Worlds 2007

Worlds starts today! At the beginning of the summer, it seemed like it would never come, but now that it's here, I can't wait to see how events play out. Of course, I'm following US crews, so here's a list of who's racing when tomorrow (all heats are one to progress unless otherwise noted):

SUNDAY
M2+, Heat 2, 9:36
LW1x (Jen Goldsack), Heat 3, 9:54
LM1x (Ivan Baldychev), Heat 1, 10:06
W1x (Michelle Guerette), Heat 1, 10:42
W2-, Heat 3, 12:06, three to advance to the semis
M2-, Heat 1, 12:24
W2x, Heat 2, 12:42, two to advance to semis
M2x, Heat 1, 12:54, top four to the quarterfinal, rest to final E
M4-, Heat 4, 1:48


MONDAY
LM2-, Heat 1, 9:30
LW4x, Heat 2, 9:48
LM4x, Heat 1, 9:54
LW2x, Heat 1, 10:06, top two to advance
LM2x, Heat 2, 10:30, top four to quarterfinals, fifth place to Final E
LM4-, Heat 6, 11:30, top three to quarterfinals, fourth place in heats with four boats to quarterfinals, fifth to Final E
W4x, Heat 2, 11:42
M4x, Heat 3, 12:00, top two to semifinals
W8+, Heat 2, 12:18
M8+, Heat 1, 12:24, top two to semifinals
AW1x, Heat 2, 1:50
AM1x, Heat 3, 2:20, top two to semifinals
TA2x, Heat 1, 2:30, top two to semifinals
LTAMX4-, Heat 3, 3:20, top three to semifinals

Munich time is six hours ahead of current East Coast USA time. Good luck to all the US crews!

It's A Small World

I was in Rhode Island for a week-long vacation earlier in the month, and it was good times. This being the first time I went on this vacation as an over 21 year-old, I was able to go to the bars and clubs with my brother and brother-in-law. It was fun, although I'm not much of a drinker.

The most interesting thing that happened to me all vacation took place in one of those bars, however. One night, my brother and I were trying to meet a few girls, and we took notice of every pair of girls or women that walked into the place. We ended sitting next to two good-looking women at the bar. We talked for a little while, although it was obvious this conversation wasn't going anywhere, especially since one was married. We got up to leave, and the unmarried girl noticed the club logo on my henley.

"Do you row?" she asked me. I told her that I did. She told me she had rowed for a mid-Atlantic college a few years ago. Her friend remarked that her husband had been a heavyweight at Georgetown and her brother-in-law rowed and won a silver medal at some regatta. I thought she meant some regional championship back in the 90s. Out of courtesy, I asked who her brother-in-law was.

"Sebastian Bea*?" She asked me as if to say "have you heard of him?"

I was shocked. Stumbling out of the bar to our next drinking spot, I couldn't help but laugh. The world of rowing is so small sometimes, and if you stay around long enough, you'll eventually meet an Olympic medallist -- or at least his sister-in-law.

*Watch this if you don't know the name.