9th July 1999

Records tumble on the Rotsee

Five new world best times were set on the first day of the final round of the 1999 World Cup on the Rotsee. Norway reduced the coxless fours record to 5:46.12, the Danes reduced the lightweight fours record to 5:45.60 - faster than the open category. The Canadian women's pair Emma Robinson Theresa Luke set 6:56.27, the Romanian women's eight set 5:57.02 and the Dutch men's eight set 5:23.15 (although they claim a faster time on the Bosbaan of 5:23.10).

A following wind assisted the record breaking, and Britain's four of Cracknell, Redgrave, Coode and Pinsent will be tempted to show up the Norwegians and Danes if the conditions prevail, for they won their heat outright by only a second over the Germans.

Only three British World Cup crews qualified avoided repechages - the four, Williams and Dennis in the men's pairs (first) and Batten and Lindsay in the women's double sculls (second). Alison Mowbray qualified through the repechage in the single sculls, but Greg Searle fell at this hurdle. Jim Walker and Matthew Parish were casualties in the pairs in the repechage round, as were Colin Greenaway and Matthew Wells in the doubles.

Both lightweight pairs were second in reps and qualified for semis - Langlands and Hall in the women's and Male and Kay in the men's. The lightweight men's four also live for another day.

The men's quad also qualified in second place in their repechage.

Non World Cup events

Click here for full details of the British crews at Lucerne.

© Copyright Chris Dodd, 1999.