Purchase wins and GB take three adaptive medals

Zac Purchase returned to competitive international racing for the first time since the Beijing Olympic Games and continued where he ended there by taking gold, this time in the lightweight single scull at the world cup in Bled.

Purchase, from Tewkesbury, won with ease, having led the field throughout and now has an unbroken run of 16 race victories since early 2008 under his belt.

‘It’s great to be back. I love racing, it’s what you train every day for”, he said despite winning his gold in heavy rain.

Chris Boddy and Adam Freeman-Pask also acquitted themselves well here. They were in the chasing pack behind the French leaders of the lightweight men’s pair throughout the final and took bronze in 6:54.50. Earlier they led the Serbian silver medallists but could not fend off their fast finish.

“We’ve only been together in the pair for a couple of months and we know we’ve got the speed to eventually challenge these guys in the future”, added Boddy who likened the conditions in Bled today to a normal training day at his home club in Tees.

Tom Aggar and Andy Houghton brightened the gloomy weather by taking a one-two for Britain in the Paralympic classes.  Aggar, the reigning Paralympic champion, got a good start and was a length ahead at 500m to win in 5:03.46 to Houghton’s 5:11.82. Spain were third and Russia fourth.

“I’m pleased with today. I’ve been preparing consistently well and in the squad and internationally I’ve never felt fitter or stronger”, said Aggar.

“I’m disappointed with my row today. I just didn’t do it.  I can’t convert my training into racing”, said Houghton.

In the ensuing mixed adaptive coxed four Britain took the early initiative and were leading by two seconds from the Ukraine at halfway. Brought together recently, this new combination has surged into international recognition with a win at the Varese International Regatta.

Coxed by Rhiannon Jones the quartet of Kelsie Gibson, James Roe, Naomi Riches and Ryan Chamberlain came home to win in 3:31.74.

“We’ve all gelled really quickly and we’ve all got the same goals”, said Riches.

“It’s superb”, said Chamberlain. “It all came together in that race when it mattered”.

NB RACING TOMORROW IN BLED HAS BEEN BROUGHT
FORWARD BECAUSE OF THREATENED STORMS AND
WILL START AT 8.50AM (7.50AM UK TIME) AND
WILL COMMENCE WITH THE A FINALS RATHER THAN THE
B FINALS.

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RESULTS
(GB Boats only. Full results at:  www.worldrowing.com)

FINALS

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Single scull

1.  Zac Purchase (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:14.71
2.  Maxime Goisset (France 1) 7:21.22
3.  Alison Silva (Brazil) 7:23.74
4.  Lukas Babac (Slovakia) 7:27.86
5.  Daniel Sigurjoersson Benet (Spain) 7:30.23
6.  Frabrizio Gabriele (Italy 2) 7:35.45

Pair

1.  Fabien Tilliet/Jean-Christophe Bette (France) 6:49.33
2.  Nenad Babovic/Milos Tomic (Serbia) 6:51.81
3.  Adam Freeman-Pask/Chris Boddy (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:54.50
4.  Vincent Cavard/Nicolas Moutton (France 2) 6:56.94
5.  Fabian Qyarzun Zbinden/Miguel Cerda Silva (Chile) 6:57.68
6.  Luca Motta/Giorgio Tuccinardi (Italy 3)  6:58.03

ADAPTIVES

MEN

Single scull

1.  Tom Aggar (GREAT BRITAIN)  5:03.46
2.  Andrew Houghton (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:11.82
3.  Edorta De Anta Lecuona (Spain) 5:16.61
4.  Alexey Chuvashev (Russia) 5:19.98
5.  Benjamin Houlison (Australia) 5:19.98
6.  Andrii Kryvchun (Ukraine) 5:21.01

MIXED

Adaptive coxed four

1.  Kelsie Gibson/Naomi Riches/James Roe/Ryan Chamberlain/
    Rhiannon Jones (GREAT BRITAIN) 3:31.74
2.  Germany 3:35.40
3.  Ukraine 3:35.90
4.  Ireland 3:37.91
5.  Poland 3:46.51
6.  Italy 3:50.46

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CREW LISTS
2010 Rowing World Cup, Bled, Slovenia (28-30 May)
(listed bow to stroke plus cox)

OPEN

WOMEN

Pairs – three boats

Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft RC/Warrington/16.09.85)/
Louisa Reeve (LeanderClub/London/16.05.84)

Jessica Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/

Helen Glover (Reading Uni BC/Penzance/17.06.86)/
Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)

Eight

Jo Cook (Leander Club/Sunbury-on-Thames/22.03.84)/
Louisa Reeve (LeanderClub/London/16.05.84)/
Natasha Page (Reading Uni BC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/
Victoria Thornley (Minerva Bath/Wrexham/30.11.87)/
Jessica Eddie (Uni of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft RC/Warrington/16.09.85)/
Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)

Single scull – two boats

Melanie Wilson (Molesey BC/London/25.6.84)

Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Guiseley/27.02.80)/

Double scull – two boats

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)/
Anna Watkins (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)

Quadruple scull

Annabel Vernon (Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.12.82)/
Anna Watkins (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.02.83)/
Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)

OPEN

MEN

Pair – two boats

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

Cameron Nichol (Molesey/Glastonbury/26.6.87)/
Tom Burton (Leander Club/Barton-le-Clay, Beds/24.05.80)

Four

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

Eight

Tom Wilkinson (Leander Club/Reading/04.07.85)/
James Clarke (London RC/London/31.12.84)/
James Orme (Leander Club/Colchester/01.04.84)/
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
Greg Searle (Molesey BC/Marlow/20.03.72)/
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Uni of London/Durham/13.04.88)/
Daniel Ritchie (Herne Bay RC/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

Single scull – two boats

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Brendan Crean (Agecroft/Lewes/07.02.85)

Double scull – two boats

Matthew Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.04.79)
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club/Torquay/16.09.82)/

Bill Lucas (Reading Uni BC/Kingswear/13.09.87)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Uni BC/Reading/26.11.85)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull – two boats

Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni BC/London/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86)

Stephanie Cullen (London RC/Putney, London/27.11.80)/
Andrea Dennis (Reading Uni BC/Oxford/03.01.82)

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Pair

Chris Boddy (Leander Club/Stockton-on-Tees/16.11.87)/
Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC/Windsor/19.06.85)

Four

Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85)/
Paul Mattick (Leander Club/Frome, Somerset/25.04.78)/
Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.85)/
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)

Single scull
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury/02.05.86)

Double scull

Ben Rowe (Tees RC/Middlesbrough/05.11.88)/
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Uni RC/Coleraine/14.03.90)

ADAPTIVE

Mixed adaptive coxed four

Kelsie Gibson (Maidstone Invicta RC)/
James Roe (Reading Uni BC//Stratford-upon-Avon/28.03.88)/
Ryan Chamberlain (King’s College London BC/London/03.04.86)/
Naomi Riches (Leander/Harrow, London 15.06.83)/
Rhiannon Jones (Reading Uni BC/Hereford/16.09.87) (cox)

ASM1x – two boats

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Barnet, London/24.05.84)
Andy Houghton (Maidenhead RC/Newbury/06.04..81)