Beighton and Scowen book first GB 2012 place

Nick Beighton and Sam Scowen became the first boat to win the nation a qualifying place for the 2012 Games today when they qualified for the final of their Paralympic-class mixed adaptive double.

The duo were second to Australia in their repechage but the performance was good enough to guarantee the all-important top eight finish on  Slovenia’s Lake Bled in this morning’s session of the World Championships.

“It’s a big relief to qualify for the Games. That has been our target here all along”, said Beighton, a Captain in the British Army.

Utter despair, by contrast, showed on the faces of Mel Wilson, Beth Rodford, Annabel Vernon and Debbie Flood,  the latter three of whom are reigning world champions, when they failed to get through to the final of the women’s quadruple scull in a tight repechage finish with winners USA and China.

0.75 of a second separated the British and the Chinese at the line as all three crews sprinted for the line with  America’s margin of victory being 12 hundredths of a second.

To achieve a London Olympic Games place the quartet will now need to win Thursday’s B Final.

Asked about the tight finish Vernon said:  “That’s sport, you’ve got to be on the right side of those margins when it counts.

“We have no-one to blame but ourselves.  It wasn’t our worst rowing today but it wasn’t our best either”.

The GB men’s quadruple scull compensated somewhat later in the session, coming through their repechage to achieve a semi-final place.  Again, the margins were tight with New Zealand taking the verdict over GB by just 0.01 of a second.

“I’m pleased that our men’s quad got through and clearly delighted with the mixed adaptive double’s result. It’s a surprise that our women’s quad are not in the final. They were certainly capable of it.  They have been on the wrong side of two very tight finishes here in both the heat and the semis and it shows how strong the fields are here in Bled”, said GB Performance Director, David Tanner.

Adam Freeman Pask is also through to the semi-finals here in the international class lightweight men’s single scull. He led from the front to win his repechage.

Tomorrow’s racing programme will see GB boats contesting the semi-finals of the women’s pair, men’s eight and lightweight men’s pair as well as repechages of the women’s eight and single.

Alan Campbell races in the quarter-finals of the men’s single whilst Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase will be in the quarter-finals of the lightweight men’s double scull.
 
 
*SIEMENS is the high performance partner of the GB Rowing Team
(as such they sponsor all the Olympic and Paralympic Class
boats in the senior squad and add value to the GB Rowing
Teams’ Start and High Performance Programme in Clubs Schemes)

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RACE REPORTS

The GB Rowing Team women’s quadruple scull looked focussed and connected off the start of their repechage in Bled this morning. A top two finish would see them into Thursday’s final but also book the boat a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Stroke Debbie Flood set the rhythm and pace which saw them reach the 500m mark first in 1:32.48 from the USA and China.

At halfway they still held the lead but a slim one.  By the 1500m mark the quartet of Mel Wilson, Beth Rodford, Annabel Vernon and Flood were marginally down on the USA, setting up a  tough final 500m in the choppy conditions, as China picked up their pace, too.

The effort from the three boats was palpable as each strived to take one of the vital two qualifying spots.  At the line the USA took victory and GB were outdone in the last few strokes by China.

That leaves the British boat needing to win the B final in order to get a place in London.

Sam Townsend, Bill Lucas, Tom Solesbury and Stephen Rowbotham were towards the back of a totally tight pack behind Estonia in the repechage of the equivalent men’s event in the first half of the race.

By halfway they were beginning to get into their rhythm behind New Zealand and Estonia who were still in the lead.

Looking smooth and strong the four men piled on the power in the final 500m to overhaul Estonia and challenge for first with New Zealand, losing out by just one hundredth of a second. They are now safely through to Friday’s semi-final. France came through to pip Estonia for third on the line.

Adam Freeman-Pask had the lead in his repechage of the lightweight men’s single scull by the 500m mark with only the top two able to progress to the semi-finals.

Hong Kong and Turkey were his nearest challengers. By halfway the Masters Engineering student was two seconds ahead of the field.

In the final 500m the Turkish sculler Huseyin Kandemir put in a big push past the Island but Freeman Pask made sure of his semi-final place with a win in 7:00.40. Hong Kong finished third.

Earlier in the day, Sam Scowen and Nick Beighton came through in second place from their repechage of the mixed adaptive double scull to gain not only the final here but also a qualifying place for the boat at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The new GB combination took the race by the throat with a good start putting them in contention for one of the two qualifying places from the outset. They led at halfway but were caught by Australia who won in 4:10.82 to GB’s 4:11.92.

Scowen said  “I’m thrilled to have qualified the double for London 2012 and to be the first British crew to qualify for the Games is an honour.  Poland were third – seven seconds behind.

“We went out there and did what we had to do. Our focus now is on the final on Saturday.  It’s going to be a really tight race and we are really looking forward to it”.

Beighton added:  “It’s a big relief to qualify for the Games. That has been our target here all along. I know it sounds a bit backwards but the pressure is off us for the final really and we can just go out there and do our best”.

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RESULTS
(Events featuring GB Rowing Team crews only. Full results:
www.worldrowing.com)

REPECHAGES

OPEN

WOMEN

Quadruple scull

1.  USA 6:19.03
2.  China 6:19.15
3.  Mel Wilson/Beth Rodfod/Annabel Vernon/Debbie Flood
     (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:19.90
4.  Italy 6:38.23

MEN

Quadruple scull

1.  New Zealand 5:46.76
2.  Tom Solesbury/Stpehen Rowbotham/Sam Townsend/Bill Lucas
     (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:46.77
3.  France 5:47.78
4.  Estonia 5:48.70
5.  Slovenia 5:54.40
6.  Denmark 5:59.40

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Single scull

1.  Adam Freeman-Pask (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:04.00
2.  Huseyin Kandemir (Turkey) 7:07.03
3.  So Sau Wah (Hong Kong) 7:07.27
4.  Diogo Pinheiro (Portugal) 7:09.61
5.  Kamal Mammodov (Azerbajan) 7:14.63
6.  Ruthtanaphol Theppibal (Thailand) 7:26.95

ADAPTIVE

MIXED

Double scull

1.  John Maclean/Kathryn Ross (Australia) 4:10.82
2.  Nick Beighton/Sam Scowen (GREAT BRITAIN) 4:11.92
3.  Michal Gadowski/Jolanta Pawlak (Poland) 4:18.34
4.  Jacqueline Kapinowski/Anthony Davis (USA) 4:27.38
5.  Dejan Fabcic/Mojca Tomazin (Slovenia) 5:59.42

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GB ROWING TEAM CREW-LISTS
2011 World Rowing Championships, sponsored by Samsung
August 28 – September 4, 2011
(listed bow to stroke plus cox)

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath/Penzance/17.06.86)/
Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)

Coach: Robin Williams

Eight

Alison Knowles (Thames RC/Bournemouth/27.03.82)/
Jo Cook (Leander Club/Sunbury-on-Thames/22.03.84)/
Jessica Eddie (Univ of London BC/Durham/07.10.84)/
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC/Edinburgh/15.01.82)/
Natasha Page (Gloucester RC/Hartpury/30.04.85)/
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)/
Katie Solesbury (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)/
Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)/
Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Ealing, London/25.04.83)

Coach: Nick Strange

Single scull

Frances Houghton (Leander/Oxford/19.09.80)

Coach: TBC

Double scull

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

Coach: Paul Thompson

Quadruple scull

Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Guiseley/27.02.80)/
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.02.82)/
Annabel Vernon (Leander Club/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/
Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)/

Coach: Ade Roberts

RESERVES

Ro Bradbury (Leander/Banstead, Surrey/17.12.88)
Emily Taylor (Leander/Lincoln/28.06.87)

OPEN

MEN

Pair

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

Coach: Jürgen Grobler

Four

Matthew Langridge (Leander Club /Northwich/20.05.83)/
Richard Egington (Leander Club/Knutsford/26.02.79)/
Tom James (Molesey BC/Wrexham/11.03.84)/
Alex Gregory (Leander Club /Wormington, Glos/11.03.84)

Coach: John West

Eight

Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)/
Cameron Nichol (Molesey BC/Glastonbury/26.06.87)/
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)/
Alex Partridge (Leander Club /Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)/
Greg Searle (Molesey BC/Marlow/20.03.72)/
Tom Ransley (York City RC/Cambridge/06.09.85)/
Daniel Ritchie (Leander Club/Herne Bay/06.01.87)/
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

Coach: Christian Felkel

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Coach: Bill Barry

Double scull

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

Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Quadruple scull

Tom Solesbury (Leander Club/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)/
Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.85)/
Bill Lucas (London RC/Kingswear/13.09.87)

Coach: Mark Banks

RESERVES

Tom Broadway (Leander Club/Newport Pagnell/21.08.82)
Constantine Louloudis (Isis BC/London/15.09.91)/
George Nash (Cambridge Uni BC/Guildford/02.10.89)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull

Katherine Copeland (Tees RC/Ingelby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees/01.12.90)

Coach: James Harris

Double scull

Hester Goodsell (Imperial College BC/London/27.06.84)/
Sophie Hosking (London RC/Wimbledon/25.01.86)

Coach: Paul Reedy

Quadruple scull

Steph Cullen (London RC/Bury, Lancs/27.11.80)/
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)/
Kathryn Twyman (OUWBC/Edmonton, Canada/29.03.87)/
Andrea Dennis (Imperial College BC/Oxford/03.01.82)/

Coach: Ben Reed

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Pair

Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Coleraine/14.03.90)/
Kieren Emery (Leander Club/Newcastle-upon-Tyne/01.06.1990)

Coach: Peter Sheppard       

Four

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

Coach: Rob Morgan

Single scull

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

Coach: Darren Whiter

Double scull
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury/02.05.86)/
Mark Hunter  (Leander Club /Romford, Essex/01.07.78)

Coach: Darren Whiter

ADAPTIVES

MEN

Arms & shoulders single scull (ASM1x)

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/London/24.05.84)

Coach: Tom Dyson

Trunk & arms mixed double scull (TAMix2x)

Nick Beighton (Guildford RC/Yateley/29.09.81)/
Sam Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.87)

Coach: Tom Dyson

Legs, trunk & arms mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)

Pamela Relph (Birmingham Uni BC/Aylesbury/14.11.89)/
Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow/15.06.83)/
James Roe (Stratford upon Avon BC/ Stratford upon Avon/28.03.88)/
David Smith (Reading Uni BC/Dunfermline/21.04.78)/
Lily van den Broecke (cox) (Headington School BC/Oxford/08.01.92)

Coach: Mary McLachlan

SUPPORT STAFF

Performance:

Team Manager: David Tanner
Chief Coach Men: Jürgen Grobler
Chief Coach Women & Lightweights: Paul Thompson
Assistant Team Manager (Adaptive):  Louise Kingsley

Medical & Sports Science:

Doctor: Ann Redgrave
Lead Physio:  Mark Edgar
Physios:  Liz Arnold, Sally Brown
Psychologist:  Chris Shambrook
Physiologists:  Craig Williams
Nutritionist:  Wendy Martinson

Media/Admin/Logistics:

Assistant Team Manager (admin): Maggie Netto
Resources Manager:  Maurice Hayes
Boatman:  John Tetley
Sponsorship Liaison: Fran Bullock
Press Officer: Caroline Searle

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SCHEDULE OF MEDALS/EVENTS IN BLED

WHEN ARE THE MEDALS DECIDED?
(events featuring GB crews only)

Thursday 1 September

Women’s pair and quad; 
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair

Friday 2 September

Women’s eight and quad;
Men’s double
Lightweight men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s single sculls
Men’s adaptive single scull

Saturday 3 September

Women’s double
Men’s pair, single and squad
Lightweight women’s quad
Mixed adaptive double scull

Sunday 4 September
Women’s single
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double sculls
Mixed adaptive coxed four

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Sunday 28 August- Morning

Heats of the:

Women’s pair, double and quadruple scull;
Men’s pair, eight, double and quadruple scull;
Lightweight men’s single, pair and four.

Sunday 28 August – Afternoon

Heats of the:

Women’s single;
Men’s four and single scull;
Lightweight men’s double scull

Monday 29 August – morning

Heats of the:

Women’s eight,
Men’s coxed pair;
Lightweight women’s double and quadruple scull
Adaptive women’s and men’s single sculls; mixed double and coxed four

Repechages of the:

Women’s pair and single and quadruple scull;
Men’s four, eight and single and double scull;
Lightweight men’s pair, four and single and double scull

Tuesday 30 August – morning

Repechages of the:

Women’s double
Men’s pair and quad
Lightweight women’s single
Adaptive men’s and women’s single, mixed double and coxed four

Quarterfinals of the:

Men’s double
LIghtweight men’s four and single

Wednesday 31 August  – Morning

Repechages of the:

Women’s eight and single
Men’s coxed pair
Lightweight women’s double and quad and men’s quad

Quarter-finals of the:

Men’s four and single
Lightweight men’s double scull

Semi-finals of the:

Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
LIghtweight men’s pair
Adaptive women’s single scull

Thursday 1 September – Morning

Semi-finals of:

Men’s double scull
Lightweight men’s four and single scull
LIghtweight women’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull

B Finals of the:

Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair

FINALS OF THE:

Women’s pair and quadruple scull
Men’s eight
Lightweight men’s pair
Adaptive women’s single scull and mixed ID coxed four

Friday 2 September – morning

Semi-finals of the:

Women’s double
Men’s pair, single and quadruple scull
Adaptive mixed double scull

B-Finals of the:

Women’s eight
Men’s double and coxed pair
Lightweight men’s four and women’s and men’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull

FINALS of the:

Women’s eight
Men’s double and coxed pair
Lightweight men’s four, men’s and women’s single scull
Adaptive men’s single scull

Saturday 3 September – Morning

Semi-finals of the:

Women’s single
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull
Adaptive mixed coxed four

B Finals of the:

Women’s double scull
Men’s pair and single and quadruple scull
Mixed adaptive double scull

FINALS of the:

Women’s four and double scull
Men’s pair and single and quadruple scull
Lightweight women’s quadruple scull
Mixed adaptive double scull

Sunday 4 September

B Finals of the:

Women’s single scull
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull
Adaptive mixed coxed four

FINALS of the:

Women’s single scull
Men’s four
Lightweight men’s and women’s double scull, men’s quadruple
scull and eight
Adaptive mixed coxed four

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BBC TV and Radio Coverage from Bled

TV

Thursday 1 and Friday 2 September
Red button coverage -more details to follow

Saturday 3 September
1400-1630, BBC One/online

Sunday 4 September
1545-1700, BBC Two/online

RADIO 5 Live Sports Extra on DAB Radio

Thursday 1 September

From 11.15

Friday 2 September

From 10.55

Saturday 3 September

From midday live on 5 Live (not 5 Live Sports Extra)

Sunday 4 September

From 10.55

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FINAL DIARY DATE

SEPTEMBER

16-18
European Rowing Championships, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about The GB Rowing Teams please contact:

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T:  (01225) 443998
M:  Caroline Searle (07831) 755351

e:  [email protected]

GB Rowing Team website www.gbrowingteam.org.uk – full biogs available
here.

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Follow us on twitter @gbrowingteam: www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
See our season’s preview on YouTube

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