Nine heat winners but mixed fortunes in heats of Munich world cup

[img_assist|nid=3141|title=Hosking (left) and Goodsell were amongst today’s heat winners in Munich|desc=Picture: Peter Spurrier|link=none|align=right|width=332|height=200]
Nine GB Rowing crews won their opening heats at the world cup in Munich this morning but the two headline crews of Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed in the men’s pair and single sculler Katherine Grainger were not amongst them.

Reed and Hodge will race a repechage tomorrow, having been beaten into second place in a close finish by New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond whilst Grainger’s third place was enough to reach the semi-finals tomorrow from a race in which the three-times Olympic silver medallist looked discomfited in phases.

By contrast there was a stand-out performance by the fast-improving men’s quadruple scull of Marcus Bateman, Charles Cousins, Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend. The quartet timed their race perfectly to surge past a strong German crew in the final 400m to win and take the one qualifying place on offer for Sunday’s final.

The women’s double scull of Annabel Vernon and Anna Bebington came from a long way back to push past early leaders New Zealand and Bulgaria to win and reach Sunday’s final.

GB’s other heat winners were the men’s open and lightweight single and double sculls, the women’s lightweight double scull, the men’s four and the women’s pair.

This afternoon’s race programme features repechages for GB’s second-ranked boats in the men’s four and the lightweight men’s double scull as well as seeding races for the adaptive (Paralympic classes) crews and the women’s quadruple scull, the men’s and women’s eights.

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RACE REPORTS

Andy Hodge and Pete Reed expended a lot of energy in the opening quarter of their heat in Munich today. By 600m they seemed to have built a comfortable cushion of almost a length ahead of New Zealand. By the mid-point, though, you could sense that a battle was set to ensue. New Zealand drew level and then took a short lead before the British duo pulled back ahead by a narrow margin. In the final 400m, New Zealand put their foot down again and the British duo seemed to have little left with which to respond, giving them and their coach Jurgen Grobler something to mull overnight.

The men’s four of Alex Partridge, Matt Langridge, Alex Gregory and Ric Egington raced a composed heat. They led from a close following pack in the first half and sustained their strength in the second part to take honours at the line in 6:06.68. In an earlier heat of the same event GB’s second-ranked four were fourth and now race a repechage later today.

GB’s open men’s sculling group were also in fine form this morning. Alan Campbell was unruffled in winning a single scull heat that he led from start pontoon to finish line. Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham were also comfortable in victory. "I think that’s the first time in race that we’ve led from the very first stroke", said a delighted Wells afterwards. "We suspected it might be comfortable so we decided to go out and dominate from the start".

And, at the end of the morning’s racing programme, the GB men’s quadruple scull kept sculling’s version of a clean sheet by taking victory in 5:57.55, two seconds ahead of Germany who had held the lead at the 500m mark and who battled strongly in the second half of the race.

Katherine Grainger‘s debut world cup win in a single in Banyoles late last month placed a burden of expectation on the Olympic quadruple scull medallist here. Today, though, it was clear from the opening sequence that Grainger was not necessarily going to produce a race of her usual quality. She battled hard to keep in contention before finishing third in a race led by Julia Levina of Russia in the first half before Jtika Antosova of the Czech Republic emerged to overhaul her in the final few hundred metres.

Anna Bebington and Annabel Vernon came back from a significant deficit to beat Anna Reymer and Paula Twining of New Zealand as well as fast-finishers Bulgaria in the women’s double scull and take a place in the final. The Antipodean double produced a blistering pace in the first half but paid the penalty in the second whilst Bebington and Vernon produced a strong second half to secure victory.

Olivia Whitlam and Louisa Reeve, meanwhile, seem to grow in confidence every time they race. Today they took an early lead in the women’s pair and held onto it despite a number of challenges from German and Romanian opposition in the middle 500m. Their victory in 7:15.51 provided them with a direct route to Sunday’s final where they may meet Alice Freeman and Jess Eddie, the second-ranked GB pair who today produced a great finish to take second place behind their team-mates and will have an opportunity to progress via tomorrow’s repechages.

Adam Freeman Pask opened today’s racing programme for GB in the lightweight men’s single scull and produced a strong act to follow by winning his heat. He emerged into the lead at around the 1250m mark and had enough margin over the rest of the field to ease up in the final 50m.

Paul Mattick and Rob Williams also produced a strong performance to win their lightweight men’s double scull heat. They were second throughout the first half of the race before taking a narrow lead at the mid-way point ahead of a Polish double – a lead which they strengthened and lengthened in the second half to win in 6:33.91. GB’s second-ranked crew, the U23 lightweights and world class start rowers, Ben Rowe and John Preston, were third in their heat and now race a repechage.

The GB quartet in the lightweight men’s four are very new to racing at this level. Today they were involved in an exciting battle for the two qualifying slots with China and Germany. The British combination of Stephen Feeney, Chris Bartley, Chris Boddy and Bob Hewitt were ultimately edged into third place in the final race to the line but will be strong contenders now to emerge from the repechage to be raced tomorrow.

Britain’s lightweight female rowers are racing here in two double sculls. Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking are back together after Goodsell missed out on Banyoles because of injury. Today they looked smooth and controlled in winning in 7:18.11 after leading throughout. They will be joined at the semi-final stage by their team-mates Andrea Dennis and Laura Greenhalgh who took second place in another heat.

In advance of racing here GB Rowing withdrew its entrants in the men’s single scull (Ian Lawson), the lightweight women’s single scull (Jane Hall) and its adaptive women’s single sculler (Helene Raynsford) for either medical or other reasons.

Tom Wilkinson moved into the eight in the bow seat and Tom Broadway moved from the eight into the three seat of the second men’s four.

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RESULTS
(Races featuring GB crews only. Full results
at www.worldrowing.com)

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

1. Olivia Whitlam/Louisa Reeve (GREAT BRITAIN 1) 7:15.51
2. Alice Freeman/Lindsey Maguire (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 7:18.73
3. Katrin Reinert/Nina Wengert (Germany 2) 7:21.17
4. Adelina Cojocariu/Nicoleta Albu (Romania) 7:23.92
5. Wang Liang/Dai Li (China 2) 7:27.23
6. Liu Xiaojie/Zhang Huan (China 4) 7:31.41

Single scull

1. Jitka Antosova (Czech Republic) 7:39.59
2. Julia Levina (Russia) 7:42.41
3. Katherine Grainger (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:47.43
4. Juliane Domscheit (Germany 4) 7:55.20
5. Ulla Varvio (Finland) 7:58.80

Double scull

1. Annabel Vernon/Anna Bebington (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:59.36
2. Rumyana Neykova/Miglena Markova (Bulgaria) 7:00.74
3. Anna Reymer/Paula Twining (New Zealand) 7:06.11
4. Xu Dongxiang/Yan Shimin (China 1) 7:07.38
5. Wang Nannan/Chen Aina (China 2) 7:16.77

MEN

Pair

1. Eric Murray/Hamish Bond (New Zealand) 6:24.55
2. Peter Reed/Andrew Triggs Hodge (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:27.22
3. Adrian Juhasz/Bela Simon (Hungary) 6:58.75
4. Andrei Tatarchuk/Siarhel Danilau (Belarus) 7:02.00

Four

Heat 1
1. Germany 1 6:04.23
2. Slovenia 6:04.99
3. Poland 6:09.77
4. Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell/Peter Marsland/Tom Broadway/
James Foad (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 6:10.81
5. Croatia 2 6:10.81

Heat 3
1. Alex Partridge/Ric Egington/Alex Gregory/Matt Langridge
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:06.68
2. Netherlands 6:09.09
3. Croatia 1 6:14.52
4. Russia 1 6:18.54
5. India 6:34.64

Single scull

1. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:06.91
2. Jakob Nils Hoff (Norway 2) 7:11.14
3. Rene Bertram (Germany 2) 7:16.44
4. Martin Gulyas (Germany 1) 7:19.94
5. Stanislau Shcharbachenia (Belarus 1) 7:25.08

Double scull

1. Matt Wells/Stephen Rowbotham (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:22.51
2. Michal Sloma/Wiktor Chabel (Poland 1) 6:24.99
3. Piotr Licznerski/Arnold Sobczak (Poland 2) 6:30.57
4. Vladimir Latin/Igor Kuzmin (Estonia 2) 6:34.99
5. Jakub Houska/Petr Vitasek (Czech 3) 7:09.05

Quadruple scull

1. Charles Cousins/Marcus Bateman/Bill Lucas/Sam Towsend
(GREAT BRITAIN) 5:57.55
2. Germany 5:59.97
3. Russia 6:03.98
4. Czech Republic 6:05.24
5. Slovenia 2 6:06.83
6. Belarus 6:08.09

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Heat 1
1. Hester Goodsell/Sophie Hosking (GREAT BRITAIN 1) 7:18.11
2. Ilona Mokronowska/Weronika Deresz (Poland 1) 7:20.90
3. Emma Fredh/Karin Hoegberg (Sweden 1) 7:28.29
4. Helene Olsen/Marie Gottlieb (Sweden 2) 7:39.97
5. Ching Man Lau/Siu Man Tong (Hong Kong 2) 7:48.52

Heat 2
1. Jo Hammond/Evia Geentjens (Belgium) 7:14.89
2. Andrea Dennis/Laura Greenhalgh (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 7:17.48
3. Stefanie Borzacchini/Michaela Tauper-Traer (Austria) 7:19.87
4. Anna Alliquander/Zsuzsanna Hajdu (Hungary) 7:23.64
5. Gabriela Huerta Trillo/Lila Perez Rul (Mexico) 7:33.53

MEN

Four

1. Germany 6:11.73
2. China 1 6:13.12
3. Chris Bartley/Chris Boddy/Stephen Feeney/Bob Hewitt
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:14.32
4. Belgium 6:23.67
5. China 2 6:25.87

Single scull

1. Adam Freeman-Pask (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:06.55
2. Joschka Hellmeier (Austria 3) 7:09.37
3. Dominik Sigl (Austria 2) 7:11.73
4. Lukas Babac (Slovakia) 7:23.66
5. Matti Jaeaeskelaeinen (Finland) 7:24.73

Double scull

Heat 3
1. Rob Williams/Paul Mattick (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:33.61
2. Maruisz Stanczuk/Bartlomiej Lesniak (Poland 2) 6:36.96
3. Lars Wichert/Michael Wieler (Germany 1) 6:37.20
4. Henrik Stephansen/Steffen Jensen (Denmark 1) 6:37.22
5. Sophus Johannesen/Hans Soerensen (Denmark 2) 7:01.46

Heat 4
1. Marcello Miani/Elia Luini (Italy) 6:38.46
2. Tamas Varga/Peter Galambos (Hungary) 6:41.81
3. Ben Rowe/John Preston (GREAT BRITAIN 2) 6:43.92
4. Chow Kwong Wing/So Sau Wah (Hong Kong 1) 6:54.76
5. Martin Verdonic/Stanislav Gajdosik (Slovakia) 6:58.16

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CREW LISTS
WORLD CUP, MUNICH, GERMANY
JUNE 19-21, 2009
(Listed as bow to stroke plus cox)

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair – two boats

GBR 1
Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington/16.09.85)/Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)

GBR 2
Alice Freeman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/06.09.78)/
Jess Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)

Eight

Jo Cook (Leander/Nottingham/22.03.84)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Tina Stiller (Leander Club/Yarm/23.06.87)/
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington/16.09.85)/
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)/
Natasha Page (Reading Uni BC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/
Jess Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)

Single scull

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)

Double scull

Annabel Vernon (Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/Anna
Bebington (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)

Quadruple scull

Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)/
Sarah Cowburn (Durham Uni BC/Redditch/01.02.89)/
Rosamund Bradbury (Westminster School BC/Banstead/17.12.88)/
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/

MEN

Pair

Peter Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/Andy Triggs Hodge
(Molesey BC/Hebden, N.Yorks/03.03.79)

Four – two boats

GBR 1
Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/Richard
Egington (Leander Club/Knutsford/26.02.79)/Alex Gregory (Reading
Uni BC/Wormington/11.03.84)/Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)

GBR 2
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Uni of London/Durham/13.04.88)
Peter Marsland (Cambridge Uni BC/Hampton, Mx/06.03.85)/
Tom Broadway (Leander Club/Newport Pagnell/21.08.82)/
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/

Eight

Tom Wilkinson (Leander Club/Reading/04.07.85)/
Dan Ritchie (Reading Uni BC/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
James Orme (Leander Club/Colchester/01.04.84)/
Tom Burton (Leander Club/Barton-le-Clay, Beds/24.05.80)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
Tom Solesbury (Isis BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Tom Ransley (Cambridge University BC/ Ashford, Kent/06.09.85)/
James Clarke (London RC/London/31.12.84)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

Single scull

GBR 1
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Double scull

Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.04.79)/
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)

Quadruple Scull

Charles Cousins (Reading Univ BC/Cambridge/13.12.88)/
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)/
Bill Lucas (Reading Univ BC/Kingswear/13.09.87)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni BC/Reading/26.11.85)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull – two boats

GBR 1
Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni/Cambridge/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86)

GBR 2
Andrea Dennis (London RC/Oxford/03.01.82)/
Laura Greenhalgh (London RC/Oxford/02.09.85)

MEN

Single scull

Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC/Windsor/19.06.85)

Double scull – two boats

GBR 1
Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)/Paul Mattick
(Leander Club/Frome, Somerset/25.04.78)

GBR 2 – U23 boat

Ben Rowe (Tees RC/Middlesbrough, N.Yorks/05.11.88)/
John Preston (Reading Uni BC/Durham/16.04.89)

Four

Bob Hewitt (Tees RC/Scarborough/27.04.87)/
Chris Boddy (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/16.11.87)/
Stephen Feeney (London RC/Coleraine/12.05.85)/
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)

ADAPTIVE CREWS

Men’s Arms-only Single Scull

Two boats

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Barnet, London/24.05.1984)

Andy Houghton (Maidenhead RC/Newbury/06.04.1981)

Trunk and Arms Double Scull

James Roberts (City of Swansea RC/Swansea/11.05.1986)/
Samantha Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.1987)

Legs, Trunk and Arms Coxed Four

Vicki Hansford (University of Surrey BC/Farnborough/31.10.79)/
James Roe (Stratford-upon-Avon BC//Stratford-upon-Avon/
28.03.1988)/Dave Smith (Reading University BC/Aviemore/21.04.78) /Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow, London 15.06.1983)/Rhiannon Jones
(Reading Uni) (cox)