Strong start for GB rowers on day one of World Rowing U23 Championships

July 19, 2017

Seven of the eight GB boats racing on day one of the World Rowing U23 Championships progress from their heats, including three crews going to the final

Great Britain’s rowers enjoyed a strong start to the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with seven of the eight crews racing on day one progressing from their heats.

Three boats qualified directly to Saturday’s medal finals, while four others moved through to the quarter- and semi-finals, including the men’s four after a good row to win their heat.

Dominic Jackson and Chris Tebb in the lightweight pair dominated their heat to move straight through to the final – leading the race by over six seconds by the 1,500m mark.

Jackson and Tebb needed to win the heat to avoid the repechage and did it in style, allowing themselves to ease down in the final quarter to save energy for Saturday’s medals race, crossing the line ahead of Mexico and Hungary.

The women’s quadruple scull led from start to finish to progress to the final, finishing over a length ahead of Australia in second place. Anna Thornton, Kyra Edwards, Saskia Budgett and Lucy Glover set the fastest time from the two heats with a performance they’ll hope to repeat in the final on Saturday.

The lightweight women’s quadruple scull, featuring Susannah Duncan, Flo Pickles, Imogen Mackie and Imogen Grant, also secured their place in Saturday’s medal final, finishing a comfortable second in their heat, won by Germany.

The quad sat fourth after the first quarter of the race, but moved their way through the field to pass the USA and Switzerland and into the qualification places.

An impressive performance from the men’s four saw them win their heat and move into the semi-final, edging Austria by half a length and recording the fastest time across the three heats.

Lauren Irwin, Oonagh Cousins, Chloe Brew and Meg Saunders progressed to the semi-final of the women’s four, finishing second behind Italy in their heat. The lightweight men’s quadruple scull also move through to the semi-final after a second-place finish behind Ireland.

And Josh Armstrong did enough to make the quarter-final of the men’s single scull, finishing fourth in his heat. The 19-year-old Scot led through the 500m mark but slipped back through the field, sealing the fourth and final qualification spot.

The men’s coxed four will need to go through the repechage to progress, having finished fourth in their heat.

Results

Women’s four heat (BW4-) Three progress to semi-final
1. Italy 6:56.59
2. Great Britain (Lauren Irwin, Oonagh Cousins, Chloe Brew, Meg Saunders) 7:02.60
3. New Zealand 7:03.59

Men’s coxed four heat (BM4+) One progresses to A final
1. USA 6:18.81
2. Romania 6:19.74
3. Australia 6:20.67
4. Great Britain (George Stewart, Oliver Wilkes, Joshua Kent, Patrick Sullivan, Charlie Clarke(cox)) 6:28.65

Lightweight women’s quadruple scull heat (BLW4x) Two progress to A final
1. Germany 6:34.95
2. Great Britain (Susannah Duncan, Flo Pickles, Imogen Mackie, Imogen Grant) 6:36.72
3. Switzerland 6:38.28

Lightweight men’s pair heat (BLM2-) Winner progresses to A final
1. Great Britain (Dominic Jackson, Chris Tebb) 6:53.69
2. Mexico 6:55.54
3. Hungary 6:56.93

Lightweight men’s quadruple scull (BLM4x) Three progress to semi-final
1. Ireland 5:59.39
2. Great Britain (Jonny Jackson, James Temple, Ollie Varley, Hugo Coussens) 6:02.12
3. Spain 6:03.16

Women’s quadruple scull (BW4x) Two progress to A final
1. Great Britain (Anna Thornton, Kyra Edwards, Saskia Budgett, Lucy Glover) 6:32.90
2. Australia 6:34.70
3. Netherlands 6:40.66

Men’s four (BM4-) Three progress to semi-final
1. Great Britain (Rob Hurn Tom Digby, Charlie Elwes, Sholto Carnegie) 6:00.85
2. Austria 6:01.80
3. Lithuania 6:03.76

Men’s single scull (BM1x) Four progress to quarter-final
1. Canada 7:07.07
2. Bulgaria 7:12.25
3. Australia 7.13.84
4. Great Britain (Josh Armstrong) 7:19.89