June 18, 2008 News British Rowing NewsBritish Rowing EventsRowing CommunityGB Rowing TeamIndoor RowingRowing & RegattaPartners#YourStoriesArchive Whitlam and Reeve secure Beijing place for women’s pair GB Rowing Team 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".ADVERT 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 ADVERT