BEIJING // A small fire broke out in a generator at the Olympic rowing event today, spewing black smoke near spectators and putting the showpiece air-bubble finish line out of action. Two fire engines dealt with the fire but the incident did not stop the rowing action on the first day of competition at the Lake Shunyi course. Olympic organisers said the generator had overheated. The fire blackened surrounding boarding and burnt a hole in one of the Olympic rings on display. New boarding was erected.
The finish line system, which pumps bubbles up through the water, no longer worked but competitors had markers to see the end of the course. Xiuyun Zhang won the first heat of the day and posted the fastest time in the women's single scull to get China's Olympic rowing campaign off to a good start. China's double also won after holding off a fast-finishing Czech Republic crew, with the host nation's competitors being urged on by a thunderous roar from the crowd of "China, China".
Favourites from Australia, New Zealand and Britain also progressed smoothly into the next round in the hot and humid conditions on Lake Shunyi. Competitors said changing winds as well as the heat sometimes made things difficult but not any worse than expected. "It was hot," said Britain's Alan Campbell, a favourite for a medal in the men's single. "Hotter than a European race but we've trained in this for the last week and we were more than prepared for what was to come."
New Zealand enjoyed wins for their men's and women's double scull and women's single while their four were just pipped for second by the Netherlands. Australia's experienced men's pair of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free won comfortably with their traditionally long and relaxed style while their men's four and double also posted good wins. Britain's men's four, double and single won in fast times to set up a good showdown in those events later in the week.
All the favourites moved comfortably into the next round in the women's single scull. As well as Zhang winning her heat in the fastest time, the strong favourite Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus also qualified for the quarter-final comfortably. In the men's event, New Zealand's three-time world champion Mahe Drysdale won with clear water despite looking somewhat laboured to join favourites Campbell, Norway's Olaf Tufte and Ondrej Synek from the Czech Republic in the next round.
*Reuters
