Seven GB Rowing Crews through to Sunday's finals
15th June 2012
The GB Rowing Team had a “pretty solid” morning of racing on the opening day of the season’s final Samsung World Rowing Cup in Munich, according to Performance Director David Tanner.
“We’ve had some positives here and there and we should remember that whilst there are some nations missing from those that raced in Lucerne, the quality and intensity of the racing is still very high here”, he added.
Seven British crews are already through to the finals on Sunday. The women’s pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were first through, winning their heat – an act repeated by World double scull Champions Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins.
Two of Britain’s lightweight crews – the women’s double of Sophie Hosking and Kat Copeland and the men’s four of Richard Chambers, Rob Williams, Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley – came through stunningly close finishes to win their heats against Danish opposition.
Further wins were added by Alan Campbell in the single and the men’s four of Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James, Peter Reed and Alex Gregory as well as Kathryn Twyman in the lightweight women’s single.
In Formula 1-style “official practice” races today the men’s eight also won from Poland, the women’s quad and eight were third and fourth respectively.
The men’s quadruple scull, men’s pair, men’s double and second-ranked GB crew in the lightweight women’s double scull will race repechages to have a second chance at progressing.
The afternoon session here also included quarter-finals for Campbell and Graeme Thomas in the single scull as well as their lightweight counterpart, Mike Mottram. Whilst Mottram missed out on a semifinal place, Campbell and Thomas both came through safely.
Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend in the men’s double scull progressed into tomorrow’s semi-finals by winning their repechage this afternoon.
Racing starts at 08.30 UK Time tomorrow with semi-finals and significant repechages largely programmed for the afternoon except for the international classes who have their semis in the morning and finals in the evening session. The adaptive classes also race tomorrow with finals in the evening.