World Cup Action in Amsterdam for Local Rowers
2nd July 2007Somerset and Wiltshire's rowers are back in world cup action this weekend in Amsterdam just three weeks after celebrating gold, silver and bronze in Linz, Austria.
Somerset's Stephen Rowbotham, from Winscombe, won gold in Linz with Matt Wells in the Siemens-sponsored men's double scull. The duo fended off the world champions from France to win and face the same opposition this time round plus a world-renowned crew from Slovenia.
"We're up for it and ready to defend our title", said Wells today.
Bath-born Paul Mattick, who grew up in Frome and Taunton, competes once more in the Siemens-backed lightweight men's four. The crew made history in Linz by taking GB's first ever world cup medal - a bronze - in this Olympic boat class.
Meanwhile North Bradley's Georgina Menheneott made a stunning senior GB debut by taking silver in the women's eight, again a Siemens-sponsored crew.
Amsterdam is the second in a series of three world cups which culminate in the world cup finals in mid-July in Lucerne, Switzerland. Heats in Amsterdam are on Friday with repechages and semi-finals on Saturday and finals on Sunday.
Britain began the world cup series in style two weeks ago in Linz, Austria, when the team won eight Olympic class medals including four golds.
Linz attracted a record world-cup entry but as the season unfolds the British rowers can expect greater oppposition in various events.
750 rowers from 43 countries will compete in Amsterdam. Britain has the highest number of entries - 79 athletes in 23 boats - but some of those entries are under-23 age-group crews who will use the experience of top racing in preparation for the world U23 championships in Strathclyde later this summer.
Amsterdam is also the venue for the first adaptive - elite disability event - race this season with Great Britain entering its reigning world champion mixed adaptive four.