Issue 101 - August 1997

The yellow jersey show

A Romanian's lot was not a happy one on the Rotsee. Their coxless four had to maintain full power to keep in touch with James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster and Matthew Pinsent in the final of the third and last round of the Rowing World Cup in the knowledge that they were due in the eight-oared final later. The British established a half length lead early on, answered when Romania closed it at half way, and then with 300 metres to go Pinsent wound the rating up to 43. Suddenly a half length gap became almost a whole one. The British earned their yellow jerseys with the maximum 24 points in the series and completed their eighth race together unbeaten. The Romanians went away to cool off in preparation for the eights final.

Since their saga began last April the British crew have mixed some style in with their undoubted power. The demise of the Italian crew at this regatta and the failure of the French - Jean-Christophe Rolland, Michel Andrieux, Gilles Bosquet and Daniel Fauche - to quite catch the Romanians Claudio Marin, Dorin Alupei, Cornel Nemtoc and Florian Tudor in the final makes the British firm favourites for the world title.

Redgrave and Pinsent dismissed their past record when taking stock of their continued run of success. 'We're a new crew and we're trying to make history in the four,' said Pinsent. 'It's basically what this crew does that counts. All that's gone before is dead and buried and anything before that is even further dead and buried.'

Five other British crews contested World Cup finals. Bobbie Thatcher and Ben Hunt-Davis narrowly missed taking the coxless pairs World Cup when they lost to Lithuania by half a length. They finished equal on 18 points with the Lithuanians but the final regatta score takes precedence. The Lithuanians tore away and stayed in front throughout, while Thatcher and Hunt-Davis moved up from fifth position at halfway. There was no sign of the self-doubt apparent earlier in the season as they moved past Australia, Croatia and Germany and closed on the Lithuanians. Hunt-Davis said: 'I was disappointed with the result, but we've done better than we've ever done before. Most of our plan worked but we didn't cross the line first.'

The women's pair and double scullers both finished in fourth place. Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop in the pair could not get onto terms with the leaders, while Gillian Lindsay and Miriam Batten in the double had a late rally which took them past the Romanians while all attention was on the Swiss crew trying in vain to catch the Germans Kathrin Boron and Meike Evers.The men's eight, with two shuffles in their order over the weekend caused by illness, finished sixth. The favourites Australia who beat the British in the Grand at Henley were the losers in a nail-biting climax for medals which went to Germany, Canada and Romania - the latter containing the four men who were second to the British four.

Britain's lightweight four were also sixth.

Final World Cup score: Germany 209, GB 101, Romania 88, Denmark 73, France 70.

© Copyright Regatta Magazine, 1997.