Five golds, three silvers and the world cup points trophy for GB
GB Rowing men’s four buried some significant ghosts today on the Munich regatta course which witnessed them lose their world title eight months ago on a day when GB won five golds and three silvers – all bar one silver in Olympic classes – as well as the world cup points trophy.
Today it was a different story. The Camelot-backed quartet were machine-like in their march to the line to take gold with Tom Lucy in the bow seat racing Steve Williams, Peter Reed and Andy Hodge as a substitute for the recently selected but injured Tom James.
"It couldn’t have been better today", said Hodge. "That’s the best start to the season we’ve had yet".
Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase were also winners in the Siemens-sponsored lightweight men’s double as were the open weight counterparts Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham.
The British women’s quadruple scull, world champions, underlined their Beijing potential with a win against strong opposition from Germany and China and Alan Campbell set the tone for the whole finals session with his gold in the men’s single scull which showed the progress he has made during the winter.
Britain’s silvers came from the lightweight men’s four and the newly-rehsuffled men’s eight who gave Australia a storming race to the line in the final event of the day as well as from Andrea Dennis in the lightweight women’s single scull.
"It’s been a significantly good day for GB Rowing to open the season’s racing programme but we need to keep our feet on the ground. Not every nation took part in some events and there is a long way to go yet this summer", said GB Rowing’s Performance Director David Tanner today.
Full results: www.worldrowing.com
NB – Pictures available on request via e-mail contact details below.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
RACE REPORTS
The British men’s four – twice world champions but fourth at the world championships here last year – were under some scrutiny in Munich this weekend. They flew through their heat and semi-final and by the 500m mark of today’s final were two thirds of a length ahead of the Czech Republic with the Dutch
tucked back in third.
With each stroke they stretched their lead, rowing here with substitute Tom Lucy on board for the injured Tom James. At the halfway point there were four seconds ahead. By 1500m they had six seconds on the rest and seemed to be motoring smoothly.
Coming past the grandstands in wind-ruffled water they still looked in control and ultimately laid to rest last year’s ghosts with victory in 6:29.12.
"It couldn’t have been better. That’s our best start of the world cup season yet", said strokemen Andy Hodge after the race.
"But it’s only the start", said Olympic champion Steve Williams. "The conditions spread out the race today and you have to respect crews like the Dutch. They will go away and do their homework and come back stronger and New Zealand, the world champions, weren’t even here today. So we’ve still got a lot to do".
Siemens-backed Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase looked set not to be outdone by their team-mates in the first half of the lightweight men’s double scull final. The duo were a length ahead of the chasing Chinese and Italians at 1000m. Mercilessly, so it seemed, they pushed on and had five seconds over their pursuers by 1500m. France, by this time, had moved up the field but neither they nor Italy could make an impact. The winning time was 7:00.59.
"The training over the winter has paid off", said Hunter. "We’ve worked hard to get here", added Purchase. "And rather than just improving as individuals we’re developing as a unit", concluded Hunter.
The GB women’s quadruple scull started as they meant to carry on in the final today. They were ahead all the way. Germany and China, both strong in this event, could not put them off track. By 500m they were leading by two seconds, at 1000m the smooth-looking machine was three seconds ahead and, at the line, with the Germans and Chinese closing the final margin of victory was just under two seconds from Germany.
"There were a lot of nerves as it was the first race of the season but we went to the start knowing that all our training partners like the lightweight men’s double and four and the men’s four had already won or taken medals. That gave us such confidence. It was ‘if they can do it, then so can we’, said Annie Vernon after the race.
"We were really up for racing today", said Debbie Flood. "The times in the heats were close so we knew that the other crews would be strong today".
Alan Campbell emerged to lead his men’s single scull final race just before the first timing point at 500m. He had almost a second over the second-placed Ondrej Synek of the Czech
Republic with Olaf Tufte in third. By 750m, and again at 1000m, Campbell had stretched out his lead with Synek, Tufte and Sweden’s Lassi Karonen going head-to-head behind him.
At 1200m Synek looked over his shoulder to check the size of the Coleraine man’s lead. 300m later, at the penultimate timing point, Campbell was over two seconds ahead. The question was – could he sustain it? The answer proved affirmative with Campbell holding off Synek’s burst at the end to win in 7:26.68.
"It was a really good race, I put it all together", said Campbell afterwards. "It’s up there with my best races alongside last year’s Henley final and Lucerne world cup".
Italy made a flying start to the men’s double scull final but by the 500m mark Germany were in the lead just under half a second ahead of Matt Wells and Steve Rowbotham. Germany had eased their lead out to half a length by 1000m with Australia on the far side also showing strongly.
With 800m to go Wells and Rowbotham surged forward and by the 1500m mark the British duo had a slim, two-tenths of a second lead. They piled on more pressure in the closing 300m to go half a length up before the Germans retaliated and the two crews went stroke for stroke to the line with the British taking the verdict by just under two tenths in 6:52.78.
"They put up a good fight but we had it covered – although, to be honest, I hadn’t xpected them to come at us that quickly", said Rowbotham.
GB Rowing’s lightweight men’s four were not best pleased with their start nor their first 1000m. At the mid-way point there were in second place at the with China ahead of them and Germany very close behind.
In the often decisive third quarter the Chinese held onto their lead whilst the British quartet were marginally bested by Germany. As the boats worked their way along the
grandstand a charge began. China began to tire but weren’t to be beaten, GB got a sliver of a lead over Germany and that’s the way it ended.
"To come back strongly after such a bad first 1km was good. That can be a positive for us. We should learn something from every race", said Richard Chambers.
There were positives, too, for the newly-reshuffled men’s eight who put up a tremendous fight today with Australia for honours at the line only missing out by a short margin. Australia were early leaders at the 500m mark with GB were in third a few seconds down on China, at the 1000m GB had moved to second and started stroke by stroke to make
ground on Australia even if it wasn’t ultimately enough.
Sarah Winckless and Elise Laverick, Olympic bronze medallists in 2004, have been struggling in this early season period to find their spark. Yesterday they put in a significant performance to qualify for today’s final despite being draw in an unfavoured lane in the blustery headwind conditions. Perhaps the effort took too much out of the British duo because today they trailed the pack in the first half of the race and by 1500m they were still behind the action. In the final 500m they picked up the pace to push past the Ukraine to take fifth place.
The British women’s eight could not quite find their best racing form today in the final on water where they won a bronze medal last year. The unit, disrupted at times by illness and injury over the winter, seemed sluggish compared to the eventual Australian winners
and their Chinese challengers who took the silver medal
and they finished fifth in
Two GB rowers contested today’s lightweight single scull final for women. There were probably higher expectations of Mathilde Pauls who won her semi-final. At the 500m mark, though, Andrea Dennis was showing best after Pauls caught a boat-stopping crab just after the start. And by the 1500m mark Andrea Dennis had moved up into the lead by a narrow margin from Germany. In a great race to the line Dennis just missed out on the title to take silver behind Germany. Pauls pulled her way back up into fourth.
"I’m notoriously bad at the start but I put in a solid middle part of the race. Now I need to
work on my last 250m", said a delighted Dennis afterwards.
A poor start from Rob Williams and Matthew Beechey, who might have been expected to medal here, put them out of contention almost from the very beginning of the lightweight men’s pair final in which they ultimately finished fifth in 7:36.17 in a race won by Denmark.
B FINALS
Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell won today’s B Final of the lightweight women’s double scull with a brave race from the front. As the more established GB double they are under pressure for the two Olympic seats in this boat class from talented youngsters Laura Greenhalgh and Sophie Hosking who were chasing back into contention with pace in the finishing 300m only to be pipped themselves to second place by the Greeks.
The men’s pair of Tom Burton and Tom Parker found the going quite hard in their men’s pair B finals. They were in contention in the opening third of the race, dropped back to fifth by halfway and then came back into fourth at the finish.
Simon Fieldhouse, Bill Lucas, Alex Gregory and Sam Townsend were in the pack coming to the finishing 500m of their men’s quadruple scull race – within three seconds of the leaders – but they lost out in the finishing sprint to take fourth place.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
RESULTS
(For races featuring GB crews only)
FINALS
OPEN
WOMEN
Eight
1. Australia 6:36.29
2. China 6:42.48
3. Romania 6:46.87
4. Netherlands 6L48.75
5. Olivia Whitlam/Carla Ashford/Alice Freeman/Louisa Reeve/
Beth Rodford/Natasha Page/Katie Greves/Jess Eddie/
Caroline O’Connor (cox) 6:57.61
Double scull
1. Li Qin/Tian Liang (China) 7:40.66
2. Tang Bin/Jin Ziwei (China 2) 7:45.07
3. Annekatrin Thiele/Christiane Huth (Germany) 7:48.01
4. Jitka Antosova/Gabriela Varekova (Czech Republic) 7:51.32
5. Elise Laverick/Sarah Winckless (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:55.07
6. Kateryna Tarasenko/Yana Dementieva (Ukraine) 7:56.71
Quadruple scull
1. Annie Vernon/Debbie Flood/Fran Houghton/Katherine Grainger
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:54.38
2. Germany 1 6:56.29
3. China 1 6:57.24
4. China 2 7:06.49
5. Australia 7:10.76
6. Ukraine 7:12.50
MEN
Four
1. Tom Lucy/Steve Williams/Peter Reed/Andy Hodge (GREAT BRITAIN)
6:29.12
2. Czech Republic 6:35.82
3. Germany 1 6:36.70
4. Netherlands 6:37.42
5. Italy 6:42.08
6. Germany 2 6:42.73
Eight
1. Australia 6:05.38
2. Alex Partridge/Tom Stallard/Matt Langridge/Tom Solesbury/
Josh West/Rick Egington/Robin Bourne-Taylor/Colin Smith/
Acer Nethercott (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:06.31
3. China 6:08.32
4. Germany 6:13.79
5. France 6:19.89
6. Croatia 6:22.25
Single scull
1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:26.68
2. Ondrej Synek (Czech Republic) 7:27.95
3. Olaf Tufte (Norway) 7:31.50
4. Lassi Karonen (Sweden) 7:33.45
5. Marcel Hacker (Germany) 7:41.63
6. Andre Vonarburg (Switzerland) 7:55.39
Double scull
1. Matthew Wells/Stephen Rowbotham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:52.78
2. Clemens Wenzel/Falko Nolte (Germany 1) 6:52.94
3. Scott Brennan/David Crawshay (Australia) 6:59.94
4. Mario Vekic/Ante Kusurin (Croatia 1) 7:00.96
5. Simone Venier/Luca Agamennoni (Italy 1) 7:10.72
6. Christophe Raes/Tim Maeyens (Belgium) 7:13.10
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Single scull
1. Laura Tibitanzl (Germany) 8:42.81
2. Andrea Dennis (GREAT BRITAIN 1) 8:44.25
3. Michaela Taupe Traer (Austria) 8:45.63
4. Mathilde Pauls (GREAT BRTAIN 2) 8:48.38
5. Yu Hua (China 1) 8:51.88
6. Candice Hammond (New Zealand) 8:59.89
MEN
Pair
1. Kasper Winther/Morten Joergensen (Denmark) 7:19.87
2. Andrea Caianiello/Armando Dell’Aquila (Italy 1) 7:21.49
3. Jeremy Pouge/Vincent Faucheux (France) 7:27.46
4. Luigi Scala/Fabrizio Gabriele (Italy 3) 7:32.55
5. Matt Beechey/Rob Williams (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:36.16
6. Michele Savrie/Giorgio Tuccinardi (Italy 2) 7:41.08
Four
1. China 6:27.81
2. Richard Chambers/James Lindsay-Fynn/Paul Mattick/
James Clarke (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:28.40
3. Germany 6:28.78
4. France 6:32.26
5. Ireland 6:33.90
6. Serbia 6:43.18
Double scull
1. Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:00.59
2. Maxime Goisset/Frederic Dufour (France 2) 7:04.25
3. Lorenzo Bertini/Daniele Gilardoni (Italy 1) 7:08.35
4. Zhang Guolin/Sun Jie (China) 7:12.34
5. Zsolt Hirling/Tamas Varga (Hungary 1) 7:14.67
6. Jeremie Azou/Remi Di Girolamo (France 1) 7:20.52
B FINALS
OPEN
MEN
Pair
1. Jason Read/Bryan Volpenhein (USA) 6:58.07
2. Goran Jagar/Nikola Stojic (Serbia) 7:02.74
3. Zhang Youngqiang/Wang Xiangdang 7:03.25
4. Tom Parker/Tom Burton (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:05.51
5. Wu Lin/Zhang Shunyin (China) 7:08.58
Quadruple scull
1. Estonia 6:15.01
2. Czech Republic 6:16.21
3. Ukraine 6:18.02
4. Simon Fieldhouse/Sam Townsend/Alex Gregory/Bill Lucas
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:18.23
5. Belarus 6:18.85
6. Romania 6:30.67
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Double scull
1. Helen Casey/Hester Goodsell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:36.44
2. Triantafyllia Kalampoka/Christina Giazitzidou (Greece 2) 7:38.53
3. Laura Greenhalgh/Sophie Hosking (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 7:39.37
4. Pamela Weisshaupt/Eliane Waser (Switzerland) 7:42.47
5. Marie Gottlieb/Sine Christiansen (Denmark) 7:44.06
6. Eugenie Vince/Coralie Simon (France) 7:50.90
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
GB CREW LISTS (with clubs/home towns/dates of birth)
Munich World Cup 2008
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Baz Moffat (Thames RC/Bradford/08.04.78)/Georgina Menheneott
(Mortlake, Anglian & Alpha RC/North Bradley, Wilts/18.12.78)
Eight
Olivia Whitlam/Carla Ashford (Oxford Brookes BC/Northallerton/13.03.79)/Alice Freeman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/06.09.78)/ /Louisa Reeve (Leander/London/16.05.84)/Beth Rodford (Thames RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)/Natasha Page (Reading Uni/Hartpury/30.04.85)/Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/Jess Eddie (Uni of London/Durham/07.10.84)/
Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)
Coach: John Keogh
Single scull
Tina Stiller (Wallingford RC/Yarm, N.Yorks/23.6.87)
Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas
Double scull
Elise Laverick (Thames RC/Poling, W.Sussex/27.07.75)/Sarah
Winckless (Walbrook & Royal/Henley/18.10.73)
Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas
Quadruple scull
Annie Vernon (Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/Debbie Flood
(Leander Club/Leeds/27.02.80)/Frances Houghton
(Tyrian Club (Uni of London)/Oxford/19.09.80)/Katherine Grainger
(St Andrews BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)
Coach: Paul Thompson
MEN
Pair (two boats)
Toby Garbett (Leander Club/Woking, Surrey/14.11.76)/Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)
Tom Parker (Oxford Brookes/Winchester/24.10.82)/Tom Burton
Spare: Oli Moore (OUBC/Burford/22.12.85)
Coach: Jonny Singfield
Four
Tom Lucy (Oxford Brookes/Monmouth/01.05.88)/Steve Williams (Leander
Club/Cheltenham/15.04.76)/Peter Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth,
Glos/27.07.81)/Andy Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden,
N.Yorks/03.03.79)
Coach: Jurgen Grobler
Eight
Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/
Tom Stallard (Leander/Welwyn, Herts/11.09.78)/
Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)/
Tom Solesbury (Molesey BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Josh West (Leander/Santa Fe, USA/25.03.77)/
Richard Egington (Leander/Knutsford/26.02.79)/
Robin Bourne-Taylor (Army RC/Oxford/22.07.81)/
Colin Smith (Leander/Henley on Thames/23.09.83)/
Acer Nethercott (University College Oxford BC/Harlow/28.11.77)
(cox)
Coaches: Mark Banks, John West
Single Scull (two boats)
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)
Charles Cousins (Reading Uni/Cambridge/13.12.88)
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
Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey/Thames Ditton/04.09.76)/Sam Townsend
(Reading Uni/Reading/26.11.85)/Alex Gregory (Reading Uni/
Wormington/11.03.84)/Bill Lucas (Reading Uni/Dartmouth/13.09.87)
Coach: Adrian Cassidy
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Single scull (two boats)
Andrea Dennis (Wallingford RC/Oxford/03.01.82)
Mathilde Pauls (Imperial College BC/Berlin & Putney/26.09.83)
Coach: Karl Offord
Double scull (two boats)
Helen Casey (Wallingford RC/Oxford/06.02.74)/
Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni/Cambridge/27.06.84)
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86)/Laura
Greenhalgh (Reading Uni/Oxford/02.09.85)
Coach: Rob Morgan
MEN
Pair
Matt Beechey (Leander/Worcester/4.3.77)/Rob Williams (London
RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)
Coach: Paul Reedy
Four
Richard Chambers (Oxford Brookes/Coleraine/10.06.85)/
James Lindsay-Fynn (London/Trim/29.09.75)/Paul Mattick
(Wallingford/Oxford/25.04.78)/James Clarke (London RC/
London/31.12.84)
Coach: Robin Williams
Double scull
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury, Glos/02.05.86)/
Mark Hunter (Leander Club/Romford, Essex/01.07.78)
Coach: Darren Whiter
