Wins for GB rowers at Pairs Head of the River

October 10, 2011

Hester Goodsell and Rob Williams from the GB Rowing Team enjoyed a rare race in a mixed double with their victory in the Pairs Head of the River on the Thames.

The 2011 World bronze medallists, in the women’s lightweight double and the men’s lightweight four respectively, teamed up to compete in the mixed elite double scull at the event on Saturday, taking on GB teammates Beth Rodford and Ro Bradbury who each raced with their brothers Ben and Robert.

“It was good to race domestically in a mixed double as this is a combination you never get to race normally,” said Goodsell. “And it was great fun flying our club colours.”

Williams said: “it’s always fun to get a domestic race in over the long winter period, it reminds me that I do the sport for the enjoyment of racing.”

Katie Greves, part of the bronze-medal winning women’s eight at the World Championships last month, won the women’s elite double scull event with her sister ahead of London Rowing Club duo Steph Cullen and Imogen Walsh who won gold for at the Worlds in the lightweight women’s quadruple scull.

GB’s Adam Freeman-Pask won the elite men’s double scull event with fellow Imperial College Boat Club rower Jamie Kirkwood from the GB Rowing Team’s U23 squad.

And the duo were the fastest boat on the course, completing the 4km from Chiswick to Hammersmith Bridge in 11:36.82.

“I found the Pairs Head is like a shock treatment approach to starting the new season,” said Freeman-Pask, who is only in his second week back at training with the rest of the GB Rowing Team following their annual break after the World Championships.

“Although, two of my mates got knocked in half-way and swam the length of the course, so that must have been an even bigger shock,” he added.

For the full results go to the official Pairs Head website: www.pairshead.co.uk.