Glover, Stanning and men’s four win gold

All four GB Rowing Team crews racing in today’s finals at the World Championships in Amsterdam won medals, led by golds from the women’s pair and men’s four.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, the Olympic Champions, set a world best time of 6:50.61. They created an early lead and then grew that stroke by stroke. The win gave Glover her second consecutive World women’s pair title and Stanning her first. The USA took silver and New Zealand the bronze.

“This feels different to last year. Because of the history that Heather and I have, this win was more expected. Last year, with Polly [Swann], it was all very new”, said Glover.

“When Heather turned round to look at me, I was saying ‘thanks’. It is something
I am really proud of today”, said Glover.

The men’s four of Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Andrew Triggs Hodge followed suit with an imperious victory ahead of the USA in silver and Australia in bronze. The Americans pressured the British combination early in the first half before the GB four powered away to win in 5:40.24.

“We were all pretty nervous before that one. We were unbeaten this season and we all knew we had to go out and perform today”, said Gregory after the win.

“We raced the USA in the semi-final and they did exactly the same thing. For us, It was all about keeping cool and calm and then to pull away when we needed to. Moe [Sbihi] made the call at just the right time and we all responded and the boat just flew”, he added.

“It was really tough out there but we knew what we had to do”, said Triggs Hodge. “We had to push on and really dominate and that’s what we did”.

Sandwiched between the women’s pair and men’s four golds, the GB Rowing Team men’s pair of James Foad and Matthew Langridge took silver after just six weeks in the boat together.

They led the New Zealand defending champions, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, for longer than expected before being overtaken.

“They’ve been together for six years unbeaten and we’ve been together for just six weeks”, said Langridge. “I think we did a pretty good job.

“We wanted to be the first crew in a while to push them and I think we did that today. I’m pleased with that performance”, said Foad.

The GB men’s quadruple of Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert were involved in a barn-storming finish with the European champions, Ukraine, to miss out on gold by just 0.09 seconds.

Thomas said: “I can’t fault the guys on a scull like that. It is the best race I have ever delivered”.

Cousins added: “You’ve just got to give it your all and that’s what we did today”.

Townsend said: “This has been my best season by a country mile but we are disappointed not to win gold. We will come back stronger”.

Lambert described the silver – as opposed to the bronze won a year ago – as”one step, just one step”. The 2013 medal was GB’s first all time in this boat category.

Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, reflected on a successful day: “I am very, very pleased with our medals today. We have had two outstanding golds and silvers and it’s been very difficult conditions but we’ve mastered them to produce four fine medals for GB”, he said.

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For British viewers, the event will be televised by the BBC with two hours of programming on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August on BBC 2. Transmission times are currently:

Saturday 30 August: BBC2 12.15 – 14.15 (UK time)
Sunday 31 August: BBC 2 11.50 – 13.45 (UK time)

There is a live race-tracker on www.worldrowing.com including video coverage in the latter stages of the event.

GB results and information will be tweeted via @gbrowingteam with the day’s round-ups at www.gbrowingteam.org.uk

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RACE REPORTS

Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Andrew Triggs Hodge went to the start line today unbeaten this season and as unfettered favourites to win the men’s four title. They won both their heat and their semi-final – with the USA proving the toughest amongst the challengers in the semi-final.

In today’s final the GB quartet – all World men’s eight champions with Gregory and Triggs Hodge reigning Olympic Champions in the four – were quick out of the start and in the first 500m they created a three-quarter length lead over the USA with Canada in third.

The USA launched an attack but the GB boat fended them off, the yellow Empacher hull shining in the sudden burst of sunshine. As they passed the course-side balance bridge and moved on past the fan-zone the British boat moved out to a length lead over the USA. Then a hefty slice of clear water appeared.

In the stands, everyone was on their feet. The British spectators were roaring on their own “boys” in the lead. The Dutch were really, really hopeful that their crew would find the legs to push past the Australians to take bronze but it was not to be for the hosts. GB took the victory in 5:40.24 – almost three seconds up on the USA but a smidgen short of the best time set by the GB Rowing Team four in Lucerne in 2012.

“There is more to come from this crew”, said Sbihi. “We fell short of a couple of things this year and that’s not a negative but a sign that we have been pushing the boundaries constantly in training this year and in Jurgen’s [Grobler’s – the GB Chief Coach for men] programme we can only get stronger”.

Nash, in victory, was gracious about the event itself. “The organisers have run a great event here. I’d also like to say thank-you to all the support team and to our coach for helping us all through the year”.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning had earlier opened the finals session for the GB Rowing Team in Amsterdam this afternoon – a session that played out in strong tail-wind conditions which forced a lane re-draw for the last two races of the day to create fairer conditions.

The USA’s Megan Kalmoe and Kerry Simmonds were drawn alongside the GB Rowing Team’s women’s pair. Both won their semi-finals earlier in the week – the Americans in a marginally quicker time.

New Zealand’s Louise Trappitt and Rebecca Scown – the latter world champion in 2010 and 2011 – were also a crew to watch.

Glover and Stanning, the reigning Olympic Champions, set off at a cracking pace and had three-quarters of a length lead on the remainder of the field 300m into the race. The Romanians were a narrow second, ahead of the Americans as the race went through the 500m mark. By halfway the GB pair had a decent clearwater advantage on the rest. Romania were just under three seconds behind with the Americans three tenths behind them.

Just before 1500m the USA surged ahead of Romania and then set out to chase the GB crew, bringing the New Zealanders with them. As the British supporters became more vocal the Americans made another push, countered by the British who went on to win 6:50.61 – a new world best time. The result delivered Stanning’s first World title to add to the duo’s Olympic gold.

“I have not had the most consistent of seasons nor been the most consistent training partner”, said Stanning after the race. “I am really relieved that Helen kept believing in me. The last few weeks have been really brilliant. I really wanted to make the medal mine today and not be the weak link after Helen and Polly [Swann] won the title last year”.

“This feels different to last year. Because of the history that Heather and I have, this win was more expected. Last year, with Polly, it was all new and different”, said Glover.

Asked about the World’s Best Time, Glover said: “It hasn’t sunk in yet. When we crossed the line, Heather noticed the time. I think our coach Robin Williams will be more pleased with that than the win!”, added Glover.

Matt Langridge and James Foad, Olympic medallists in the eight in 2013 and world cup silver medallists in Lucerne, were up against the reigning World and Olympic Champions, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, of New Zealand in their final today – a crew that is unbeaten since 2009. Germany’s world cup medal crew, Bastian Bechler and Anton Braun, looked to be amongst the crews to challenge for silver with Foad and Langridge.

Early in the race the British took the lead in a gutsy first half performance before the New Zealanders powered on to win in 6:09.34. Foad and Langridge kept the remainder of the field under control to take sliver by three seconds from South Africa in third.

Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert have had an outstanding year since winning GB’s first medal of all time in the men’s quadruple scull at World Championships level in Korea – a bronze.

Today they wanted an upgrade – preferably to gold. They knew that the Ukraine, the European Champions, would be the main opposition to that dream with Germany also capable of upsetting the 2014 established order.

In the early part of the race, the Ukrainians got a canvas and then almost a half-length lead lead over the British combination. These two crews created a margin over the remainder of the field.

At the halfway mark the British were only a canvas behind. China emerged into third. Stroke by powerful stroke the British quad sought to pull back the inches on Ukraine. At the 1500m mark the GB crew were still behind. The Ukraine pulled out to a two-thirds lead. Germany came back into third.

In a roaring sprint to the line the GB crew flew back into contention. Nothing seemed to separate the crews as they crossed the line. The clock said differently. Ukraine took gold by a mere 0.09 of a second.

Earlier in the day three GB Rowing Team crews raced B Finals.

The lightweight men’s double scull of Jamie Kirkwood, celebrating his birthday today, and Will Fletcher took a length lead over the field early in the race, led through halfway with Denmark and the Czech Republic challenging. The Czechs made a final burst which brought them into a photo-finish so close that it took the race officials several minutes before giving the verdict to Kirkwood and Fletcher in 6:16.78.

Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh parked their despair at not qualifying for today’s final by smashing their way home in the B final. Poland led the race for the first half but were then overhauled by Copeland and Walsh who went on to win by clear water in 6:49.16.

The women’s quadruple scull of Tina Stiller, Beth Rodford, Vicky Meyer-Laker and Lucinda Gooderham were third behind a popular host nation winner!

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RESULTS

RESULTS

FINALS

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

1. Helen Glover/Heather Stanning (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:50.61 WB
2. Megan Kalmoe/Kerry Simmonds (USA) 6:52.87
3. Louise Trappitt/Rebecca Scown (New Zealand) 6:54.79
4. Cristina Grigoras/Laura Oprea (Romaina) 6:59.35
5. Charlotte Sutherland/Lucy Stephan (Australia) 7:03.45
6. Naydene Smith/Lee-Ann Persse (South Africa) 7:06.41

OPEN

MEN

Pair

1. Eric Murray/Hamish Bond (New Zealand) 6:09.34 WB
2. James Foad/Matt Langridge (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:13.75
3. Vincent Breet/Shaun Keeling (South Africa) 6:16.85
4. Alexander Sigurnjonsson Benet/Pau Vela Maggi (Spain) 6:21.82
5. Bastian Bechler/Anton Braun (Germany) 6:23.80
6. Glenn Ochal/Charles Cole (USA) 6:30.62

Four

1. Alex Gregory/Moe Sbihi/George Nash/Andrew Triggs Hodge (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:40.24
2. Grant James/Michael Gennaro/Henrik Rummel/Seth Weil (USA) 5:42.90
3. Fergus Pragnell/Joshua Dunkley-Smith/Spencer Turrin/Alexander Lloyd (Australia) 5:43.47
4. Boaz Meylink/Mechiel Versluis/Olivier Siegelaar/Robert Luecken (Netherlands) 5:45.51
5. Will Crothers/Rob Gibson/Conlin McCabe/Kai Langerfeld (Canada) 5:53.39
6. Ioannis Tsilis/Dionysios Angelopoulos/Georgios Tziallas/Ioannis Christou (Greece) 5:58.58

Quadruple scull

1. Dmytro Mikhay/Artem Morozov/Olexandr Nadtoka/Ivan Dovgodko (Ukraine) 5:32.26
2. Graeme Thomas/Sam Townsend/Charles Cousins/Peter Lambert (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:32.35
3. Karl Schulze/Tim Grohmann/Kai Furhmann/Philipp Wende (Germany) 5:36.97
4. Jian Ma/Zhiyu Liu/Dang Liu/Quan Zhang (China) 5:37.35
5. Kaur Kuslap/Allar Raja/Sten-Erik Anderson/Kaspar Taimsoo (Estonia) 5:40.92
6. Nico Stahlberg/David Aregger/Augustin Maillefer/Roman Roeoesli (Switzerland) 5:46.58

B FINALS

OPEN

WOMEN

Quadruple scull

1. Chantal Achterberg/Elisabeth Hogerwerf/Olivia Van Rooijen/Carline Bouw (Netherlands) 6:13.84
2. Sylwia Lewandowska/Joanna Leszczynska/Maria Springwald/Agnieszka Kobus (Poland) 6:14.36
3. Kristina Stiller/Beth Rodford/Victoria Meyer-Laker/Lucinda Gooderham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:16.69
4. Ekaterina Karsten/Tatsiana Kukhta/Yuliya Bichyk/Katsiaryna Shliupskaya (Belarus) 6:17.08
5. Maria Antsiferova/Julia Kalinovskaya/Iuliia Volgina/Ekaterina Kurochkina (Russia) 6:20.77
6. Sara Magnaghi/Alessandra Patelli/Laura Schiavone/Sara Bertolasi (Italy) 6:32.59

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

1. Imogen Walsh/Katherine Copeland (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:49.16 WB
2. Joanna Dorociak/Weronika Deresz (Poland) 6:51.64
3. Cecilia Lilja/Emma Fredh (Sweden) 6:54.75
4. Karz Devery/Michelle Sechser (USA) 6:57.22
5. Stefanie Borzacchini/Sara Lambing (Austria) 6:57.70
6. Ricky Nencini/Daniela Nachazelova (Czech Republic) 6:59.59

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Double scull

1. Will Fletcher/Jamie Kirkwood (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:16.78
2. Jan Vetesnik/Ondrej Vetesnik (Czech Republic) 6:16.79
3. Simon Schuerch/Mario Gyr (Switzerland) 6:19.13
4. Joshua Konieczny/Austin Meyer (USA) 6:19.58
5. Henrik Stephansen/Jens Nielsen (Denmark) 6:20.50
6. Paul Sieber/Bernhard Sieber (Austria) 6:37.43

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CREW LISTS
World Rowing Championships 2014
(listed bow to stroke with cox)
Amsterdam, 24-31 August

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.86)/
Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)
Coaches: Robin Williams & Paul Thompson

Eight

Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)/
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)/
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/
Donna Etiebet (Sport Imperial BC/London/29.04.86)/
Jessica Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond, N. Yorks/15.12.85)/
Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/15.06.88)/
Caragh McMurtry (Reading Univ BC/Southampton/22.08.91)/
Zoe de Toledo (cox) (Leander Club/London/17.07.87)
Coach: James Harris

Single scull

Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)
Coaches: Paul Thompson/Robin Williams

Quadruple scull

Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.12.82)
Kristina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.87)/
Victoria Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)/
Lucinda Gooderham (Leander Club/Norfolk/09.06.84)/

Coach: Nick Strange

Open women spares:

Monica Relph (Leander Club/Cambridge/15.01.88)/
Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/28.03.91)/
Jessica Leyden (Hollingworth Lake RC/Burnley/22.02.95)

OPEN

MEN

Pair

James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/
Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)
Coach: Rob Dauncey

Coxed Pair

Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.85)/
Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88/
Henry Fieldman (cox) (Molesey BC/London/25.11.88
Coach: John West

Four

Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/10.02.89)/
Andrew Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden, N. Yorks/03.03.79)
Coach: Jurgen Grobler

Eight

Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)/
Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)/
Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)/
Matthew Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)/
Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/
Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)/
Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Cambridge/06.09.85)/
Constantine Louloudis (OUBC, London, 15/09/91)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Putney & Bedford/21.07.79)
Coaches: Christian Felkel & Jurgen Grobler

Double scull

John Collins (Leander Club/Twickenham/24.01.89)/
Jonathan Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.90)
Coach: Mark Banks

Quadruple scull

Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC/Preston/08.11.88)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.85)/
Charles Cousins (Leander Club/Willingham/13.12.88)/
Peter Lambert (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/03.12.86)
Coach: Paul Stannard

Open men’s spares

Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.90)/
Phil Congdon (Molesey BC/Bury St Edmunds/06.06.89)
Jack Beaumont (Leander Club/Maidenhead/21.11.93)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)/
Kat Copeland (Tees RC/Ashington/01.12.90)
Coach: Paul Reedy

Quadruple scull

Ruth Walczak ((Molesey BC/Rochdale/15.09.88)/
Eleanor Piggott (Wallingford RC/Olney/16.05.91)/
Brianna Stubbs (Wallingford RC/Headington/13.07.91)/
Charlotte Taylor (Putney Town RC/Bedford/14.08.85)
Coach: Tom Evens

MEN

Pair

Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir/28.01.88)/
Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)

Coach: Rob Morgan

Four

Mark Aldred (London RC/London/18.04.87)/
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/14.03.90)/
Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85)/
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)
Coach: Rob Morgan

Lightweight men’s spare:

Zak Lee Green (Agecroft RC/Cardiff/05.02.91)

Double scull

William Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street/24.12.89)/
Jamie Kirkwood (Leander Club/Creswell/30.08.89)
Coach: Darren Whiter

PARA SQUAD

Arms & Shoulders Men’s Single Scull
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Maidenhead/24.05.84)
Coach: Nick Baker

Arms & Shoulders Women’s Single Scull
Rachel Morris (Guildford RC/Farnham/25.04.70)
Coach: Nick Baker

Legs-Trunk -Arms Mixed Coxed Four
Grace Clough (Nottingham RC/Sheffield/ 21.06.91)/
Pamela Relph (Leander Club/Aylesbury/14.11.89)/
Dan Brown (Upper Thames RC/Reading/29.11.82)
James Fox (Univ of London/Peterborough/02.05.92)/
Oliver James (cox) (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/05.10.90)
Coach: Tom Dyson

MANAGEMENT AND TEAM SUPPORT
Performance

Sir David Tanner, Performance Director / Team Manager
Jürgen Grobler, Chief Coach Men
Paul Thompson, Chief Coach Women & Lightweights
Louise Kingsley, ATM – Para

Medical & Science

Ann Redgrave, Doctor
Liz Arnold, Physiotherapist
Roz Brawn, Physiotherapist
Sally Brown, Physiotherapist
Pat Dunleavy, Physiotherapist
Mark Homer, Physiologist

Media & Logistics

Maggie Netto, ATM – Admin
Maurice Hayes, ATM – Resources
John Tetley, Boatman
Caroline Searle, Press Officer

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EVENT INFORMATION

The outline racing schedule is as follows. NB – rowing is an outdoor sport and timetables may change at the last minute due to weather conditions. For updated information please visit: www.worldrowing.com or follow us on twitter: @gbrowingteam.

Listed below in potential order of racing each day.

SUNDAY 31 August

10.33 – 11.35 B Finals of:

Men’s and women’s double scull (M2x, W2x)
Lightweight men’s four (LM4-)
Women’s eight (W8+)
Men’s and women’s single scull (M1x, W1x)
Men’s eight (M8+)

13.03 – 14.33 FINALS OF:

Men’s and women’s double scull (M2x, W2x)
Lightweight men’s four (LM4-)
Women’s eight (W8+)
Men’s and women’s single scull (M1x, W1x)
Men’s eight (M8+)

Closing ceremony

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GB ROWING TEAM 2013 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDALS

2013 World Championships Medals, Korea.

Total medals won: 8 (3 golds, 5 bronzes)
Olympic class medals won: 2 golds, 3 bronzes
International class medals won: 2 bronzes
Paralympic class medals won: 1 gold

Women’s Pair – GOLD
Helen Glover, Polly Swann

Men’s Eight – GOLD
Daniel Ritchie, Tom Ransley, Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Mohamed Sbihi, Andrew Triggs Hodge, George Nash, Will Satch, Phelan Hill (cox)

Men’s Quadruple Scull – BRONZE
Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins, Peter Lambert

Lightweight Men’s Four – BRONZE
Adam Freeman-Pask, Will Fletcher, Jonno Clegg, Chris Bartley

Lightweight Men’s Double Scull – BRONZE
Richard Chambers, Peter Chambers

Legs, Trunk and Arms Mixed Coxed Four – GOLD
Pamela Relph, Naomi Riches, Oliver Hester, James Fox, Oliver James (cox)

Lightweight Women’s Single Scull – BRONZE
Ruth Walczak

Lightweight Men’s Pair – BRONZE
Sam Scrimgeour, Mark Aldred

For further historical medal data: https://www.britishrowing.org/gb-rowing-team/events/world-championships

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CONTACT DETAILS

For media enquiries about the GB Rowing Team please contact:

The GB Rowing Team Press office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 384211 or [email protected] or [email protected]

For pictures please e-mail [email protected]

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

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