed to hold out for one second longer. 4-: 1. ITA 2. DEN 3. NOR 4. BEL 5. NED The “Moto Guzzi” oarsmen, the Olympic champions with the long, elegant style, maintained their supremacy; but not without having been sorely pressed by the power ful Danes. All methods are equally valid when athletes in top form are fighting to the very last stroke. Part 3 99
