Whitlam and Reeve secure Beijing place for women's pair
Posted : 18/06/08
GB Rowing's women's pair of Olivia Whitlam and
Louisa Reeve, today qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
with a storming second place in the final of the Olympic Qualifying
Regatta in Poznan, Poland.
"They rowed out of their skins", said a clearly delighted GB Performance Director David Tanner of the Siemens-sponsored duo. "They were superb".
The performance takes the total of Olympic-qualified GB boats to a record number, in recent Games, of 12 after 11 other boats qualified direct from the world championships in Munich last year. Now GB has the potential to take 43 rowers to Beijing, subject to BOA ratification with an announcement due next Thursday (26 June) at the National Training Centre at Caversham.
In recent Games only Barcelona in 1992 has seen more British rowers - 46 - in an equal number of 12 boats.
Today Reeve, world bronze medallist in the eight last year, and Whitlam produced a confident performance. A blistering pace was set by early leaders Russia but the British duo held their nerve, overtaking the Russians in the final 500m and nearly catching eventual winners, France, in the final metres.
Heartbreak followed, though, for the men's quadruple scull of Charles Cousins, Bill Lucas, Sam Townsend and Simon Fieldhouse who missed out by just one place. Little more than a second separated their third place from Slovenia's second place behind winners Belarus.
"They had a really good go at it today", said Tanner. "We always knew that it was going to be tough for them to qualify".
GB's adaptive crews are also in action later today in the Pre-Paralympic Regatta.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
Results
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Final
1. France 7:36.69
2. Louisa Reeve/Olivia Whitlam (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:37.67
3. Denmark 7:39.06
4. Russia 7:43.86
MEN
Quadruple scull
Final
1. Belarus 5:55.71
2. Slovenia 5:55.97
3. Charles Cousins/Bill/Lucas/Sam Townsend/Simon Fieldhouse (GREAT
BRITAIN) 5:57.22
4. Canada 5:58.74
5. Argentina 6:06.44
6. Egypt 6:15.45
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
GB CREW LISTS (with clubs/home towns/dates of birth)
Poznan World Cup 2008
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Olivia Whitlam( Agecroft/Warrington 16.09.85)/Louisa
Reeve (Leander/London/16.05.84)
Coach Rob Morgan
Single scull
Tina Stiller (Nottingham/Yarm, N.Yorks/23.6.87)
Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas
Quadruple scull
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni/Reading/26.11.85)/Charles Cousins (Reading
Uni/Cambridge/13.12.88)/Bill Lucas (Reading Uni/Dartmouth/
13.09.87)/Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey/Thames Ditton/04.09.76)
Coach: Adrian Cassidy
ADAPTIVE CREWS
Single scull
Helene Raynsford (Guildford RC/Frimley/29.12.79)
Coach: Chad King
MEN
Single scull
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks/Barnet, London/24.5.84)
Coach: Chad King
MIXED
Mixed adaptive coxed four
Vicki Hansford )Guildford RC/Lewisham/31.10.79)/
Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow Weald/15.6.83)/
Alastair Mckean (Herne Bay ARC/Whitstable/14.4.79)/
James Morgan (Deal RC/Dover/Deal Walmer & Kingsdown)/
Alan Sherman (Thames Tradesmen/London/22.10.51) (cox)
Coach: Chad King
Double scull
Karen Cromie (Royal Docks BC/Ballinamallard, Co.Fermanagh/
24.9.79)/James Roberts (Swansea/11.5.86)
Coach: Tom Dyson
"They rowed out of their skins", said a clearly delighted GB Performance Director David Tanner of the Siemens-sponsored duo. "They were superb".
The performance takes the total of Olympic-qualified GB boats to a record number, in recent Games, of 12 after 11 other boats qualified direct from the world championships in Munich last year. Now GB has the potential to take 43 rowers to Beijing, subject to BOA ratification with an announcement due next Thursday (26 June) at the National Training Centre at Caversham.
In recent Games only Barcelona in 1992 has seen more British rowers - 46 - in an equal number of 12 boats.
Today Reeve, world bronze medallist in the eight last year, and Whitlam produced a confident performance. A blistering pace was set by early leaders Russia but the British duo held their nerve, overtaking the Russians in the final 500m and nearly catching eventual winners, France, in the final metres.
Heartbreak followed, though, for the men's quadruple scull of Charles Cousins, Bill Lucas, Sam Townsend and Simon Fieldhouse who missed out by just one place. Little more than a second separated their third place from Slovenia's second place behind winners Belarus.
"They had a really good go at it today", said Tanner. "We always knew that it was going to be tough for them to qualify".
GB's adaptive crews are also in action later today in the Pre-Paralympic Regatta.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
Results
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Final
1. France 7:36.69
2. Louisa Reeve/Olivia Whitlam (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:37.67
3. Denmark 7:39.06
4. Russia 7:43.86
MEN
Quadruple scull
Final
1. Belarus 5:55.71
2. Slovenia 5:55.97
3. Charles Cousins/Bill/Lucas/Sam Townsend/Simon Fieldhouse (GREAT
BRITAIN) 5:57.22
4. Canada 5:58.74
5. Argentina 6:06.44
6. Egypt 6:15.45
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
=============================== ===============================
GB CREW LISTS (with clubs/home towns/dates of birth)
Poznan World Cup 2008
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Olivia Whitlam( Agecroft/Warrington 16.09.85)/Louisa
Reeve (Leander/London/16.05.84)
Coach Rob Morgan
Single scull
Tina Stiller (Nottingham/Yarm, N.Yorks/23.6.87)
Coach: Miles Forbes-Thomas
Quadruple scull
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni/Reading/26.11.85)/Charles Cousins (Reading
Uni/Cambridge/13.12.88)/Bill Lucas (Reading Uni/Dartmouth/
13.09.87)/Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey/Thames Ditton/04.09.76)
Coach: Adrian Cassidy
ADAPTIVE CREWS
Single scull
Helene Raynsford (Guildford RC/Frimley/29.12.79)
Coach: Chad King
MEN
Single scull
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks/Barnet, London/24.5.84)
Coach: Chad King
MIXED
Mixed adaptive coxed four
Vicki Hansford )Guildford RC/Lewisham/31.10.79)/
Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow Weald/15.6.83)/
Alastair Mckean (Herne Bay ARC/Whitstable/14.4.79)/
James Morgan (Deal RC/Dover/Deal Walmer & Kingsdown)/
Alan Sherman (Thames Tradesmen/London/22.10.51) (cox)
Coach: Chad King
Double scull
Karen Cromie (Royal Docks BC/Ballinamallard, Co.Fermanagh/
24.9.79)/James Roberts (Swansea/11.5.86)
Coach: Tom Dyson
