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Two of Six American Boats Advance to Finals

GAINESVILLE, Ga., July 25—U.S. scullers Adam Holland and Mike Peterson went beyond human endurance trying to unseat defending gold medalists Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave in Olympic semifinals today, but it wasn't enough.

The pair's lionhearted effort to upset the Britons, undefeated the past four years, left Peterson slumped unconscious over his oars, Holland in tears and their medal aspirations over.

"Rowing is not about medals or winning," an emotional Holland said after his partner was hauled off on a stretcher and slowly resuscitated with oxygen. "It's about transcending, being more than you were.

"My partner gave me everything he had today. He went to the bottom of the well and gave absolutely all. I'll never lack for inspiration the next four years." Then Holland, a towering, muscular, tattooed Harvard graduate with a degree in mythology and folklore, wept.

Holland and Peterson proved the most dramatic disappointment on a day when U.S. hopes fell short. Only two of six American boats racing finished in the top three to advance to Saturday's six-boat finals.

Georgetown graduate Melissa Schwen and partner Karen Kraft defeated their toughest rivals, Australians Megan Still and Kate Slatter, by 1.3 seconds over the 2,000-meter course to advance as medal favorites in women's coxless pair.

And Ruth Davidon of Arlington finished a close second, sending her to the single sculls final against a field that includes four former Olympic or world champions.

It's a daunting challenge for Davidon, 32, who only started racing single sculls two years ago and never has finished higher than sixth in world competition. But her time, 1 1/2 seconds behind Denmark's Trine Hansen, was second best of 12 women racing in two heats today. "We know she's going fast," said her coach and husband, Eric Beinhocker.

In addition to Holland and Peterson, the men's pair that was fourth, American rowers fell out of the crucial top three in men's four without cox (fifth), men's sculls (fifth) and women's double sculls (fourth).

For most of the 12,500 fans who made the trek under cloudy skies to Lake Lanier, 50 miles from Atlanta, the attraction was Pinsent and Redgrave, the dominating duo who have won 70 straight races since their gold-medal run at Barcelona.

The Britons didn't disappoint. As Peterson and Holland shot out of the starting box to an early, boat-length lead, the experienced English lay in wait. They were second at 1,000 meters, then shot by the Americans and pulled away from the pack to finish 1• seconds ahead of New Zealanders Toni Dunlop and David Schaper.

Italians Marco Penna and Walter Bottega inched by the flagging U.S. duo in the last 250 yards to take third and the final medal-round slot by six-tenths of a second.

Did the Americans err by going out too fast? Redgrave, 36, a three-time gold medalist who quit school at 16 to devote himself full time to the sport, was brutally frank. "If you get some nutters in a race that want to go out fast, all well and good.

"We expected their charge today. It's all about being in the final," he added coldly, "and they're not."

Redgrave was somber after the convincing win. He refused to revisit the subject of athlete transportation troubles he'd raised earlier this week and cut short post-race interviews. Nervous? "Yes," he said. "It's serious business now. All the playing has been done."

His mood contrasted sharply with Schwen and Kraft, the young Americans who now look like gold medal favorites in women's pair. They said they were giggling on the way to the start today, happy to be back afloat.

"This is only our second year together so we're learning every race. We're preparing for our best race ever on Sunday!" gushed Kraft after defeating the world-champion Australians. Schwen nudged her with a reminder their medal outing is Saturday. "Oops," said Kraft.

Schwen expects the Aussie pair to change strategy for the final. "If I were them I would," she said. Meantime, she said, "We've raced twice to win and it happened just the way we planned."

Schwen and Kraft are an odd sight around the lake—a normal-sized duo amid hulking giants. At 144 pounds, Schwen said she's been told all her life she's too small to row; Kraft is only 10 pounds heavier. How do they do it?

"Technique," said Coach Dickie Garrard, an Australian expatriate plotting to beat his countrymen Saturday. "They're tough little monkeys and they both are bloody strong."

But is it intimidating to look across the water at 6-foot-2, 185-pound rivals? "Nope," said Schwen, beaming. "When we see them we go, 'Good!'‚"