2024-07-28 01:56:25
D.Karalienė and D.Rimkutė were the last rowers from Lithuania to start in the Vere prie Marna canal, far from the main hustle and bustle of Paris. It was already clear that Giedrius Bieliauskas made it to the quarterfinals, and Viktorija Senkutė left her competitors far behind.
D.Karalienė and D.Rimkutė took the last place among 4 teams in the second qualifying rowing in the double rowing competition. They covered the distance of 2000 m in 6 minutes. 59.62 sec. Three teams from this qualifying rowing qualified for the next stage.
D.Karalienė and D.Rimkutė found themselves in a very unusual situation – they will have to participate in the consolation swim, which will take place on Sunday. From here, it is still possible to make it to the semi-finals – among the 4 teams, it will be necessary not to remain in the last place.
Teams from the Netherlands (selection result – 6 min. 58.65 sec.), Norway (7 min.) and Italy (7 min. 15.51 sec.) will participate in the consolation swim together with the Lithuanians.
D. Karalienė herself has not fought in the consolation swimming in the double doubles at the Olympic Games – neither in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, nor in the 2021 Tokyo Games. Both times her partner was Dovilė Valčiukaitė. The pair won bronze in Rio de Janeiro and narrowly missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Games, finishing fourth.
“We will not hide that we are disappointed. Our season is bumpy. At the European Championship, we somehow managed to realize ourselves, but after it, we seemed to get lost, we couldn’t find our rhythm, our rowing. We have a chance to get into the top 12 during the consolation swim, so we hope to do it,” said the 35-year-old bronze winner of the Rio de Janeiro Games.
D.Karalienė and D.Rimkutė remembered that they were in the consolation swimming at the World Cup and were open: “It was also a disappointing start.”
After 500 meters on Saturday, the Lithuanians were second, but then they started to fall. After 1000 they were the third, and from 1500 – the fourth.
At the finish, the lag behind the Irish was obvious (6 min. 52.61 sec.).
“It is not typical for us not to speed up in the second part of the distance. We had an advantage against the Irish…Sometimes it’s hard to explain what’s going on. We were unable to help each other in the boat. We are really not satisfied”, said D. Karalienė.
After Saturday’s rowing, G. Bieliauskas said that the weather conditions made it much more difficult to work. All the swims took place in the rain that has continued since Friday’s dramatic opening of the Olympics.
D.Karalienė and D.Rimkutė currently do not have to say what happened that they failed to perform better.
“You have to concentrate. There is no great excitement. Rivals are the same, nothing new, but we are out of rhythm. We have a chance to come back and everything will be fine. We do not give up. Tomorrow we will do what we can even better, said D. Rimkutė. – Everything happens. You can’t predict what might happen. You can start the season well and end it at the bottom. We can’t say too much – everything happens.”
2024-07-28 01:56:25