Glover and Stanning set up perfect pre-Worlds platform
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning gave themselves the best possible platform for their World Championships preparation by winning world cup gold in Lucerne this morning.
The Olympic, World and European Champions moved out to a 27-race winning streak by holding off a strong New Zealand pair, Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler. The GB duo moved out to a big early lead and then sustained the pressure to win in 6:57.59. Denmark took the bronze.
Glover said: I felt like we were in control through all of it. In some sense, I guess, we expected a bit more of a race from them”.
Stanning added: “That was really pleasing because Helen called the race perfectly. We saw New Zealand put in a push but Helen said ‘stay there’. We had the stimulus outside the boat but we felt contained within it.
“We knew we were going to attack it because it was the last chance to put down a marker before the World Championships.
A year ago Lucerne was the scene for one of Alan Campbell’s worse regattas which resulted in him missing out on the 2014 World Championships. Today the London 2012 bronze medallist showed his continuing return to form by winning a plucky bronze in the open men’s single scull in a race won by Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.
Campbell said: “To come back from last year like that, to go from 14th to bronze and being back on the podium – it feels like a gold-medal performance to me”.
Earlier, disappointment laid in wait for Olympic Champion Kat Copeland, racing this season with Charlotte Taylor who were women’s lightweight double world cup winners last month. They finished fourth in a race won by New Zealand with South Africa in silver Holding third until the final 300m, the GB boat was pipped by the USA for bronze.
“We are having a challenging Lucerne as we sometimes do – we had two great medals this morning. Helen and Heather were quite exceptional and how good it is to see Alan back on the podium”, said Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director.
BBC coverage of today’s action will be continue on the Red Button 12.30 – 14.15 and there will be a highlights show on BBC 2 on Monday at 15.00
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RACE REPORTS
If prior form were the barometer then today’s final of the women’s pair should looked set to be a close contest between GB’s Olympic Champions, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, and New Zealand’s 2014 World U23 Champions Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler. The Americans, contenders for the top prize at this year’s Worlds, are absent here in Lucerne.
When the race got underway the GB duo made a quick start and moved out to a length lead over the New Zealanders. Their intention was clear. The GB boat had better boat speed just beyond the 500m mark and moved further away. For the British supporters in the grandstands watching on the big screen, the anxiety was whether Glover and Stanning had spent too much, too early.
At 1500m gone, Glover and Stanning still had a good lead but the New Zealanders began to close. Prepared to wait for their moment, the GB boat called the race perfectly to withhold the pressure. The Antipodeans had dug deep to get the overlap but then, just as the GB boat moved away again, they caught a crab in the finishing 20 strokes. Victory in 6:57.59 to New Zealand’s 7:00.24 and a perfect pre-Worlds marker. Denmark were third.
Jono Clegg had brief respite after winning silver in the lightweight men’s pair last night before he was told the news that he would be substituting for an injured Will Fletcher in the lightweight men’s double final here today with Richard Chambers. Fletcher was understandably crestfallen at missing out. For Clegg it meant a switch from sweep oar to sculling, too.
In today’s final the GB boat faced the 2013 World Champions Are Standli and Kristoffer Brun as well as the recently all-conquering French crew of Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou. For Chambers it was also a chance to race James Thompson and John Smith of South Africa, from the crew that took 2012 gold ahead of GB in London’s light men’s four final, and who are the reigning World Champions.
Early in the race the British were up close with the French and in second place at 250m gone. By halfway the British, to the surprise of the spectators given the circumstances, were holding third behind the French and the Norwegians but with Italy pressuring them hard.
In the final 500m it was clear that Clegg and Chambers were tiring and they dropped back to fifth place in the end – a good result. At the head of the field the French drove on to win whilst South Africa’s finishing speed saw them into silver with Norway in third.
Charlotte Taylor and Kat Copeland are GB’s new combination in the lightweight women’s double scull in 2015. They emerged into the top boat from a tight-knit and closely-contested training group including Imogen Walsh who took silver in the lightweight women’s single last night on the Rotsee.
Taylor and Copeland were involved in a scintillating final in Varese last month in which they came through with the last two strokes to win against New Zealand’s World Champions, Sophie Mackenzie and Julia Edward. The two crews met in the semi-finals here and the Kiwis took the honours. Kirsten Mccann and Ursula Grobler of South Africa, world finalists in 2014, were also a consideration.
Taylor and Copeland were third at halfway and South Africa produced the surprise package by leading in the opening 1000m. New Zealand came back on them and moved ahead with the British combination struggling to make inroads. Taylor and Copeland are renowned for their finish but today could not find that top gear. New Zealand went on to win in 6:55.06 with South Africa second and the Americans coming through to take bronze, just half a second ahead of Taylor and Copeland.
Alan Campbell, the GB Rowing Team’s London 2012 bronze medallist, lined up in tough company for today’s single scull final. He was drawn alongside World and Olympic Champion Mahe Drysdale in a race which included Ondrej Synek, the reigning World Champion and London 2012 silver medallist.
Campbell came through to today’s final by way of second place behind Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania in the semis. Campbell, returning to form after a difficult 2014, got off to a decent start but Drysdale of New Zealand led the field with 300m gone. Behind him were Griskonis, Synek and then Campbell at close quarters.
Drysdale continued to pile on the pressure at the front. Campbell stayed in the mix in fourth. Griskonis came up to challenge Drysdale and Campbell move into third. Aware of Synek’s finishing strength Campbell put in a burst with 250m to go and bagged the bronze with gusto in 6:54.80. Drysdale took gold and Griskonis the silver.
B FINALS
Karen Bennett and Rebecca Chin rounded off a good regatta by taking fourth place in today’s B final of the women’s pair. They stayed in contention throughout in a race won by Australia.
Oliver Cook and Stewart Innes followed up on the mirror-like Rotsee in the Sunday morning sun by taking second in their B final using a big push in the final 150m to surge past Spain. France were the winners.
GB’s European Champion men’s four of Alan Sinclair, Scott Durant, Tom Ransley and Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell have not re-found their form since winning in Poznan. Today they were fifth just before halfway in the B final before surging through to take third in a close finish with the Czech Republic who were second to Germany.
Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley suffered a shock exit from yesterday’s women’s double scull semi-finals having experienced a boat-stopping crab which gave them too much to make up. In today’s B final the GB boat led from the get-go and it was probably not surprising to see them cross the line to win by clear-water from Finland and Denmark.
Jamie Kirkwood, Peter Chambers, Chris Bartley and Mark Aldred finished the B final programme for GB with another win. They moved into a narrow lead just after halfway and were neck and neck with Spain before getting the verdict by just over a tenth of a second.
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RESULTS
(Events featuring GB Rowing Team crews only. For full results – www.worldrowing.com)
A FINALS
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
1. Helen Glover/Heather Stanning (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:57.59
2. Grace Prendergast/Kerri Gowler (New Zealand) 7:00.24
3. Hedvig Rasmussen/Anne Andersen (Denmark) 7:07.09
4. Jennifer Martins/Cristy Nurse (Canada) 7:09.74
5. Naydene Smith/Lee-Ann Persse (South Africa) 7:11.30
6. Anna Wierzbowska/Maria Wierzbowska (Poland) 7:19.02
MEN
Single scull
1. Mahe Drysdale (New Zealand) 6:47.38
2. Mindaugas Griskonis (Lithuania) 6:52.68
3. Alan Campbell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:54.80
4. Hannes Obreno (Belarus) 6:56.29
5. Ondrej Synek (Czech Republic) 7:00.40
6. Francesco Cardaioli (Italy) 7:05.53
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Double scull
1. Sophie Mackenzie/Julia Edward (New Zealand) 6:55.06
2. Kirsten McCann/Ursula Grobler (South Africa) 6:56.60
3. Devery Karz/Michelle Sechser (USA) 6:58.71
4. Charlotte Taylor/Kat Copeland (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:59.53
5. Alice McNamara/Ella Flecker (Australia) 6:59.85
6. Fini Sturm/Marie-Louise Draeger (Germany) 7:01.86
MEN
Double scull
1. Stany Delayre/Jeremie Azou (France) 6:12.95
2. James Thompson/John Smith (South Africa) 6:14.62
3. Kristoffer Brun/Are Strandli (Norway) 6:16.00
4. Andrea Micheletti/Pietro Ruta (Italy) 6:20.30
5. Richard Chambers/Jonathan Clegg (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:24.67
6. Henrik Stephansen/Jens Nielsen (Denmark) 6:35.99
B FINALS
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
1. Molly Goodman/Genevieve Horton (Australia) 7:21.71
2. Noemie Kober/Marie Le Nepvou (France) 7:22.64
3. Kirsten Wielaard/Jose Van Veen (Netherlands) 7:23.29
4. Karen Bennett/Rebecca Chin (GREAT BRITAIN) 7:24.98
5. Alessandra Patelli/Gaia Palma (Italy) 7:27.06
6. Karla Milosevic/Marcela Milosevic (Croatia) 7:29.63
Double scull
1. Katherine Grainger/Vicky Thornley (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:58.87
2. Ulla Varvio/Eeva Karppinen (Finland) 7:00.80
3. Mette Petersen/Lisbet Jakobsen (Denmark) 7:01.70
4. Laura Schiavone/Sara Bertolasi (Italy) 7:02.06
5. Helen Walshe/Lisa Dilleen (Ireland) 7:02.92
6. Kristyna Fleissnerova/Lenka Antosova (Czech Republic) 7:03.11
MEN
Pair
1. Germain Chardin/Dorian Mortelette (France) 6:35.04
2. Oliver Cook/Stewart Innes (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:37.29
3. Alexander Sigurbjonsson Benet/Pau Vela Maggi (Spain) 6:38.38
4. Giovanni Abagnale/Vincenzo Abbagnale (Italy) 6:38.82
5. Jon Carazo Tobar/Ismael Montes Caamano (Spain) 6:39.64
6. Dzmitry Furman/Dzianis Suravets (Belarus) 6:47.48
Four
1. Johannes Weissenfeld/Felix Wimberger/Maximilian Planer/Maximilian Korge (Germany) 5:58.92
2. Kornel Altman/Adam Sterbak/Martin Basl/Matyas Klang (Czech Republic) 6:00.92
3. Alan Sinclair/Scott Durant/Tom Ransley/Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:00.95
4. George Howard/Alexander Bardoul/Robert Kells/Anthony Allen (New Zealand) 6:02.60
5. Edouard Jonville/Benoit Demey/Matthieu Moinaux/Julien Despres (France) 6:03.21
6. Vadzim Lialin/Dzianis Mihal/Mikalai Sharlap/Ihar Pashevich (Belarus) 6:03.95
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Four
1. Jamie Kirkwood/Peter Chambers/Chris Bartley/Mark Aldred (GREAT BRITAIN) 6:02.83
2. Ander Zabala Artetxe/Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez/Marc Franquet Montfort/Imanol Garmendia Maiz (Spain) 6:02.98
3. Rafal Serwiak/Mariusz Stanczuk/Lukasz Siemion/Milosz Bernatajtys (Poland) 6:04.77
4. Jonathan Koch/Lars Wichert/Julius Peschel/Sven Kessler (Germany) 6:05.71
5. Darryn Purcell/Perry Ward/John McDonnell/Nicholas Wilcox (Australia) 6:07.18
6. Alexander Chernikov/Florian Berg/Matthias Taborsky/Joschka Hellmeier (Austria) 6:10.61
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CREW LISTS (Includes club, home town, date of birth)
GB Rowing Team for World Cup 11I
Lucerne, Switzerland, July 10-12.
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair – two boats
Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.86)
Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)
Coach: Robin Williams
Karen Bennett (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.02.89)
Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Deganwy/11.12.91)/
Coach: Robin Williams
Eight
Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)
Louise Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)
Jessica Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)
Donna Etiebet (Sport Imperial/London/29.04.86)
Victoria Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)
Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/28.03.91)
Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)
Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond/15.12.85)
Zoe de Toledo (Cox) (Leander Club/London/17.07.87)
Coach: James Harris
Double Scull
Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Glasgow/12.11.75)
Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)
Coach: Paul Thompson
Single scull
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.12.82)
Coach: Nick Strange
Quadruple Scull
Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)
Kristina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.87)
Frances Houghton (Univ of London Tyrian Club/Oxford/19.9.80)
Jessica Leyden (Leander Club/Todmorden/22.02.95)
Coach: Nick Strange
OPEN
MEN
Pair – two boats
James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.87)
Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)
Coach: Rob Dauncey
Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.0)
Stewart Innes (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/20.05.91)
Coach: Rob Dauncey
Coxed Pair
Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh/13.08.92)
Mat Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)
Henry Fieldman (cox) (Molesey BC/Barnes/25.11.88)
Coach: John West
Four
Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Munlochy/16.10.85)
Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88)
Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Ashford/06.09.85)
Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)
Coach: Christian Felkel
Eight
Matt Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)
Constantine Louloudis (OUBC/London/15.09.91)
Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth/27.07.81)
Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)
Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)
George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/02.10.89)
Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)
Coach: Jurgen Grobler
Single Scull
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School/Coleraine/09.05.83)
Coach: John West
Double Scull
John Collins (Leander Club/Twickenham/24.01.89)
Jonny Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.90)
Coach: Mark Banks
LIGHTWEIGHT
WOMEN
Single scull
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)
Coach: Paul Reedy
Double Scull
Charlotte Taylor (Putney Town RC/Bedford/14.08.85)
Kat Copeland (Tees RC/Ingleby Barwick/01.12.90)
Coach: Paul Reedy
LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN
Pair
Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)
Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir/28.01.88)
Coach: Rob Morgan
Four
Jamie Kirkwood (Leander Club/Cresswell, N’bland/30.08.89)
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/14.03.90)
Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.84)
Mark Aldred (London RC/Birmingham/18.04.87)
Coach: Rob Morgan
Double Scull
Will Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street/24.12.89)
Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85)
Coach: Darren Whiter
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