Purchase and Hunter make winning return
Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, the Olympic and world champions, raced today for the first time since May, won their heat and now move through to the World Championships quarter-finals in Bled, Slovenia.
Purchase has been struggling with a post viral episode since the world cup in May and the pairing will now test their form again in the quarters on Wednesday.
The GB Rowing Team men’s four had what stroke Alex Gregory described as “our best heat ever” to win from world champions France this afternoon.
Despite the bumpy conditions the four, featuring Beijing gold medallist Tom James with Ric Egington and Matt Langridge, moved away from the French in the second half to take victory in 5:49.20 and progress to a semi-final next Saturday.
Alan Campbell qualified smoothly for Wednesday’s quarter-finals of the men’s single scull whilst Frances Houghton somewhat unsurprisingly – given a build up limited by injury – will race a repechage of the equivalent women’s event also on Wednesday after taking fourth place today.
This afternoon’s trio of heat wins brings Britain’s tally of successes today to 11 of which nine were in the Olympic classes.
Tomorrow’s race programme includes all the heats of the adaptive boat classes in which Britain has three entries seeking Paralympic Games qualification. Their first races here coincide, fittingly, with the Paralympic One Year countdown to London.
Britain will also contest heats tomorrow in the lightweight women’s double and quadruple sculls as well as the women’s eight where newcomers like Vicky Thornley, who responded to Sir Steve Redgrave’s Sporting Giants rallying call only a few years ago for tall people to take up the sport, have forged a crew with more established rowers like Jess Eddie, Natasha Page and Louisa Reeve.
*SIEMENS is the high performance partner of the GB Rowing Team
(as such they sponsor all the Olympic and Paralympic Class
boats in the senior squad and add value to the GB Rowing
Teams’ Start and High Performance Programme in Clubs Schemes)
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RACE REPORTS
Alan Campbell has had an up and down kind of season so far. He was fifth at the Munich world cup, won Henley’s Diamond Sculls and then missed the Lucerne leg of the World Rowing Cup.
Today was a first chance to test his race pace in a heat he was expected to win. He led the field through the first two markers, holding a four second lead by halfway over the American Kenneth Jurkowski. There was no holding back the Coleraine man from there. He raced onto victory in 6:51.67 to Jurkowski’s 6:55.61 to move into the quarter-finals which take place on Wednesday.
The men’s four found themselves in a strong heat when the draw was made in Bled’s Festival Hall on Friday. They had world champions France to contend with. The French beat them on New Zealand’s Lake Karapiro last Autumn and led today’s heat to within 100m of the halfway point.
That’s when Alex Gregory, Matt Langridge, Ric Egington and Tom James seemed to pick up the pace and motor into a lead. From there they went on to take a clear-water victory and book the only semi-final qualifying slot from the heat, consigning the world champions to the repechage.
“It was good to get our first race out of the way. We’ve done some awesome stuff on training camp in Portugal and now we need to step on from today”, said Egington.
“We will now make improvements as the week goes on and as we move towards the semis. We need to keep our minds in race mode”, added Gregory.
“It was nice to kick off with a win and be the quickest overall but heat times don’t really mean much”, said Langridge.
“It was Ok today. It was good to start off with a win but we can do much better than that and deal with the conditions better”, said James.
Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase, like Campbell, have had a patchy season so far. The duo, who are the reigning Olympic and world champions, were fourth in Munich at the world cup but have not raced together since there as Purchase has been battling a post-viral episode.
In Bled today they bumped along with leaders France to the halfway point where they were just two-tenths behind. The battle ensued over the next 500m with the British moving into a lead at 1500m of six-tenths as the crews bounced past Bled Island with its picture-postcard church in somewhat choppier conditions that this morning’s racing enjoyed. They took a comfortable victory from there in 6:16.76 to reach the quarter-finals.
Frances Houghton rounded up the day’s action by taking fourth place in her women’s single scull heat. The 2008 Beijing women’s quad silver medallist has had months out of the boat this year and is working her way back to fitness. China won the heat with Germany in second and Belgium third. Houghton came back on the Belgian in the final phases of the race.
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RESULTS
(Events featuring GB Rowing Team crews only. Full results:
www.worldrowing.com)
OPEN
WOMEN
HEATS
Single scull
1 . Zhang Xiuyun (China) 7:29.23
2. Annekatrin Thiele (Germany) 7:32.60
3. Annick de Decker (Belgium) 7:42.60
4. Frances Houghton (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:43.11
5. Camila Vargas Palomo (El Salvador) 7:54.10
6. Fie Udby Erichsen (Denmark) 7:58.10
MEN
Four
1. Matthew Langridge/Ric Eginton/Tom James/Alex Gregory
(GREAT BRITAIN) 5:49.20
2. France 5:53.80
3. Czech Republic 5:57.63
4. Spain 6:02.35
5. Poland 6:07.47
Single scull
1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:51.67
2. Kenneth Jurkowski (USA) 6:55.61
3. Moustafa Fathy (Egypt) 7:06.56
4. Roberto Lopez (El Salvador) 7:23.57
5. Mathias Raymond (Monaco) 7:30.37
6. Kelvin Bwibo (Kenya) 7:42.33
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Double scull
1. Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:16.76
2. Jeremie Azou/Frederic Dufour (France) 6:17.82
3. Eyder Batista Vargas/Yunior Perez Agiulera Perez (Cuba) 6:25.82
4. Matevz Malesic/Jure Cvet (Slovenia) 6:31.34
5. Mario Cejas/Miguel Mayol (Argentina) 6:40.75
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GB ROWING TEAM CREW-LISTS
2011 World Rowing Championships, sponsored by Samsung
August 28 – September 4, 2011
(listed bow to stroke plus cox)
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Helen Glover (Minerva Bath/Penzance/17.06.86)/
Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)
Coach: Robin Williams
Eight
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Jo Cook (Leander Club/Sunbury-on-Thames/22.03.84)/
Jessica Eddie (Univ of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Natasha Page (Gloucester RC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)/
Katie Solesbury (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/
Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)/
Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Ealing, London/25.04.83)
Coach: Nick Strange
Single scull
Frances Houghton (Leander/Oxford/19.09.80)
Coach: TBC
Double scull
Anna Watkins (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)/
Katherine Grainger (St. Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)
Coach: Paul Thompson
Quadruple scull
Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Guiseley/27.02.80)/
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.02.82)/
Annabel Vernon (Leander Club/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/
Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)/
Coach: Ade Roberts
RESERVES
Ro Bradbury (Leander/Banstead, Surrey/17.12.88)
Emily Taylor (Leander/Lincoln/28.06.87)
OPEN
MEN
Pair
Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/
Andrew Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden, N. Yorks/03.03.79)
Coach: Jürgen Grobler
Four
Matthew Langridge (Leander Club /Northwich/20.05.83)/
Richard Egington (Leander Club/Knutsford/26.02.79)/
Tom James (Molesey BC/Wrexham/11.03.84)/
Alex Gregory (Leander Club /Wormington, Glos/11.03.84)
Coach: John West
Eight
Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)/
Cameron Nichol (Molesey BC/Glastonbury/26.06.87)/
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/
Alex Partridge (Leander Club /Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
Greg Searle (Molesey BC/Marlow/20.03.72)/
Tom Ransley (York City RC/Cambridge/06.09.85)/
Daniel Ritchie (Leander Club/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)
Single scull
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)
Coach: Bill Barry
Double scull
Matthew Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.04.79)/
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
Quadruple scull
Tom Solesbury (Leander Club/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)/
Bill Lucas (London RC/Kingswear/13.09.87)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.85)
Coach: Mark Banks
RESERVES
Tom Broadway (Leander Club/Newport Pagnell/21.08.82)
Constantine Louloudis (Isis BC/London/15.09.91)/
George Nash (Cambridge Uni BC/Guildford/02.10.89)
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Single scull
Katherine Copeland (Tees RC/Ingelby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees/01.12.90)
Coach: James Harris
Double scull
Hester Goodsell (Imperial College BC/London/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86)
Coach: Paul Reedy
Quadruple scull
Steph Cullen (London RC/Bury, Lancs/27.11.80)/
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)/
Kathryn Twyman (OUWBC/Edmonton, Canada/29.03.87)/
Andrea Dennis (Imperial College BC/Oxford/03.01.82)/
Coach: Ben Reed
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Pair
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Coleraine/14.03.90)/
Kieren Emery (Leander Club/Newcastle-upon-Tyne/01.06.1990)
Coach: Peter Sheppard
Four
Richard Chambers (Leander Club /Coleraine/10.06.85)/
Chris Bartley (Leander/Wrexham/02.02.84)/
Paul Mattick (Leander Club /Frome, Somerset/25.04.78)/
Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)/
Coach: Rob Morgan
Single scull
Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC/Windsor/19.06.85)
Coach: Darren Whiter
Double scull
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury/02.05.86)/
Mark Hunter (Leander Club /Romford, Essex/01.07.78)
Coach: Darren Whiter
ADAPTIVES
MEN
Arms & shoulders single scull (ASM1x)
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/London/24.05.84)
Coach: Tom Dyson
Trunk & arms mixed double scull (TAMix2x)
Nick Beighton (Guildford RC/Yateley/29.09.81)/
Sam Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.87)
Coach: Tom Dyson
Legs, trunk & arms mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Pamela Relph (Birmingham Uni BC/Aylesbury/14.11.89)/
Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow/15.06.83)/
James Roe (Stratford upon Avon BC/ Stratford upon Avon/28.03.88)/
David Smith (Reading Uni BC/Dunfermline/21.04.78)/
Lily van den Broecke (cox) (Headington School BC/Oxford/08.01.92)
Coach: Mary McLachlan
SUPPORT STAFF
Performance:
Team Manager: David Tanner
Chief Coach Men: Jürgen Grobler
Chief Coach Women & Lightweights: Paul Thompson
Assistant Team Manager (Adaptive): Louise Kingsley
Medical & Sports Science:
Doctor: Ann Redgrave
Lead Physio: Mark Edgar
Physios: Liz Arnold, Sally Brown
Psychologist: Chris Shambrook
Physiologists: Craig Williams
Nutritionist: Wendy Martinson
Media/Admin/Logistics:
Assistant Team Manager (admin): Maggie Netto
Resources Manager: Maurice Hayes
Boatman: John Tetley
Sponsorship Liaison: Fran Bullock
Press Officer: Caroline Searle
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SCHEDULE OF MEDALS/EVENTS IN BLED
WHEN ARE THE MEDALS DECIDED?
(events featuring GB crews only)
Thursday 1 September
Women’s pair and quad;
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair
Friday 2 September
Women’s eight and quad;
Men’s double
Lightweight men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s single sculls
Men’s adaptive single scull
Saturday 3 September
Women’s double
Men’s pair, single and squad
Lightweight women’s quad
Mixed adaptive double scull
Sunday 4 September
Women’s single
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double sculls
Mixed adaptive coxed four
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sunday 28 August- Morning
Heats of the:
Women’s pair, double and quadruple scull;
Men’s pair, eight, double and quadruple scull;
Lightweight men’s single, pair and four.
Sunday 28 August – Afternoon
Heats of the:
Women’s single;
Men’s four and single scull;
Lightweight men’s double scull
Monday 29 August – morning
Heats of the:
Women’s eight,
Men’s coxed pair;
Lightweight women’s double and quadruple scull
Adaptive women’s and men’s single sculls; mixed double and coxed four
Repechages of the:
Women’s pair and single and quadruple scull;
Men’s four, eight and single and double scull;
Lightweight men’s pair, four and single and double scull
Tuesday 30 August – morning
Repechages of the:
Women’s double
Men’s pair and quad
Lightweight women’s single
Adaptive men’s and women’s single, mixed double and coxed four
Quarterfinals of the:
Men’s double
LIghtweight men’s four and single
Wednesday 31 August – Morning
Repechages of the:
Women’s eight and single
Men’s coxed pair
Lightweight women’s double and quad and men’s quad
Quarter-finals of the:
Men’s four and single
Lightweight men’s double scull
Semi-finals of the:
Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
LIghtweight men’s pair
Adaptive women’s single scull
Thursday 1 September – Morning
Semi-finals of:
Men’s double scull
Lightweight men’s four and single scull
LIghtweight women’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull
B Finals of the:
Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair
FINALS OF THE:
Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair
Adaptive women’s single scull and mixed ID coxed four
Friday 2 September – morning
Semi-finals of the:
Women’s double
Men’s pair, single and quadruple scull
Adaptive mixed double scull
B-Finals of the:
Women’s eight
Men’s double and coxed pair
Lightweight men’s four and women’s and men’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull
FINALS of the:
Women’s eight
Men’s double and coxed pair
Lightweight men’s four, men’s and women’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull
Saturday 3 September – Morning
Semi-finals of the:
Women’s single
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull
Adaptive mixed coxed four
B Finals of the:
Women’s double scull
Men’s pair and single and quadruple scull
Mixed adaptive double scull
FINALS of the:
Women’s four and double scull
Men’s pair and single and quadruple scull
Lightweight women’s quadruple scull
Mixed adaptive double scull
Sunday 4 September
B Finals of the:
Women’s single scull
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull
Adaptive mixed coxed four
FINALS of the:
Women’s single scull
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull, men’s quadruple
scull and eight
Adaptive mixed coxed four
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BBC TV and Radio Coverage from Bled
TV
Thursday 1 and Friday 2 September
Red button coverage -more details to follow
Saturday 3 September
1400-1630, BBC One/online
Sunday 4 September
1545-1700, BBC Two/online
RADIO 5 Live Sports Extra on DAB Radio
Thursday 1 September
From 11.15
Friday 2 September
From 10.55
Saturday 3 September
From midday live on 5 Live (not 5 Live Sports Extra)
Sunday 4 September
From 10.55
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FINAL DIARY DATE
SEPTEMBER
16-18
European Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about The GB Rowing Teams please contact:
Caroline Searle, Andy Sloan or Miranda Edwards on:
T: (01225) 443998
M: Caroline Searle (07831) 755351
GB Rowing Team website www.gbrowingteam.org.uk – full biogs available
here.
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam
Follow us on twitter @gbrowingteam: www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
See our season’s preview on YouTube
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Sports Fund as part of UK Sport’s Podium Programme.
GB Rowing Team News bulletins are issued by the GB Rowing Team office
