Seven GB Rowing Crews through to finals

June 15, 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.

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
RACE REPORTS

Lightweight racing, it could be thought, has been designed to set the pulse racing. It is often “to the wire” and today proved no exception for the British lightweight women’s double and men’s four.

Both needed a win in the heats to grasp the prize of direct qualification for Sunday’s final. Each succeeded and in dramatic finishes against Danish opposition.

Sophie Hosking and Kat Copeland looked for some time as if the prize of a straight-through Sunday slot might be beyond them. As it transpired, they had simply timed the race to perfection. With 500m to go they were still behind Denmark but ahead of the rest of the field.

Hosking, in the bow seat, took a swift glance across the field and you could suddenly sense the British boat surge forward as the combination picked up its rate and nudged inch by inch past Denmark, taking them just before the line to win in 6:58.15.

Great Britain’s second crew of Andrea Dennis and Imogen Walsh were third in this race and will now race a repechage tomorrow. The duo kept pace with the two leading boats in the first half and were still in strong contention at 1400m gone before dropping back in the race to the line.

Hardly had the British travelling supporters caught their breath than another tussle came down the track between the British lightweight men’s four and the Danes. Once more the Danes held the early lead and once more the British came back to beat them. The boats came level with 450m to go before the British pulled ahead marginally. Momentarily it looked as if the Danes might come back on them but Chris Bartley stroked the crew home to the win in 5:58.09.

Olympic champions Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter drew the Lucerne world cup and 2011 World Silver medallists in their heat. The Kiwis took an early lead whilst the British duo vied with Norway to get into the vital second qualifying slot for tomorrow’s semi-finals. Hunter and Purchase come through at 1200m gone and, once secure, visibly eased off through the final 500m.

In a strong morning for the British lightweight contingent here Kathryn Twyman led form start to finish in the heats of the lightweight women’s single scull to win in 8:07.65 and Mike Mottram came back on the field to take second place in 7:25.92 in his heat behind Germany and will have been disappointed at his later quarter-final performance which, a sixth place which rules him out of the semi-finals.

The lightweight men’s pair of Paul Mattick and Adam Freeman Pask were winners of their heat in a dominant performance from the outset in 6:54.99 and now race in tomorrow’s semi-finals.

Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge qualified comfortably for tomorrow’s semi-finals by winning their heat in 6:06.53 from Serbia.

The only drama for them, in a composed performance, came when coping with a delayed start caused by equipment failure in the Polish boat.

Sitting in the pack at 250m gone the British quartet gradually moved out in front with Romania showing well on the grandstand side until halfway. In the second half Serbia came through to overhaul the Romanians but could not impact on the result.

The men’s pair of Cameron Nichol and Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell showed well in their heat here taking second place to France who booked the only direct qualification route to the final. Nichol and O’Donnell will now race a repechage.

Earlier the open men’s double scull of Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend looked distinctly uncomfortable in their heat which had been dubbed the “heat from hell” including the World Champions and Germany who have been on the World Cup podium twice this year and a top-class Norwegian crew.

In the early phases of today’s heat the Devon-Reading combination had dropped slightly off the leaders’ pace in the first half of the race. They were behind Germany, world cup winners already this season and Norway but were ahead of New Zealand until 1200m gone.

When the Kiwis came through into third Lucas and Townsend dropped their rate totally and paddled home to conserve energy for a second chance at progression this afternoon. In that race they took first place to progress to tomorrow’s semis.

There were no such worries for Alan Campbell, the leading single sculler in the GB team. He cruised to a heat win in 7:11.58 from two chasing Egyptian crews. He was joined in progressing into this afternoon’s quarter-finals by relative debutant Graeme Thomas who performed solidly to pick up a third place. In the afternoon quarter-finals they both won to step onto tomorrow’s semis.

The men’s quadruple scull of Matt Wells, Tom Solesbury, Charles Cousins and Stephen Rowbotham put an improved performance here in the heats when compared to their Lucerne experience. They came through strongly on the grandstand side in the second half of the race to take second behind Germany. With only one crew going direct to the final, they now face a repechage tomorrow.

In their “race for lanes” today the British men’s eight were first in 5:31.98 from Poland and then Australia. That means they start “on pole” on Sunday in the final.

Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins were never troubled in their opening heat here to win in 7:01.20 from New Zealand and the Ukraine. The lack of pressure in their race this morning provided them with the opportunity to show just how connected and technically proficient they are as a crew.

Britain’s other leading women’s crew, the pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were also heat winners in 7:13.59. New Zealand, their perennial opposition and the World Champions for the past two years, won the opposing heat but the Romanians – the Olympic Champions – were tough opponents in the British heat, adding a spice to recent history in this event which does not feature the American medallists from Belgrade and Lucerne here.

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
RESULTS
(Events featuring GB crews only. Full results at www.worldrowing.com)

QUARTER-FINALS

OPEN

MEN

Single scull

Quarter-final 1

1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:07.94
2. Olaf Tufte (Norway) 7:10.68
3. Dimitri Weitnauer (Switzerland) 7:11.97
4. Martin Lasserre (Argentina 1) 7:15.64
5. Robert Ven (Finland) 7:19.15
6. Gasper Fistravec (Slovenia 2) 7:24.61

Quarter-final 3

1. Graeme Thomas (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 7:04.44
2. Patrick Loliger Salas (Mexico 1) 7:05.59
3. Joaquin Iwan (Argentina 2) 7:12.24
4. Mickael Marteau (France) 7:20.77
5. Oscar Ochoa Vasquez (Chile) 7:22.75
6. Mathias Raymond (Monaco) 7:25.07

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Single scull

1. Frederic Dufour (France 1) 7:10.83
2. Frederic Hanselmann (Switzerland 1) 7:14.02
3. Rajko Hrvat (Slovenia 1) 7:15.26
4. Sid Boudina (Algeria) 7:18.25
5. Aymen Mejri (Tunisia) 7:21.92
6. Michael Mottram (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:22.33

REPECHAGES

OPEN

MEN

Double scull

1. Bill Lucas/Sam Townsend (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:34.82
2. Kaur Kuslap/Vladimir Latin (Estonia 1) 6:39.15
3. Artur Maier/Joosep Laos (Estonia 2) 6:44.73
4. Kurt Santaella/Jaime Cuevas (Mexico) 6:49.82

HEATS

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

1. Helen Glover/Heather Stanning (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:13.59
2. Georgeta Andrunache/Susanu Viorica (Romania) 7:17.20
3. Laura Maria Abalo/Gabriela Best (Argentina) 7:41.74
4. Lisa Kemmerer/Anne-Sophie Agarius (Germany 2) 7:49.62

Eight

1. Canada 6:05.19
2. Romania 6:05.96
3. Australia 6:08.54
4. Olivia Whitlam/Emily Taylor/Jessica Eddie/Louisa Reeve/Natasha Page/Annabel Vernon/Katie Greves/Victoria Thornley/Caroline O’Connor (cox) (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:08.66
5. Netherlands 6:10.21
6. Germany 6:16.71

Double scull

1. Anna Watkins/Katherine Grainger (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:01.20
2. Fiona Paterson/Anna Reymer (New Zealand 1) 7:03.31
3. Anna Kravchenko/Olena Buryak (Ukraine) 7:09.60
4. Genevieve Armstrong/Zoe Stevenson (New Zealand 2) 7:13.48
5. Yulia Bichyk/Anastasiya Fadzeyenka (Belarus) 7:14.55
6. Sanni Jyrkkannen/Inkeri Kyynaeraeinen (Finalnd) 7:54.22

Quadruple scull

1. Ukraine 6:19.42
2. Germany 6:20.84
3. Melanie Wilson/Beth Rodford/Frances Houghton/Debbie Flood (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:21.50
4. Australia 6:24.47
5. New Zealand 6:28.68

MEN

Pair

1. Germain Chardin/Dorian Mortelette (France) 6:37.56
2. Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell/Cameron Nichol (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 6:43.24
3. Nick Hudson/Fergus Pragnell (Australia 2) 6:45.79
4. Anton Brun/Felix Drahotta (Germany 1) 6:47.19
5. Ocik Hannes/Paul Heinrich (Germany 2) 6:48.32
6. Ionel Strungaru/Ciprian Duduta (Romania) 6:53.09

Four

1. Alex Gregory/Pete Reed/Tom James/Andrew Triggs Hodge (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:06.53
2. Serbia 6:10.90
3. Romania 6:12.50
4. Czech Republic 6:12.50
5. Poland 6:43.55

Eight

1. Greg Searle/Alex Partridge/Marcus Bateman/Mohamed Sbihi/Tom Ransley/Ric Egington/Matt Langridge/James Foad/Phelan Hill (cox) (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:31.98
2. Poland 5:33.22
3. Australia 5:34.72
4. Ukraine 5:45.74

Single scull

Heat 3

1. Lassi Karonen (Sweden) 7:02.12
2. Hubert Trzybinski (Germany 2) 7:14.41
3. Graeme Thomas (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:18.34
4. Kim Dongyong (Korea) 7:21.39

Heat 6

1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:11.58
2. Nour El Din Hassanein (Egypt) 7:15.76
3. Moustafa Fathy (Egypt) 7:18.33
4. Jan Spik (Slovenia 1) 7:21.11

Double scull

1. Jakob Nils Hoff/Kjetil Borch (Norway) 6:25.34
2. Nathan Cohen/Joseph Sullivan (New Zealand) 6:28.54
3. Eric Knittel/Stephan Krueger (Germany 1) 6:35.26
4. Bill Lucas/Sam Townsend (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:05.10

Quadruple scull

1. Germany 5:46.69
2. Stephen Rowbotham/Tom Solesbury/Charles Cousins/Matthew Wells (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:48.84
3. Estonia 5:49.50
4. France 5:55.57
5. Italy 2 6:01.65
6. Czech Republic 2 6:02.25

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull

1. Kathryn Twyman (GREAT BRITAIN) 8:07.65
2. Pamela Weisshaupt (Switzerland) 8:15.36
3. Marie Gottlieb (Denmark) 8:18.60
4. Helena Pavkovic (Croatia) 8:26.53
5. Fabiola Nunez Zurita (Mexico 2) 8:28.38

Double scull

1. Sophie Hosking/Kat Copeland (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:58.15
2. Anne Loik Thomsen/Juliane Rasmussen (Denmark) 6:58.68
3. Imogen Walsh/Andrea Dennis (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:07.06
4. Bronwen Watson/Hannah Every-Hall (Australia) 7:12.33
5. Yuki Nakayama/Asumi Suehiro (Japan) 7:24.91
6. Olivia Wyss/Eliane Waser (Switzerland) 7:31.12

MEN

Pair

1. Paul Mattick/Adam Freeman Pask (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:54.99
2. Yannic Corinth/Lasse Antczak (Germany 1) 6:59.14
3. Alexander Chernikov/Christian Rabel (Austria) 7:01.88
4. Alberto Jose Arriaga/Omar Lopez Leriche (Mexico) 7:02.26

Four

1. Peter Chambers/Rob Williams/Richard Chambers/Chris Bartley (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:58.09
2. Denmark 5:59.09
3. Czech Republic 6:10.44
4. Germany 1 6:13.33
5. Poland 2 6:20.13
6. Germany 2 6:24.07

Single scull

1. Daniel Lawitzke (Germany 2) 7:20.56
2. Michael Mottram (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:25.92
3. Svein Urban Ringstad (Norway) 7:27.62
4. Sid Boudina (Algeria) 7:29.30

Double scull

1. Uru Storm/Peter Taylor (New Zealand) 6:35.98
2. Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:42.08
3. Kristoffer Brun/Are Strandli (Norway) 6:48.48
4. Nuno Mendes/Pedro Fraga (Portugal) 6:51.22
5. Mario Cejas/Miguel Mayo (Argentina) 6:52.23
6. Chow Kwong Wing/Lok Kwan Hoi (Hong Kong) 6:54.77

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
GB ROWING TEAM CREWS LIST

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

Helen Glover/Heather Stanning
(Robin Williams)

Eight

Olivia Whitlam/Louisa Reeve/Jessica Eddie/Emily Taylor /Natasha Page/Annabel Vernon/Katie Greves/Victoria Thornley/Caroline O’Connor (cox)
(Nick Strange)

Double scull

Anna Watkins/Katherine Grainger
(Paul Thompson)

Quadruple scull

Melanie Wilson/Beth Rodford/Frances Houghton/Debbie Flood
(Ade Roberts)

MEN

Pair

Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell/Cameron Nichol
(Paul Stannard)

Four

Alex Gregory/Pete Reed//Tom James/Andrew Triggs Hodge
(Jurgen Grobler)

Eight

Greg Searle/Alex Partridge/Marcus Bateman/Moe Sbihi/Tom Ransley /Ric Eginton/Matt Langridge/James Foad/Phelan Hill (cox)
(John West & Christian Felkel)

Single scull – two boats

Alan Campbell
(Bill Barry)

Graeme Thomas
(Hamish Burrell)

Double scull

Bill Lucas/Sam Townsend
(Mark Earnshaw)

Quadruple scull

Stephen Rowbotham /Tom Solesbury/Charles Cousins/Matt Wells
(Mark Banks)

LIGHTWEIGHTS

WOMEN

Single scull

Kathryn Twyman
(Ben Reed)

Double scull – two boats

Sophie Hosking/Kat Copeland
(Paul Reedy)

Imogen Walsh/Andrea Dennis
(Ben Reed)

MEN

Pair

Paul Mattick/Adam Freeman-Pask
(Rob Morgan/Darren Whiter)

Four

Pete Chambers/Rob Williams/Richard Chambers/Chris Bartley
(Rob Morgan)

Double scull

Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter
(Darren Whiter)

Single scull

Mike Mottram
(Rob Dauncey)

ADAPTIVE CREWS

ASM1x

Andy Houghton
(Mary McLachlan)

LTAMix4+

Pamela Relph/Naomi Riches/David Smith/James Roe/Lily van den Broecke (cox)
(Mary McLachlan)   

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
 =================================================== 
HOME TOWN LISTS 

WOMEN

PAIR
Helen Glover Minerva Bath Penzance 17/06/86  Heather Stanning Army RC Lossiemouth 26/01/85
 Coach: Robin Williams

Coach: Nick Strange

Eight  

Olivia Whitlam Agecroft RC Warrington 16/09/85
Louisa Reeve Leander Club London 16/05/84
Jessica Eddie Univ of London BC Durham 07/10/84
Emily Taylor Leander Club Lincoln 28/06/87
Natasha Page Gloucester RC Hartpury 30/04/85
Annabel Vernon Leander Club Wadebridge 01/09/82
Katie Greves 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    

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  
Melanie Wilson Imperial College BC London 25/06/84
Beth Rodford Gloucester RC Gloucester 28/12/82
Frances Houghton Leander Club Oxford 19/09/80
 Debbie Flood Leander Club Guiseley, W Yorks 27/02/1980
 Coach: Ade Roberts    

MEN
Pair
Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell Uni of London BC Durham 13/04/88
Cameron Nichol Molesey BC Glastonbury 26/06/87

 Coach: Paul Stannard
 
Four
Alex Gregory Leander Club Wormington 11/03/84
 Pete Reed Leander Club Nailsworth, Glos 27/07/81
Tom James Molesey BC Wrexham 11/03/84
Andrew Triggs Hodge Molesey BC Hebden, N. Yorks 03/03/79
 Coach: Jürgen Grobler    

Eight
Greg Searle Molesey BC Marlow 20/03/72
Alex Partridge Leander Club Alton, Hants 25/01/81
Marcus Bateman Leander Club Torquay 16/09/1982
Mohamed Sbihi Molesey BC Surbiton 27/03/88
Tom Ransley York City RC Cambridge 06/09/85
Richard Egington Leander Club Knutsford 26/02/79
Matthew Langridge Leander Club Northwich 20/05/83
James Foad Molesey BC Southampton 20/03/87
Cox – Phelan Hill Leander Bedford 21/07/79 Coaches: John West & Christian Felkel  

Single Scull (Boat 1)
 Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School Coleraine 09/05/83
Coach: Bill Barry

Single Scull (Boat 2)
Graeme Thomas Agecroft RC Preston 08/11/1988
Coach: Hamish Burrell

Double Scull
Bill Lucas London RC Kingswear 13/09/87
Sam Townsend Reading Univ BC Reading 26/11/85
Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Quadruple Scull
Stephen Rowbotham Leander Club Winscombe, Somerset 11/11/81
Tom Solesbury Leander Club Petts Wood, Kent 23/09/80
Charles Cousins Reading Univ BC Willingham, Cambs 13/12/88
Matthew Wells Leander Club Hexham, Northumberland 19/04/79
Coach: Mark Banks 

 LIGHTWEIGHTS

WOMEN

 Single Scull
 Kathryn Twyman Wallingford RC Oxford 29/03/87 Coach: Ben Reed  

Double Scull (Boat 1) 
Sophie Hosking London RC Wimbledon 25/01/86
Katherine Copeland Tees RC Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees 01/12/90
Coach: Paul Reedy
 
Double Scull (Boat 2)
Imogen Walsh London RC Inverness 17/01/1984
Andrea Dennis Imperial College BC Oxford 03/01/1982
Coach: Ben Reed 

 MEN

Pair
Paul Mattick Leander Club Frome 25/04/1978
Adam Freeman-Pask Imperial College BC Windsor 19/06/1985
Coach: Rob Morgan/Darren Whiter

Four
Pete Chambers Oxford Brookes University BC Oxford 14/03/1990
Rob Williams London RC Maidenhead 21/01/85
Richard Chambers Leander Club Coleraine 10/06/85 
Chris Bartley Leander Club Chester 02/02/84
 Coach: Rob Morgan
  
Double Scull 
Zac Purchase Marlow RC Tewkesbury 02/05/86
Mark Hunter Leander Club Romford, Essex 01/07/78
Coach: Darren Whiter

Single Scull 
Mike Mottram Leander Club Stoke Mandeville 08/06/1990 
Coach: Rob Dauncey

ADAPTIVE CREWS

ASM1x
Andy Houghton Maidenhead RC Newbury 01/04/1981
Coach: Mary MacClachlan

LTAMix4+
Pamela Relph Leander Club Aylesbury 14/11/1989
Naomi Riches Marlow RC Harrow 15/06/1983
David Smith Molesey BC Ascot 21/04/1978
James Roe Stratford-upon-Avon BC Stratford-upon-Avon 28/03/1988
Lily van den Broecke (cox) Headington School BC Oxford 08/01/1992
Coach: Mary McLachlan

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================

TIMETABLE OF RACING IN MUNICH
– all local German times. Germany is one hour ahead of the UK

Thursday 14 June
18.30 – 19.30 Adaptive heats

Friday 15 June
08.30- 17.20 Heats and repechages
18.00 – 18.56 – Adaptive repechages

Saturday 16 June
09.00 – 16.04 – Reps, quarters & semi-finals
16.30 – 18.10 – Finals of the international classes
18.40 – 19.48 – adaptive Finals

Sunday 17 June

09.20 – 13.55 A and B Finals

SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about this event please contact:

Caroline Searle on 07831 755351 or e-mail us on [email protected]

For regional press enquiries contact: Andy Sloan on 01225 443998

GB Rowing Team website, including full rower biogs: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk

and Twitter: @gbrowingteam