British rowers show soul on London Olympic course

Held over two days, from 10-11 March, the rowers raced heats on Saturday morning, semi-finals or repechages on Saturday afternoon and finals on Sunday morning.

In what is probably the final rowing trial of her career, three-time Olympic silver medallist and multiple World Champion, Katherine Grainger avenged last year’s defeat by double sculls partner Anna Watkins to win the women’s single sculls in one of the most exciting races of the morning’s finals.

Grainger, who attacked both the heat and semi-final aggressively to qualify fastest for the final, had a half-length lead by 1,000m. Watkins, who has previously broken the indoor rowing World Record for 5,000m, fought back but Grainger held on to win back her title in 7:31. There is little doubt Grainger and Watkins will be racing for gold in the women’s double sculls this year.

Frances Houghton, ninth at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in the women’s single after a season riddled with injury, firmly established her place back in fight for selection for the women’s quadruple sculls by finishing fourth, alongside third placed Beth Rodford. Houghton stated: “I had a really good race but I’m disappointed with where I came today.  I don’t know what else I could have done. This is probably the hardest racing you’ll ever do, because it so personal. I’ve just had a really good run of training. For me, it’s a massive achievement to be here and to have a good weekend’s racing.”

Selection theories surrounding selection of the heavyweight men’s sweep squad are rife and this weekend did nothing to silence the rumours. Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed ran away with the men’s pair title this weekend, finishing in 6:26.43. New partnership Alex Gregory and Alex Partridge lead to halfway, before being overhauled by the world championship silver medallists in the second half of the race, to finish second in 6:29.5. Hodge and Reed looked very happy with their win.

Alex Gregory lamented his loss: “We put together a race in the heats which we weren’t very happy with. It cost us too much today to lead so much yesterday. We tried to do our own race and did the best we could do. We’ve been doing some good bits in training.”

When talking about Olympic pressure and racing his team-mates, Gregory made his feelings clear: “It’s just the worst thing. I’ve hated it. I was much more nervous today than before any international competitions.”

Under-23 World Champions George Nash and Constantine Louloudis proved they have a strong chance of upsetting the current line-up of the men’s eight by finishing in third position, ahead of current men’s four World Champions Tom James and Richard Egington. Greg Searle and partner Tom Ransley, despite not having done much training together following the withdrawal of their respective partners finished sixth, whilst men’s eight silver medalists Mohamed Sbihi and James Foad finished fifth, a mere 0.02 behind fourth position.

There is no doubt who will be the British women’s pair this year. Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, current World silver medalists, lead from the start and extended this length to win by six seconds in 7:01.47. Jessica Eddie and Louise Reeve of the women’s eight were second in 7:07.63 whilst Emily Taylor and Olivia Whitlam were third.

Alan Campbell silenced those asking if he should move into the men’s double sculls. Campbell won the men’s single sculls by several lengths in a time of 6:49.50 over Matthew Wells in second place in 6:54.10. Despite multiple World Championship and World Cup medals, an Olympic medal has always eluded the Northern Irish sculler, Campbell, prompting suggestions he form a double which would split up the ‘Red Express’ of Wells and Marcus Bateman, who was ill for these trials.  Selection for the men’s quad is also heating up, as Charles Cousins, who was injured in 2011, finished third ahead of Stephen Rowbotham in fourth, Graeme Thomas in fifth and Tom Solesbury in sixth.

In the lightweight divisions, further selection upset could be expected. In the lightweight women’s single, Katherine Copeland, under-23 world champion, crossed the line first in 7:43.15 ahead of last year’s winner and current stroke of the lightweight women’s double sculls, Sophie Hosking. In a very tight finish, Imogen Walsh finished third. With just two lightweight spots up for grabs at the Olympic Games, the current line-up could be changed to make way for the in-form Copeland. Hester Goodsell, currently bow of the lightweight women’s double sculls, did not race.

 The 2010 World Champion lightweight men’s four crew is also in danger of changing. With the absence of Rob Williams, Richard Chambers, Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase due to illness and injury, relative youngsters Adam Freeman-Pask and Peter Chambers stepped up to the challenge. Freeman-Pask won the lightweight men’s single sculls in 7:03.69, with Chambers second in 7:08.13. Whilst the defending Olympic champion lightweight men’s double sculls of Purchase and Hunter is less likely to change, both Freeman-Pask and Chambers now have a valid claim for seats in the lightweight men’s four. Paul Mattick finished third.

As chief coach Juergen Grobler is presented with some of the hardest selection decisions of his career so far. He knows some athletes will be left heartbroken: “Every year, especially in Olympic year, the fight for places is big. It is my job to find the best possible team, so I can look in the mirror and know I did my best. It is not about a name, it is about a performance, about how people fit into boat. It is important everything is transparent."

The team for the first Samsung World Rowing Cup will be announced on 4 April 2012.

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