Successful start to season in Varese
GB’s adaptive rowers had a strong start to their season,Ìýwinning four golds, three silvers and a bronze as well as theÌýoverall team cup trophy at the Varese International Regatta thisÌýweekend (2-3 May, 2009).
Reigning Paralympic champion Tom Aggar was a double goldÌýmedallist, winning the men’s arms-only single scull event onÌýboth days and setting an unofficial World Best Time of 4:58.5 onÌýSunday.
In the same event, Andy Houghton, a newcomer to the BritishÌýadaptive squad, won two silver medals behind Aggar.Ìý
For the mixed adaptive coxed four, the Regatta was an opportunityÌýto test out a new combination, with newcomers to the GB adaptiveÌýsquad James Roe and Dave Smith racing alongside Paralympic bronzeÌýmedallists Vicki Hansford, Naomi Riches and cox Alan Sherman.
On Saturday, the British crew raced well to win the gold, beating anÌýItalian combination that included two of their Paralympic line-up fromÌýthe Beijing Games. The following day, the Italian crew featured all fourÌýrowers from the Beijing Paralympic Games. This newly-strengthened line-up took the silver, and the British team once again took the gold.Ìý
Meanwhile the British mixed double scull were involved in a extremelyÌýtight finish on Saturday, finishing less than a second behind a PolishÌýcombination to take silver. On Sunday the crew suffered a poor start,Ìýbut showed impressive resilience to go on to take the bronze behind ItalyÌýand Poland.Ìý
GB High Performance Projects OfficerÌýLouise Kingsley said "This has been a really positiveÌýstart to the season and I am pleased that the new squad members haveÌýperformed well this weekend.Ìý
"As the season progresses and the World Championships get closer,Ìýhowever, we will expect the quantity and quality of the competition to rise."
RESULTS
SUNDAY only
Ìý
Men’s single scull
1) Tom Aggar (GBR) 4.58.50
2) Andy Houghton (GBR) 5.05.20Ìý
3) AUS 5.26.20
4) RUS 5.33.80
5) ITA2 5.34.70Ìý
6) ITA 5.44.70
Ìý
Mixed double scull
1) ITA 4.15.80
2) POL 4.18.30
3) James Roberts, Samantha Scowen (GBR) 4.19.80
4) ITA2 4.34.30
Ìý
Mixed coxed four
1) Vicki Hansford, James Roe, David Smith, Naomi Riches,Ìý
Alan Sherman (GBR) 3.31.00
2) ITA2 3.31.60
3) RUS 3.55.50
4) ITA 4.48.50Ìý
5) POL 3.54.90Ìý
6) RUS2 4.21.00
Ìý
CREW LIST
(club/home town/d.o.b in brackets)
VARESE INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
May 2-3
Men’s Arms-only Single Scull
Two boats
Tom Aggar (Royal Docks RC/Barnet, London/24.05.1984)
Andy Houghton (Maidenhead RC/Newbury/06.04.1981)
MIXED
Trunk and Arms Double Scull
James Roberts (City of Swansea RC/Swansea/11.05.1986)/Ìý
Samantha Scowen (Dorney BC/Wokingham/29.10.1987)
Legs, Trunk and Arms Coxed Four
Vicki Hansford (University of Surrey BC/Farnborough/31.10.79)/
James Roe (Stratford-upon-Avon BC//Stratford-upon-Avon/
28.03.1988)/Dave Smith (Reading University BC/Aviemore/21.04.78)
/Naomi Riches (Marlow RC/Harrow, London/15.06.1983)/Alan ShermanÌý
(cox) (Thames Tradesmen RC/London/22.10.1951)
Ìý
Ìý
