Rowing: An oar-some start by duo

Sunday 29 July 2012

SCOT Heather Stanning and her English pairs partner Helen Glover gave the British team the perfect start to their Olympic campaign at Eton Dorney.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning on the way to winning their heat Photograph: Reuters

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Mike Haggerty

They won the first heat of their event to qualify direct for their final, setting an Olympic best time in the process.

The host nation's lightweight four and men's coxless pair won their heats to qualify for semi-finals, while single sculler Alan Campbell, from Northern Ireland, moved into the quarter-finals, thanks to an untroubled opening heat win.

Stanning, from Lossiemouth, and Glover took control of their race from the first few strokes, and crossed the first timing point almost a length ahead of second-placed USA.They built on their lead all the way down the course, earning the luxury of being able to cruise home and watch the Americans and the rest of the field battle it out for the minor places.At the finish line, they were exactly one length up on the USA, who also qualified direct for the final. In turn, the USA were well clear of defending Olympic champions Romania in third place. They, along with Germany and Argentina, now depend on the sport's second-chance repechage system to make further progress.Australia were surprise winners of the other heat, always sitting ahead of reigning world champions New Zealand, and these two qualified direct for Wednesday's final as well.The British pair were pleased at setting their fast times, but were being careful not to get carried away. Stanning, 27, said: "That was fantastic, but it was definitely a 'heat' race. We've discussed it already and we know there are bits we can pick up on."It was solid and controlled – in our boat and in our heads – but the final's the one for us."Glover, 26, agreed: "That was of our heat standard, without the fireworks you'll see in the final, but we're pretty happy at the way we executed."Every British crew is receiving enthusiastic support from the home crowd and Stanning said: "It's such a terrific atmosphere that it makes you proud to be here. The buzz brings you up."But we're here to race, and lots of things are happening round about us, so we need to concentrate, and that's what we're doing. We're going to enjoy the noise, but not get distracted by it."World champion silver medallists behind New Zealand for the last two seasons, Stanning and Glover now wait until Wednesday morning for what will be the biggest race of their relatively short rowing careers.Stanning said: "We have a few days of training now to get ourselves ready for the final: that's the race we've come here for. We don't really know how much more we've got to give, but we'll make sure we stick to our race plan and not end up being a reactive crew."Of the other British crews in action yesterday, the men's double and quadruple scullers both finished second in their heats to move on to semi-finals. The men's eight and women's quadruple scullers depend on repechages tomorrow.Although not now taking the direct route to the final, the British eight will have been pleased with their second place, overlapping world champions Germany on the line.In other action, the imperious New Zealand world champion pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond smashed the world's best time by more than seven seconds as they started their procession to an almost-inevitable Olympic title.Today, Edinburgh's Lindsey Maguire starts her campaign in a tough opening women's eight heat involving unbeaten world champions USA, as well as Australia and Germany, with only one direct place in the final. The men's and women's lightweight double scullers also get under way. The British men's double scullers, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, are reigning world and Olympic champions, but have had a troubled season.

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Rowing: An oar-some start by duo

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