Otago girls take on semi’s
Otago Girls’ High make it to the semi’s but are they on track for the final?
Juliette Alm-Lequeux and Karley Wilden-Palms are heating up the competition.
The Otago Girls’ High School competitors won their girls U18 double sculls heat with a time of 7:37:39 on Monday, getting them through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday where they finished second.
“It was pretty close with Rangiora and it was to qualify, so it was a big race.”
With one repechage race on Wednesday for U17 single sculls Alm-Lequeux made a dramatic comeback by finishing first from a fourth place start.
Monday also saw Wilden-Palms, from Otago Girls’, come second for her U18 single sculls and although the singles race didn’t go as per coach Buist’s plans both girls came off the water having done their best.
“Our heat races I am really happy with. Today it was mixed. I’m very happy with how our double went this morning because the instruction from me was to go out, get second and cruise,” coach Caitlin Buist said.
“Personally I would like to get us more fired up, really working together and seeing how far we can go,” Wilden-Palms said.
“It’s not a case of improving technique at this stage it’s really feeling and wanting it and pushing ourselves to the max.”
With the semifinals tomorrow the girls hope to do better.
“In that last 250 we can bring it up a lot more” Alm-Lequeux said.
“We’re usually tired after a race, but not as tired as we want to be.”
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UPDATE: Today saw the girls race their C and D finals.
Alm-Lequeux came second in her D final for the girls U17 single sculls while Wilden-Palms came first in her C final for girls U18 single sculls.
“I was just trying to stay in control from the start,” Wilden-Palms said.
