June 18th 1999

Formality for the far-go four

May 18 afternoon report
Wind stopped racing on the first day before heats were complete. So far five British crews face repechages in the World Cup, and a further five in non-World Cup events.

Messrs Cracknell, Redgrave, Coode and Pinsent won their heat of the coxless fours with consummate ease into a strong headwind in Vienna today. Soon afterwards the second round of the World Cup was disrupted by the wind which clearly favoured lane one when its slight angle had the effect of setting up a circular motion. The British four were in lane three, and could clearly have done their business from any lane, but the finishing order of the rest of the crews in their race was lane 1,2,4,5,6 which told the tale. GB2 (Smith, Trapmore, Jonny Searle and Singfield) came fourth in lane 4 in the other heat, won by the French Malizewski, the Beghin brothers and Roche in 7:29. This compared with 7:13 for GB1 when they were four lengths clear of the Croatians.

Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop beat the German twins Anja and Dana Pyritz by five comfortable seconds to take the only final qualifying place from their heat of the coxless pairs. Emma Robinson and Theresa Luke of Canada won the other heat ahead of the French. Robinson is the current world champion in this event with Alison Korn, while Blackie and Bishop won the silver medal last year.

While Stephen Williams and Simon Dennis struggled in vain against the Croatians Martinov and Saraga to qualify for the semifinal of the men's pairs, Molesey's Matthew Parish and stroke Jim Walker won their heat in fine style, even if they might have benefited from being drawn in lane 1.

Britain's two crews in the women's double sculls were only required to finish in the first three to qualify for semifinals. Both world champions Miriam Batten-Luke and Gillian Lindsay and Frances Houghton and Debbie Flood did so economically. Both crews finished in third place in well spaced-out races.

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1999.