GB Pair beaten but Campbell through for final battle
4th July 2009Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed, two of GB’s 2008 Olympic men’s four gold medallists, suffered a home-water defeat to New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond in the semi-finals of the Silver Goblets for men’s pairs at Henley Royal Regatta today by over two lengths.
Home favourites, Reed and Hodge, have now been beaten at two successive events by the Kiwi duo.
“Today’s race was an immense battle. Andy made some great calls and we got to the Barrier in good fashion but the Kiwis were just faster than us”, said Reed.
Bond and Murray now face defending champions Ramon Di Clemente and Shaun Keeling from South Africa in the final.
By contrast, Britain’s Alan Campbell produced a scorching performance in his semi-final of the Diamond Sculls Challenge Cup for single sculls to defeat double Olympic champion Olaf Tufte of Norway and set up a final tomorrow with world champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.
“The race today has got to be the best I have ever been in, the crowd helped me the whole way”, said Campbell.
Stephen Rowbotham and Matt Wells will also race New Zealand opposition in the shape of Matthew Trott and Nathan Cohen in the Double Sculls Challenge. The two crews have been close contenders at World Cup level already.
The GB senior women’s eight showed their U23 counterparts a clean pair of heels in today’s semi-final of the Remenham Challenge Cup and now face Yale University of the USA in the final.
Westminster School’s quadruple scull, in the Fawley Challenge Cup, and Eton College’s eight, in the Princess Elizabeth Cup, are two British crews who could make an impact on the finals of the schoolboy events.
There are 19 finals on tomorrow’s programme with racing starting at 11.30am and finishing at 4pm.