Two Paralympic class golds for GB at world rowing championships

August 29, 2009

Paralympic champion Tom Aggar successfully defended his world title in the single scull (ASM1x) and the mixed adaptive coxed four (LTAMix4+) were also victorious.

"Tom Aggar really showed what an outstanding competitor he is, said GB Rowing’s Performance Director, David Tanner. "He looked better today than I’ve ever seen him. But what a step up, too, for the mixed adaptive coxed four with three new athletes in the crew since Beijing who won in such style".

The mixed adaptive double scull, whose preparations were hampered by injury, were fifth.

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RACE REPORTS

Paralympic champion Tom Aggar rowed in a "world of his own" according to the race commentator in Poznan today during his single scull final. It was not hyperbole as he won in 4:51.48 to retain the title he won in 2007 in a world best time.

Aggar was challenged briefly in his final of the arms-shoulders only single scull today by the Ukrainian Andrii Kryvchun but soon pulled away.

He dominated from there and won in 4:51.48 by over 16 seconds – a personal best. Behind him a battle ensued between New Zealand, the USA and Australia for the bronze with Australia prevailing.

"I’m really chuffed. I still get really nervous before a race but I’ve been well-drilled so I just get my head down and get into the race. Between 250m and 500m, I just kept up a solid pace and pulled away. We train very hard and it’s always good to get a fast time", he said. "I think I can definitely go sub 4:50".

The mixed adaptive coxed four have had a good season so far with a world cup win in Munich. Since Beijing the crew has two newcomer rowers – James Roe and Dave Smith – who contested today’s final with Naomi Riches at stroke, Vicki Hansford at bow and Rhiannon Jones as the new cox.

The British quartet were just half a length ahead of Italy, a fast qualifier from the heats, at the halfway mark. In tight racing the Germans were also challenging. In a display of power the British combination of then powered onwards in the second half to win in 3:25.33 in a world best time.

Vicki Hansford said: "We were the fastest boat by quite a way in the heats and today we were totally confident in our race plan. We knew we were in control and doing what we had to do".

Rhiannon Jones, the cox, said: "Our start is good but the Italian start is excellent but we were always confident we could move ahead in the first 500m.

Roe said: ‘It’s just been an amazing experience".

Smith said: "It was a great feeling crossing the line".

Riches said: "The competition has stepped up but we have
risen to the challenge and achieved what we wanted to do".

GB’s adaptive double scull of Sam Scowen and James Roberts, produced a great race in the repechage earlier in the week to qualify for the final. The Ukraine and Brazil made the early pace today. GB were third at halfway just under three seconds behind the Brazilians with Ukraine leading. But they couldn’t hold on in the final 200m and finished fifth in 4:08.31. The Ukraine took gold with Brazil in silver and Poland in bronze.

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RESULTS (events with GB crews only. For full
results see: www.worldrowing.com)

ADAPTIVE

MEN

ASM1x Single scull

1. Tom Aggar (GREAT BRITAIN) 4:51.48
2. Andrii Kryvchun (Ukraine) 5:07.37
3. Benjamin Houlison (Australia) 5:12.11
4. Ronald Harvey (USA) 5:14.77
5. Antony Tinga (New Zealand) 5:16.67
6. Efrem Morelli (Italy) 5:20.19

MIXED

LTAMix4+ – mixed coxed four

1. Vicki Hansford/James Roe/Dave Smith/Naomi Riches/
Rhiannon Jones (GREAT BRITAIN) 3:25.33
2. Italy 3:28.44
3. Germany 3:28.90
4. Canada 3:30.44
5. Ukraine 3:33.88
6. Australia 3:51.89

TAMix2x – mixed double scull

1. Dmytro Ivanov/Iryna Kyrchenko (Ukraine) 4:03.96
2. Elton Santana/Josiane Lima (Brazil) 4:04.80
3. Jolanta Pawlak/Piotr Majka (Poland) 4:05.28
4. Stefania Toscano/Daniele Stefanoni (Italy) 4:06.41
5. James Roberts/Samatha Scowen (GREAT BRITAIN) 4:08.31
6. Igor & Mary Kogan (Israel) 4:27.09

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CREW LISTS
2009 World Rowing Championships, Poznan, Poland.
AUGUST , 2009
(Listed as bow to stroke plus cox unless otherwise indicated)

FULL BIOGS AVAILABLE AT: www.gbrowing.org.uk

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington/16.09.85)/Louisa Reeve (Leander
Club/London/16.05.84)

Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas

Eight

Jo Cook (Leander Club/Nottingham/22.03.84)/
Melanie Wilson (Molesey BC/London/25.6.84)/
Michelle Vezie (Molesey BC/London/30.11.87)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Jess Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Tina Stiller (Nottingham RC/Yarm/23.06.87)/
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Natasha Page (Reading Uni BC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/

Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)

Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas

Single scull

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)

Coach: Paul Thompson

Double scull

Anna Bebington (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)/Annabel Vernon
(Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)

Coach: Paul Thompson

Quadruple scull

Rosamund Bradbury (Westminster School BC/Banstead/17.12.88)/
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)/
Sarah Cowburn (Durham Uni BC/Redditch/01.02.89)/
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/

Coach: Ade Roberts

MEN

Pair

Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/Andy Triggs Hodge
(Molesey BC/Hebden, N.Yorks/03.03.79)

Coach: Jurgen Grobler

Four

Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/Richard
Egington (Leander Club/Knutsford/26.02.79)/Alex Gregory (Reading
Uni BC/Wormington/11.03.84)/Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)

Coach: Mark Banks

Eight

Tom Broadway (Leander Club/Newport Pagnell/21.08.82)/
Tom Burton (Leander Club/Barton-le-Clay, Beds/24.05.80)/
James Orme (Leander Club/Colchester/01.04.84)/
Tom Solesbury (Isis BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Tom Wilkinson (Leander Club/Reading/04.07.85)/
Dan Ritchie (Reading Uni BC/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
Tom Ransley (Cambridge University BC/ Ashford, Kent/06.09.85)/
James Clarke (London RC/London/31.12.84)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

Coach: Christian Felkel/John West

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Coach: Bill Barry

Double scull

Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.04.79)/
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)

Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Quadruple Scull – WITHDRAWN ON WEDS 26 AUGUST DUE TO INJURY

Brendan Crean (Agecroft/Manchester/07.02.85)
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)/
Charles Cousins (Reading Uni BC/Cambridge/13.12.88)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni BC/Reading/26.11.85)

Coach: Mark Earnshaw

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni BC/Cambridge/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86

Coach: Paul Reedy

Quadruple Scull

Stephanie Cullen (London RC/Putney, London/27.11.80)Laura Greenhalgh (London RC/Oxford/02.09.85)//Andrea Dennis (London RC/Oxford/03.01.82)/Jane Hall (Leander Club/Caversham/20.10.73)

Coach: Don McLachlan

Racing Spare

Single Scull
Elaine Johnstone (Tideway Scullers)

MEN

Pair

Ross Hunter (Leander Club/Romford, Essex/13.07.81)/
Oliver Mahony (London RC/London/21.10.83)

Coach: Steve Trapmore

Four

Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)/
Chris Boddy (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/16.11.87)/
Stephen Feeney (London RC/Coleraine/12.05.85)/
Bob Hewitt (Tees RC/Scarborough/27.04.87)/

Coach: Robin Williams

Single scull

Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC/Windsor/19.06.85)

Coach: Steve Trapmore

Double scull

Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)/Paul Mattick
(Leander Club/Frome, Somerset/25.04.78)

Coach: Darren Whiter

ADAPTIVE (Paralympic classes)

Men’s Arms-only Single Scull

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Barnet, London/24.05.84)

Coach: Tom Dyson

Trunk and Arms Double Scull

James Roberts (City of Swansea RC/Prestatyn/11.05.86)/
Samantha Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.87)

Coach: Tom Dyson

Mixed Adaptive Coxed Four

Vicki Hansford (Uni of Surrey BC/Farnborough/31.10.79)/
James Roe (Stratford-upon-Avon BC//Stratford-upon-Avon/
28.03.88)/Dave Smith (Reading Uni BC/Aviemore/21.04.78) /Naomi
Riches (Leander/Harrow, London 15.06.83)/Rhiannon Jones
(Reading Uni BC/Hereford/16.09.87) (cox)

Coach: Stuart Whitelaw

RESERVES

Men’s sweep

Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Uni of London/Durham/13.04.88)
Peter Marsland (Cambridge Uni BC/Hampton, Mx/06.03.85)

Women’s sweep

Reserve: Jacqui Round (Nottingham RC/St Neots/01.07.87)

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Management and Support Staff:

Performance Support Team:

David Tanner, Performance Director and Team Manager
Jurgen Grobler, Chief Coach (Men)
Paul Thompson, Chief Coach (Women & Lightweights)

Medical and Science Support:

Dr Ann Redgrave, Doctor
Mark Edgar, Physiotherapist
Karen Burn, Physiotherapist
Lilly Devine, Physiotherapist
Dr Chris Shambrook, Psychologist
Mark Homer, Physiologist
Wendy Martinson, Nutritionist

Adaptive Team Staff:

Louise Kingsley, Selector
Tom Dyson, Lead coach
Dr Lucy Free, Doctor
Chris Price, Physiotherapist

Logistics and Office Support:

Rachel Simon, Assistant Team Manager
Maurice Hayes, Resources Manager
Judi Read, Logistics Coordinator
Fran Bullock, Sponsorship Liaison
John Tetley, Boatman
John Brockway, Driver
Caroline Searle, Press Officer