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Three more GB crews qualify for World Rowing U23 Championships finals

All 15 Great Britain crews have now secured their places in A or B finals, with the first medal opportunities coming on Saturday

Great Britain’s men’s eight, women’s pair and women’s four all sealed their places in the weekend’s medal finals at the World Rowing U23 Championships on another warm morning of racing in Poznan.

Heidi Long and Hannah Scott engaged in a fascinating battle with Australia’s Giorgia Patten and Bronwyn Cox, with GB leading through 1,500m and almost holding off Australia’s charge to the line. The two will face off again in Saturday afternoon’s final.

The men’s eight came up against a strong USA crew in Wednesday’s heat, meaning they had to come through the repechage to gain a place in the final. They did exactly what was needed by winning the repechage by a length from Canada to move through to Sunday’s medal race.

The women’s four also progressed to the final from their repechage, battling with Greece for the vital second place. GB trailed by half a length in third at the halfway mark but fought back to move past the Greek crew to take second behind Belarus.

Gavin Horsburgh and James Temple dominated the repechage of the lightweight men’s double sculls, leading New Zealand over the line by two lengths. The Edinburgh University duo head through to Saturday’s semi-finals.

James Vogel and Max Townley will race in Saturday’s B final for the men’s pair, having finished fifth in their semi-final, which was won by France.

Friday’s results ensured that all 15 GB crews will race in A or B finals this weekend.

Pete Sheppard, British Rowing Chief Coach for U23s & Juniors, said: “It’s great to see all 15 of our crews reaching the A and B finals thanks to some great racing in tough conditions in Poznan. The results are down to the efforts put in by everyone at our pre-Worlds training camp and in the build-up to the regatta, ensuring all our athletes are in the best shape to race.”

Three GB crews will race for medals on Saturday, with the men’s coxed four, women’s quadruple sculls and women’s pair in A finals.

Results

Women’s pair semi-final

1. Giorgia Patten & Bronwyn Cox (AUS), 7:50.85
2. Heidi Long & Hannah Scott (GBR), 7:52.09
3. Dzina Haluts & Kseniya Ramanouskaya (BLR), 7:54.06

Women’s four repechage

1. Belarus, 7:05.87
2. Great Britain (India Somerside, Alice Bowyer, Flo Donald & Megan Slabbert), 7:11.02
3. Greece, 7:13.55

Men’s pair semi-final

1. Thibaud Turlan & Guillaume Turlan (FRA), 7:05.01
2. Hans-Christian Luetje & Nils Vorberg (GER), 7:08.28
3. Andrew Maestrale & Raffele Giulivo (ITA), 7:11.66
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5. James Vogel & Max Townley (GBR), 7:21.83

Men’s eight repechage

1. Great Britain (Ben Freeman, Harvey Kay, David Bewicke-Copley, Tom Digby, Leonard Jenkins, Matthew Aldridge, William Stewart, Freddie Davidson, Hugo Ramambason (cox)), 6:05.02
2. Canada, 6:09.01
3. Italy, 6:18.24

Lightweight men’s double sculls repechage

1. James Temple & Gavin Horsburgh (GBR), 7:00.82
2. Isaac Everitt & Christopher Stockley (NZL), 7:06.73
3. Alexander Bernst & Vlad Tyminskyi (CAN), 7:12.17