24th August 1999

Four and pairs avoid reps - Norwegian four is slowest qualifyer

Britain's four came through their first test by winning their heat from the front, their bow ball being first across the line at each marker. New Zealand were the chasing crew in the six-boat race for one qualifying place for Thursday's semi-finals. The Commonwealth silver medallists were close all the way, finishing in 6:08.40 to Britain's 6:07.03. But the policy of Messrs James Cracknell, Steve Redgrave, Ed Coode and Matthew Pinsent is to do just enough to win a race. In the other heats the Norwegians, closest to the British in the recent World Cup, were led by Romania for more than half their race and pressed for the rest. Their time was six seconds slower than GB's. Australia won after moving through Italy in a time almost identical to Britain's. Qualifiers for semi-finals: GB (6:07.03), Norway (6:13.13), Australia (6:07.12).

Three out of six British crews in today's heats in Olympic boat classes qualified directly for semi-finals - the four and the women's and men's pairs.

Double sculls world champions Miriam Batten and Gillian Lindsay will have to defend their title the hard way after coming fourth in their heat. They were second at 500 metres but could not sustain their position for any of the three qualifying places for a semi-final. Australia, Switzerland and the US beat them. Their repechage is on Tuesday. Other qualifiers for semi-finals: Netherlands, Lithuania, France, Germany, China, Hungary.

Greg Searle sculled a good race to finish second in the single sculls, four seconds behind the Olympic champion Xeno Mueller. He was fourth after 500 metres before moving through Nikola Stojic of Yugoslavia and Ali of Egypt who was very close to him at 1500 but 13 seconds down at the finish. Nevertheless, Searle has to race in a repechage on Tuesday, with only the first in the heats qualifying. Qualifiers for semi-finals are Mueller (6:59.28), Sartori (Italy 7:02.84), Hacker (Germany 7:11.63), Porter (Canada 7:02.96), Ianakiev (Bulgaria 6:58.41), Waddell (New Zealand 7:01.45).

Stephen Williams and Simon Dennis qualified for a semi-final on Thursday by winning their heat of the coxless pairs. The Brazilians led off the start but faded when the Americans Holland and Beasley went ahead. The British took the lead by the 1500 metre mark and secured their dual with the Americans when the latter faltered and lost their run. Other qualifiers for semi-finals: France, Croatia and Australia.

Alison Mowbray finished third in her heat of the single sculls behind Katrin Rutschow of Germany and Marioara Popescu of Romania, moving to a repechage on Tuesday. Qualifiers for the semi-finals are Rutschow (7:44.01), Fedotova (Russia - 7:37.66), Nekova (Bulgaria - 7:42.59), and Karsten (Nee Khotodovitch, Belarus 7:40.85).

Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop, the 1998 world silver medalists, finished second in their heat of the coxless pairs behind the Russians Ligatcheva and Potchitaeva. They qualify for a semi-final on Thursday. Qualifiers for semi-finals: Russia, GB, USA, Romania, Australia, Germany, Canada, Ukraine, Denmark.

Non Olympic boat classes

Kirsty McClelland-Brooks was third behind Pia Vogel of Switzerland and Angela Alupai of Romania in the lightweight singles. Her rep is on Tuesday. Qualifiers for semi-finals: Vogel (8:13.84), Viehoff (Germany 7:13.91), Lisa Schlenker (US 8:15.48).

The men's lightweight eight slipped from first to third during their race, which was won by Italy with Netherlands second and Spain fourth. Italy and the US qualify for the final on Saturday. Canada and Germany were the losers in the American's heat.

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1999.