August 12, 2008 News British Rowing NewsBritish Rowing EventsRowing CommunityGB Rowing TeamCompetitions and ClubsIndoor RowingPartners#YourStoriesArchive Women’s pair qualify for the final GB Rowing Team [img_assist|nid=1962|title=GB women’s pair race into Olympic final|desc=Peter Spurrier|link=none|align=right|width=440|height=268]TeamGB’s women’s pair of Louisa Reeve and Olivia Whitlam today became the fourth British crew to qualify for the weekend’s Olympic finals at Shunyi Lake, near Beijing. "I thought I’d just feel relieved at qualifying but actually I’m really pleased, too", said Reeve of their repechage race today in which they finished second behind New Zealand.ADVERT The British lightweight women’s double scull of Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell also progressed to a semi-final with a well-fought win over Greece in second. TeamGB already has as many finalists as in Athens four years ago and Sydney in 2000 but there are still seven boats with a chance of joining them – six through semi-finals and the women’s eight through a repechage. "I’m really pleased with what we’ve achieved so far", said David Tanner, TeamGB rowing team leader. "We’ve shown the strength in depth again which began to emerge first at the World Championships in Munich. Here in Beijing those who have needed to lift their standards have done so. Now we will see some fantastic racing in the next few days". Racing tomorrow begins at 15.30 local time. Beijing is seven hours ahead of the UK. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== RACE REPORTS From the outset of their lightweight women’s double scull repechage today Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell looked destined to emerge at the finish as Olympic semi-finalists. They got a good start, were first to the 500m mark and were more than a second up on the chasing Greek duo of Biskitzi and Tsiavou by the half-way point. With the sun at its fiercest for days, eased by a light headwind and under clear skies the British duo held their form and their rhythm and fought off a concerted sprint to the line from the Greeks to win in 7:24.27. "That was fine", said Hester Goodsell afterwards. "Maybe we could have paced it a bit better but I’m looking forward to the semi-final". "That semi-final will be the hardest race we have ever done together so we’ll be going all out", added Casey. TeamGB’s women’s pair were next to race. "Our target here was always to reach the final", said a composed Olivia Whitlam after the race. For many onlookers she appeared to underplay what they saw as a "fairytale" for two women who came together as recently as May to row as a pair. They qualified for the Olympic Games as late as June and have had little time together to race. Whitlam, who took up rowing just six years ago at King’s School, Chester, felt they might even have challenged the New Zealand winners more closely. "I thought we might get back at them at the end but we already had a qualifying slot and I thought we’d better not blow up at the end by going for it". Australia who were the early race leaders were overhauled by the New Zealanders at the 1500m mark and the GB duo who had been second behind the Australians for the middle part of the race went with them. "We hoped the Australians had gone out too early and we tried to keep calm. In the end we were right", said Reeve. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== PREVIEW OF TOMORROW’S RACING Tomorrow’s action for TeamGB at the rowing course includes semi-finals of the men’s single, double and four and a repechage of the women’s eight. On Thursday semi-finals continue for GB with action in the lightweight men’s and women’s doubles and the lightweight men’s four. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== TODAY’S RESULTS (Races featuring GB crews only) OPEN WOMEN Pair 1. Juliette Haigh/Nicola Coles (New Zealand) 7:32.64 2. Louisa Reeve/Olivia Whitlam (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:34.54 3. Kim Crow/Sarah Cook (Australia) 7:38.48 4. Inene Pascal-Pretre/Stephanie Dechand (France) 7:41.87 REPECHAGES Repechage 2 1. Hester Goodsell/Helen Casey (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:24.27 2. Chrysi Biskitzi/Alexandra Tsiavou (Greece) 7:24.55 3. Yaima Velazquez/Ismaray Marrero (Cuba) 7:32.14 4. Gabriela Huerta/Lila Perez Rul (Mexico) 7:41.97 5. Camila Carvalho/Luciana Granato (Brazil) 7:47.53 SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== BEIJING RACING TIMETABLE Wednesday 13 Semi-finals: Men’s single, double, pair and four Women’s single Repechages: Women’s eight Thursday 14 Semi-finals: Lightweight men’s double and four Lightweight women’s double Men’s quadruple scull B Finals: Men’s and women’s single and double and men’s four Friday 15 August Reserve day Saturday 16 August: FINALS: Men’s and women’s single, double and pair and men’s four B Finals: Lightweight men’s double and four Lightweight women’s double Men’s and women’s quadruple scull Men’s eight Sunday 17 August: FINALS Lightweight men’s double and four Lightweight women’s double Men’s and women’s quadruple scull and eight Women’s eight NB – subject to change. Please see Beijing 2008 website for up to date information. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE =============================== =============================== TEAMGB CREW LISTS Olympic Games 2008, Beijing (with clubs/home towns/dates of birth) (listed from bow to stroke as at 7 August) OPEN WOMEN Eight: Carla Ashford (Oxford Brookes BC/Northallerton/13.03.79) Beth Rodford (Thames RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82) Natasha Page (Reading Uni/Hartpury/30.04.85) Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers/West Runton/3.9.80) Jess Eddie (Uni of London/Durham/07.10.84) Sarah Winckless (Walbrook & Royal/Henley/18.10.73) Alison Knowles (Thames RC/ Bournemouth/27.3.82) Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82) Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox) Coach: John Keogh Pair Louisa Reeve (Leander/London/16.05.84)/ Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington 16.09.85) Coach: Rob Morgan Quad 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 Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75) Coach: Paul Thompson Double scull Elise Laverick (Thames RC/Poling, W.Sussex/27.07.75)/ Anna Bebington (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.2.83) Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas Alternates* Tina Stiller (Nottingham RC/Yarm, N.Yorks/23.6.87) Alice Freeman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/6.9.78) MEN Pair Robin Bourne-Taylor (Army RC/Oxford/22.07.81)/Tom Solesbury (Molesey BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80) Coach: Peter Sheppard Four Tom James (Molesey/Wrexham/11.3.84)/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)/ Tom Lucy (Oxford Brookes/Monmouth/01.05.88)/ Richard Egington (Leander/Knutsford/26.02.79)/ Josh West (Leander/Santa Fe, USA/25.03.77)/ Alastair Heathcote (Army RC/London/18.8.77)/ Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)/ 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 Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/9.5.83) Coach: Bill Barry Double Scull Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.4.79)/ Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81) Coach: Mark Earnshaw Men’s Alternates* Tom Parker (Oxford Brookes/Winchester/24.10.82) Alex Gregory (Reading Uni/Wormington/11.03.84) LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN Double scull Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni/Cambridge/27.06.84) Helen Casey (Wallingford RC/Oxford/06.02.74)/ Coach: Rob Morgan MEN 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 Lightweight Men’s Alternate* Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.1985) * Alternate=Reserve TEAM OFFICIALS ACCREDITED TEAM OFFICIALS Team Leader: David Tanner Chief Coaches: Jurgen Grobler, Paul Thompson Coaches: Miles Forbes-Thomas, John Keogh, Robin Williams, Darren Whiter, Rob Morgan, Bill Barry, Mark Earnshaw, Mark Banks, John West, Peter Sheppard Support staff: Maggie Netto, Maurice Hayes. Medical staff: Ali Sanders, Mark Edgar Press officer: Caroline Searle ADDITIONAL TRAVELLING STAFF All medical/sports science: Pam Gardner, Gill Edmonson, Ryan Bathurst, Al Smith, Mark Homer, Chris Shambrook Translator: Jennifer Song ADVERT