News

Posted: July 10, 2015

Report by Mike Haggerty in Lucerne, Switzerland:

Seven Scots are in the GB team contesting the Rowing World Cup Finals that get underway here in Lucerne, Switzerland today (Friday).

Lossiemouth's Heather Stanning will be looking to continue her four-season unbeaten run with her Olympic, world and European champion partner Helen Glover, while returning Olympic champion Katherine Grainger will be hoping for signs of further improvement with her new partner Vicky Thornley, following the bronze medals they won at the previous World Cup event in Italy and the European Championships in Poland.

Victoria Meyer-Laker from Premnay in Aberdeenshire continues to race in the women's eight that took bronze medals at the previous World Cup, while Inverness's Imogen Walsh returns to lightweight single sculls, the category in which she won the European title in Poland.

Among the men, Sam Scrimgeour from Kirriemuir continues his partnership with Jono Clegg in the non-Olympic lightweight pairs category, having won silver together at last year's world championships in Amsterdam and silver again in this season's previous World Cup appearance. Inverness's Alan Sinclair continues in the men's four, following his win at Henley Royal Regatta last weekend, while Edinburgh's Callum McBrierty races in coxed pairs.

Angus Groom, Glasgow's Commonwealth champion, who was also a winner at Henley, has an unexpected weekend off as his quadruple sculls crew has been withdrawn through a combination of illness and injury.

Heather Stanning from Lossiemouth and her Olympic, world and European champion pairs partner Helen Glover kept their four-year unbeaten record intact with a comfortable win in Friday's opening heats of the Rowing World Cup Finals , here in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Stanning and Glover were never headed in their race, crossing the line a comfortable four seconds ahead of Canada to qualify for today's semi-finals. New Zealand and Denmark were the other heat winners in this event.

Update: July 10, 2015 from Mike Haggerty

Stanning was one of five Scots to make positive starts to their campaigns. Continuing her new double sculls partnership with Vicky Thornley, returning Olympic champion Katherine Grainger moved onto the semi-finals, finishing in second place just behind Belarus, while Alan Sinclair from Inverness was in the men's four that moved onto the semi-finals with a heat win over Belarus.

In the non-Olympic lightweight events, Sam Scrimgeour from Kirriemuir and his world silver medal partner Jon Clegg recorded the fastest time in their event to qualify direct for their final on Saturday, while Inverness's European lightweight single sculls champion Imogen Walsh won her heat in the fastest time to also race in Saturday's final.

Victoria Meyer-Laker from Premnay in Aberdeenshire was in the women's eight that finished second behind Canada and this crew now depends on rowing's second-chance repechage race to reach Sunday's final.

The seventh Scot racing this week, Callum McBrierty goes directly into Saturday's final of coxed pairs.