The trials included the program of Sunday’s (10/9) first day of Rowing Beach Sprint at Karteros beach in the 3rd Mediterranean Beach Games held in Heraklion. Spain was dominant, fielding a very strong team and showing how Spanish rowers will challenge for medals in all five events on the Coastal Rowing schedule. It is characteristic that they scored the best performances in all events. The schedule started with the men’s single time trial (C1x) and the best time was achieved by Spain’s Miguel Salas Cordoba, with 2:45.72, followed by Italy’s European champion Giovanni Ficarra (2:46.61) and third was Moroccan Brahim Mraghi (2:51.62).

The competition also had a “dramatic” tone, as in the repechages Greek Alexandros Minadakis, who was seventh in the trials, “opposed” the tenth Maltese Mark Sembri. The latter fell before the finish and the first pressed the buzzer faster but received a penalty (one minute) for an incorrect pass to the buoy. But then the Maltese at the finish had help from members of his team to press the button and it was decided by the judges to re-row again. So, on Monday morning, before the main program (08:55) there will be the race that will determine which of the two will go through the heats. On Monday, the heats will take place, where the pairs are (by position) 1-8, 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5. Athletes from positions 1-4 choose a “corridor” (left or right side) of the water track.

In the women’s single time trial (C1x), the best performance was achieved by the Spaniard Celia De Tontos Los Santos de Miguel Gomez, with 3:00.85. They were followed by the recently French European champion in France, Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino, with 3:06.97 and the Tunisian Khadija Krimi, with 3:12.43. In this competition, on Monday, the heats also will take place, where the pairs are 1-8, 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5. Athletes from positions 1-4 choose the “corridor” of the water track.

In the men’s double time trial (C2x), the best time was set by the Spanish duo of Ander Martin Domingo and Adrian Miramon Quiroga with 2:31.93. Second was the French team (Ivan Bove, Ludovic Dubuis) with 2:41.52 and third was the Croatian team (Nickol Udovicic, Nino Varat) with 2:43.81. The Monday’s heats will also take place in 1-8, 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5 format. Top-4 rowers pick a “corridor» of the water track.

In the women’s double time trial (C2x), the best performance was achieved by the Spaniards Ainoha Casanova Calpena and Nadia Felipe Garcia, with 3:00.91. Second was the Croatian team with Paola Girotto and Martina Kaic with 3:06.02 and third was the Italian team with Silvia Trippi and Viola Patrignani with 3.09.28. Spain progressed directly to the Monday’s semi-finals and the remaining teams initially compete in heats 2-7, 3-6, 4-5, with positions 2-3-4 choosing a “corridor”.

In the mixed relay race time trial (men’s pair, women’s single, men’s single and women’s double) the best time was set by Spain with 12:19.39. Rowed by Martin Domingo, Miramon Quiroga, Pourcarea Damian, Gonzalez Buzon, De Miguel Gomez and Felipe Garcia. Second was the Italian team with 12:37.41 (D’Amico, Zerilli. Cozzarini, Ficarra, Tripi and Patrignani) and third was the Croatian team with 12:43.29 (Varat, Udovicic, Zuvanic, Puh, Kaic and Girotto). The Spanish team advances directly to Monday’s semi-finals and earlier in the day in the heats the pairings are 2-7-, 3-6, 4-5 with positions 2-3-4 choosing a “corridor”.

On Monday, September 11th, the heats and semi-finals will take place, where the “tickets” for the finals on Tuesday (12/9) will be decided in the five events of Coastal Rowing.