[MikeCT]

From The Boston Globe

Drysdale, Guerette are the ones

By John Powers, Globe Staff | October 23, 2005

This wasn't Japan, it wasn't the World Championships, and it wasn't 2,000 meters on a straightaway. This was a twisting urban river dotted with bridges and roiled by a chilly tailwind, with a band called the All-American Rejects providing background music along Memorial Drive. But when the elapsed times went up late yesterday afternoon, the people who'd figured to win the championship singles at the 41st Head of the Charles Regatta had done it.


New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale, the men's world titlist, hadn't glimpsed the legendary Dirty Water until he got here last week. Michelle Guerette, the global bronze medalist who'd been paddling upstream and down since she was a Harvard freshman seven years ago, knew every bend and swirl by heart.

Both of them had the power and the poise to thread their way through the field and win trophies that would have seemed unlikely a year ago. ''It's a dream to do it," said the 26-year-old Drysdale, who beat Union Boat Club's Steve Tucker by less than a second after taking a 10-second penalty for missing a buoy at the Weeks Footbridge.

Guerette, who rowed in the US eight two years ago and in the quadruple sculls at last year's Olympics, didn't settle into the single until this spring. Now, after winning the first world medal by an American woman in two decades and prevailing over 3 miles here, she's undeniably the best in the land.

''It has been an amazing couple of months, especially with all the unknowns," said the 25-year-old Guerette, after she'd beaten Great Britain's Debbie Flood by nearly 12 seconds. ''It's been a real thrill. I'm loving the single more and more every day."

Though Drysdale, who hadn't gone solo until this season, had competed in several head races in England, this was a step up against a tough men's field that included Olympic doubles gold medalist Itzok Cop of Slovenia, Henley champion Wyatt Allen (who won gold with the US eight in Athens), and two former runners-up in Tucker, an Olympic lightweight, and Michael Perry, who started first yesterday.

Drysdale, who started ninth, wasn't sure how he was doing. ''It's tough to tell in a head race," he said. But he knew that if he was alongside Cop, a multiple world medalist who'd gone off just before him, he must be motoring. By the time they made the turn at Dead Man's Curve with half a mile to go, both knew that if Drysdale went by, he would win.

''We had a few little clashes as we went around the last corner," said Drysdale, who was close enough to Cop to get splashed. ''You're not going to let anyone through. He was trying to push me past the buoys, I think, but it was just good, hard racing. He apologized for not giving me the corner, but I wouldn't have given it to him, either."

Drysdale beat Cop by six seconds in an adjusted 17:54.659. Tucker, who started 12th, placed second in 17:55.475. ''This for me was quite fun," said Drysdale, the first Kiwi to win here since Rob Waddell in 2000. ''I enjoy the longer race. Having the curves, the bridges, and the crowds . . . it was just fantastic."

Guerette, who captained the Radcliffe varsity three years ago, knew all about the Head experience. But this was her first time in a single, and she admitted to being spooked.

''The rowing itself was a little wild today, a little rough," said Guerette. ''I underestimated how much the screaming would affect me. Usually when I'm out there, it's pretty quiet."

The thicker the crowds, though, the faster she moved, blowing by one rival after another. ''The pack in front was pretty quick," said Guerette, a devotee of ''feral rowing" who's at her best on the prowl. ''It was exciting to pass them."

When she crossed the line in Japan, Guerette knew exactly where she stood. Here, she wasn't so sure. ''When I heard some shouting on the dock," she said, ''I figured maybe it was OK."

The margin over Flood, an Olympic silver medalist in the quadruple sculls who was a late entrant here, was well beyond OK. Along with the world bronze, it was large enough to convince Guerette that she, like Drysdale, is better off on her own.

''I definitely feel we've both established ourselves as single scullers," she said. ''I know that's true for him in his country and hopefully for me here. I hope our paths cross again."