GB crews race World medallists at European Champs
The GB Rowing Team had a testing but “pleasing start” to the European Rowing Championships in Bulgaria today with all five crews putting in promising performances against stiff opposition according to their team manager.
Pete Sheppard, was impressed with the development crews who contested the opening day’s heats in Plovdiv, against a clutch of crews who won medals at the World Championships, despite none of his charges qualifying directly for the finals.
“It’s a pleasing opening salvo,” said Sheppard who has set the target for his crews to reach their respective finals in light of the level of competition – with many nations bringing their World Championship crews to Plovdiv.
“All the crews who have raced have shown they are competitive in their events and all the crews racing tomorrow have an opportunity to progress into the ‘A’ finals. Everybody came in at a good level today.”
The men’s double scull of former Cambridge boat club president Henry Pelly and Graeme Thomas, a product of the Siemens-sponsored World Class START programme in the North West of England, finished a close third behind Estonia in their heat in Plovdiv today with just winners Russia qualifying for the final by a comfortable margin.
A young GB crew featuring the Durant twins from Lancaster at bow and stroke alongside Fred Gill and Mathew Tarrant, stayed within touching distance of the winning Greeks in the second heat of the men’s four, and pushed Serbia all the way for the second qualifying spot in the final, finishing just behind them in third with clearwater between them and the rest of the field.
The Greek four was the same crew which won silver behind the unbeaten senior GB crew of Matt Langridge, Ric Egington, Tom James and Alex Gregory at the World Championships in Bled won their heat in Bulgaria.
The Oxford-based duo of Kathryn Twyman and Andrea Dennis who won gold in the lightweight women’s quadruple scull in Bled a fortnight ago finished a comfortable second in the lightweight double in Buglaria behind the reigning World and European Champions from Greece, Christina Giazitzidou and Alexandra Tsiavou.
Just the winners went through to the final but the British crew finished ahead of the Czech Republic and Romania.
The last competitive heat of the day for GB saw Henley’s Jono Clegg and Stockton-on-Tees’ Chris Boddy come fourth in the second heat of the lightweight men’s double, just behind Hungary and Poland, in a close race won by World bronze medallists Elia Luini and Lorenzo Bertini of Italy.
The women’s eight, including Ro Bradbury and Emily Taylor, who were unused reserves at the World Championships earlier this month, took part in a preliminary exhibition race with the other eights in their final. In fourth with 500m to go they overhauled the Ukraine in their sprint for the line, crossing just behind Russia with Romania clear winners.
The GB crews, with the exception of the women’s eight, will all race tomorrow from 8:56am UK time.
For action photos or head shots please email: [email protected]
For biographies please go to the GB Rowing Team website: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk
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RESULTS
2011 European Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
(GB crews only – for full results go to www.worldrowing.com)
Heats – Friday 16 September 2011
MEN
Double Scull
1. Russia 6:28.04
2. Estonia 6:34.89
3. Henry Pelly/Graeme Thomas (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:35.27
4. Israel 6:44.27
5. Denmark 6:52.51
6. Serbia 7:18.33
Four
1. Greece 5:59.37
2. Serbia 6:02.74
3. Mason Durant/Fred Gill/Matthew Tarrant/Scott Durant (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:04.60
4. Ukraine 6:24.35
5. Croatia 6:25.59
WOMEN
Eight
LIGHTWEIGHT
Women
Double Scull
1. Greece 7:11.93
2. Kathryn Twyman/Andrea Dennis (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:21.75
3. Czech Republic 7:33.88
4. Romania 7:42.64
Men
Double Scull
1. Italy 6:28.22
2. Poland 6:29.22
3. Hungary 6:33.70
4. Jono Clegg/Chris Boddy (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:35.75
5. Russia 6:44.54
6. Austria 6:50.02
Exhibition race
WOMEN
Eight
1. Romania 6:32.26
2. Russia 6:38.28
3. Leonora Kennedy/Zoe Lee/Erica Bodman/Vicki Meyer-Laker/Ro Bradbury/Emily Taylor/Monica Relph/Polly Swann/Zoe de Toledo (cox) (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:40.06
4. Ukraine 6:42.39
5. Bulgaria 6:42.42
6. Poland 6:53.73
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GB ROWING TEAM CREW-LIST (Name/Club/Home town/Date of birth)
2011 European Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
September 16-18, 2011
(Listed bow to stroke)
WOMEN
Eight
Leonora Kennedy (Sport Imperial/Putney/12.01.1987)/
Zoe Lee (Sport Imperial/London/15.12.1985)/
Erica Bodman (Reading Uni BC/St Martins, Guernsey/24.01.1988)/
Vicki Meyer-Laker (Nottingham RC/Nottingham/18.03.1988)/
Ro Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead, Surrey/17.12.1988)/
Emily Taylor (Leander Club/Lincoln/28.06.1987)/
Monica Relph (Reading Uni BC/Henley on Thames/15.01.1988)/
Polly Swann (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/05.06.1988)/
Zoe de Toledo (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/17.07.1987)
Coach: Eira Parry
Spare
Lucinda Gooderham (Upper Thames RC/Diss, Norfolk/09.06.1984)
MEN
Four
Mason Durant (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Lancaster/12.02.1988)/
Fred Gill (Molesey BC/Shrewsbury/09.01.1986)/
Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Shepperton, Surrey/11.07.1990)
Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Lancaster/12.02.1988)
Coach: Henry Balihache-Webb
Double Scull
Henry Pelly (Molesey BC/London/30.07.1983)/
Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC/Preston/08.11.1988)
LIGHTWEIGHT
Women
Double Scull
Kathryn Twyman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/29.03.1987)/
Andrea Dennis (Imperial College BC/Oxford/03.01.1982)
Coach: Pete Sheppard
Men
Double Scull
Jono Clegg (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/14.07.1989)/
Chris Boddy (Leander Club/Stockton-on-Tees/16.11.1987)
SUPPORT STAFF
Team manager and lead coach: Pete Sheppard
Coach: Eira Parry
Coach: Henry Balihache-Webb, Oxford Brookes
Physio: Katherine Vials
Lead driver: Phil Gray
Second driver: Karl Offord
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PROVISIONAL ERC SCHEDULE
(for full timetable go to www.worldrowing.com)
Opening Ceremony – Thursday, September 15
Heats & Repechages – Friday, September 16
Repechages, Semi-finals and Finals A, B, C – Saturday, September 17
Finals A and B – Sunday, September 18
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MORE INFORMATION
For a full timetable and results go to the FISA website: www.worldrowing.com
For more information on the GB Rowing Team go to: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk
*SIEMENS is the high performance partner of the GB Rowing Team
(as such they sponsor all the Olympic and Paralympic Class
boats in the senior squad and add value to the GB Rowing
Teams’ Start and High Performance Programme in Clubs Schemes)
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KEY DATES FOR 2011/2012
The 2012 season is about to begin for the nation’s top rowers
culminating in the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
SEPTEMBER 2011
16-18
European Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
27-28
Start of training for the 2012 season – senior and adaptive members of the GB Rowing Team
MARCH 2012
8-11
GB Rowing Team senior trials, Eton/Dorney
MAY
2-6
Rowing world cup I and final Paralympic Qualification Regatta, Belgrade, Serbia
20-27
Rowing world cup II and final Olympic Qualification Regatta, Lucerne, Switzerland
JUNE
13-17
Rowing world cup III, Munich, Germany
JULY
9-15
World Rowing U23 Championships, Trakai, Lithuania
July 24 – August 5
OLYMPIC GAMES REGATTA, Eton/Dorney
AUGUST
12-19
World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
August 25 – September 3
PARALYMPIC GAMES REGATTA, Eton/Dorney
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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about The GB Rowing Teams please contact:
Caroline Searle, Andy Sloan or Miranda Edwards on:
T: (01225) 443998
M: CAROLINE (07831) 755351
M: ANDY (07714) 168391
GB Rowing Team website www.gbrowingteam.org.uk – full biogs available here.
Follow us on facebook: www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam
Follow us on twitter @gbrowingteam: www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
Follow us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GBRowingTeam
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The GB Rowing Squad is supported by the National Lottery
Sports Fund as part of UK Sport’s Podium Programme.
GB Rowing Team News bulletins are issued by the GB Rowing Team office
ENDS
