World Rowing Championships: Day Two
Victories for the men’s double and Vicky Thornley in the singles continue GB’s fine start to the World Rowing Championships
Angus Groom and Graeme Thomas win their heat at the 2017 World Rowing Championships. Picture by Naomi Baker
Heat wins for Vicky Thornley in the single sculls (W1x) and the men’s double (M2x) of Graeme Thomas and Angus Groom headlined Britain’s second day at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Thomas and Groom, competing together in their first international race for over a year, sat in second for much of their heat before overhauling the Italian crew of Filippo Mondelli and Luca Rambaldi in the final 500m to move into the semi-finals in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida.
And European Champion Thornley followed suit shortly after, commanding her race from start to finish and eventually crossed the line over three seconds clear of her nearest rival. Thornley, who won Olympic silver in the double in Rio last year, will race again in the semi-finals on Friday.
Earlier in the day the women’s lightweight quadruple scull (LW4x) quartet of Maddie Arlett, Robyn Hart-Winks, Eleanor Piggott and Gemma Hall secured GB’s third A final spot of the week, finishing second behind Canada. The quad join the men’s coxed pair (M2+) and the women’s quad (W4x) who booked their final places yesterday.
Elsewhere, Gavin Horsburgh, Peter Chambers, Ed Fisher and Zak Lee-Green in the lightweight men’s quad (LM4x) secured second place of the day for Britain in their heat and will move through to Thursday’s semi-finals.
Holly Hill and Melissa Wilson in the women’s pair (W2-) finished only behind New Zealand in their heat and will enter the repechages, with Hill and Wilson racing together in the pair for the first time at a senior regatta.
The women’s four (W4-) of Caragh McMurtry, Rebecca Girling, Rowan McKellar and Sam Courty finished their heat in fifth and will also race in the repechages.
Results
Lightweight men’s quadruple scull heat (Two progress to semi-final)
1. France, 5:59.47
2. Great Britain (Gavin Horsburgh, Peter Chambers, Zak Lee-Green & Ed Fisher), 6:03.11
3. Brazil, 6:09.45
Lightweight women’s quadruple scull heat (Two progress to final)
1. Canada, 6:43.94
2. Great Britain (Ellie Piggott, Maddie Arlett, Robyn Hart-Winks & Gemma Hall), 6:44.16
3. Japan, 6:48.65
Women’s pair heat (One progresses to final)
1. New Zealand, 7:08.32
2. Great Britain (Melissa Wilson & Holly Hill), 7:13.91
3. Spain, 7:15.21
Women’s four heat (One progresses to final)
1. Australia, 6:33.95
2. USA, 6:35.59
3. Poland, 6:39.38
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5. Great Britain (Sam Courty, Rowan McKellar, Caragh McMurtry & Rebecca Girling), 6:40.60
Men’s double scull heat (Two progress to semi-final)
1. Great Britain (Angus Groom & Graeme Thomas), 6:14.29
2. Italy, 6:15.61
3. USA, 6:16.81
Women’s single scull heat (One progresses to semi-final)
1. Great Britain (Vicky Thornley), 7:30.09
2. Netherlands, 7:33.10
3. USA, 7:35.33
