Six from seven GB semi-finalists get through to finals at World Championships
Six of the GB Rowing Team’s seven Olympic class semi-finalists today all moved into finals at the World Championships in Poznan, Poland – four winning and two taking second places.
“I’m really pleased that six from seven have gone through including four emphatic semi-final wins”, said GB Rowing’s Performance Director, David Tanner.
Today’s qualifiers bring GB’s Olympic class tally of finalists to nine alongside two international class and three Paralympic class boats. GB also has two more Olympic class and one international class chance of adding to the total from tomorrow’s semi-final programme
Today the men’s four, stroked by Matt Langridge, was particularly impressive winning their semi-final in commanding fashion to set themselves up as the main challengers to Australia, Olympic silver medallists in Beijing who won the other semi-final.
Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed had another good day as they continue their new challenge in this season in the men’s pair rather than the four in which they won Beijing gold. They were winners and have set up another head-to-head with New Zealand who remain favourites to win here.
Anna Bebington and Annabel Vernon, in the women’s double scull and Alan Campbell in the men’s single were winners today, too, whilst Katherine Grainger, in the single scull and Olivia Whitlam and Louisa Reeve, in the women’s pair, progressed into the finals by means of second-placed finishes.
The only shock came when Matthew Wells and Stephen Rowbotham, Beijing medallists in the men’s double, were fourth in their semi-final and out of contention for the main finals on Saturday.
Tomorrow Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking will race the Germans whom they beat in Lucerne and Munich in the lightweight women’s double scull.
Paul Mattick and Rob Williams showed their potential in a fine performance during the heats here in the equivalent men’s boat – a showing they will wish to replicate in the face of top opposition from the New Zealanders who won the world cup finals.
Adam Freeman-Pask will race in the lightweight men’s single scull and will seek to step up from this performances in the heat and repechages if he is to make the final on Sunday.
The main finals programme begins on Saturday.
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RACE REPORTS
Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed know that the true test awaits them in Saturday’s final after taking their world championships semi-final today in Poznan by the scruff of the neck to lead by two lengths at 1000m. At 1500m they were more than five seconds ahead. They looked smooth and connected – as if the time in training camp learning more of the ways in which to handle pairs rowing – had been of significant benefit.
By the finish they were still commanding a field which was closing on them as they sprinted for the remaining two qualifying places. The question, though, after victory in 6:30.79 ahead of South African and Greece, is whether they will be able to get closer to New Zealand to whom they have lost several times already this season in Saturday’s final.
Reed had no doubts: “We’ve had a good heat and a nice race today. Technically we’re on the same page and we’re communicating well. The hard work on the training camps has paid off. Hand on heart, I think we’ll challenge the New Zealanders”.[img_assist|nid=3394|title=Hodge (left) and Reed focus on the semi-final job at hand|desc=Picture: Peter Spurrier|link=none|align=left|width=372|height=249]
Hodge said: “We felt in control today. We’ve been working hard for the last few weeks. There’s more to come definitely and there are a few things we need to improve”.
The New Zealanders, meanwhile, put in a similar, dominant performance in their semi-final in a slightly quicker time.
GB Rowing’s men’s four has been growing in presence as the season has progressed. Formed of three of the 2008 Olympic silver medal-winning men’s eight – Rick Egington, Alex Partridge and Matt Langridge – with relative newcomer Alex Gregory, the combination today dominated the first half of their semi-final. By 500m they were almost two seconds ahead. At the halfway point they had created a lead of more than a length with Germany in second and France in third.
Powering onwards as if it were easy, the quartet were little short of imperious. Had they put too much in too soon? No, the French couldn’t close them down and nor could the Slovenians in the race for the line. First place to Great Britain in 6:00.17 with the French 1.7 seconds behind in second and Slovenia third.
“We had a good first 1000m so we could afford to be a bit more comfortable in the second half”, said Langridge. “It wasn’t a perfect race and there are always things we can do better but it felt controlled today”.
Alan Campbell, in the single scull, has grown in stature, too, this season after the tribulations of an Olympic season in which he was hampered by illness and surgery.
In today’s semi-final he went out into an early lead and stayed there through the first three-quarters of the race. Ondrej Synek, the wily racer from the Czech Republic, tracked him in second with the Olympic champion, Olaf Tufte working up through the field from fifth to third by the final 500m.
In the final 500m, Campbell and Synek looked unruffled in holding their positions but Tufte had to race for his place in the final with a big threat from the fast-finishing Greek, Ioannis Christou.
“It was a really good race. I’m pleased”, said Campbell. “I think I’m in great shape to get a medal”.
Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand won the opposing semi-final and remains the favourite for the title.
“Mahe, Olaf Tufte and Synek are still the big names. They are the ones to beat”, said Campbell.
Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham, in the double scull semi-final, started slowly – as is their wont – and then recovered to be in third place as the chase came past the grandstands. Just when it looked as if they were safe in third behind the winning French duo and the second-placed Slovenia, the Serbians hared up the inside to pip them to third place.
GB ended fourth in 6:20.43, 0.56 of a a second behind Serbia with France winning. Wells subsequently reported that the British duo had hit a loose buoy at 750m to go which hampered their progress.
Anna Bebington and Annabel Vernon imposed themselves early on their semi-final today. At the 500m timing point they were three-quarters of a length ahead with the next four boats within a canvas of each other.
The Czech Antosova sisters responded to the British in the second 500m. They drew level with Bebington and Vernon and then edged ahead by a sliver at halfway. Australia were in third. Bebington in the bow seat risked a look across at the Czechs at 1400m as the GB boat moved into a half-second lead ahead again.
In the final 500m the pressure came from the rest of the field with Australia taking second and the Czechs third, behind the Britons who won in 6:55.08.
Vernon said: “We really enjoy racing together, we’re good mates and it’s a personal project for us”.
Bebington added: “We are pleased with the result, we got into a good strong rhythm and were able to respond to the pressure. We can raise our game for the final”.
Katherine Grainger was on a mission today to ensure she qualified for Saturday’s final in her still-new role as a single sculler after many years in crew boats. As anticipated Zhang Xiuyun of China blasted out of the blocks and built a big lead early in the first half of the race.
Grainger, though, was determined not to let her get beyond catching. She kept up the pace and began to claw back ground. In the final 300m she was still in touch to take second at the line in 7:30.15 with Russia in third. Zhang’s winning time was 7:28.08.
With several medal favourites grouped by the draw in the opposing semi-final, Grainger will know that Saturday’s final will be a tough test.
“The final will be a very different ball game”, said Grainger. “But I’ll be hoping that I can step up again”.
[img_assist|nid=3395|title=Women’s pair in the frame at the start of their semi-final|desc=Picture: Peter Spurrier|link=none|align=right|width=377|height=445]China and Germany set the early pace in the women’s pair in Poznan today in the semi-final featuring GB’s Olivia Whitlam and Louisa Reeve. Despite their efforts they could not shrug off the remainder of the field which became bunched in a flat line at the halfway point.
“It was really tight until the 1km which is quite unusual for a semi-final”, said Whitlam.
200m later the New Zealanders decided to make a push and hit the front to split the field in two. Although they went out to a length ahead, Germany and Great Britain, in second, followed them.
In the final 300m it became clear that New Zealand would hold on to win ahead of Whitlam and Reeve who, in turn, kept the Germans at bay for second place.
Reeve said: “It was a good race but it could have been better and we can improve on that”.
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RESULTS
(Races featuring GB crews only. For full results
log onto www.worldrowing.com)
SEMI-FINALS
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
1. Emma-Jane Feathery/Rebecca Scown (New Zealand) 7:24.63
2. Olivia Whitlam/Louisa Reeve (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:28.36
3. Kertin Hartmann/Marlene Sinnig (Germany) 7:33.88
4. Marie Le Nepvou/Stephanie Dechand (France) 7:36.89
5. Dai Li/Wang Liang (China) 7:37.42
6. Zinaida Kliuchynskaya (Belarus) 7:41.38
Single scull
1. Zhang Xiuyun (China) 7:28.08
2. Katherine Grainger (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:30.15
3. Julia Levina (Russia) 7:32.95
4. Iva Obradovic (Serbia) 7:40.79
5. Agata Gramatyka (Poland) 7:46.94
6. Annick De Decker (Belgium) 7:50.48
Double scull
1. Anna Bebington/Annabel Vernon (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:55.08
2. Sally Kehoe/Phillipa Savage (Australia) 6:56.09
3. Jitka & Lenka Antosova (Czech Republic) 6:56.98
4. Sophie Dunsing/Tina Manker (Germany) 6:57.17
5. Natalia Lialchuk/Natalia Ryzhkova (Ukraine) 7:10.18
6. Katsiaryna Shliupskaya/Anastasiya Fazeyenka (Belarus) 7:15.70
MEN
Pair
1. Andrew Triggs Hodge/Peter Reed (GREAT BRITAIN) 6;30.79
2. Nikolas & Apostolos Gkountoulas (Grece) 6:33.10
3. Shaun Keeling/Ramon di Clemente (South Africa) 6:33.25
4, Nikola Stojic/Goran Jagar (Serbia) 6:34.16
5. Jakub Makovicka/Vaclav Chalupa Jr (Czech Republic) 6:44.47
6. Lukasz Kardas/Dawid Paczes (Poland) 6:55.20
Four
1. Alex Partridge/Ric Egington/Alex Gregory/Matt Langridge
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:00.17
2. France 6:01.87
3. Slovenia 6:02.64
4. New Zealand 6:04.37
5. Germany 6:05.37
6. Croatia 6:24.77
Single scull
1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:48.43
2. Ondrej Synek (Czech Republic) 6:49.90
3. Olaf Tufte (Norway) 6:53.53
4. Ioannis Christou (Greece) 6:52.81
5. Warren Anderson (USA) 7:02.69
6. Mindaugas Griskonis (Lithuania) 7:18.88
Double scull
1. Julien Fahian/Cedric Berrest (France) 6:17.90
2. Luka & Jan Spik (Slovenia) 6:19.24
3. Marko Marjanovic/Dusan Bogicevic (Serbia) 6:19.87
4. Matthew Wells/Stephen Rowbotham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:20.43
5. Bart Poelvoorde/Christophe Raes (Belgium) 6:27.73
6. Artem Morozov/Vitaliy Kryvenko (Ukraine) 6:29.60
C Final
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Four
1. Chris Bartley/Chris Boddy/Stephen Feeney/Bob Hewitt
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:19.45
2. Belgium 6:21.86
3. Russia 6:24.35
4. Portgual 6:37.59
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RACING TIMETABLE
Events featuring GB crews
Times given are Polish time (one hour ahead of the UK).
L=Lightweight
M= Men
W=Women
-=Coxless
+= With cox
x=Sculling boat
(nb – subject to change. For up-to-date information
please see www.worldrowing.com).
FRIDAY 28 AUGUST
Semi-finals: 13.30 – 15.20
LM1X, LW2X, LM2X
SATURDAY 29 AUGUST
Finals: 10.00 – 13.10
W2-, M2-, W2X, M4-, W1X, M1X
ASM1X, TA2X, LTA4+
B Finals: 14.30 – 16.30
LM1X, M2X, LW2X, LM2X, W4X
SUNDAY 30 AUGUST
Finals: 09.30 – 13.10
LM2-, LW4X, LM1X, LW2X, LM2X, W4X, W8+, M8+
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CREW LISTS
2009 World Rowing Championships, Poznan, Poland.
AUGUST , 2009
(Listed as bow to stroke plus cox unless otherwise indicated)
FULL BIOGS AVAILABLE AT: www.gbrowing.org.uk
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington/16.09.85)/Louisa Reeve (Leander
Club/London/16.05.84)
Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas
Eight
Jo Cook (Leander Club/Nottingham/22.03.84)/
Melanie Wilson (Molesey BC/London/25.6.84)/
Michelle Vezie (Molesey BC/London/30.11.87)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Jess Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Tina Stiller (Nottingham RC/Yarm/23.06.87)/
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Natasha Page (Reading Uni BC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/
Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)
Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas
Single scull
Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)
Coach: Paul Thompson
Double scull
Anna Bebington (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)/Annabel Vernon
(Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)
Coach: Paul Thompson
Quadruple scull
Rosamund Bradbury (Westminster School BC/Banstead/17.12.88)/
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)/
Sarah Cowburn (Durham Uni BC/Redditch/01.02.89)/
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/
Coach: Ade Roberts
MEN
Pair
Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/Andy Triggs Hodge
(Molesey BC/Hebden, N.Yorks/03.03.79)
Coach: Jurgen Grobler
Four
Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/Richard
Egington (Leander Club/Knutsford/26.02.79)/Alex Gregory (Reading
Uni BC/Wormington/11.03.84)/Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)
Coach: Mark Banks
Eight
Tom Broadway (Leander Club/Newport Pagnell/21.08.82)/
Tom Burton (Leander Club/Barton-le-Clay, Beds/24.05.80)/
James Orme (Leander Club/Colchester/01.04.84)/
Tom Solesbury (Isis BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Tom Wilkinson (Leander Club/Reading/04.07.85)/
Dan Ritchie (Reading Uni BC/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
Tom Ransley (Cambridge University BC/ Ashford, Kent/06.09.85)/
James Clarke (London RC/London/31.12.84)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)
Coach: Christian Felkel/John West
Single scull
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)
Coach: Bill Barry
Double scull
Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.04.79)/
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
Quadruple Scull – WITHDRAWN ON WEDS 26 AUGUST DUE TO INJURY
Brendan Crean (Agecroft/Manchester/07.02.85)
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)/
Charles Cousins (Reading Uni BC/Cambridge/13.12.88)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni BC/Reading/26.11.85)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Double scull
Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni BC/Cambridge/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86
Coach: Paul Reedy
Quadruple Scull
Stephanie Cullen (London RC/Putney, London/27.11.80)Laura Greenhalgh (London RC/Oxford/02.09.85)//Andrea Dennis (London RC/Oxford/03.01.82)/Jane Hall (Leander Club/Caversham/20.10.73)
Coach: Don McLachlan
Racing Spare
Single Scull
Elaine Johnstone (Tideway Scullers)
MEN
Pair
Ross Hunter (Leander Club/Romford, Essex/13.07.81)/
Oliver Mahony (London RC/London/21.10.83)
Coach: Steve Trapmore
Four
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)/
Chris Boddy (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/16.11.87)/
Stephen Feeney (London RC/Coleraine/12.05.85)/
Bob Hewitt (Tees RC/Scarborough/27.04.87)/
Coach: Robin Williams
Single scull
Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC/Windsor/19.06.85)
Coach: Steve Trapmore
Double scull
Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)/Paul Mattick
(Leander Club/Frome, Somerset/25.04.78)
Coach: Darren Whiter
ADAPTIVE (Paralympic classes)
Men’s Arms-only Single Scull
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Barnet, London/24.05.84)
Coach: Tom Dyson
Trunk and Arms Double Scull
James Roberts (City of Swansea RC/Prestatyn/11.05.86)/
Samantha Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.87)
Coach: Tom Dyson
Mixed Adaptive Coxed Four
Vicki Hansford (Uni of Surrey BC/Farnborough/31.10.79)/
James Roe (Stratford-upon-Avon BC//Stratford-upon-Avon/
28.03.88)/Dave Smith (Reading Uni BC/Aviemore/21.04.78) /Naomi
Riches (Leander/Harrow, London 15.06.83)/Rhiannon Jones
(Reading Uni BC/Hereford/16.09.87) (cox)
Coach: Stuart Whitelaw
RESERVES
Men’s sweep
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Uni of London/Durham/13.04.88)
Peter Marsland (Cambridge Uni BC/Hampton, Mx/06.03.85)
Women’s sweep
Reserve: Jacqui Round (Nottingham RC/St Neots/01.07.87)
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Management and Support Staff:
Performance Support Team:
David Tanner, Performance Director and Team Manager
Jurgen Grobler, Chief Coach (Men)
Paul Thompson, Chief Coach (Women & Lightweights)
Medical and Science Support:
Dr Ann Redgrave, Doctor
Mark Edgar, Physiotherapist
Karen Burn, Physiotherapist
Lilly Devine, Physiotherapist
Dr Chris Shambrook, Psychologist
Mark Homer, Physiologist
Wendy Martinson, Nutritionist
Adaptive Team Staff:
Louise Kingsley, Selector
Tom Dyson, Lead coach
Dr Lucy Free, Doctor
Chris Price, Physiotherapist
Logistics and Office Support:
Rachel Simon, Assistant Team Manager
Maurice Hayes, Resources Manager
Judi Read, Logistics Coordinator
Fran Bullock, Sponsorship Liaison
John Tetley, Boatman
John Brockway, Driver
Caroline Searle, Press Officer
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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about The GB Rowing Teams please contact:
Caroline Searle
T: (01225) 443998
M: (07831) 755351
GB Rowing website www.gbrowing.org.uk – full biogs available
here.
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