Three heats wins for GB at World Rowing Junior Championships

GB’s men’s four, men’s quadruple sculls and men’s eight all win their heats as five British crews progress to the next round of competition from the heats

Great Britain qualified five crews to the next round of competition from the heats at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.

With racing moved forward on Thursday to mitigate the sweltering temperatures at the course, the men’s quadruple sculls and men’s four notched up impressive wins to progress to the semi-finals, while the men’s eight booked their place in Sunday’s final with a victory in their heat.

The men’s four set the fastest time of all three heats, crossing the line in 6:07.76, nearly two lengths ahead of New Zealand in second. GB are the reigning champions in the event, with Calvin Tarczy and Douwe de Graaf returning to the crew.

The quad, featuring two of last year’s silver medallists, put in a second-half push to move past the home favourite Czech crew and crossed the line with a clear water advantage.

The eight, coxed by returning bronze medallist Axel de Boissard, moved past early leaders USA in the second half of the race and held off a fast-finishing Italy in the final 500m to win the heat by just over half a length.

GB’s women’s pair and men’s double scull also progressed to the next rounds. The pair of Isabella O’Hara and Isabel Jonsson finished third in their heat to make the semi-final, while Joseph Adamson and Laurence Joss were the only British crew in action on Wednesday, finishing second to Greece to move through to Friday’s quarter-finals.

Four GB crews will race in Friday’s repechages. The men’s pair finished second in their heat, but only one crew automatically progressed to the semis. The women’s double sculls and quadruple sculls both finished third, while the women’s four came fourth.

Every race from the World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice will be streamed live on World Rowing’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Results

Men’s pair heat

1. Italy, 6:53.49

2. Great Britain (Robert Powell & Miles Beeson), 6:53.49

3. Uzbekistan, 7:06.02

Men’s four heat

1. Great Britain (Michael Dalton, Douwe de Graaf, Calvin Tarczy, Theodore Darlow), 6:07.76

2. New Zealand, 6:13.17

3. USA, 6:19.87

Men’s eight heat

1. Great Britain (Jake Swann, Oscar Olsen, Max Shakespeare, Dominic Sullivan, Connor Sheriden, Oliver Parish, Thomas Horncastle, George Dickinson, Axel de Boissard (cox)), 5:49.09

2. Italy, 5:51.04

3. USA 5:51.87

Men’s double sculls heat

1. Greece, 6:28.83

2. Great Britain (Joseph Adamson & Laurence Joss), 6:33.83

3. Austria, 6:42.25

Men’s quadruple sculls heat

1. Great Britain (Victor Kleshnev, Jake Offiler, James Cartwright, Bryn Ellery), 5:57.61

2. Czech Republic, 6:03.37

3. Chile, 6:12.15

Women’s pair heat

1. USA, 7:32.11

2. Canada, 7:49.36

3. Great Britain (Isabella O’Hara & Isabel Jonsson), 7:52.09

Women’s four heat

1. Italy, 6:59.62

2. Australia, 7:04.27

3. Switzerland, 7:09.65

4. Great Britain (Lucy Pullinger, Daisy Butterworth, Mary Wright, Mia Andersen), 7:14.68

Women’s double sculls heat

1. Belarus, 7:22.91

2. China, 7:23.50

3. Great Britain (Olivia von Stauffenberg & Natasha Strudwick), 7:34.84

Women’s quadruple sculls heat

1. Czech Republic, 6:39.77

2. Germany, 6:42.16

3. Great Britain (Lottie Orr, Phoebe Campbell, Georgina Robinson Ranger, Olivia Morgan), 6:46.56