World Rowing Championships: Day Three
Both eight crews got their World Championships up and running on a day where both lightweight double boats claim repechage victories and Andy Houghton returned to racing four years on from his last regatta with GB
Katherine Copeland and Emily Craig compete in the lightweight women's double scull repechage at the 2017 World Rowing Championships. Photo by Naomi Baker
Day three of the World Rowing Championships saw British success in the lightweight double sculls with both men’s and women’s crews claiming repechage victories in Sarasota-Bradenton.
First, Jamie Copus and Sam Mottram (LM2x) followed their strong second-place showing in the heat to win their repechage by 1.43 seconds before Katherine Copeland and Emily Craig (LW2x), who finished fifth in the heat on the opening day, looked in good form to finish 1.65 seconds clear of the Italian crew.
The victories mean the lightweight doubles will compete for spots in their respective A finals when they race the semi-finals on Thursday.
Andy Houghton, competing in GB colours for the first time in four years, finished second in his PR1 single sculls (PR1 M1x). The 36-year-old finished only behind Russia’s Alexey Chuvashev and will race for a place in the A final on Friday.
Houghton, who returned to racing earlier on this year, is competing in his first World Championships having claimed four World Cup medals during his first GB stint from 2009-13.
In the lightweight men’s pair (LM2-) repechage, Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour progressed into their A final, finishing third behind Italy and Russia and well clear of the rest of the field. The pair will race for the medals on Friday.
Both British eight crews were in action for the first time this week and were handed tough tests in their opening heats. The women (W8+), World Cup medallists in Poznan and Lucerne, were up first and the crew finished in third behind a strong showing from New Zealand and home favourites the USA.
The GB men (M8+), who claimed World Cup medals in Belgrade and Poznan this year, challenged the Italian boat throughout, eventually finishing a very impressive row in second position, edging Australia and the Netherlands into third and fourth.
With only one boat from each heat of the men’s and women’s eights progressing straight through to the A finals, both GB crews will enter the repechages which take place on Thursday.
Speaking at the end of the third day of racing, British Rowing Performance Director Sir David Tanner said: “It’s been a very encouraging start to our World Championships and I’m pleased to see so many of our crews progress through to semi-finals and finals already. The squad have put in a huge amount of work since our last outing in Lucerne and those efforts are starting to pay dividends here in Florida. Our aim is to see as many crews as possible in action in their A finals this weekend.”
Results
PR1 men’s single scull heat (Two progress to semi-final)
1. Russia, 10:02.35
2. Great Britain (Andy Houghton), 10:11.27
3. USA, 10:21.95
Lightweight men’s pair repechage (Four progress to final)
1. Italy, 6:40.42
2. Russia, 6:41.75
3. Great Britain (Joel Cassells & Sam Scrimgeour), 6:42.69
Lightweight men’s double scull repechage (Two progress to semi-final)
1. Great Britain (Sam Mottram & Jamie Copus), 6:24.70
2. South Africa, 6:26.13
3. Argentina, 6:26.16
Lightweight women’s double scull (Three progress to semi-final)
1. Great Britain (Katherine Copeland & Emily Craig), 7:00.00
2. Italy, 7:01.65
3. Russia, 7:03.61
Women’s eight heat (One progresses to final)
1. New Zealand, 6:08.42
2. USA, 6:09.41
3. Great Britain (Anastasia Chitty, Rebecca Chin, Fiona Gammond, Katherine Douglas, Jo Wratten, Holly Norton, Karen Bennett, Rebecca Shorten & Matilda Horn (cox)), 6:15.10
Men’s eight heat (One progresses to final)
1. Italy, 5:32.39
2. Great Britain (Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty, Jacob Dawson, Adam Neill, Tom Ransley, Alan Sinclair, James Rudkin, Lance Tredell & Henry Fieldman (cox)), 5:34.60
3. Australia, 5:36.85
