Both the women’s pair and men’s four lived up to their billing as gold-medal favourites by producing truly magnificent performances to dominate their respective finals and write their names into the history books.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, the outstanding women’s pair of the past five years, became the first-ever British women to successfully defend an Olympic title as they repeated their heroics from Eton Dorney.

Relative rookies back at London 2012, this time the weight of expectation was on their shoulders but they delivered in the style of great champions by leading their race from start to finish.

Glover said: “It’s really difficult to put this feeling into words. To defend your title is something very, very special. The first time we did it, it took a long time to realise we were Olympic champions and it was all new to us. This time round, we crossed the line and we were 2016 champions and we felt like that straight away.”

Stanning added: “It means so much more, we’ve put an awful lot of pressure on ourselves and I’ve been so emotional this week which isn’t me at all.”

Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis found themselves under pressure from Australia at the halfway point of the men’s four final but stuck to the gameplan laid down by coach Juergen Grobler to pull clear and surge to victory.

It was a fifth successive Olympic gold medal for the GB men’s four, breaking the previous record of successive victories in the event held jointly by Britain and East Germany.

Gregory, winning his second gold in the four, said: “The last boat I was in, in London, had some incredible positive parts but this is the most consistent performing boat I’ve ever been a part of.”

Nash added: “I’m really pleased, for these guys and for the whole project really. It’s a great crew to be part of.”

There was disappointment for Alan Campbell who had to settle for fourth place in his men’s single scull semi-final after a stunning finish from Belarussian Stanislau Shcharbachenia, which denied the Coleraine rower a shot at a second Olympic medal.

Will Fletcher and Richard Chambers finished their regatta on a positive note by winning the lightweight men’s double scull B final, while the lightweight women’s double of Charlotte Taylor and Kat Copeland were second in the C final.

Tomorrow GB’s two eights are in action and both are considered medal chances. The women go at 15.04 BST, followed by the men at 15.24 BST.

Click on the expander boxes below for full race reports, reaction and results.

For further information about this report please contact the GB Rowing Team press officer, Caroline Searle, via comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk OR the phone numbers in the contact box below.

The post Thirty minutes, two golds – historic day for GB in Rio appeared first on British Rowing.

Thornley and Grainger turned an indifferent season into a silver lining today, battling all the way down the course with the Polish favourites only to be outdone in the very dying metres of the race.

The silver was a first for Thornley – and one she will cherish – and a fourth for Grainger since 2000 to add to the gold she won in the same event at London 2012.  The tally makes her Britain’s most decorated female Olympian of all time.

Grainger said of the race and their early lead:  “I don’t think you ever feel like you are going to win but we were ahead and it felt good and then you come down very quickly.  It was certainly a dramatic race”.

Thornley added:  “It was a really great race from us and a silver medal is so nice, I think”.

Earlier the open men’s pair of Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes, and double of Jonny Walton and John Collins produced gutsy performances to finish fourth and fifth respectively. The men’s quad of Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Peter Lambert also gave everything they had to finish fifth overall – an impressive result after their disrupted build-up to the Games.

Peter Lambert, Angus Groom, Sam Townsend and Jack Beaumont gave their all

Stewart Innes and Alan Sinclair

John Collins and Jonny Walton

Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis produced a dominant performance in their men’s four semi to qualify for tomorrow’s final, leading throughout.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were equally impressive in their semi, taking an early and big lead before going on to win comfortably.

Will Fletcher and Richard Chambers emptied the tank giving their all in the lightweight men’s double scull semi but could not get into the top three and qualify for tomorrow’s final.

Alan Campbell will race the final GB semi of the programme tomorrow morning in the men’s single scull.  The men’s four and women’s pair will line up for their finals.

Click on the expander boxes below for full race reports, reaction and results.

For further information about this report please contact the GB Rowing Team press officer, Caroline Searle, via comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk OR the phone numbers in the contact box below.

The post Grainger becomes GB’s most decorated female Olympian appeared first on British Rowing.

Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis laid down a strong marker in their opening Olympic men’s four heat here at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in Brazil.  They built on an early lead to win in 5:55.59 and move into Wednesday’s semi-finals.

“I feel like a pressure valve has been released”, said Gregory  It’s been a lot of waiting but it was good to get the job done”.

Nash added: “It was good to get that one under our belts and out of the way”.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning experienced a much tighter affair, coming through a stiff Danish challenge to win their opening heat of the 2016 Olympic regatta in 7:05.05.
The Olympic, World and European Champions saw the danger in the final 250m and needed a powerful flourish at the end to secure the win.

Stanning said:  “The important thing today was to get into the semi-finals and we did that.  It definitely wasn’t a bad row but it wasn’t an exceptional row either”.

Glover added:  “On time and on margin that was a tough race but we have experienced having to dig deeper in other races and in training”.

The GB women’s eight paced their heat to perfection to break through a New Zealand lead in the final 500m to win and take a place in Sunday’s final.  The win was revenge for their defeat to the Kiwis at the season’s final world cup.

GB’s men followed up with a commanding performance to win their eights heat in 5:34.23 to move straight through to Sunday’s final.

“We have put in a lot of hard work over the past two months and I think it’s beginning to show”, said Pete Reed.

“They are all very, very good crews here. The final is going to be an incredible race”, added Paul Bennett.

Will Fletcher and Richard Chambers secured their semi-final slot with second place in their lightweight men’s double heat behind South Africa.

Chambers talked on behalf of the crew whilst his crew-mate Will Fletcher was called to anti-doping. “Today was good but not good enough. I know we can do better. We didn’t settle as well into our rhythm as we have been doing in training.  It was probably just the excitement of an opening heat at the Olympic Games”.

Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor did not get the result they wanted today as they were fifth in their heat and now race a repechage of the lightweight women’s double scull.
Taylor said: “I guess the disappointing thing is that we haven’t shown what we can do.  We need to deconstruct what we have just done and put it all back together again for tomorrow’s repechage”.

Earlier the GB men’s quadruple scull warmed GB hearts as they overcame recent bad luck to reach the Olympic final, taking second place in their repechage. As Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Peter Lambert crossed the line there was probably a bit of Graeme Thomas – the man who had to go home ill  – with them as they became the first GB crew to reach a final here in Brazil.

“It hasn’t been the ideal preparation but I’m very happy for the three guys behind me in the stroke seat as well as for Charles (Cousins) and Graeme (Thomas) who helped get us here”. said Lambert.

John Collins and Jonny Walton were also in much better racing fettle today as they powered into the semis of the open men’s double scull with a win in a tensely-contested repechage.

For further information about this report please contact the GB Rowing Team press officer, Caroline Searle, via comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk OR the phone numbers in the contact box below.

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Alan Campbell will launch Great Britain’s Olympic rowing campaign this Saturday on Rio’s Estadio de Lagoa at 09.00 Brazilian time (13.00 BST) when he faces opposition from Belarus, Korea, Zimbabwe and Indonesia for a place in Tuesday’s quarter-finals of the open men’s single scull.

The 2012 bronze medal open men’s single sculler, from Coleraine and coached by John West, will lead off a British contingent of 12 boats and 47 rowers in action at these Games at a lake which Team GB Rowing Leader, Sir David Tanner, has described as “one of the iconic venues of the Games”.

Saturday morning’s race-card includes the men’s pair of Alan Sinclair, from Inverness, and Henley’s Stewart Innes, the European silver medal winners (14.40 BST). They have drawn the Dutch crew of Roel Braas and Mitchel Steenman, also multiple medal winners this season, in their opening heat.   A top three finish from the six starters will see them into Tuesday’s semi-finals.

“The guys are excited about racing at their first Games and are fired up because of the support back home”, said their coach Rob Dauncey.

2012 Olympic women’s eight finalist Vicky Thornley, from Wrexham, and five-times Olympian and Glasgow’s defending Olympic champion Katherine Grainger, have a tough opener in the open women’s double scull in which they need a top three placing to progress.

They are drawn to race alongside Lithuania’s 2013 World Champions Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite in a heat also featuring 2015 World bronze medallists, Germany (15.00 BST).

“It’s a very tasty heat and the women are looking forward to testing themselves”, said coach Paul Thompson.

Leicester’s Jonny Walton and Twickenham’s John Collins will kick off their debut Olympics in a heat of the open men’s double scull, which features current World bronze medallists New Zealand and 2014 silver medallists, Italy (15.30 BST).  A top three finish for the duo, coached by Mark Banks, will see them safely into Tuesday’s semi-finals.

Coleraine’s Peter Chambers and Chester’s Chris Bartley both took silver in the lightweight men’s four in London and return to this boat class in Rio where they race with Olympic first-timers Mark Aldred, from Birmingham and Maidenhead’s Jono Clegg.

In Saturday’s opening heat (16.10 BST) the quartet, who finished the world cup season on a strong note, with world cup bronze in Poland, have drawn 2014 World Champions and 2015 World silver medallists, Denmark.  They also race the Germans whom they beat into fifth place in the final in Poland.   Three crews go through to semi-finals.

‘It will be interesting to see how we run off against the Danes in the opening heat because they are one of the top crews in the world. It will put everyone’s minds at rest to see where we stand”, said coach Hamish Burrell.

Jack Beaumont from Maidenhead has flown out to join the GB men’s quadruple scull crew in the past few days because of illness to Graeme Thomas.  Beaumont, Reading’s Sam Townsend, Glasgow’s Angus Groom, who learnt to row in Guildford, and Henley’s Peter Lambert will close out GB’s first day of racing.

“Australia and Poland are the seeded crews, so it will be a good test”, said coach Paul Stannard of their opening heat (16.40 BST) from which two crews progress to Wednesday’s final and the others to a repechage which provides those crews with a second chance on Monday.

SUNDAY

Sunday’s start-list will see the men’s four, women’s pair and the two lightweight double scull crews in action in their respective opening heats.

Gloucestershire’s defending Olympic Champion Alex Gregory, Surbiton’s Moe Sbihi, George Nash, from Guildford, and Londoner Constantine Louloudis start unbeaten this season in the men’s four. They line up with South Africa, France and Greece in heat three (16.20 BST).

Three crews from each heat will progress to the men’s four semi-finals on Wednesday.  Britain have been Olympic champions in this event at every Games since Sydney 2000.

“Overall the draws are good but there is no easy opposition at Olympic Games level.  We are here to compete and to show how we can perform.  We have prepared well and we are now looking forward to it”, said coach Jurgen Grobler who is coaching at his 11th Olympic Games.

Helen Glover, from Penzance, and Lossiemouth’s Heather Stanning will race a women’s pair heat which includes Denmark and Germany who are both world cup finalists this season (14.10 BST).

Robin Williams, coach to the Olympic, World and European Champion duo, said: “The draw has turned out evenly balanced with the seeded crews missing each other but we have crews in our heats who can race, and race well, so we will be giving them the proper respect”. Three crews progress from this heat.

Tees rower Kat Copeland, like Glover and Stanning, is a defending Olympic Champion. With Putney’s Charlotte Taylor, Copeland won World silver a year ago.

The duo missed the latter part of this season’s world cup racing because of injury but have come through well from two recent good training camps.

Only two crews progress to semi-finals from their heat (14.40 BST). Coach Paul Reedy said:  “We are racing crews that are ranked quite highly so it will be a good first test and we are raring to go”.

Richard Chambers, the elder of the Chambers siblings and a London 2012 lightweight men’s four medallist, races this Games with Games debutant Will Fletcher from Chester-le-Street in the lightweight men’s double scull.

In a somewhat ironic twist the combination, coached by Darren Whiter, are drawn in their heat (15.50 BST) alongside John Thompson and John Smith who were half of South African lightweight four who so narrowly pipped GB to gold in London four years ago.  The top two crews go on to the semi-finals with the remainder to the repechages.

MONDAY

Britain’s two eights open their Games on Monday with heats starting at 10.30 local time (14.30 in the UK).

The men have drawn Holland, Italy and New Zealand.  Germany, the Olympic Champions, are in the other heat.   Scott Durant (Lancaster), Tom Ransley (Ashford), Andrew T Hodge (Hebden), Matt Gotrel (Chipping Campden), Pete Reed (Nailsworth), Paul Bennett (Leeds), Matt Langridge (Northwich), Will Satch (Henley) and Londoner Phelan Hill feature in this line-up.

Christian Felkel, who coaches the eight with Jurgen Grobler, said:  “It was expected that the Germans would be in the other heat because of the seedings. The Dutch, of course, won in Lucerne at the world cup so that will be interesting but we are not worried and we can’t wait to get going”.

The GB European Champion women’s eight are drawn with Canada and New Zealand.

James Harris, coach of the European Champion women’s eight with Paul Thompson, said:  “The seeding meant that we would always face New Zealand in the heats. We’ve traded results with them this season and the Canadians, of course, are the World bronze medallists from last year so it’s going to be a good three-boat fight”.  Only one crew can progress directly to the final, the other two will have a second chance via the repechage.

Katie Greves (Oxford), Melanie Wilson (London) Frances Houghton (Oxford), Polly Swann (Edinburgh), Jess Eddie (Durham), Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Reading), Karen Bennett (Edinburgh), Zoe Lee (Richmond) and cox Zoe de Toledo (London) will race at 10.40 Brazilian time (14.40 in the UK) with the men in action 20 minutes later.

Click here for a full guide to the Games

The post Ready and raring to go in Rio appeared first on British Rowing.

With the European Championships taking place next week in Brandenburg, Germany, British Rowing has updated its team-list.

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, winner of the U23 GB Trials recently, joins the entries for the event from 6-8 May as a racing spare in the open women’s single scull. She will also be reserve for the women’s quadruple scull.

Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher have been withdrawn from the light men’s double scull.  They are now fully back in training after Chambers’ hand injury but the decision has been taken to miss the Europeans and focus on the world cup in Lucerne.

GB’s main squad was announced three weeks ago, signalling an intention to be ambitious at the Europeans as part of aiming high in Rio – now 100 days away.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were announced in the women’s pair in which they are the reigning Olympic, World and European Champions.

Glover said:  “It’s always fantastic to be selected to represent Great Britain, and never more so than in Olympic year. The European Championships are our first opportunity to test our early season speed against international competition.”

And one of the strongest open men’s sweep* rowing squads in the world has been deployed across the men’s eight and four as well as a new-look men’s pair for the event which takes place in Brandenburg Germany from May 6-8.

Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said: “We are clearly ambitious to do well in Rio and will race and then review the Europeans combinations announced today. We will also enter six crews for the Varese World Cup regatta in ten days’ time.”

Double Olympic men’s four champions Pete Reed and Andrew T Hodge have been selected into the men’s eight in a line-up which includes Scott Durant and 2012 men’s eight medallist Matt Langridge alongside multiple World Champions Paul Bennett, Matt Gotrel, Tom Ransley, stroke Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill. Ransley, Satch and Hill are also 2012 medallists.

Alex Gregory, 2012 gold medallist in the four, returns to that boat and races with his Trials winning partner, Mohamed Sbihi, plus George Nash and stroke Constantine Louloudis. The quartet are all reigning World Champions in the men’s eight.

Gregory said:  “Everything we do aims towards the Olympics and now finally we are starting to form the crews that will make up the Olympic team. With the European Championships as the first test, I can’t wait to get the 2016 racing season underway. It’s a privilege to race for our country and the feeling of pride and excitement never diminishes.”

Having laid down a strong marker with a top four finish at the recent GB Trials Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes are named as the men’s pair.

Relative rookie Angus Groom has forced his way into the open men’s quadruple scull* in the absence of the injured Charles Cousins, to join 2013 and 2014 World medallists Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas and Peter Lambert.

Lambert said:  “I am extremely happy with my selection for the Europeans. This regatta is an exciting start to our Olympic season. The men’s quad at the Europeans is an extremely high competition. Out of the eight crews that qualified last year for the Olympics, seven of them are European countries. We are looking forward to it.”

2012 bronze medallist Alan Campbell, whose Trials’ win showed that he is back on form, races the single scull and Jonny Walton and John Collins, contest the double scull – they qualified that boat for Rio at last year’s World Championships.

Four-times Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger is named in the open women’s double scull with Trials winner Vicky Thornley in a reprise of their 2015 partnership which finished its debut season with a place in the World final.

Like Grainger, Frances Houghton, will race a fifth Olympic Games if selected later this summer for Rio.  She has switched from sculling to sweep rowing and has won a seat in the women’s eight that came so close to winning a medal at last year’s World Championships.

Grainger said:  “The idea of ever competing at the Olympic Games was once just a dream and so it was incredible when I made the team in 2000. Now 16 years on and looking to my fifth Games I still have the same excitement I did back then, it’s the most amazing event to be part of and that doesn’t change whether it’s the first time or the fifth.”

Houghton said:  “I feel almost overwhelmed to be selected for the European Championships in the women’s eight. It is the first major step conquered on the way to fulfilling my dream of competing in my fifth Olympic Games.

It has at times seemed like an insurmountable mountain to climb, and now it is just sinking in that all the hard work and deep belief in the darkest of times of illness and injury has paid off”.

Olympians Jess Eddie, Katie Greves and Melanie Wilson as well as 2013 World pair champion Polly Swann, back after a year out with injury, will be joined in the line-up by Zoe Lee, Karen Bennett, Olivia Carnegie-Brown, and cox Zoe de Toledo.

The women’s quadruple scull will be Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden, Tina Stiller and Rosamund Bradbury. They raced recently at the world cup in Varese as the campaign begins to qualify this boat for Rio.

World silver medallists Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor will once more race the lightweight women’s double scull having taken the top two spots at the Trials from a strongly contested lightweight sculling group. Imogen Walsh, therefore, races the single in which she won World silver in 2015.

Further post-Trials testing was needed to establish the crews for the light men’s sweep boats.  2012 silver medallists Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley have made the cut and will be joined by Mark Aldred and Jono Clegg, both now experienced internationals.  Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells are GB’s choice in the pair. They won World gold last year.

Jamie Kirkwood, a World finalist last year, takes up the GB slot in the lightweight men’s single once more.

*Sweep = one rower, one oar *Scull = one rower, two sculls

The post Some tweaks have been made to the Europeans team appeared first on British Rowing.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were announced in the women’s pair in which they are the reigning Olympic, World and European Champions.

Glover said:  “It’s always fantastic to be selected to represent Great Britain, and never more so than in Olympic year. The European Championships are our first opportunity to test our early season speed against international competition.”

And one of the strongest open men’s sweep* rowing squads in the world has been deployed across the men’s eight and four, as well as a new-look men’s pair, for the event which takes place in Brandenburg, Germany from May 6-8.

Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said: “We are clearly ambitious to do well in Rio and will race and then review the Europeans combinations announced today. We will also enter six crews for the Varese World Cup regatta in ten days’ time.”

Double Olympic men’s four champions Pete Reed and Andrew T Hodge have been selected into the men’s eight in a line-up which includes Scott Durant and 2012 men’s eight medallist Matt Langridge alongside multiple World Champions Paul Bennett, Matt Gotrel, Tom Ransley, stroke Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill. Ransley, Satch and Hill are also 2012 medallists.

Alex Gregory, 2012 gold medallist in the four, returns to that boat and races with his Trials winning partner, Mohamed Sbihi, plus George Nash and stroke Constantine Louloudis. The quartet are all reigning World Champions in the men’s eight.

Gregory said:  “Everything we do aims towards the Olympics and now finally we are starting to form the crews that will make up the Olympic team. With the European Championships as the first test, I can’t wait to get the 2016 racing season underway. It’s a privilege to race for our country and the feeling of pride and excitement never diminishes.”

Having laid down a strong marker with a top-four finish at the recent GB Trials, Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes are named as the men’s pair.

It is the first major step conquered on the way to fulfilling my dream of competing in my fifth Olympic Games – Frances Houghton

Relative rookie Angus Groom has forced his way into the open men’s quadruple scull* in the absence of the injured Charles Cousins, to join 2013 and 2014 World medallists Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas and Peter Lambert.

Lambert said:  “I am extremely happy with my selection for the Europeans. This regatta is an exciting start to our Olympic season. The men’s quad at the Europeans is an extremely high competition. Out of the eight crews that qualified last year for the Olympics, seven of them are European countries. We are looking forward to it.”

2012 bronze medallist Alan Campbell, whose Trials’ win showed that he is back on form, races the single scull and Jonny Walton and John Collins, contest the double scull – they qualified that boat for Rio at last year’s World Championships.

Four-times Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger is named in the open women’s double scull with Trials winner Vicky Thornley in a reprise of their 2015 partnership which finished its debut season with a place in the World final.

Like Grainger, Frances Houghton, will race a fifth Olympic Games if selected later this summer for Rio.  She has switched from sculling to sweep rowing and has won a seat in the women’s eight that came so close to winning a medal at last year’s World Championships.

Grainger said:  “The idea of ever competing at the Olympic Games was once just a dream and so it was incredible when I made the team in 2000. Now 16 years on and looking to my fifth Games I still have the same excitement I did back then, it’s the most amazing event to be part of and that doesn’t change whether it’s the first time or the fifth.”

Houghton said:  “I feel almost overwhelmed to be selected for the European Championships in the women’s eight. It is the first major step conquered on the way to fulfilling my dream of competing in my fifth Olympic Games.

“It has at times seemed like an insurmountable mountain to climb and now it is just sinking in that all the hard work and deep belief in the darkest of times of illness and injury has paid off.”

Olympians Jess Eddie, Katie Greves and Melanie Wilson as well as 2013 World pair champion Polly Swann, back after a year out with injury, will be joined in the line-up by Zoe Lee, Karen Bennett, Olivia Carnegie-Brown and cox Zoe de Toledo.

It’s a privilege to race for our country and the feeling of pride and excitement never diminishes – Alex Gregory

World silver medallists Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor will once more race the lightweight women’s double scull having taken the top two spots at the Trials from a strongly contested lightweight sculling group. Imogen Walsh, therefore, races the single in which she won World silver in 2015.

Richard Chambers is on his way back after a recent hand injury and will race the lightweight men’s double, if fully fit, with Will Fletcher. Just like Olympic Champion Copeland and Taylor, they won World silver last year in their debut season together.

Further post-Trials testing was needed to establish the crews for the lightweight men’s sweep boats.  2012 silver medallists Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley have made the cut and will be joined by Mark Aldred and Jono Clegg, both now experienced internationals.  Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells are GB’s choice in the pair. They won World gold last year.

Jamie Kirkwood, a World finalist last year, takes up the GB slot in the lightweight men’s single once more.

British Rowing will also race six crews at the Varese World Cup from April 15-17, including the women’s quadruple scull, announced in the European squad today as Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden, Tina Stiller and Rosamund Bradbury as the campaign begins to qualify this boat for Rio.

Click the expander ‘Crew List’ box below to see the squad in full.

*Sweep = one rower, one oar / Scull = one rower, two sculls

RACING TIMETABLE – 2016 European Championships, Brandenburg, Germany

• Friday 6 May – all heats a.m.; some repechages p.m.
• Saturday 7 May – All further repechages and semi-finals.
• Sunday 8 May – All finals (09.33 – 13.33 UK Time).

GB ROWING TEAM MEDALISTS – 2015 European Championships, Poznan, Poland

Gold:

• Women’s pair – Helen Glover, Heather Stanning.
• Men’s pair – James Foad, Matt Langridge.
• Men’s four – Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley, Scott Durant.
• Lightweight women’s single scull – Imogen Walsh.
• Lightweight women’s double scull – Charlotte Taylor, Kat Copeland.
• Lightweight men’s pair – Joel Cassells, Peter Chambers.

Silver:

• Men’s eight – Matt Gotrel, Stewart Innes, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Moe Sbihi, Alex Gregory, George Nash, Will Satch, Phelan Hill (cox).
• Lightweight men’s double scull – Richard Chambers, Will Fletcher.

Bronze:

• Women’s double scull – Vicky Thornley, Katherine Grainger.
• Men’s quadruple scull – Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas, Peter Lambert.

The post European selections point to aiming high at Rio Olympics appeared first on British Rowing.

Lightweights Charlotte Taylor, Will Fletcher, Sam Scrimgeour and Jono Clegg all recorded maiden victories at the event with impressive performances in Wednesday’s finals at Caversham.

The races were packed with quality and depth, giving selectors plenty to ponder ahead of the European Championships team announcement in April – and, of course, this summer’s Olympics in Brazil.

Alan Campbell © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Alex Gregory and Moe Sbihi © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner said: “We’ve had an exceptional set of Trials which is suitable for an Olympic year.

“We’ve had some great racing and it was good to see the standard of our Olympians stepping up with some top-level performances.

Sam Scrimgeour and Jono Clegg celebrate © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Will Fletcher celebrates © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

“We still have some questions as we move towards our crew formation. We have good information from these Trials as we start putting together our boats for the European Championships in May and then, later in the year, for the Olympics.”

See below for full race reports, quotes and results.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Vicky Thornley © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

The post Multiple wins and maiden victories as “exceptional” Trials conclude appeared first on British Rowing.

Sbihi said of their win:  “We had the objective to go hard out of the blocks and stick to doing our own thing. We got the rewards over the first 500m and then were able to settle into a nice rhythm, relax and kick out”.

Olympic medallists Pete Reed and Constantine Louloudis won the opposing semi in a faster time, holding off strong opposition from George Nash and Will Satch, winners of 2012 bronze in this event.

Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes put in a sizzling performance to take second behind Gregory and Sbihi in a semi which, by contrast, held heartache for 2012 men’s four champion Andrew T Hodge and World silver medallist Matt Langridge.  The duo did not have enough in the tank in the closing 350m to nudge into third place, taken by Tom Ransley and Scott Durant, and will race a B final instead.

The scene is now set not only for a men’s pair final crammed with World and Olympic medallists but some cracking racing across the board as the pressure mounts on potential Olympic places.

Pete Reed and Constantine Louloudis (foreground) won their semi-final © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Will Fletcher and Jamie Kirkwood © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Angus Groom © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Emerging talent Angus Groom and 2012 bronze medallist Alan Campbell look set to lock horns in the men’s single scull final having won their semis today respectively. John Collins, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas and Jonny Walton will also fancy their chances as recent World medallists or finalists in sculling events.

Campbell said: “I’m feeling very good and happy with it but it’s all to play for tomorrow”. Both men know that a fit Charles Cousins, winner of the past two trials, would have presented a challenge.  Cousins has recently had back surgery for an injury that has scuppered his chances of racing in Rio but is determined to battle back to fitness and mount a Tokyo campaign.

Another tight contest could unroll in the lightweight women’s single scull. Charlotte Taylor, Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh were involved in an almost blanket final last time round and with only two seats at the Olympics for this group of rowers the pressure is intense.  Taylor and Walsh won the two semis today.

Imogen Walsh © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Frances Houghton and Olivia Carnegie-Brown won their women's pair semi-final © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Jess Leyden at the start of the women's single semi-final © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Will Fletcher looked the strongest of the lightweight men’s single scullers in winning his semi-final from defending champion Jamie Kirkwood but there is still all to play for tomorrow with Zak Lee Green and Sam Mottram in the mix.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were, as expected, consummate winners of their women’s pair semi-final and are certainly strong favourites to win. They had an early run-out against their expected strongest opposition in Jess Eddie and Polly Swann today and the two pairs will clash again tomorrow.

Frances Houghton, trying for her fifth Olympics and having already won two Olympic silvers, was a winner of the first semi today with Olivia Carnegie Brown from Karen Bennett and Melanie Wilson.

Sir David Tanner, Performance Director of the GB Rowing Team, said:  “They have been fantastic conditions to race in today and what we’ve seen is the depth we’ve got in our squads, in most of the events, especially the open weight ones. It’s great to see so many competitive women’s pairs as well as men’s, and the singles on the men’s side are really good. We’ll have an interesting day of finals.

“Having qualified 12 boats for the Olympics it means we have some choices to make. So even if you look down a little bit, in several events down the final, or even not quite in it, they could still make the Games and arguably do well. It’s where we are and it’s competitive stuff.”

The lightweight men’s pair final is a four-boat affair with 2012 silver medalist Chris Bartley and Mark Aldred coming out top in today’s time-trials to “seed” the final.

115 rowers are contesting these trials with just 48 Olympic places on offer.  Tomorrow’s racing takes place from 10-12.00.

The post Rowers have “another gear to go” ahead of crunch Trials finals appeared first on British Rowing.

Vicky Thornley, winner of the Trials in the past two seasons, got the time trials under way and promptly set the standard in the women’s single scull with a time of 7:14.79.

Impressing behind her were three young rowers – Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne – while Katie Greves, whose pairs partner Zoe Lee had to pull out through injury, was fifth-fastest on the 1,900m course.

London 2012 bronze-medalist Alan Campbell, an eight-times winner of the Trials, laid down the marker in what promises to be a hotly-contested men’s single competition with the quickest time of 6:37.96.

Angus Groom, winner of the December assessment, Jonny Walton and Sam Townsend all posted times within two seconds of Campbell, with John Collins, Graeme Thomas, Peter Lambert and Jack Beaumont also in the mix.

Vicky Thornley © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Charlotte Taylor © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Last year’s lightweight women’s single contest was fiercely fought between Charlotte Taylor, Imogen Walsh and Olympic champion Kat Copeland.

And those three look set to challenge for top spot again this year, with Taylor just getting the better of Walsh and Copeland in the time trials. Ellie Piggott, Brianna Stubbs and Emily Craig – all silver-medalists in the lightweight quad at last year’s World Championships – made up the top six.

Will Fletcher, winner of the December Assessment, again set the pace in the lightweight men’s single to come home in 6:55.50.

Sam Mottram, who made his senior debut at the 2015 World Championships, was second fastest, just ahead of Zak Lee-Green and two-times Trials winner Jamie Kirkwood.

Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Will Fletcher © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

The lightweight men’s pair competition is a four-way tussle, with today’s time trial determining the lanes for tomorrow’s final.

Olympic silver-medalist Chris Bartley and Mark Aldred went fastest in 6:25.41, with Sam Scrimgeour and Jono Clegg in second.

Leading the way in the women’s pair were Olympic, World and European Champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who set a quick time of 6:53.23.

The chasing pack was led by four-time Olympian Frances Houghton, who has switched from sculling to sweep for these trials, and Olivia Carnegie-Brown.

GB Rowing Team Start graduate Karen Bennett and Melanie Wilson were third, just ahead of Jess Eddie and Polly Swann.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Constantine Louloudis and Pete Reed © Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Eight reigning World Champions are contesting a stacked men’s pair competition and they provided four of the top five placings in the final time trial of the morning.

Double Olympic champion Pete Reed and Constantine Louloudis were quickest in 6:11.90, with Alex Gregory and Moe Sbihi – winners of the last two GB Trials – just beating men’s four World bronze-medalists Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes to second spot.

London 2012 bronze-medalists George Nash and Will Satch were fourth, with Matt Gotrel and Paul Bennett fifth.

The action heats up this afternoon with lane racing in the semi-finals – they start at 3.07pm BST.

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115 rowers are set to go to the start line of next week’s Olympic-season GB Rowing Team trials with just 48 Rio places on offer later this summer and earlier seats to be won at the European Championships.

The announcement of the crews for the European Championships will take place on April 6.

Sir David Tanner, British Rowing’s Performance Director said: “This is the event when we test the rowers under pressure in pairs and singles to see who has got what it takes to win.  The tension is never greater than in Olympic year.”

The field for next week’s (Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23) men’s pair event will be headed by names like Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash, Will Satch, Pete Reed, Andrew T Hodge and Constantine Louloudis who are all Olympic medallists, three of them Olympic Champions.

Gregory and Sbihi are tipped to take a hat-trick of titles since 2014 and, for Sbihi, victory would mean a fourth consecutive victory at this event.

World men’s eight Champions Paul Bennett and Matt Gotrel will also have eyes on the prize of a top seat for 2016.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning are stand-out favourites to win the women’s pair event. The duo hold the Olympic, World and European titles although Jess Eddie and Polly Swann – the latter a World Champion with Glover in 2013 – could run them close as they did in 2014.

Singular “single” and women’s sweep battles in store

Perhaps more intriguing could be the battle for top honours in the open men’s single scull.

Angus Groom won the December assessment. The young Scot is making his mark after joining the senior squad from the ranks of the U23 World medallists.

With Charles Cousins absent through injury, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Alan Campbell should feel he has a chance to extend his remarkable trials record to nine overall wins.  He won eight titles consecutively from 2005-2012 before Cousins took over the mantle.

2013 and 2014 World quadruple scull medallists Pete Lambert, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas as well as Groom’s erstwhile World U23 medal team-mate Jack Beaumont, who is back on track after last summer’s serious injury, and 2015 double-scullers Jonny Walton and John Collins are also in the mix.

At these trials only 2012 Olympic gold medallist Andrew T Hodge, racing next week in the men’s pair with reigning World pairs silver medallist Matt Langridge, can equal the 10 titles won to date by Katherine Grainger who sits out next week as she is recovering from a minor niggle, leaving Vicky Thornley the favourite to win the open women’s single.

Frances Houghton, a 2008 Olympic silver medallist and previous, multiple winner of these trials in the single, has swapped into a competitive “sweep” group seeking seats in the Rio-qualified women’s eight.

This includes, amongst other contenders, Olympians Eddie and Swann, Katie Greves, Louisa Reeve and Melanie Wilson as well as Donna Etiebet, Ro Bradbury, Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Zoe Lee.

Eddie summed up the mood in the squad when she said recently:  “The focus right now is purely on selection, that is the big thing weighing on people’s minds.  It’s pretty intense but it’s in our own hands.  If we’re good enough we’ll be in the boat, if we’re not we’ll, miss out.”

Seriously heavy competition for the lightweight titles

Last season’s finals session was marked by a sizzling finale to the lightweight women’s single scull when Olympic Champion Kat Copeland was eased out in a three-boat photo-finish by Imogen Walsh and, then rookie, Charlotte Taylor.

Taylor and Copeland went on to race in the lightweight double for GB in the ensuing season and won World silver in Aiguebelette, France, and Walsh won World silver in the single.

Outside of this triumvirate a new wave of talented lightweights continues to emerge including previous World U23 medallists Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott.

Next week’s trials will feature both a single and a pairs event for the lightweight men as selection is honed down to the two Olympic boats – the light four and double.

Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher won World silver in the double last September.  Fletcher remains a strong contender for next week’s light single title alongside twice previous winner Jamie Kirkwood and Zak Lee Green but Chambers has a hand injury which will keep him on the sidelines.

In the pairs event Joel Cassells, from the same town – Coleraine –  as 2012 Olympic medallists Alan Campbell, Peter and Richard Chambers – will seek to impress in his continuing rise from recent student rowing days.

This will be a small but tight event with Peter Chambers, Mark Aldred, Chris Bartley, Jonno Clegg and Sam Scrimgeour all with senior medal experience racing against relative newcomers like Jamie Copus and Sam Mottram.

Four coxes are also amongst those attending the invitation only event. They are Phelan Hill, Henry Fieldman, Zoe de Toledo and Matilda Horn.

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RACING TIMETABLE

Racing will take place as follows:

Time-trials (heats) – 09.45 – 11.00 on Tuesday 22 March

Semi-finals – 15.00 – 16.25 on Tuesday 22 March

Finals – 10.00 – 12.30 Wednesday 23 March

All times of racing are subject to the weather and members of the media who are attending the event should check with the press officer on 07831 755351 or comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk before travelling to the event, particularly if there are high winds.

Any updates to schedules will be posted on twitter:  @GBRowingTeam and on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam

ENTRY LIST

(As at Thursday 17 March)

* denotes U23

OPEN

MEN

SINGLE

Tom Barras (Leander Club/Staines/07.01.94)*

Jack Beaumont (Leander Club/Maidenhead/21.11.93)

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Frazier Christie (Leander Club/Bath/11.01.93)

John Collins (Leander Club/Whitton/24.01.89)

Angus Groom (Leander Club/Glasgow/16.06.92)

Peter Lambert (Leander Club/Maidenhead/03.12.86)

Rowan Law (Leander Club/Nottingham/01.12.96)*

Harry Leask (Leander Club/Edinburgh/16.10.95)*

Nick Middleton (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/12.08.88)

George Stewart (Molesey BC/Esher/14.04.95)*

Jon Stimpson (Nottingham RC/Gex, France/18.07.90)

Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC/Preston/08.11.88)

Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.85)

Sam Twine (Reading Univ BC/Tavistock/06.01.94)*

Jonny Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.90)

PAIR

Bowside

Chris Boddy (Leander Club/Thornaby-on-Tees/16.11.87)

Cameron Buchan (Leander Club/Dunipace/03.12.92)

Timothy Clarke (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/07.04.91)

Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.90)

Rory Gibbs (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lane End/03.04.94)*

Michael Glover (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Burnham/03.06.95)*

Matt Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)

Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)

Luke Moon (Molesey BC/Deal/25.03.93)

George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/02.10.89)

Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Ashford/06.09.85)

Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth/27.07.81)

James Rudkin (Newcastle Univ BC/Northampton/07.07.94)*

Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)

Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.85)

Barnaby Stentiford (Leander Club/Ippleden/06.02.91)

Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)

William Warr (Leander Club/Tunbridge Wells/12.03.92)

Strokeside

Matthew Aldridge (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Christchurch/11.03.96)*

Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)

Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Withiel/13.05.95)*

Phil Congdon (Leander Club/Bury St Edmunds/06.06.89)

Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88)

Thomas Ford (Leander Club/Holmes Chapel/03.10.92)

Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)

Chris Heywood (Molesey BC/Ascot/29.05.94)*

Andrew T Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden/03.03.79)

Stewart Innes (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/20.05.91)

Constantine Louloudis (Oxford Univ BC/London/15.09.91)

Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh/13.08.92)

Lewis McCue (Robert Gordon Uni/Aberdeen/26.12.94)*

Adam Neill (Leander Club/Peterborough/29.05.90)

Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)

George Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/09.03.92)

Matt Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/25.09.89)

Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)

OPEN

WOMEN

SINGLE

Emily Carmichael (Leander Club/Cheltenham/29.05.92)

Sam Courty (Reading RC/Alnwick/07.01.93)

Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Guiseley/27.02.80)

Georgia Francis (Imperial College BC/Newbury/18.08.94)*

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Glasgow/12.11.75) (injured)

Lucinda Gooderham (Leander Club/Garboldisham/09.06.84)

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading Univ BC/Hereford/01.10.94)*

Jessica Leyden (Leander Club/Todmorden/22.02.95)

Holly Nixon (Leander Club/Enniskillen/07.12.93

Tina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.87)

Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)

Melissa Wilson (Cambridge Univ BC/Edinburgh/10.06.93)

PAIR

Bowside

Karen Bennett (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.02.89)

Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)

Beth Bryan (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/23.04.93)

Jess Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)

Fiona Gammond (Leander Club/Bicester/19.10.92)

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.86)

Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)

Frances Houghton (Univ of London Tyrian Club/Oxford/19.09.80)

Caragh McMurtry (Southampton Coalporters/Southampton/22.08.91)

Vicki Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)

Strokeside

Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Henley-on-Thames/28.03.91)

Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Deganwy/11.12.91)

Donna Etiebet (Imperial College BC/London/29.04.86)

Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond/15.12.85)

Holly Norton (Leander Club/Johannesburg, SA/01.01.93)

Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)

Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)

Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.06.88)

Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)

Jo Wratten (Tees RC/Middlesbrough/23.03.92)

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

SINGLE

Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85) (injured)

Will Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street/24.12.89)

John Hale (Imperial College BC/Cambridge/28.02.88)

Jonathan Jackson (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/02.06.95)*

Jamie Kirkwood (Leander Club/Newcastle/30.08.89)

Zak Lee-Green (Agecroft RC/Cardiff/06.02.91)

Samuel Mottram (Leander Club/Stoke Mandeville/14.11.94)*

Sam Tuck (Molesey BC/Peterborough/26.07.93)

PAIR

Bowside

Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Wrexham/02.02.84)

Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ/Coleraine/14.03.90)

Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir/28.01.88)

Charles Waite-Roberts (Leander Club/Basingstoke/06.11.92)

Strokeside

Mark Aldred (London RC/Birmingham/18/04.87)

Joel Cassells (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/15.06.94)*

Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)

Jamie Copus (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/30.01.93)

WOMEN

SINGLE

Maddie Arlett (Edinburgh Univ BC/Selkirk/07.06.94)*

Kat Copeland (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/01.12.90)

Emily Craig (Univ of London BC/Mark Cross/30.11.92)

Gemma Hall (Wallingford RC/Wargrave/10.04.92)

Robyn Hart-Winks (Edinburgh Univ BC/Kirriemuir/07.10.93)

Ellie Lewis (Agecroft RC/Marlow/14.04.94)

Eleanor Piggott (Wallingford RC/Bedford/16.05.91)

Fran Rawlins (Leander Club/Uckfield/08.07.86)

Brianna Stubbs (Wallingford RC/Poole/13.07.91)

Charlotte Taylor (Putney Town RC/Bedford/14.08.85)

Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)

COXES

MEN

Henry Fieldman (Molesey BC/Barnes/25.11.88)

Phelan Hill (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

WOMEN

Zoe De Toledo (Leander Club/London/17.07.87)

Matilda Horn (Univ of London BC/Windsor/16.

The post European and Olympic seats to seek at Trials appeared first on British Rowing.