Green light for GB Rowing Team at Amsterdam World Championships

The GB Rowing Team has arrived in Amsterdam eager to chase down and overtake last year’s eight-medal tally when racing begins in the 2014 World Rowing Championships on Sunday (24 August).

The medal haul in Chungju, Republic of Korea, last September included three golds and five bronzes.

68 British rowers in 19 boats, including reserves, will contest the 2014 Championships on the Dutch city’s Bosbaan Lake which run through to Sunday 31 August.

Of the 62 racing seats 37 are for men and 25 for women. The boats include 12 Olympic class entries – only the men’s single and women’s double scull will not be contested by GB – three Paralympic class boats and four international class line-ups.

As usual, competition will be tough at this level. Medals will be awarded each day from Thursday 28 – Sunday 31 August starting with the para-rowing classes. Over 1000 rowers from 60 countries will contest the event’s 27 boat classes.

GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner said: “I’m proud of our rowers and our coaches for producing some cracking results at the World Cups. We’ve arrived here in good shape after our training camps and we are looking forward to the action starting on Sunday”.

Consistent form so far this season would indicate that the men’s four of Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Andrew Triggs Hodge and the women’s pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have the potential to win here.

Triggs Hodge is already a double Olympic champion in this event and Gregory was part of the line-up which took London 2012 gold. Sbihi and Nash were World Champions with Triggs Hodge and Gregory in last year’s GB men’s eight.

Triggs Hodge, married to a Dutchwoman, is excited about racing in Amsterdam. He said: “Holland is a great rowing nation with a huge following. Knowing the Dutch a little, I think this will be a Worlds to remember”.

Stanning will have the opportunity here to add a World Championships title to the Olympic title she won with Glover at London 2012. Glover raced and won the World Championships a year ago with Polly Swann whilst Stanning was away on a tour of duty with the British Army in Afghanistan.

She said: “It was always my main aim to get back into the boat with Helen. I wasn’t always sure I’d be able to achieve this in the one season especially after my year back with the Army and returning to training later than normally would be expected”.

The same opportunity to target gold applies to the slightly-revamped mixed para-rowing coxed four of Grace Clough, Pamela Relph, newcomer Dan Brown, James Fox and cox Oliver James. This crew won the world cup in France in June with Brown latterly replacing Oliver Hester in the line-up.

The open men’s quadruple scull of Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Pete Lambert won the season’s last two world cups in June and July but Europeans Champions, the Ukraine, remain an unknown quantity in a very competitive boat class. They were absent from the world cups, having beaten the GB crew in Belgrade in May.

Olympic Champion Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh, in the lightweight women’s double scull, also came through strongly in the second part of the season to claim two world cup golds and have created a strong platform for success here.

The men’s and women’s eights, the lightweight men’s four and pair, the men’s pair and coxed pair and both para-rowing single scullers, Tom Aggar and Rachel Morris, have won world cup medals this year. The lightweight women’s quadruple scull is yet to contest a race in its own bodyweight category, having raced as open weights at Henley and Lucerne.

Not every nation sends its top line-ups to every world cup in the series so the World Championships is the pinnacle of competition.

There have been a few last-minute tweaks to the GB Rowing Team’s crews since July’s team announcement. Victoria Thornley will race in the open women’s single scull rather than the double scull with Fran Houghton. Houghton has not recovered in time from a virus-type condition.

Lucinda Gooderham returns to the women’s quadruple scull, having missed out on Lucerne.

The women’s eight final line-up, coxed by Zoe de Toledo, has now been selected and includes Rosamund Bradbury, Jessica Eddie, Donna Etiebet, Katie Greves, Zoe Lee, Caragh McMurtry, Louisa Reeve and Polly Swann. Swann, of course is World and European Champion in the women’s pair having raced in both events with Olympic Champion Helen Glover.

The GB men’s eight has the same personnel but in a different seat order.

Adam Freeman-Pask has missed out on a chance to race here in the lightweight men’s single because of injury. Zak Lee Green has been named as the spare for lightweight men and it has been confirmed today that he will actually compete to replace Freeman-Pask as a “racing spare”.

GB’s other spares are now confirmed as Olivia Carnegie Brown, Monica Relph, Jess Leyden, Jack Beaumont, Oliver Cook and Phil Congdon.

Overall the GB squad has had a successful season – winning 31 medals at World Cup and European level, 12 of them gold.

The event draw is later today with the outcome available on www.worldrowing.com and tomorrow’s opening ceremony will take place on the green outside the world-famous Rijksmuseum.

Racing starts at 1pm (12 noon UK time) on Sunday. Before that the spares will take part in a curtain raiser on Saturday racing their counterparts from other nations.

Profile for the Championships locally is already high the Chairman of the Dutch Organising Committee having been invited to open the Stock Exchange in Amsterdam yesterday and large billboard posters can be seen on the roads in from the city-centre and the airport.

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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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 (in alpha order)

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

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

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

13.30 – 18.00: Heats of the:

Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM1x, LW1x)
Men’s and women’s pair, (M2-, W2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull (LM2x, LW2x)
Men’s four (M4-)
Men’s and women’s quadruple scull (M4x, W4x)
Men’s single scull

MONDAY 25 August

11.14 – 12.40 Heats of the:

Arms-only men’s and women’s single scull (ASM1x, ASW1x)
Trunk and arms double scull (TA2x)
Leg Trunks and Arms double scull (LTA2x)
Leg trunks and arms coxed four (LTA4+)

14.05 – 17.45 Heats or reps of the:

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM1x, LW1x)
Lightweight men’s and women’s quadruple scull (LM4x, LW4x)
Lightweight men’s double scull (LM2x)
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+)

TUESDAY 26 August

13.20 – 14.20 Repechages of the:

Arms-shoulders men’s and women’s single scull (ASM1x, ASW1x)
Trunk and Arms double scull (TA2x)
Legs Trunk and Arms double scull (LTA2x)
Leg trunk and arms coxed four (LTA4+)

15.22 – 15.45

Repechages of the:

Lightweight women’s single scull (Lw1x)
Women’s and men’s pair (W2-, M2-)
Lightweight women’s double scull (LW2x)
Men’s four (M4-)
Women’s and men’s quadruple sculls (M4x, W4x)

WEDNESDAY 27 August

11.44 – 12.10 B finals of:

Arms-shoulders women’s single scull (ASW1x)
Trunk-arms double scull (TA2x)
Leg trunk and arms double scull (LTA2x)
Leg trunk arms coxed four (LTA4+)

and: Semi-finals of:

Arms-shoulders men’s single scull (ASM1x)

14.18 – 17.45 Repechages or quarter-finals of:

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)
Lightweight men’s single scull (LM1x)
Lightweight men’s and women’s quadruple scull (LM4x, LW4x)
Lightweight men’s double scull (LM2x)
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+)

THURSDAY 28 August

14.15 – 16.50 Semi-finals of:

Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM1x, LW1x)
Women’s and men’s pair (W2-, M2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM2x, LW2x)
Men’ four (M4-)
Men’s quadruple scull (M4x)

17.30 – 18.40 Para-rowing FINALS

B final, arms shoulders men’s single scull (ASM1x)

followed by A Finals:

Arms shoulders women’s and men’s single scull (ASW1x, ASM1x)
Trunk Arms double scull (TA2x)
Leg, Trunks Arms double scull (LTA2x)
Leg trunks arms coxed four (LTA4+)

Friday 29 August

13.30 – 14.00 B finals of:

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM1x, LW1x)
Lighwteight men’s and women’s quadruple scull (LM4x, LW4x)

14.15 – 15.45 Semi-finals of:

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

16.00 – 17.45 FINALS of:

Women’s four (W4-)
Men’s coxed pair (M2+)
Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s single scull (LM1x, LW1x)
Lightweight men’s and women’s quadruple scull (LM4x, LW4x)
Lightweight men’s eight (LM8+)

SATURDAY 30 August

10.33 – 11.33 B Finals of:

Women’s and men’s pair (M2-, W2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull (LM2x, LW2x)
Men’s four (M4-)
Women’s and men’s quarduple scull (M4x, W4x)

13.33 – 15.03 FINALS of:

Women’s and men’s pair (W2-, M2-)
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull (LM2x, LW2x)
Men’s four (M4-)
Women’s and men’s quadruple scull (W4x, M4x)

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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