12 August: The GB women's pair of Lou Reeve and Olivia Whitlam today became the fourth British crew to qualify for the weekend's Olympic finals.
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"I thought I'd just feel relieved at qualifying but actually I'm really pleased, too" said Reeve of their repechage race today in which they finished second behind New Zealand.
The crew only came together three months ago when they were given the chance to qualify the pair for Beijing – one of only three events in which GB had not qualified boats. At their last chance in Poland they came second in their final to clinch a ticket to the Olympics.
Australia set the early race pace, but were overhauled by the former world champions from New Zealand and the GB pair hung on to the stern of the Kiwis boat all the way to the line.
"We hoped the Australians had gone out too early and we tried to keep calm. In the end we were right" said Reeve.
The British lightweight women's double scull of Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell, coached by Leander’s Rob Morgan, also progressed to a semi-final with a well-fought win over Greece in second.
Team GB already has as many finalists as in Athens four years ago and Sydney in 2000 but there are still seven boats with a chance of joining them - six through semi-finals and the women's eight through a repechage.
11 August: A stunning win in today's heats by the GB men’s eight, coached by Leander's Mark Banks, earned them a direct path to the A final and kept them right on track for an Olympic medal.
Just a few races later Anna Bebington and Elise Laverick won their repechage of the women’s doubles to become the third British crew to qualify for the finals.
The US world champions started in as pr-race favourites in the men’s heats, postponed overnight after thunder and lightning disrupted the previous afternoon’s programme.
Only China and Great Britain appeared able to maintain the pace after 500m, where less than half a second split the top three boats with the USA in the lead.
It was in the second quarter that the GB eight, with six Leander men on board, made their move, surging ahead of the pack and taking almost a length off the world champions.
Mark Banks’ crew had taken a gamble on moving so early but it paid off handsomely, as they led by clear water at 1500m and were trailed across the line by the USA and China.
"It's always great to beat the Olympic Champions. We hadn't raced them yet this year, so it was a worry, but we were going well. I'm pleased with the race, but we need to be quicker for the Final." Said Leander’s Matthew Langridge.
Bowman Alex Partridge, the former world champion who lost his place in the men’s four last year, had plenty to be happy about after their win.
"It's brilliant fun being here. When you are a length up on a crew like the USA and you are looking back at them it seems like an awful long way" he said.
In the women’s doubles Leander’s Anna Bebington and her partner Elise Laverick took time to get into their race pace but then overhauled the Germans to win today’s repechage and join New Zealand and China in Saturday’s final.
Alan Campbell finished second in this quarterfinal of the men’s singles to move easily into the semifinals, but there was disappointment for Tim Solesbury and Robin Bourne-Taylor in the men’s pairs where fourth place in the repechage meant demotion to the CD semis.
In the heats of the women’s eights the GB crew, stroked by Leander’s Katie Greves, finished second behind the US world champions and will now have another chance to qualify for the A final in Wednesday’s repechage.
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