Nine in finals but the men’s eight is excluded

Britain has qualified nine Olympic-class boats for finals tomorrow at the World Rowing Cup following some excellent performances in today’s semi-finals and repechages.

It would have been ten but for the disqualification of the men’s eight who suffered a rudder failure whilst winning their repechage and were alleged to have interfered with the Chinese in the adjacent lane.

"I’m really pleased with our results today", said GB Team Manager, David Tanner. "They show a good depth across the team. However, we’re already seeing the opposition bunching up and medals will be tougher than ever to get tomorrow".

"The incident with the men’s eight was unfortunate as they raced extremely well to win their repechage and were looking like potential medallists tomorrow".

Great Britain have lodged an official protest at the exclusion and await the result.

In the meantime, the women’s double, men’s double, the women’s eights and the women’s quadruple scull were all either repechage or semi-final winners in hot, almost windless conditions this afternoon.

The women’s quadruple scull, who are world champions and sponsored by Camelot, thus put the disappointment of yesterday’s heats behind them.

Camelot-backed Steve Williams, Alex Partridge, Peter Reed and Andy Hodge had already pre-qualified by winning their heat yesterday as had the lightweight men’s four.

In today’s non-Olympic class finals Tim Male came from behind to beat experienced Italian Stefano Basalini to win gold in the lightweight men’s single scull.

"I put in a huge effort in the third 500m and then just held on", he said afterwards.  "It’s good to have opened Britain’s account here at the regatta".

Britain also took gold and bronze in the lightweight men’s pair. Emerging U23 pairing of Chris Bartley and Richard Chambers won the gold.  Experts had tipped them as "quick" before the arrived here and they fulfilled that promise today.

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RACE REPORTS

Alan Campbell faced his sometime training partner, friend and world champion rival Mahe Drysdale in the men’s single scull semi-finals in Poznan, Poland, this afternoon.

The New Zealander took the early lead and held it through the middle section of  the race but in the final 500m Campbell mounted a fierce fight-back. On the line it was close – with Drysdale taking the honours.

"It was a personal best for Alan so he had a good race but perhaps he let Drysdale get too far ahead.  Let’s see what happens tomorrow in the final", said Campbell’s coach Bill Barry after the race.

In the second semi-final Alex Gregory, one of GB’s U23 squad racing here, was sixth. For the first half he was in contention but faded a little in the second 1000m.

Like Campbell, Anna Bebington and Annie Vernon were gold medallists at the last world cup in Munich on their debut at senior world cup level in their current boats. Each young crew is experiencing stiffer opposition here.

It was the Chinese who forced a virtual photo finish at the line in today’s women’s double scull semi-finals with the British duo taking the verdict.  Tomorrow the British will face the world and Olympic champions from New Zealand as well as potentially tough Australian opposition.

"We always knew it was going to be close today because of the times in yesterday’s heats", said Miles Forbes Thomas, coach to the women’s double.  "The standard has gone up a level here".

Stephen Rowbotham said recently that he and Matthew Wells wanted "to be in every race to win it" so that they didn’t have to go through too many hoops to qualify for the final of each regatta.

He and Wells kept to their word today by winning their men’s double scull semi-final. They emerged in the second 500m to put themselves in a good position within the race and, although overhauled briefly by the ever-challenging Ukrainians, they went on to win in 6:14.58.  The Germans were the other qualifiers for tomorrow’s final.

Mark Hunter and James Lindsay-Fynn sculled  a near-perfect semi-final today keeping in the chase all the way down the course with the leading Australians and then making sure, in the final 500m, of their second place qualifying slot for the final tomorrow.

Three British crews contested repechages of the lightweight women’s double scull today with the potential to qualify for the four remaining places in tomorrow’s final.

In the first of the two races Antonia van Deventer and Lindsay Dick put in a strong second half performance but were unable to progress, finishing fifth.

Helen Casey and Jane Hall were clearly delighted with their second place finish in today’s repechages.  Hall, who has battled back into the sport after extended illness, and Casey were overhauled by the Poles in the final stages but were able to hold off all other challengers to book a slot in the final tomorrow.

In the same race Hester Goodsell, world U23 champion, and Jennifer Goldsack, coming back from injury, were fourth in 7:26.34.

The women’s quadruple scull looked an entirely different outfit today to the one which was taken by surprise by the Chinese in yesterday’s heats.  They were smoother and made clear their determination to win even to bankside bystanders. They took the lead by the 500m mark and never looked back holding the second-placed Germans at bay.

The women’s eight were next on the course for Great Britain. They won their repechage by two seconds from Belarus to book their place in the final.  Their performance was definitely stronger in the second half after a relatively slower start.

The men’s eight looked in control of their repechage until, with 800m to go, their rudder failed forcing cox Acer Nethercott to steer the boat with his hand in the water.
Briefly this meant that the GB boat’s oars dipped into the Chinese lane but as the British were over a length up at that point there seemed no reason to disqualify them.

The technical officials disagreed putting China through and excluding the British eight from the final for "interfering" with the Chinese.

"I’ve very disappointed", said GB Team Manager David Tanner whose subsequent official protest was turned down.  "I think it is an unjust exclusion".

Great Britain’s second men’s eight, featuring many U23s, gave some good crews a run for their money but finished just out of the qualifying slots in third place. They will now race in tomorrow’s B final.

Tim Male worked his way back up into pole position to win the lightweight men’s single scull final today.  "I knew the guys ahead of me in the early part of the race would have to pay at some point", he said. He was right.

Richard Chambers and Chris Bartley are a talented young U23 crew who have emerged this season. Today they took their lightweight men’s pair final by the scruff of the neck, overhauling the Germans at the midway point and winning in 6:54.83.  Their more experienced team-mates, Nick English and Dave Currie took bronze in 7:04.88 well ahead of the Ukrainians.

In today’s morning session, Laura Ralston,  narrowly missed out on repeating her Munich performance of reaching the final in the lightweight women’s scull. She pushed hard in the final 400m but could not quite catch the third-placed Coralie Ribeil of France.

In the later B Final she placed second in a time of 8:13.85 behind Clemence Willlaume of France who  led the race throughout.

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RESULTS – POZNAN WORLD CUP
DAY TWO – Friday June 16th, 2006

(Crews bow to stroke – plus cox – clubs
in brackets. GB crews only.  Full results
at:  www.worldrowing.com)

FINALS

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Pair

1.  Chris Bartley/Richard Chambers (GREAT BRITAIN 2)  6:54.83
2.  Ole Rueckbrodt/Felix Otto (Germany)  6:55.91
3.  Nick English/Dave Currie (GREAT BRITAIN 1)  7:04.88
4.  Oleksii Striukov/Vladyslav Sokol (Ukraine)  7:12.25

Single scull

1.  Tim Male (GREAT BRITAIN)  7:24.12
2.  Stefano Basalini (Italy)  7:25.59
3.  Michal Vabrousek (France 2)  7:28.23
4. Maxime Goisset (France 2)  7:29.00
5.  Tim Smith (Australia)  7:37.80
6.  Bastien Tabourier (France 1)  7:43.54

SEMI-FINALS

OPEN

WOMEN

Double scull

Semi-final 2
1.  Annie Vernon/Anna Bebington (GREAT BRITAIN)  6:58.21
2.  Li Qin/Liang Tian (China)  6:58.64
3.  Yana Dementieva/Natalia Ryzhkova (Ukraine)  6:59.89
4.  Jitka Antosova/Gabriela Varekova (Czech Republic)  7:02.35
5.  Aliz Konya/Lidia Veroci (Hungary)  7:10.84
6.  Wu Liping/Gao Yulan (China 1)  7:12.38

MEN

Single scull

Semi-final 1
1.  Mahe Drysdale (New Zealand)  6:40.12
2.  Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN)  6:40.68
3.  Ariel Suarez (Argentina)  6:51.59
4.  Gabor Bencksik (Hungary)  6:56.66
5.  Daniel Fratneanu (Romania)  6:59.18
6.  Leonid Gulov (Estonia 1)  7:13.10

Semi-final 2
1.  Marcel Hacker (Germany)  6:42.98
2.  Olaf Tufte (Norway)  6:45.85
3.  Lassi Karonen (Sweden)  6:46.59
4.  Yoennis Hernandez Arruez (Cuba)  6:52.85
5.  Christof Uhl (Austria)  6:55.63
6.  Alex Gregory (GREAT BRITAIN)  6:55.95

Double scull

Semi-final 2
1.  Matthew Wells/Stephen Rowbotham (GREAT BRITAIN)
     6:14.58
2.  Kostyantyn Zaitsev/Hennadii Zakharchenko (Ukraine 1)
     6:15.82
3.  Rene Bertram/Robert Sens (Germany)  6:17.52
4.  Michal Sloma/Marcin Brzezinski (Poland 1)  6:18.34
5.  Su Hui/Cui Yonghui (China) 6:20.46
6.  James Gatti/Dan Noonan (Australia)  6:24.56

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull

Semi-final 1

Heat 1
1.  Berit Carow (Germany)  8:02.57
2.  Yu Hua (China)  8:03.83
3.  Caralie Rebeil (France 2)  8:05.80
4.  Laura Ralston (GREAT BRITAIN) 8:07.31
5.  Lee Ka Man (Hong Kong) 8:23.87
6.  Orla Hayes (Ireland)  8:24.56

MEN

Double scull

Semi-final 2
1.  Tom Gibson/Sam Beltz (Australia)  6:31.47
2.  James Lindsay-Fynn/Mark Hunter 6:32.87
3.  Nuno Mendes/Pedro Fraga (Portugal) 6:36.15
4.  Oleksandr Serdiuk/Valerii Chykyrynda (Ukraine 1)  6:36.49
5.  Xie Jun/Liang Youxiang (China)  6:44.16
6.  Jose Czcy/Juan Abadie (Argentina)  7:54.01

REPECHAGES

OPEN

WOMEN

Eight

Repechage 1
1.  Baz Moffat/Alison Knowles/Vicki Etiebet/Carla Ashford/
     Natasha Howard/Natasha Page/Katie Greves/Elise
     Laverick/Caroline O’Connor (GREAT BRITAIN)  6:19.31
2.  Belarus 6:21.54
2.  Ukraine 1 6:22.73

Quadruple scull
1.  Debbie Flood/Sarah Winckless/Frances Houghton/
     Katherine Grainger (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:27.18
2.  Germany 6:28.42
3.  Denmark 6:32.74
4.  Romania 6:32.95
5.  Ukraine 6:33.44
6.  Czech Republic 6:44.97

MEN

Eight

Repechage 1
1.  Romania 5:40.59
2.  China 5:41.20
3.  Estonia 5:47.23
4.  Ukraine 5:47.45
EXC Jonno Devlin/Tom Stallard/Matt Langridge/Tom
     Solesbury/Josh West/Hugo Lee/Toby Garbett/
     Kieran West/Acer Nethercott (GREAT BRITAIN1)

Repechage 2
1.  Poland 5:45.47
2.  Germany 5:47.54
3.  Matthew Tucker/Ryan Davies/Nick Lloyd/James Orme/
     Sam Townsend/Tom Parker/Marcus Bateman/Simon
     Fieldhouse/Seb Pearce (GREAT BRITAIN 2)  5:51.81
4.  Egypt 5:58.06

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Repechage 1
1.  Sanna Sten/Minna Nieminen (Finland)  7:09.91
2.  Sinead Jennings/Niamh Ni Cheilleachair (Ireland)  7:10.29
3.  Daniela Reimer/Marie-Louise Draeger (Germany)  7:11.37
4.  Lindsay Dick/Antonia van Deventer (GREAT BRITAIN 3)  7:17.55
5.  Lena & Sara Karlsson (Sweden)  7:17.69

Repechage 2
1.  Magdalena Kemnitz/Ilona Mokronowska (Poland)  7:14.70
2.  Jane Hall/Helen Casey (GREAT BRITAIN 1)  7:15.61
3.  Liu Jing/Chen lihong (China)  7:17.81
4.  Hester Goodsell/Jennifer Goldsack (GREAT BRITAIN2) 7:26.34
5.  Ola Ahmend/Manal Mahoud (Egypt)  8:26.13

B FINALS

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull
1.  Clemence Willaume (France)  8:13.85
2. Laura Ralston (GREAT BRITAIN)  8:17.54
3.  Ilona Hiltunen (Finland) 8:22.72
4.  Hilde Gudem (Norway)  8:25.92
5.  Lee Ka Man (Hong Kong 1)  8:26.01
6.  Orla Hayes (Ireland)  8:27.97

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GB ROWING SQUADS = HOME TOWNS LIST

BRITISH ROWING SQUADS

NAME            D.O.B/PLACEofBIRTH/HOMETOWN/LIVING/ROWING CLUB

Carla Ashford        13.3.79/Northallerton, N.Yorks/Masham, N.Yorks/Brentford/
Chris Bartley        2.284/Farndon, Cheshire/Nottingham/Notts Uni
Marcus Bateman    16.9.82/Bermuda/Torquay/Henley on Thames/Reading Uni
Anna Bebington    13.2.83/Leek, Staffs/Leek/Crowthorne, Berks/Leander
Matt Beechey        3.4.77/Worcester/Worcester/Henley on Thames/Leander
Nick Brodie        6.8.96/Oxford    /Oxford/Oxford/OUBC
Alan Campbell        5.9.83/Coleraine/Coleraine/Mortlake/Tideway Scullers
Helen Casey        6.2.74/Stockport/Oxford/Oxford/Wallingford
Richard Chambers    10.6.85/??/??/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
James Clarke        13.12.84/London/London/Durham/Durham Uni
Ryan Davies        16.2.85/??/Henley on Thames/Oxford Brookes
Jonno Devlin        17.3.76/South Africa/Oxford/Putney/Oxford Brookes
Lindsay Dick        27.7.71/Strathaven/??/??Glasgow RC
Jess Eddie        7.10.84/Durham/Durham/Chiswick/Uni of London
Richard Egington    26.2.79/Knutsford/n/a/Henley on Thames/Leander
Robin Ejsmond-Frey    14.3.86/London/Hammersmith/Oxford/OUBC
Nick English        11.5.78/Coventry/Whitley Bay/Nottingham/Notts&Union
Simon Fieldhouse    4.9.76    n/a/n/a/Thames Ditton, Sy/Molesey
Debbie Flood        27.2.80/Harrogate/Leeds/Henley on Thames/Leander
Toby Garbett        14.11.76/Chertsey, Sy/West Byfleet/Ascot, Berks/Leander
Hester Goodsell    27.6.84/London/London/Cambridge/Rob Roy
Katherine Grainger    11.12.75/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Bisham, Bucks/St Andrew
Alex Gregory        11.3.84n/a/Wormington/Reading/Reading Uni
Katie Greves        2.9.82/London/Oxford/Mortlake/Uni of London
Joanna Hammond    28.1.80/Leamington Spa/Leamington/Cambridge/Leander
Daniel Harte        12.12.75n/a/n/a/Putney/London
Mike Hennessy        24.12.76/London/Deptford/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Rob Hollis        14.2.84/Wendover/Monmouth/Cowley/Oxford Brookes
Naomi Hoogesteger    22.5.81n/a/Wells/Spennymoor/Durham Uni
Frances Houghton    19.9.80/Oxford/Oxford/Putney/Uni of London
Natasha Howard    3.9.80/Harare, Zimbabwe/West Runton/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Mark Hunter        1.7.78/Forest Gate, London/Romford/Cadmore End, Bucks/Leander
Tom James        3.11.84/Cardiff/Wrexham/Cambridge/CUBC
Simon Jones        8.6.78n/a/n/a/Cropwell Butler/Leander
Alison Knowles        27.3.82/Bournemouth/Bournemouth/Putney, London/Thames Matthew Langridge    20.5.83/Northwich, Cheshire/Northwich/Henley on Thames/Leander
Elise Laverick        27.7.75/Rustington, Sx/Poling, W Sx/Putney/Thames
Ian Lawson        4.3.77/Bradford/Otley, W.Yks/Henley on Thames/Leander
Hugo Lee        5.3.84/Guildford/Jeburgh, Scottish Border/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
James Lindsay-Fynn    29.9.75/Dublin/Trim, Ireland/London/London
Rachel Loveridge    7.5.80/Swindon/Hayling Island/Putney/Thames
Tim Male        9.7.75/Yeovil, So/Yeovil/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Paul Mattick        25.4.78n/a/Oxford/Wallingford
Acer Nethercott    28.11.77/Newmarket/Harlow, Ex/Oxford/OUBC
Lorna Norris        23.12.75n/a/na/a/Mortlake/Mortlake Anglian
Caroline O’Connor    25.4.83Ealing/Ealing/Ealing/Oxford Brookes   
Natasha Page        30.4.85n/a/Hartpury/Reading/Reading Uni
Charlie Palmer        25.10.78/Melbourne    Hagley, Tasmania/Cambridge/CUBC
Tom Parker        24.10.82/Hammersmith/Winchester/Oxford/OUBC
Alex Partridge        25.1.81/San Francisco/Alton, Hants/East Sheen/Leander
Seb Pearce        10/5/82/?/Bromsgrove/Oxford/OUBC
Peter Reed        27.7.81/Seattle, USA/Nailsworth/Oxford/Leander
Beth Rodford        28.12.82/Burton/Trent/Gloucester/Cowley/Thames   
Steve Rowbotham    11.11.81n/a/Winscombe/West Molesey/Leander
Rebecca Rowe        16.5.81/Bridgend/Cardiff/Cardiff/Rebecca
Phil Simmons        6.2.75/Wimbledon/Thames Ditton/Thames Ditton/Molesey
Colin Smith        3.9.83/ Harare, Zimbabwe/Henley on Thames/Oxford/OUBC
Tom Stallard        11.9.78/London/Welwyn, Herts/London/Leander
James Stephenson    4.4.77/n/aChipstead/Thames Ditton    /Molesey
Florence Temple    11.3.79/Harlow/Northampton/Putney/Thames
Sam Townsend    n/a/ Reading/Reading/Reading/Reading Uni
Andrew Triggs Hodge    3.8.79/Aylesbury/Hebden, Skipton/East Molesey/Molesey
Matt Tucker        5.1.85/??/Winkfield, Nr Windsor/Oxford Brookes
Antonia van Deventer    23.7.78/?/London/Rob Roy
Annie Vernon        1.9.82n/a/Wadebridge, Cornwall/Marlow, Bucks/Thames
Matthew Wells        19.4.79/Bradford/Hexham, Northumberland/East Sheen/Uni of London
Josh West        25.3.77/Santa Fe, USA/Santa Fe/Oxford/Leander
Kieran West MBE    18.9.77/Kingston-upon-Thames/W. Byfleet/Mortlake/CUBC
Steve Williams        15.4.76/Warwick/Cheltenham/Henley/Leander
Sarah Winckless    18.10.73/Reading/Hurley, Bucks/Marlow, Bucks/Walbrook