GB Rowers find their form despite the heat

Olympic Champion Helen Glover and her pairs partner Polly Swann were amongst the five heat winners for the GB Rowing Team on the opening morning of the World
Championships in Chungju, South Korea.

The team brushed aside high temperatures and humidity to take further top spots in the lightweight men’s and women’s double sculls , the men’s quadruple scull and from Alan Campbell in the men’s single scull.

Edinburgh’s Swann, a senior World Championships debutante, said: “I thought we had a pretty solid first kilometre today and then the Romanians gave us a bit of a push early in the second half but I thought we were very much in control”.

After the race, Penzance’s Glover, meeting the British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, HE Scott Wightman, who had turned out to support the team, said: “It is very exciting to race here in Korea and to find such a fantastic venue”.

Second place finishes were also enough to see the men’s four – whose blistering last 500m sprint took them from fifth to second in a matter of moments – and the two lightweight single scullers through to the next phases.

With six semi-final and two quarter-final places won today there are eight more crews in action tomorrow, including the first race for Tom Aggar in the para-rowing men’s single scull and the opening races for the men’s and women’s eights, the women’s single and double sculls, the men’s double scull and the lightweight men’s four and pair.

From today’s programme the men’s pair and women’s quadruple scull will contest repechages on Tuesday, having raced today in events where only the heat winner went onwards.

The event is being televised by BBC TV in the UK:

Saturday 31st August
07.00 – 09.00 on the red button and website;
15.00 – 16.30 highlights show on BBC One

Sunday 1st September
07.00 – 09.00 on the red button and website;
15.00 – 16.30 highlights show on BBC Two

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RACE REPORTS

Jamie Kirkwood opened the GB Rowing Team’s account at the 2013 World Championships in his heat of the lightweight men’s single scull. He reached halfway with a decent lead over Peter Galambos of Hungary.

In the third 500m, the Hungarian put his foot down to overhaul Kirkwood who still qualified comfortably for the quarter-finals.

Ruth Walczak was in action next in the equivalent women’s event. The Rochdale sculler traded the lead with Austria’s Michaela Taupe Traer just before half-way with two semi-final slots on offer. Dropping the rest of the field they duo kept up the pace until the final 20 strokes with Austria taking the honours at the line, Walczak second in 7:53.08.

James Foad and Oli Cook had their first competitive race in a men’s pair here this morning and with the Kiwi World and Olympic champions drawn in the same heat, they just needed to get a good race under their belts.

Job done with a strong second place, climbing up the field from fourth at the quarter-race mark, and they now have a second chance through the repechages.

Brothers Richard and Peter Chambers were focussed off the start and took an immediate lead in their lightweight men’s double scull heat. The Lucerne bronze medallists were ahead by half a length at halfway but were challenged throughout the first half by Greece. In the third 500m the British siblings began to pull away leaving their Greek counterparts to knock back their stroke rate and save energy for the repechages. So, GB through in 6:34.83.

“We pretty much expected them to be with us to 1k and then we moved on a bit in the third 500m, we waited to see if they would stick with us”, said Peter Chambers.

“That was a good start and something we can build on”, said Richard Chambers.

Kathryn Twyman and Imogen Walsh put down a marker in their opening heat of the lightweight women’s double scull. They were neck and neck with the New Zealanders but slightly behind for the first half of the race before coming through with a push in the final 300m to win in 7:07.23.

The men’s four put in the most dramatic final 500m of the day when they sprinted from fifth to second to qualify for the semi-finals here as the temperatures soared and the early morning clouds scattered. Strokeman Mat Tarrant picked up the rate and picked off the crews ahead one by one except for the USA who won in 6:00.69 to GB’s 6:02.64. Germany were third.

By contrast the GB men’s quadruple scull of Graeme Thomas. Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert were in a tight race with the Estonians all the way down the course with the British quartet coming through when it counted in the second half to take the win in 5:48.03. Both crews qualified comfortably ahead of the remainder of the field.

The British women’s quadruple scull were fifth at half-way in their race and despite hauling themselves up into third at the finish, only one qualified for the final from this race so a repechage now awaits for Kristina Stiller, Rosamund Bradbury, Monica Relph and Lucinda Gooderham.

Alan Campbell took his heat head-on from the outset today, gradually building a big lead and then coasting to the line ahead of Australia and Bulgaria.

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RESULTS
World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea
Events featuring GB crews only. For full results: www.worldrowing.com

HEATS

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

1. Helen Glover/Polly Swann (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:15.13
2. Roxana Cogianu/Nicoleta Albu (Romania) 7:18.47
3. Ivana Flipovic/Iva Obradovic (Serbia) 7:22.78
4. Mayya Dmitrieva/Alevtina Savkina (Russia) 7:42.22
5. Jeon Seoyeong/Kim Seo Hee (Korea) 7:50.83

Quadruple scull

1. Germany 6:26.74
2. Netherlands 6:29.71
3. Rosamund Bradbury/Kristina Stiller/Monica Relph/Lucinda Gooderham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:32.05
4. Italy 6:34.44
5. New Zealand 6:36.76
6. Korea 7:08.78

MEN

Pair

1. Eric Murray/Hamish Bond (New Zealand) 6:32.70
2. Oliver Cook/James Foad (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:46.15
3. Michael di Santo/Alexander Karwoski (USA) 6:47.51
4. Patrick Loliger Salas/Leopoldo Tejada Rios (Mexico) 6:48.39
5. Ionel Stungaru/Toader-Andrei Gontaru (Romania) 6:51.31

Four

1. USA 6;00.69
2. Alan Sinclair/Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell/Scott Durant/Matthew Tarrant (GREAT BRITAIN)
6:02.64
3. Germany 6:04.15
5. Romania 6:08.06
6. Canada 6:11.76

Single scull

1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6;57.44
2. Nicholas Purnell (Australia) 7:00.94
3. Georgi Bozhilov (Bulgaria) 7:02.04
4. Haeidr Hamarasheid (Iraq) 7:35.55
5. Nasser Chanin Al-Abdula (Qatar) 9:24.47

Quadruple scull

1. Graeme Thomas/Sam Townsend/Charles Cousins/Peter Lambert (GREAT BRITAIN) 5;48.03
2. Estonia 5:50.60
3. Netherlands 5:53.37
4. Italy 5:54.07
5. New Zealand 6:01.55
6. Korea 6:12.53

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull

1. Michaela Taupe-Traer (Austria) 7:51.34
2. Ruth Walczak (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:53.06
3. Wiebke Hein (Germany) 8:08.38
4. Ella Flecker (Australia) 8:09.74
5. Diana Wanyonyi (Kenya) 9:04.02

Double scull

1. Kathryn Twyman/Imogen Walsh (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:07.23
2. Julia Edward/Lucy Strack (New Zealand) 7:08.26
3. Christina Pultz/Helene Olsene (Denmark) 7:23.72
4. Phuttharasksa Nikree Rodenberg (Thailand) 7:45.56
5. Tran An/Pham Thi Hai (Vietnam( 7:51.05

MEN

Single scull

1. Peter Galambos (Hungary) 7:11.74
2. Jamie Kirkwood (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:14.16
3. Lee Hakbeom (Korea) 7:32.73
4. Benjamin Jr Tolentino (Philippines) 8:15.16

Double scull

1. Richard & Peter Chambers (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:34.83
2. Pangiotis Magdanis/Spyridon Giannaros (Greece) 6:50.01
3. Yuki Ikeda/Yuta Hamada (Japan) 6:51.99
4. Zhang En/Zhang Jilin (China) 7:11.57
5. Edgar Ilas/Alvin Amposta (Philippines) 7:22.30

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OUTLINE RACE SCHEDULE

Events featuring GB crews only. For full schedules and results (www.worldrowing.com). NB – may be subject to change after the draw on Saturday 24 August.

Sunday 25 August
10.00 – 14.00 (Local time)*

Heats

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-), single scull (LM1x), double scull (LM2x)
Lightweight women’s single scull (LW1x), double scull (LW2x)
Women’s pair (W2-), quadruple scull (W4x)
Men’s pair (M2-), four (M4-), single scull (M1x), quadruple scull (M4x)

Monday 26 August
(10.00 – 14.40 local time)

Heats

Men’s double scull (M2x), eight (M8+)
Women’s double (W2x), eight (W8+), single scull (W1x),
Lightweight men’s four (LM4-),
Para-rowing men’s arms-shoulders single scull (ASM1x), mixed coxed four (LTA4+)

Repechages

Men’s single (M1x)

Tuesday 27 August
(10.00 – 14.50 local time)

Repechages

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-), single scull (LM1x), double scull (LM2x)
Lightweight women’s single (LW1x), double scull (LW2x)
Women’s pair (W2-), quadruple scull (W4x)
Men’s pair (M2-), four (M4-), quadruple scull (M4x)
Para-rowing men’s arms-shoulders single scull (ASM1x), mixed coxed four (LTA4+).

Wednesday 28 August
(10.00 – 11.25 and 12.20 – 13.00 local time)

Repechages

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

Quarter-finals

Men’s single scull (M1x)

B Finals

Para-rowing men’s arms-shoulders single scull (ASM1x), mixed coxed four (LTA4+).

Thursday 29 August
(13.20 – 17.30 local time)

Semi-finals

Lightweight men’s single scull (LM1x), double scull (LM2x)
Lightweight women’s single scull (LW1x), double scull (LW2x)
Men’s four (M4-)

FINALS

Para-rowing men’s arms-shoulders single scull (ASM1x), mixed coxed four (LTA4+).

Friday 30 August
(B finals 11.24 – 11.50 all remaining 13.33 – 16.55 local time)

B Finals

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-), single scull (LM1x)
Lightweight women’s single scull (LW1x)

Semi-finals

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

FINALS

Lightweight men’s pair (LM2-), single scull (LM1x),
Lightweight women’s single scull (LW1x)

Saturday 31 August
(13.30 – 16.40 local time)

FINALS

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

Sunday 1 September
(B final 13.30 – 14.25 all remaining 15.03 – 16.40 local time)

FINALS

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

*Korea is eight hours ahead of the UK

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CREW LISTS
GB Rowing Team
World Championships, Chungju, Republic of Korea
August 25 – 1 September

Pair

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath/Penzance/17.06.86)/
Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.06.88)
Coach: Robin Williams

Eight

Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.12.82)/
Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)/
Caragh McMurtry (Reading Univ BC/Southampton/22.08.91)/
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)/
Jessica Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Zoe Lee (Sport Imperial BC/Richmond, N. Yorks/15.12.85)/
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/
Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/28.13.91)/
Zoe de Toledo (cox) (Leander Club / London / 17/07/87)
Coach: Paul Thompson / Robin Williams

Single Scull

Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)
Coach: Jane Hall

Double scull

Frances Houghton (Leander Club/Oxford/19.09.80)/
Victoria Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)
Coach: Paul Thompson

Quadruple Scull

Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)/
Kristina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.87)
Monica Relph (Leander Club/Cambridge/15.01.88)/
Lucinda Gooderham (Sport Imperial BC/Bury St Edmunds/09.06.84)/
Coach: Nick Strange

Women’s spares

Katherine Douglas (Leander Club/Midlothian/03.08.89)
Caragh McMurtry (Reading Univ BC/Southampton/22.08.91)

MEN

Pair

Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.90)/
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/
Coach: Rob Dauncey

Four

Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.85)/
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)/
Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88)/
Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)
Coach: Christian Felkel

Eight

Dan Ritchie (Leander Club/Herne Bay/16.01.87)/
Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Cambridge/16.09.85)/
Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)/
Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth/27.07.81)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
Andrew Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden/03.03.79)/
George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/02.10.89)/
Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)
Coach: Jürgen Grobler

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School/Coleraine/09.05.83)
Coach: John West

Double scull

Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)/
Bill Lucas (London RC/Kingswear/13.09.87)
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

Men’s Sweep spares

Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)
Matt Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)

Men’s Sculling Spare

Jonathan Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.90)

LIGHTWEIGHTS

WOMEN

Double scull

Kathryn Twyman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/29.03.87)/
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)
Coach: Paul Reedy

Single scull

Ruth Walczak (Molesey BC/Rochdale/15.09.88)
Coach: Paul Reedy

MEN

Four

Adam Freeman-Pask (Reading Univ BC/Windsor/19.06.85)/
William Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street/24.12.89)/
Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)/
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)
Coach: Rob Morgan

Pair

Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Forfar/28.01.88)/
Mark Aldred (London RC/London/18.04.87)
Coach: Rob Morgan

Double Scull

Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85)/
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/14.03.90)
Coach: Darren Whiter

Single scull

Jamie Kirkwood (Leander Club/Cresswell/30.08.89)
Coach: Darren Whiter

PARA-ROWING

MEN

Arms-Shoulders Single Scull

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/London/24.05.84)
Coach: Tom Dyson

MIXED

Legs-Trunk-Arms Coxed Four

Pamela Relph (Leander Club/Aylesbury/14.11.89)
Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow/15.06.83)
James Fox (Univ of London/Peterborough/02.05.92)
Oliver Hester (Henley RC/Henley-on-Thames/18.02.90)
Oliver James (cox) (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/05.10.90)
Coach: Mary McLachlan

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CONTACT DETAILS

For media enquiries about this event please contact:

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

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For media enquiries during the event, please contact GB Rowing Team Press officer Caroline Searle via Korean mobile number: +82 1072842696. NB Korea is 8 hours ahead of the UK. So text is best!

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

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