Sunday September 6th 1998

Men's four and women's double win, and rest stay in the chase

Ten British boats started on Sunday, and ten more begin their medal bid on Monday. The four of James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster and Matthew Pinsent began well in a race in which they asserted their old authority in the third quarter of the race and cruised home ahead of the American four (including the Cambridge Blue Ethan Ayre and the Oxford Blue Jordan Irving), the Egyptions and the Norwegians. The other heats were won by Italy and Australia, the former beating Romania and the latter France. The British next race in Thursday's semifinals.

Miriam Batten and Gillian Lindsay excelled in the doubles, winning their heat outright, the only other British crew to avoid the repechage round. Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop were fourth in the pairs at halfway before moving up through the gears and getting close to the winning world champions from Canada by the line.

There were second places, too, for the scullers Guin Batten, Greg Searle and Peter Haining. Batten beat former world champion and Princess Royal winner Maria Brandin to reach second place behind the German sculler Katrin Rutschow, and looked good doing it. Searle also defeated a former world champion, Andre Willms of Germany, and was sculling much more confidently than of late when coming home behind the Kiwi Rob Waddell. There are five former world champions and the Olympic champion Mueller in the event, so there will be fireworks every whichway. Haining, back in the single after two years, was beaten by the American James Martinez but should survive the repechage round.

The pair of Stephen Williams and Fred Scarlett and the double scullers Simon Goodbrand and Colin Greenaway both did well to finish third in hard fought heats.

The only disappointment was the lacklustre performance of the men's lightweight eight. They were beaten by the only crew they have not met this season, the US. It was a bad British performance rather than a good American one, and we can expect something else in the repechage.

Link to summarised results.
Link to tomorrow's racing draws.
Worlds 1998 website.
FISA website.

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1998.