News

Posted: August 9, 2016

Inverness's Alan Sinclair and Olympic champion Katherine Grainger became the fourth and fifth Scots to make it to finals in the Olympic rowing regatta, with solid performances in Tuesday's semi-finals.

Sinclair and his partner Stewart Innes came second in their coxless pairs final behind defending champions New Zealand, overtaking South Africa in the last quarter of the race.  These three crews along with the three qualifiers from the other semi-final - winners Italy, Australia and France - will line up in Thursday's final.

After the race, Sinclair was selected for a random dope-test.

Later, Katherine Grainger kept the defence of her double sculls title alive when she and her partner Vicky Thornley finished second behind Poland in their semi-final.  The British duo took the early lead but Poland slipped past them before halfway.  The Poles maintained their lead but Britain stayed comfortably ahead of third-placed France - who also qualified - to keep their medal hopes alive.  The other semi-final was won by Greece, ahead of Lithuania, who beat Grainger and Thornley in their opening heat, and third-placed USA.

After the race, Grainger looked forward to Thursday's final, saying, " getting a medal is always the most thrilling, exciting and wonderful thing you can do at the Olympic Games.  Right now it's about getting the best performance possible out of the two of us, and if that's good enough, then we'll be where we want to be.  We've said from the beginning that this is such a competitive event.  There were so many crews in those semi-finals today that have medalled in the last two years."

She added, "this will be about raising the energy levels that bit higher, and it's about containing that and thinking very clearly and calmly about that, but allowing the occasion to bring out the best in us."

Britain's single sculler Allan Campbell won his quarter-final to move onto the semi-finals while the British men's double sculls crew also reached their final.  Both the lightweight men's four and women's double scullers crashed out of medal contention in their events.

Olympic champion Heather Stanning from Lossiemouth and her partner Helen Glover race in today's coxless pairs semi-final as they continue the defence of their title.  Qualification by her would mean all six Scots racing in the GB team will have reached their finals.

Article by Mike Haggerty. 

Inspired by rowing at the Rio Games and want to give it a try?

The join us at Scottish Rowing’s Rio Regatta, Saturday 24 September 11am-4pm at Strathclyde Country Park.  

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