GB Quad keeps hopes alive but face a tough final

May 23, 2016

End of the Rio Road for W4x. Copyright Intersport Images

The GB Rowing Team women’s quadruple scull kept alive their hopes of competing at Rio 2016 as they progressed through Monday’s repechage at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The emerging crew of Tina Stiller, Jess Leyden, Holly Nixon and Ro Bradbury were second behind the Ukranians. New Zealand and China had already qualified direct for the final by winning their heats yesterday.

GB’s quartet gave themselves a good early platform in rainy but still conditions this afternoon. They were tightly in touch with the leading Ukranians and Romanians in the first half of the race. With a strong final 350m they came through to take second behind the Ukranians.

GB now go into Tuesday’s final, scheduled for 4.40pm BST, where they will need to finish in the top two to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, appearing in Lucerne as a racing spare, finished fourth in her women’s single scull semi-final but will have gained more invaluable race experience as she builds towards this summer’s World U23 Championships.

Finishing ahead of her were three Olympic medallists, with Denmark’s Fie Udby Erichsen – who won women’s single silver at London 2012 – controlling the race from early on to take a clear-water victory.

Ekaterina Karsten of Belarus, bronze-medallist in the women’s single at Beijing 2008, was runner-up ahead of Ukraine’s Nataliya Dovgodko, Olympic champion in the women’s quad in 2012.

Hodgkins-Byrne had sat in third place for the opening 750m after a confident start but, after being passed by Dovgodko, held her rhythm well and came home fourth in 7:46.93.

For information about this story please contact the GB Rowing Team press office on [email protected]

RESULTS

(Events featuring GB Rowing Team crews only. For full results – www.worldrowing.com)

OPEN

WOMEN

SEMI-FINAL

Single scull

1. Fie Udby Erichsen (Denmark) 7:37.09

2. Ekaterina Karsten (Belarus) 7:41.89

3. Nataliya Dovgodko (Ukraine) 7:42.18

4. Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:46.93

5. Julia Richter (Germany) 7:47.73