Robins And U.S. Lightweight Eight Begin Action In Bulgaria

Lightweight eight takes fourth in Wednesday's heat, will race in Thursday's repechage

	Will Robins and the U.S. lightweight eight will need to finish in the top two of Thursday's repechage to advance to the A final

Aug. 15, 2012

Live Results

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford junior Will Robins completed the first day's action at the World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria Wednesday, taking fourth in the lightweight eight preliminary heat.

Racing in the first of two heats, the U.S. boat started in fifth place through the first 500 meters before gaining a spot by the halfway point. At that 1,000-meter mark the U.S. was four seconds behind the leader, Germany, but the Germans pulled away from the field over the next 1,000 meters.

Needing a top-two finish to qualify for the final and avoid Thursday's repechage, the U.S. tried in vain to catch second-place Poland, but the Polish boat would cross the line second in 5:54.36, 10.19 seconds ahead of the U.S. in fourth and four seconds ahead of third-place China.

The U.S. will get a second-chance Thursday to make the championship final, needing a top-two finish in a field that also includes Hungary, the Netherlands, China and Japan.

The senior and junior world championships events and trials are combined in an Olympic year to accommodate athletes who compete in boat classes not contested at the Olympic Games.