June 3, 2007 News British Rowing NewsBritish Rowing EventsRowing CommunityGB Rowing TeamCompetitions and ClubsIndoor RowingPartners#YourStoriesArchive Best world cup yet for GB GB Rowing Team Britain’s performance at the opening world cup of the 2007 season, in Linz, Austria, was nothing short of outstanding with eight Olympic class boats taking medals – four of them gold – from one of the world’s toughest fields. Britain also took the overall world cup trophy on points from Germany. The men’s four, sponsored by Camelot, extended their unbeaten run to 27 races by making light of the Dutch challenge and the women’s quadruple scull, stroked by Katherine Grainger, built on an early lead to win gold.ADVERT One of the more spectacular victories of the day came from Colin Smith and Matt Langridge in a newly-formed Siemens-sponsored men’s pair which is coached by Jurgen Grobler. They were last at the 1000m mark but stormed through the second half to win their first world cup gold. Siemens-backed Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham, world championships bronze medallists last year, also picked up their first world cup gold of all time in the men’s double scull. And the British men’s lightweight four of James Clarke, Paul Mattick, James Lindsey-Fynn and Richard Chambers, sponsored by Siemens, made history by taking the country’s first world cup medal in this boat class. There was a silver for Alan Campbell in the men’s single scull and for the lightweight men’s double scull of Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter as well as a silver for the women’s eight – all Siemens-backed boats. Lottery-backed Daniel Harte and Matt Beechey, were bronze medallists in the lightweight men’s pair – a non-Olympic boat class. "This was an extremely good start to our season with some outstanding performances from new combinations", said David Tanner, the GB Performance Director, "especially given the quality of the field". But he sounded a note of caution. "It will get harder as the season progresses, though, as we approach the World Championships in Munich". The next world cup regatta is in Amsterdam from June 22-24. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== RACE REPORTS Matt Langridge and Colin Smith, in the Siemens- sponsored men’s pair, were placed within a five-boat chasing pack behind the Skelin brothers of Croatia, 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallists, who produced a blistering start in today’s final in Linz. At the half-way point the Germans had hauled back the Croatians but Britain were last. In a remarkable turn of fortunes, Matt Langridge in the stroke seat lifted the effort and the rate and brought Britain up into the silver medal place at 1500m. To the gasps of the grandstands they continued their momentous charge to take their first world cup gold – all the more remarkable for it being on their debut at world cup level in this pairing – in 6:29.77. "Taking the lead with 250m to go is a good feeling", said Langridge. "You know that you’re almost home". In the men’s double scull final Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham positioned themselves well in third place in the first half of the race with the French in the lead. Just past that 1000m mark they made a move to push past the Australians and just as the 1500m marker arrived they were a whisper in the lead. No-one in this world class field, was about to give up, though, and there was a dog-fight in the final 500m with Wells and Rowbotham getting the strongest finish and holding on to win their first world cup gold to add to world championship bronze of last year in 6:18.55. "It’s all about staying as controlled as we can for as long as we can", said Wells afterwards. "We know that if we’re still in contention at 1000m we have a good chance of doing something", said Rowbotham. Britain’s men’s four of Steve Wililams, Alex Partridge, Peter Reed and Andy Hodge, sponsored by Camelot, were next to race in the same heavy rain which dogged the afternoon’s racing in Austria. By 500m they had a second in hand over the second-placed Dutch and the margin remained the same through 1000m and 1500m with France tucked behind the Dutch in third place. By the line the Dutch had an overlap – but only just – with the French in third. This was another statesmanlike performance from the men’s four who are now unbeaten in 27 international races. "Races like the ones we’ve had this weekend keep us on our toes", said Olympic and world champion Williams after the race, "but there is more work to do". "I thought we raced maturely here to win but we won’t ever stop trying to improve until the Olympic final", added strokeman Hodge. Reed, recently promoted in his job with the Royal Navy to lieutenant, added: "I think the win here is a result of the hard work that we’ve put in already this year. I’m very pleased". Former world champion Marcel Hacker of Germany and Alan Campbell of GB got a storming start to the men’s single scull final in Linz. Campbell, though, was more than a second ahead by the 500m mark with Olympic champion Olaf Tufte, of Norway, in the background. By the 1000m mark Campbell, the overall world cup winner last year from Coleraine, had created clear water over the field to lead by more than two seconds. In the next phase Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic made a move to narrow Campbell’s lead to half a length by the 1500m mark. Tufte and Hacker were not that far behind. In the final 250m Synek overhauled Campbell who tried to unleash his sprint finish. The result was a dramatic race to the line with the Czech just taking the edge by mere parts of a second, with Campbell winning silver in 6:47.96. Hacker was third. "It was a good final for me. I pushed it all the way. I’ve still more work to do. This isn’t the finished article yet", said Campbell afterwards. The British men’s eight, in the final men’s open weight race of the day, showed that it had not quite yet found a spark in its racing. Stroked by newcomer and British Army officer Alastair Heathcote, the crew put in a solid race and were still in contention for most of the course. In the final 500m they could not quite find enough to power into the medals and finished fifth. Britain’s most successful female rower of all-time, Katherine Grainger had stroked her Camelot-sponsored crew to a length and a half lead by the mid-way point of the women’s quadruple scull final today in Linz. With three-quarters of the race behind them the reigning world champions were almost five seconds ahead of the Chinese in second place. Small wonder that,with the British having expended such machine-like effort, that the Chinese had pulled back to within a length by the finish but there was no cause for concern for the defending overall world cup champions. "We have wanted to get a fast start for the past few seasons but we’ve never really managed to achieve it", said Grainger. "Today we were thrilled to get out quickly and demolish the field early". "Today was the kind of race that you dream of", said Houghton. "We know it will get harder with other countries amalgamating and strengthening but today was one fantastic". Caroline O’Connor, cox to the British women’s eight, sponsored by Siemens, knew that her crew were battling for second and third throughout their final today. Every time she called for more, the crew responded. "You could feel the boat lift each time", said Baz Moffat afterwards. "That gave us great confidence". "Our coach John Keogh has given us such a clear idea of what is needed", said Carla Ashford, "and we’ve tried to put it together". The women’s pair of Natasha Howard and Alison Knowles have been enjoying their world cup debut in this event. At the 500m mark in the final they were holding third place with Canada and Australia out in front. By the half-way point, though, they had dropped back to fourth behind the Americans. For the next 500m the Americans and British traded the bronze medal slot between them with Britain taking the honours at the timing point of 1500m. Yet in the final 500m Howard and Knowles could not sustain their place and finished fifth in 7:15.81 in a race won by Australia. In the Siemens-backed lightweight men’s double scull Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase were in second place at the 500m mark behind the leaders Denmark with Canada third. In the next quarter of the race the British duo held on to their place well whilst the Danes marginally extended their lead. With 500m to go, the Danish world champions had moved out to a two length lead but GB had created a length over a chasing pack of three boats – Canada, Japan, Hungary. The positions remained unchanged as the boats crossed the line. This was a solid debut for the duo in this boat class, bettering Hunter’s bronze with James Lindsey-Fynn a year ago in Poznan. "I’d like to think we were gaining ground on the Danes at the finish", said Purchase afterwards. "We work well as a unit", added Hunter. "Just when I felt we should be pushing on, Zac was already making the calls. It was poetry". In the ensuing lightweight men’s four final Great Britain’s new Siemens-backed line-up were second at 500m – just 0.25 behind China. By the halfway mark the crew, stroked by James Clarke, were in third with Italy having surged into the lead in a tightly-contested field. With two-thirds of the race gone, the leading trio had reshuffled several times before settling into Italy, China, Great Britain in that order once more. As bowman Richard Chambers looked over his shoulder going towards the line he would have been able to confirm that Italy had won, with China a close second, and Great Britain in bronze to win their first-ever world cup medal in this boat class. A quarter-way through the lightweight men’s pair final Daniel Harte and Matt Beechey, for Great Britain, were in third place behind Italy and the Netherlands but the gap was measured in half-metres rather than boat lengths. By the three-quarter mark Italy still had a lengthening lead but there were mere millimetres between the Netherlands and GB behind them. As the crews approached the grandstands Holland found something extra to take second by three-quarters of a length from the British who finished third in 6:48.68 to take bronze. "We were aiming to win so we’re slightly disappointed", said Harte afterwards. Ismaray Aria Marrero made all the early running in the lightweight women’s single scull final, featuring British newcomer Andrea Dennis – a lab technician at Oxford Brookes University. By the 1000m mark Dennis was in fourth place with a tightly-packed head of the race still headed by eventual winner Cuba but with a strong challenge from Austria and Italy. At the 1500m timing point Dennis had slipped back to fifth and in the final 500m she was overhauled by Orla Duddy of Ireland to finish in sixth. Home nation Austria, meanwhile, celebrated an early medal with Michaela Taupe taking silver. B FINALS Britain enjoyed two B Final wins in the early morning session of racing at Linz today. Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell paced their race to come up through the field and win the lightweight women’s double scull in 7:19.73 Earlier Sophie Hosking won the lightweight women’s single, leading by leading from just beyond the 500m mark to the finish. The British men’s quadruple scull put in a major push with 300m to go to draw level with the leading Australian boat and overtake them by a a few feet. In one of the best contested finishes of the morning, the Australians responded just in time to take back the lead at the line, with Britain in second by just five tenths of a second. Alasdair Leighton Crawford was fourth in the lightweight men’s single. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== RESULTS (British crews only, listed bow to stroke – full results: www.worldrowing.com) FINALS OPEN WOMEN Pair 1. Kim Crow/Sarah Cook (Australia 4) 7:03.39 2. Megan Cooke/Anna Nickelson (USA 1) 7:10.49 3. Susan Francia/Caroline Lind (USA 2) 7:11.97 4. Darcy Marquardt/Jane Rumball (Canada) 7:12.38 5. Natasha Howard/Alison Knowles (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:15.81 6. Robyn Selby Smith/Natalie Bale (Australia 2) 7:20.45 Eight 1. Germany 1 6:16.81 2. Baz Moffat/Carla Ashford/Georgina Menheneott/Jess Eddie/ Beth Rodford/Natasha Page/Katie Greves/Louisa Reeves/ Caroline O’Connor (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:18.07 3. Netherlands 6:18.31 4. Canada 6:20.15 5. Australia 6:21.93 6. China 1 6:22.79 Quadruple scull 1. Annie Vernon/Debbie Flood/Frances Houghton/Katherine Grainger (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:26.90 2. China 1 6:29.43 3. Germany 6:33.13 4. China 2 6:34.66 5. Romania 6:36.38 6. France 6:36.57 MEN Pair 1. Colin Smith/Matt Langridge (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:29.77 2. Sinisa & Niksa Skelin (Croatia) 6:31.06 3. Andreas Penkner/Jochen Urban (Germany 1) 6:32.24 4. Jakub Makovicka/Jan Schindler (Czech Republic) 6:32.28 5. Scott Frandsen/Barney Williams (Canada) 6:32.78 6. Erwan Peron/Luarent Cadot (France) 6:35.69 Four 1. Steve Williams/Peter Reed/Alex Partridge/Andy Hodge (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:56.44 2. Netherlands 5:58.30 3. France 5:58.85 4. Czech Republic 6:01.86 5. Germany 1 6:02.64 6. Slovenia 1 6:04.24 Eight 1. Canada 5:40.98 2. Belarus 5:43.00 3. China 5:43.45 4. Russa 5:43.98 5. Jonno Devlin/Tom Stallard/Tom Lucy/Hugo Lee/Josh West/ Richard Egington/Robin Bourne-Taylor/Alastair Heathcote/ Acer Nethercott (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:44.98 6. Netherlands 5:46.26 Single scull 1. Ondrej Synek (Czech Republic) 6:47.96 2. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:48.36 3. Marcel Hacker (Germany) 6:50.80 4. Olaf Tufte (Norway 1) 6:52.19 5. Iztok Cop (Slovenia 1) 6:52.21 6. Sjoerd Hamburger (Netherlands) 7:05.69 Double scull 1. Matthew Wells/Stephen Rowbotham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:18.55 2. Rene Bertram/Robert Sens (Germany 1) 6:19.01 3. Igor Kuzmin/Allar Raja (Estonia 2) 6:19.67 4. Jean-Baptiste Macquet/Adrien Hardy (France) 6:19.79 5. Tonu Endrekson/Jueri Jaanson (Estonia 1) 6:19.85 6. Scott Brennan/David Crawshay (Australia) 6:19.87 LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN Single scull 1. Ismaray Aria Marrero (Cuba 1) 7:57.46 2. Michaela Taupe (Austria) 7:59.05 3. Luara Tasch (Germany 1) 8:00.04 4. Erika Bello (Italy 1) 8:01.81 5. Orla Duddy (Ireland) 8:07.21 6. Andrea Dennis (GREAT BRITAIN) 8:08.19 MEN Pair 1. Andrea Caianiella/Armando Dell’Aquila (Italy) 6:45.33 2. Roleand Lievens/Paul Drewes (Netherlands) 6:47.27 3. Matt Beechey/Daniel Harte (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:487.68 4. John Sasi/Terence McKall (Canada) 6:53.80 5. Nicola Moriconi/Fabrizio Gabrielle 6:56.34 6. Kasper Winther/Asbjoern Joensen (Denmark) 6:58.03 Four 1. China 6:03.13 2. Italy 1 6:03.71 3. Richard Chambers/James Lindsey-Fynn/Paul Mattick/ James Clarke (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:04.74 4. Netherlands 6:06.02 5. Italy 2 6:06.67 6. USA 6:06.89 Double scull 1. Mads Rasmussen/Rasmus Quist (Denmark) 6:23.12 2. Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:26.83 3. Matt Jensen/Douglas Vandor (Canada) 6:29.68 4. Kazushige Ura/Diasaku Takeda (Japan) 6:29.93 5. Zsolt Hirling/Tamas Varga (Hungary 1) 6:30.13 6. Vasileios Polymeros/Dimitrios Mougios (Greece) 6:38.03 B FINALS OPEN MEN Quadruple scull 1. Australia 6:01.39 2. Simon Fieldhouse/Sam Townsend/Alex Gregory/ Ian Lawson (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:01.86 3. Belarus 6:03.89 4. Czech Republic 6:06.79 5. China 6:08.84 6. Hungary 6:10.70 LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN Single scull 1. Sophie Hosking (GREAT BRITAIN) 8:08.22 2. Yaima Velazquez (Cuba 2) 8:09.78 3. Daniela Reimer (Germany 2) 8:10.38 4. Ilona Hiltunen (Finland) 8:11.47 5. Carola Tamboloni (Italy 2) 8:17.19 6. Ibtissem Trimech (Tunisia) 8:17.23 Double scull 1. Helen Casey/Hester Goodsell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:19.73 2. Magdalena Kemnitz/Ilona Mokronowska (Poland 1) 7:22.59 3. Sine Christiansen/Kirsten Jepsen (Denmark 2) 7:22.21 4. Sonia Boubeta Curras/Teresa Mas de Xaxars (Spain) 7:23.10 5. Laura Milani/Erika Mai (Italy) 7:30.17 6. Sinead Jennings/Niamh Ni Cheilleacher (Ireland) 7:36.43 MEN Single scull 1. Arnaud Pornin (France) 7:21.64 2. Rolandas Kazlauskas (Hong Kong 2) 7:22.51 3. Mete Yeltepe (Turkey 1) 7:22.66 4. Alasdair Leighton Crawford (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:24.78 5. Valeri Porsvirnin (Estonia) 7:27.04 6. Song Zhenggang (China) 7:28.46 SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== GB CREWS FOR FIRST WORLD CUP OF 2007 LINZ, AUSTRIA, 1-3 JUNE (listed bow to stroke with club/home town/date of birth in brackets after name) OPEN WOMEN WOMEN Pair Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.3.82)/ Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers/West Runton/3.9.80) Eight Baz Moffat (Thames RC/Bradford/8.4.78)/Jess Eddie (Uni of London/Durham/7.10.84)/Georgina Menheneott (Mortlake, Anglian & Alpha RC/North Bradley, Wilts /18.12.78) Louise Reeve (Leander/…./16.05.84)/Beth Rodford (Thames RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)/Carla Ashford (Thames RC/Northallerton/13.3.79)/ Katie Greves (Uni of London/Oxford/2.9.82)/Natasha Page (Reading Uni/Hartpury/30.4.85)/Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes/ Ealing/25.4.83) Quadruple scull Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Leeds/27.2.80)/Annie Vernon (Thames RC/Wadebridge/1.9.82)/Fran Houghton (Uni of London/Oxford/19.9.80)/Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75) MEN Pair Colin Smith (Leander/Henley on Thames/3.9.83)/Matt Langridge (Leander/Northwich/20.5.83) Four – two boats Steve Williams (Leander Club/Cheltenham/15.4.76)/Peter Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.7.81)/Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.1.81)/Andy Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden, N.Yorks/3.8.79) Marcus Bateman (Leander/Torquay/16.9.82)/Tom Parker (OUBC/Winchester/24.10.82)/Kieran West (CUBC/West Byfleet/ 18.9.77)/James Orme (Leander/Colchester/1.4.84) Eight Jonno Devlin (Oxford Brookes/Putney/17.3.76)/Tom Stallard (Leander/Welwyn, Herts/11.9.78)/Tom Lucy (Oxford Brookes/ Monmouth/1.5.88)/Hugo Lee (Oxford Brookes/Jedburgh/5.3.84)/ Josh West (Leander/Santa Fe/25.3.77)/Richard Egington (Leander/Knutsford/26.2.79)/Robin Bourne-Taylor (Army RC/Oxford/22.7.81)/ Alastair Heathcote (Army RC/London/18.08.77)/Acer Nethercott (OUBC/Harlow/28.11.77) Single Scull Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/9.5.83) Double Scull Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.4.79)/ Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81) Quadruple scull Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey/Thames Ditton/4.9.76)/Sam Townsend (Reading Uni/Reading/26.11.85)/Alex Gregory (Reading Uni/ Wormington/11.3.84)/Ian Lawson (Leander/Oltey, W.Yorks/4.3.77) LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN Single scull (two boats) Andrea Dennis (Wallingford RC/…../03.01.82) Sophie Hosking (Durham Uni/Wimbledon/25.01.86) Double scull (two boats) Helen Casey (Wallingford RC/Oxford/6.2.74)/ Hester Goodsell (Rob Roy/Cambridge/27.6.84) Jane Hall (Leander/Caversham/20.10.73)/ Mathilde Pauls (Imperial College BC/…../26.09.83) MEN Pair Matt Beechey (Leander/Worcester/3.4.77)/Daniel Harte (London/Edinburgh/12.12.75) Four Richard Chambers (Oxford Brookes/Coleraine/10.6.85)/ James Lindsay-Fynn (London/Trim/29.9.75)/Paul Mattick (Wallingford/Oxford/25.4.78)/James Clarke (London RC/ London/13.12.84) Single scull Alasdair Leighton-Crawford (Tideway Scullers/Richmond-upon-Thames/09.12.81) Double scull Mark Hunter (Leander Club/Romford, Essex/1.7.78)/ Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury, Glos/2.5.86) ADVERT