Copeland and Hosking gold legacy alive in GB Rowing Team at World U23s
Eleanor Piggott and Brianna Stubbs proved that the legacy of Olympic gold medallists Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking is still alive in the next generation when they took lightweight women’s double scull gold today at the World U23 Championships in Linz, Austria.
The Wallingford Rowing Club duo held the lead throughout in one of the tightest races of the day.
Their victory was preceded by silver from the lightweight men’s four and followed by silver from the women’s eight.
The men’s quadruple scull were fourth, the men’s eight were both fifth and Zak Lee Green was sixth in the lightweight men’s single scull.
Today’s three medals came in addition to the silver and bronze won yesterday by the lightweight men’s pair and women’s quad.
“We’ve had a good two days of finals here. This is always a challenging Championships for us and the standard this year has been deeper than before. It has been an exciting team to be with and we have had some excellent racing and results”, said GB Rowing Team Performance Director, Sir David Tanner.
Searing temperatures in Linz, which was ravaged by floods only a couple of months ago to give the organisers a challenge which they admirably overcame, meant that racing was brought forward on health and safety grounds this morning to avoid the hottest part of the day.
The GB Rowing Team for the World Championships in the Republic of Korea (“South Korea”) will be announced on August 8th. Media wishing to attend should e-mail [email protected] with details of interview/filming/photo requests.
The Coupe de la Jeunesse is next weekend and the World Junior Championships takes place in Trakai, Lithuania, from August 7-11th.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
RACE REPORTS
Eleanor Piggott and Brianna Stubbs knew that the going would be tough today in the lightweight women’s double scull final in Linz this morning so they made a strong start, taking a half-length lead over Romania by 250m gone.
In lane four the duo, coached by Peter Sheppard, could look back and see all six crews at close quarters with Romania the fiercest challenger at the 500m mark which Piggott and Stubbs reached in 1:43.60 – just four tenths ahead of Romania.
In lane five and six New Zealand and Germany were also challenging. As the race moved towards halfway the Romanian and British boats tussled tightly. GB reached the timing point first but with the slenderest of leads.
Hardly a shelf’s width separated the top boats. In the final 500m Germany came up strongly to take second with New Zealand in third and with all boats aware that Romania could mount a strong sprint.
Stubbs and Piggott dug deep to move out further into the lead as the race reached its final sprint and had a length at the line to win in 7:08.57 from Germany in silver and New Zealand in bronze.
“The lightweight women’s double has been exceptional and put in a very mature race today. They made their move when they needed to and then kept an eye on the scrimmage all around them”, commented Sir David.
The GB Rowing Team quartet of Charles Waite-Roberts, Thomas Marshall, Timothy Richards and Joel Cassells were drawn in lane 5 for the lightweight men’s four final and they made a great start in Linz today.
By 250m they had a canvas lead over the pre-race favourites Italy and a third of a length by halfway.
Coached by Mark Earnshaw the GB combination knew that the threat was to come but had put themselves in the best possible place for the second half.
At 1500m the British boat still held the lead but only just from Italy and Spain. With 300m to go GB were overhauled by three-times previous champions Italy with Spain, France and Germany all on the attack for the medals.
During an heroic last 250m the British boat proved they had enough left to hold on to take silver in 5:59.92. France were third and Spain came home fourth.
“This crew was only formed after Henley Royal Regatta so to make that kind of progress in so short a time was excellent”, said Sir David.
The women’s eight, coached by James Harris, of Fiona Gammond, Rebecca Chin, Josephine Wratten Iona Riley, Yasmin Tredell, Fiona Schlesinger, Bethany Bryan,
Nicole Lamb and cox Morgan Baynham-Williams won their heat in emphatic style to reach today’s final in which they chased the leading USA crew and pre-race favourties throughout the first half.
After halfway the Germans emerged from the chasing group to challenge the British crew with Australia in third.
In the third 500m the British eight held their position with Germany, Australia and Australia all jockeying for third.
In the final 500m, a British surge saw them narrow the gap on the USA with Germany on their shoulders. With 250m to go only half a length separated the USA and GB but the reigning champions had enough to hold on at the line. USA gold, GB silver in 6:19.51 and Germany bronze.
“Without a question this was this crew’s best race”, said Sir David. “They have showed a grit and aggression here that we have not seen before and that allowed them to challenge the USA so strongly”.
Next on the course as the heat built to 38 degrees in the Austrian lake resort of Linz, the men’s eight went to the start line.
Drawn in lane one the British combination featured James Cook, Thomas Ford, Sam Arnot, Timothy Grant, Cameron Buchan, James Edwards, Timothy Clarke, George Rossiter and cox Rory Copus.
Germany, GB and Poland made flying starts, rating high to try and get an early lead. At 500m gone the Polish were leading with GB in second in a tightly packed field from which New Zealand also began to challenge.
At halfway the New Zealand surge saw them into the lead and the reigning champions, the USA, began to show their pace to move up into third behind the Kiwis and the Poles with GB dropping off the leaders slightly.
With 500m to go the British crew were fourth and at the line, despite a big sprint, they dropped to fifth – agonisingly short of the podium in a tight finish. NZ took gold, silver for the USA and bronze for Poland.
Switzerland took an early lead in the men’s quadruple scull final which featured the GB Rowing Team crew of Jack Beaumont, Barnaby Stentiford, Marcus Bowyer (racing as a sub for Stewart Innes) and Angus Groom.
At the 500m mark the GB crew, drawn in lane two, were fifth but still in the main pack who were chasing the Swiss.
By halfway the GB crew had dropped back marginally to sixth place but still challenging the reigning champions from the Ukraine. Out front the Swiss were still leading with New Zealand challenging them and Germany in third.
A strong second half performance from the GB quartet, coached by Matt Beechey, saw them overhaul the Ukraine and France to take fourth overall with Germany securing bronze in a race won by the Swiss with New Zealand in silver.
Less than a length separated the six boats in the lightweight men’s single scull final with 250m gone. Alan Campbell Jr of the USA was in the lead.
At halfway Zak Lee-Green was still very much in the mix in fourth. Ahead of him, Campbell continued to lead with the Dutch and Irish chasing him.
In the second half Lee Green dropped back marginally off the pace to come home in sixth in a time of 7:20.54 in a race won by the USA.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
RESULTS
FINALS
OPEN
WOMEN
Eight
1. USA 6:16.81
2. Fiona Gammond/Rebecca Chin/Josephine Wratten/Iona Riley/Yasmin Tredell/Fiona Schlesinger/Bethany Bryan/Nicole Lamb/Morgan Baynham-Williams (cox) (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:19.15
3. Germany 6:21.51
4. Australia 6:28.84
5. Canada 6:30.56
6. Netherlands 6:31.99
MEN
Eight
1. New Zealand 5:28.63
2. USA 5:31.79
3. Poland 5:35.28
4. Spain 5:35.28
5. James Cook/Thomas Ford/Sam Arnot/Timothy Grant/Cameron Buchan/James Edwards/Timothy Clarke/George Rossiter/Rory Copus (cox) (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:35.28
6. Germany 5:38.72
Quadruple scull
1. Switzerland 5:43.60
2. New Zealand 5:44.20
3. Germany 5:48.85
4. Jack Beaumont/Barnaby Stentiford/Marcus Bowyer/Angus Groom (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:50.52
5. France 5:55.16
6. Ukraine 5:59.42
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
1. Eleanor Piggott/Brianna Stubbs (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:08.57
2. Germany 7:09.71
3. New Zealand 7:10.07
4. Romania 7:10.58
5. Australia 7:12.13
6. Switzerland 7:18.14
MEN
Four
1. Italy 5:58.53
2. Charles Waite-Roberts/Tom Marshall/Timothy Richards/Joel Cassells (GREAT BRITAIN) 5:59.92
3. France 6:01.18
4. Spain 6:01.46
5. Germany 6:05.58
6. USA 6:05.95
Single scull
1. USA 7:07.84
2. Netherlands 7:10.49
3. Ireland 7:11.67
4. New Zealand 7:12.44
5. Turkey 7:18.84
6. Zak Lee Green (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:20.54
B FINALS
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Double scull
1. Denmark 6:37.95
2. Poland 6:40.97
3. Lithuania 6:41.40
4. Jamie Copus/Stuart Sykes (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:44.76
5. Norway 6:45.20
6. Ireland 6:46.78
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
===================================================
GB ROWING TEAM
CREW LISTS: World U23 Championships, Linz, Austria
OPEN
WOMEN
Eight
Fiona Gammond (Headington School BC/Bicester/19.10.92)/
Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Salford/11.12.91)/
Josephine Wratten (Tees RC/Yarm/23.03.92)/
Iona Riley (Robert Gordon Uni BC/Aberdeen/17.04.92)/
Yasmin Tredell (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Evesham/18.11.92)/
Fiona Schlesinger (Molesey BC/New Malden/01.04.91)/
Bethany Bryan (Tees RC/Stockton-on-tees/23.04.93)/
Nicole Lamb (Newcastle Uni BC/Hexham/20.01.93)/
Morgan Baynham-Williams (cox)(Ross RC/Ross-on-Wye/28.06.94)
Coach: James Harris
Spare
Katie Bartlett (Nottingham RC/Nottingham/02.02.94)
MEN
Four
Francis Highton (Durham Uni BC/Weybridge/10.04.91)/
Ertan Hazine (Uni of London BC/Maidenhead/01.08.91)/
Marcus Bowyer (Exeter RC/West Hill, Devon/02.08.93)/
Andy Holmes (Leander Club/Lochwinnoch/04.10.91)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
Coxed four
James Martyn Smith (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Newnham Bridge/26.07.91)/
Callum McBrierty (Durham Uni BC/Edinburgh/13.08.92)/
Edward Williams (Molesey BC/Wylye/13.03.91)/
Lewis McCue (Robert Gordon Uni BC/Aberdeen/26.12.94)/
William Hakim (cox) (Leander Club/25.07.91)
Coach: Angelo Savarino
Quadruple scull
Jack Beaumont (Leander Club/Maidenhead/21.11.93)/
Barnaby Stentiford (Durham Uni BC/Newton Abbot/06.02.91)/
Stewart Innes (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/20.05.91)/
Angus Groom (Durham Uni BC/Wanborough/16.06.92)
Coach: Matt Beechey
Eight
James Cook (Uni of London BC/Windsor/02.07.92)/
Thomas Ford (Newcastle Uni BC/Holmes Chapel/03.10.92)/
Sam Arnot (Newcastle Uni BC/Newcastle-upon-Tyne/09.07.91)/
Timothy Grant (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Otford/02.07.93)/
Cameron Buchan (Leander Club/03.12.92)/
James Edwards (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/26.09.91)/
Timothy Clarke (Newcastle Uni BC/Reading/07.04.91)/
George Rossiter (Newcastle Uni BC/Newbury/09.03.92)/
Rory Copus (cox) (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Wallingford/27.03.91)
Coach: Steve Trapmore
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Double scull
Eleanor Piggott (Wallingford RC/Olney/16.05.91)/
Brianna Stubbs (Wallingford RC/Headington/13.07.91)
Coach: Pete Sheppard
Quadruple scull
Rosa Atkinson (Sport Imperial BC/Frodsham/16.11.92)/
Gemma Hall (Newcastle Uni BC/Wargrave/10.04.92)/
Ellie Lewis (Sir William Borlase BC/Marlow/14/04/94)
Emily Craig (Uni of London BC/East Sussex/30.11.92)
Coach: Phil Gray
MEN
Pair
Matthew Bedford (Uni of London BC/Maidenhead/21.01.91)/
Wilf Kimberley (Imperial College BC/London/15.07.92)
Coach: Brian Young
Four
Charles Waite-Roberts (W. of England Uni BC/Bristol/06.11.92)/
Tom Marshall (Leander Club/Chester/12.03.94)/
Timothy Richards (Imperial College BC/London/17.05.92)/
Joel Cassells (Oxford Brookes Uni BC/Coleraine/15.06.94)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
Single Scull
Zak Lee-Green (Agecroft RC/Cardiff/05.02.91)
Coach: Hamish Burrell
==================================================
CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about this event please contact:
Caroline Searle or Miranda Edwards: [email protected] or 01225 384 211
GB Rowing Team website, including full rower biogs: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk
Follow us on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
Youtube: www.youtube.com/gbrowingteam
==================================================
