Tribute paid to Great Britain’s quad

By Melissa Bray

Moving from silver to gold medal position came five months late, but for Great Britain’s women’s quad it was a sweet ceremony.

The annual Great Britain Rowing Team's Dinner made the most of presenting the belated World Championship gold to Debbie Flood, Sarah Winckless, Frances Houghton and Katherine Grainger. The delayed gold came after the winners of the quad at the Eton World Rowing Championships last August, Russia, were disqualified following a positive drug test by one of the team. This elevated Great Britain from silver to gold position.

FISA treasurer, Mike Williams, presented the gold medals to the quad who were paid tribute with a standing ovation lasting well over a minute by the audience of about 300 athletes, rowing officials, sponsors and friends. The audience was visibly moved including tears from the quad and speaker of the night, wheelchair racer with Paralympic and marathon medals, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Grainger commented in GB Rowing’s press release, “It’s been a bizarre week. Our coach Paul Thompson just got us together in the gym and said ‘congratulations, you’re world champions’ and then we got on with our training.”

The move from silver to gold position has elevated stroke seat Grainger from tenth on the Top 10 list for 2006 into fourth position. This bumps up Grainger to a three-time World Champion tally to go along with her two Olympic silver medals and adds to her status as Great Britain’s most successful female rower. Grainger’s elevation on the Top 10 list now places her right behind New Zealand’s Evers-Swindell twins and ahead of Joanna Lutz of Australia.

Also honoured on the night, Great Britain’s men’s four (Peter Reed, Steve Williams, Andy Hodge and Alex Partridge) were awarded Olympic Athlete of the Year for rowing by the British Olympic Association.

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