June 19th 1999

Ten Cup finalists - plus Haining!

After the headwind which played havoc with the first day's programme continued even stronger today, the British team finished up with ten finalists in World Cup events and three in non-World Cup events.

Greg Searle had a much better scull this morning than in his heat, claiming qualification for one of three semifinals with second place in his rep. The semi was a different story, however. He missed the B final as well by finishing fifth, his position at all the markers. The lane-seeded men won out in all three semis. World champion Rob Waddell (NZ) won Searle's heat ahead of Nikola Stojic of Yugoslavia. Ivo Ianakiev of Bulgaria and Per Andersson of Sweden also beat Searle. The other qualifiers were Ali Ali Ibrahim (Egypt) and Andris Reinholds (Latvia), and Olympic champion Xeno Mueller (Switzerland) and the Czech Vaclav Chalupa.

The women's singles saw the Russian world champion Irina Fedotova still winning, ahead of Kristine Bjerknes (Norway) and Canada's Marnie McBean. Alison Mowbray was third in the company of Katrin Rutschow (Germany, first) and Liqui Zhou (China).

Stephen Williams and Simon Dennis won a good race in the semi of the coxless pairs, having got there via a rep, while Matthew Parish and Jim Walker were done in after finished fifth in their semi, having won their first heat.

Miriam Batten-Luke and Gillian Lindsay, world doubles champions, have not found their finishing form yet. They were fourth in the semi and go to the B final. The former junior medalists Frances Houghton and Debbie Flood fared better and enter the A final after completing their semi in third place behind Luethi and Wicki (Switzerland) and Garcia and Malmary (France).

The GB2 four of Graham Smith, Steve Trapmore, Jonny Searle and Jonny Singfield qualified for the final through second place in a rep. The first lightweight four (Brown, McNiven, Lemon and Warnock) were third in the semi, but GB2 could manage only fifth.

Last but not least, the women's quad stroked by Guin Batten with Eyre, Winckless and Graham won their heat to reach the final.

Already qualified for finals on Friday are the the first four (Cracknel, Redgrave, Coode and Pinsent), Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop in the pairs. The men's and women's eights are in straight World Cup finals.

Non World Cup events

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1999.