:00:16. > :00:23.The British are coming, the British are coming! Every year it feels
:00:24. > :00:29.different, it always feels a little different. Just glorious this
:00:30. > :00:39.morning. The fastest and strongest, to see them compete under one
:00:40. > :00:46.banner, it feels phenomenal. It is really special pressure, and it is
:00:47. > :00:49.fun to be apart of. Olympic champions and ask one more question.
:00:50. > :00:55.I know I can do it if I bring my best. What we're seeing right now is
:00:56. > :00:58.a dream come true. The next four months are very important. Let's
:00:59. > :01:13.crush it. 89 days until the Rio Olympics,
:01:14. > :01:19.which sounds like a moving title, but the big question is, who is
:01:20. > :01:21.going to be playing the starring roles? The European champion chips
:01:22. > :01:26.earlier today in Brandenburg were the first big tests of this Olympic
:01:27. > :01:32.year. Good afternoon. We will share of this glorious lunchtime in the
:01:33. > :01:36.coverage of the talisman of so many British Olympic teams, Sir Steve
:01:37. > :01:41.Redgrave. For rowers in particular, the Olympic year takes things to
:01:42. > :01:45.another level. It does. It is the whole process of the last four
:01:46. > :01:49.years, gearing up to this year. The World Championships are extremely
:01:50. > :01:52.important but they are stepping stones towards the Olympic Games.
:01:53. > :01:57.European Championships, the finals today, that is another stepping
:01:58. > :02:02.stone. An important event in its own right but it is a stepping stone.
:02:03. > :02:05.And we are three months out from the games. Do people know who is in
:02:06. > :02:11.which boat and who is going or is there a bit of boxing to be done?
:02:12. > :02:15.Most people will know. If their boat performs well enough today and in
:02:16. > :02:19.three weeks' time, they know that they will be in that category. The
:02:20. > :02:24.way the British team is, because we are so strong in depth, they are
:02:25. > :02:29.testing each other all the time, so you know you're standing. Near
:02:30. > :02:33.enough, to a person, you know which boat you will be in. Unless you do
:02:34. > :02:37.not perform today, and there are a few questions, the women's double
:02:38. > :02:42.should they go and try to strengthen the women's eight, or should they
:02:43. > :02:48.stay there are? We want a good result from them, or a bad result,
:02:49. > :02:52.not a little result. Nothing indeterminate. Talking about
:02:53. > :02:55.performance levels, the conditions, you do not want to offer excuses but
:02:56. > :03:00.it is worth saying that the conditions were very difficult in
:03:01. > :03:05.Germany today and the water, as competition went on, got choppier.
:03:06. > :03:12.How does that impact elite athletes? If you are an experienced crew,
:03:13. > :03:15.especially in the smaller boats, and you have been together for a long
:03:16. > :03:21.time, you have probably raced in those conditions before. You have an
:03:22. > :03:25.advantage from that point of view. If you are a new combination, then
:03:26. > :03:30.you are not quite sure. You have done some training and you are very
:03:31. > :03:38.fit and strong enough to be in that category, but when the boat is
:03:39. > :03:43.tossing and turning, that is when it opens up. And full lot of the crowd
:03:44. > :03:47.were caught Brandenburg today. We will show you some interesting races
:03:48. > :03:51.over the next hour. Over these long months of training in the winter,
:03:52. > :03:56.the big question for Great Britain's head coach was which was going to be
:03:57. > :04:02.his banker vote delete Matt boat, essentially the boat he thought was
:04:03. > :04:13.going to go to real? And so often he plucked for the coxless four. We
:04:14. > :04:23.have died in style, Great Britain the Olympic champions. I have been
:04:24. > :04:27.involved in three events, and this is a really impressive, strong men's
:04:28. > :04:34.team. Jurgen has done a great job. It is good to be part of this team.
:04:35. > :04:37.A lot of the competition comes from Europe in the Olympics, so if we can
:04:38. > :04:42.put in a good marker straightaway, that will be the best start we can
:04:43. > :04:47.do. The last thing we want to do was get ahead of ourselves. We want to
:04:48. > :04:52.make sure we grow as a unit, and we want to have fun as well. I am a
:04:53. > :04:57.newcomer to the boat so sometimes I feel weary of saying things, but the
:04:58. > :05:01.three of them have done the job already at the World Championships.
:05:02. > :05:04.On the other hand, an Olympic year is always different and they will
:05:05. > :05:07.know that they cannot rest on their laurels. They have to carry on
:05:08. > :05:10.getting better. Since Sydney there has always been at least one person
:05:11. > :05:13.in the coxless four from the previous Olympics and this time I
:05:14. > :05:18.will be that one person. So the resolvable pressure. But then that
:05:19. > :05:22.disappears into all the other pressures that are involved, because
:05:23. > :05:26.we need to win a gold medal, because we have done it before in the
:05:27. > :05:32.Olympics before this, and we need to win Jurgen Grobler a gold medal. We
:05:33. > :05:38.are the lead boat and the implicit expectation is that we win gold. I
:05:39. > :05:44.don't care how we do in other races, we need to win gold at the Rio
:05:45. > :05:50.Olympics. We know with Jurgen that he thinks he has something special
:05:51. > :05:56.here. This could be the best team that GB Rowing has ever had.
:05:57. > :06:01.Sometimes the boat really works. This one does and it flows and feels
:06:02. > :06:05.good straightaway. I am excited to see what this group can do. I have
:06:06. > :06:09.seen what they have done behind closed doors, even in this little
:06:10. > :06:20.stint. We're ready for the next four months. Well, George Nash, here he
:06:21. > :06:27.is, the fourth member of Britain's 18. One of the most eagerly awaited
:06:28. > :06:31.races, the finals here of the 2016 European Rowing Championships is
:06:32. > :06:35.under way. The men's heavyweight coxless four. France in one, Belarus
:06:36. > :06:42.and two, Great Britain and three. All eyes on them. Russia in four,
:06:43. > :06:47.Greece in five. Denmark closest to us in number six. And the Danes are
:06:48. > :06:56.lightweight true crew, stepping up for this regatta. -- lightweight
:06:57. > :07:01.crew. No rush for them to get back down to the lightweight category,
:07:02. > :07:15.but meanwhile, in the middle, Russia easing by. Alex Gregory, and Moe
:07:16. > :07:20.Sbihi. This is Jurgen format. ' Sbihi. This is Jurgenformat. '
:07:21. > :07:28.format. It is. Actually, you can see by the surgeon of the lens, the
:07:29. > :07:35.Brits are in lane three. -- the surging of the lanes. They have a
:07:36. > :07:39.strong rhythm. If they are going to be fast, they will not be the
:07:40. > :07:45.fastest crew. They are going to nail it to the middle. They need to take
:07:46. > :07:51.the race from the scruff of its neck. By the time they get down
:07:52. > :08:00.here, in six minutes time, they will be leading by a fairway. Coming up
:08:01. > :08:05.to 500 metres. Both of the crew a length ahead of the rest of the
:08:06. > :08:09.field. We're looking at Alex Gregory, and coming down, Moe Sbihi,
:08:10. > :08:16.one of the most outstanding athletes in the British team. George Nash in
:08:17. > :08:21.three, backing up this. A big decision for Jurgen to take these
:08:22. > :08:26.guys out of the world championship winning eight last year and put them
:08:27. > :08:29.into a four. It was a big decision but if you are winning the World
:08:30. > :08:35.Championships, by two feet in the men's eight, and the year before you
:08:36. > :08:39.won the four by two lengths, it is not that big a gamble. The reality
:08:40. > :08:45.is that one gold is worth 1000 silver. If you put your best
:08:46. > :08:51.athletes in the boat, and you back your team to win the eighth, then
:08:52. > :08:56.you can see in the middle of the race, when it is tough, how these
:08:57. > :09:00.teams dominate the conditions. And these could be the strongest guys,
:09:01. > :09:07.the strongest British four that we have seen. This is the best four
:09:08. > :09:16.athletes in any of the British fours right from 2000. Moe Sbihi, he beat
:09:17. > :09:25.the 2000 metre record, and also my 5000 metre record this year. He is
:09:26. > :09:32.the best physical specimen in British rowing history, backed up by
:09:33. > :09:39.three of the other best. At the halfway mark, we would expect a big
:09:40. > :09:51.push from the British crew, led by Stanley Lewis, George Nash at three,
:09:52. > :09:58.Moe Sbihi and Gregory at the barrel. -- the bow. You can see the bowside
:09:59. > :10:03.being caught. Every time you get stuck in the water, it takes off
:10:04. > :10:09.momentum. Nevertheless, three quarters of a length out. After they
:10:10. > :10:13.deal with this verse 500, it is all about moving on, really nailing it
:10:14. > :10:16.hard, so that you put yourself in the best possible position for the
:10:17. > :10:21.last quarter. Great Britain doing that, and Stan Lulu this, he is
:10:22. > :10:26.leading them on. Watching Belarus come back here. Should they be
:10:27. > :10:37.nervous at this stage? Definitely not. They are dominating so well.
:10:38. > :10:42.These guys want to race. They do not want to just romp away with it. They
:10:43. > :10:46.want to be tested and proven selves. And actually, if I was Jurgen I
:10:47. > :10:52.would want to be testing them in the third quarter of the race. Looking
:10:53. > :10:55.at our right, Jurgen Grobler has got his stopwatch out. He has been
:10:56. > :10:59.sitting down for the first 1000 and he is now watching a screen in front
:11:00. > :11:09.of us. Nervously watching his boys as he always does at this stage. An
:11:10. > :11:14.important overlap. He is not nervous, you will be frustrated that
:11:15. > :11:19.they have not broken clear because they are more than three quarters of
:11:20. > :11:23.a length forward. He will be thinking, he want be thinking he is
:11:24. > :11:27.worried they are losing, you will just be thinking he wants them to
:11:28. > :11:32.win by more. Into the last quarter now. 400 metres remaining. The
:11:33. > :11:36.British group have a length of clear water. As the conditions slightly
:11:37. > :11:47.settle and the timing is smart, they are sharp. Late number three,
:11:48. > :11:53.slicing through the water. They are not a length of clear water up, they
:11:54. > :11:58.are length up. This is more than you need to win by. But not as much as
:11:59. > :12:05.Jurgen will want them to win by. A chasing field, led by Belarus in the
:12:06. > :12:11.late number two. The Russians also in it. But the race is on behind the
:12:12. > :12:19.British crew for silver. At this stage, with about 175, hard to see
:12:20. > :12:25.any of the cruise coming back to attack the British crew. Belarus are
:12:26. > :12:34.making a good effort. The Brits have a good rhythm. Inside 100 metres.
:12:35. > :12:41.Stanley Hollis, Gregory in the bow seat. -- Stan Lulu this. Holding on
:12:42. > :12:43.for the victory. It is working, and Great Britain are the European
:12:44. > :12:50.champions in the men's heavyweight coxless four. It should've been
:12:51. > :13:01.more. Jurgen Klopp would want more but a win is a win at time. -- at
:13:02. > :13:04.this time. A great win, constant time, how were the conditions? The
:13:05. > :13:10.worst conditions I have raced over two kilometres. This is totally
:13:11. > :13:16.open, really bouncy. You build up to a race, and you expected to be
:13:17. > :13:20.streamlined but it was a real scrap. George, you have raced in the
:13:21. > :13:25.Olympics and others. Where would you say you are in terms of preparations
:13:26. > :13:30.for the Olympics? Right at the beginning, really. We have been in
:13:31. > :13:35.the boat for about a month and a half. It is good to get the first
:13:36. > :13:42.race out of the way, and we probably have a lot of things to work on
:13:43. > :13:46.after that. Looking forward, really. Do you get a better idea of what you
:13:47. > :13:53.are going to be by the end of the month, Moe? Of course. The World Cup
:13:54. > :13:57.will be our main competition. And we will be able to check where we are
:13:58. > :14:02.against the rest of the field. Today was a good marker for us as a
:14:03. > :14:08.confidence boost. A win is a win, even if the rowing was not pretty.
:14:09. > :14:16.We struggled, but we survived. You are the only guy here who has won a
:14:17. > :14:20.gold here. Are you an course to do the same with these guys? I have
:14:21. > :14:25.been in the coxless four for a number of years and this is feeling
:14:26. > :14:29.good. This is a good boat. I am excited about what lies ahead,
:14:30. > :14:33.finding out with the rest of the field, over the next couple of World
:14:34. > :14:37.Cups. It is an exciting time. Listening to the commentary there,
:14:38. > :14:41.James Cracknell was disgruntled. Is it being churlish to say that was
:14:42. > :14:46.not the most impressive performance, given that they won it? A little bit
:14:47. > :14:52.of what we said earlier. They have not been together that long. They
:14:53. > :14:56.have done a lot of training within the group but they have not been in
:14:57. > :14:59.that format for long. James is looking at the calibre of
:15:00. > :15:03.opposition. You have the Italians, the world champions, a bit of a
:15:04. > :15:07.surprise to win last year. Obviously not racing here at all. And then the
:15:08. > :15:13.Australians behind them. He is seeing other cruise coming in, but
:15:14. > :15:15.the fact is that the Russians, as a team, are performing very strongly
:15:16. > :15:20.right the way through. Sometimes they do early season, but don't
:15:21. > :15:25.underestimate that. To win that relatively comfortable at, I would
:15:26. > :15:29.say that they are well on track. And to hear Stan Louloudis say it was
:15:30. > :15:37.the worst conditions he had ever rode him, was that just hyperbole in
:15:38. > :15:41.the aftermath of the race? He said it was the worst conditions of
:15:42. > :15:47.rowing in a 2000 metre course. It is an open course. Training for boat
:15:48. > :15:54.races, he would have experienced worse but not much worse.
:15:55. > :16:01.The culmination and the Regatta and our programme will be the men's
:16:02. > :16:07.eight. An extraordinary finale. Before that, the Men's Pair from
:16:08. > :16:12.earlier today. Serbia just leading, the British pushing an hard against
:16:13. > :16:17.them in second place. The Netherlands who led into the start
:16:18. > :16:23.of the second 500 coming off a bit of pace in this third five. The
:16:24. > :16:28.third 500 position, position for your final push. Still a long way
:16:29. > :16:32.out, but it is about consolidating everything, giving yourself the
:16:33. > :16:37.opportunity to move from a strong position, rather than fighting back
:16:38. > :16:41.into it. A lot of the race in the first 500 is where it is decided.
:16:42. > :16:48.That is where the fitness comes in. Having a good second half of the
:16:49. > :16:51.race is where the hard miles count. The best thing about the British
:16:52. > :16:56.team is because there is such strength in depth, there is such
:16:57. > :17:00.competition in training that they would have had a hard winter racing
:17:01. > :17:06.each other every day. Not only racing each other, the people in
:17:07. > :17:10.your team, but the people who are going to be after the same seat.
:17:11. > :17:15.They had an intense period from August through to now, where they
:17:16. > :17:20.are racing each other every day in training, to try and get a seat.
:17:21. > :17:29.They will be able to tough it out in the second half. The Serbians
:17:30. > :17:34.continue to lead, as we come to the three quarters mark. 1500 metres
:17:35. > :17:38.down, now 500 metres to go. Great Britain in the silver medal position
:17:39. > :17:43.behind Serbia. Slipped back slightly from the halfway mark. Now it is
:17:44. > :17:51.about ten, ten, ten, counting them in. Keeping the length. The Brits
:17:52. > :17:56.can do this, absolutely. They have a good overlap but it is about keeping
:17:57. > :18:02.it clean and moving every stroke, moving quickly off the catch. Serbia
:18:03. > :18:07.still holding, pushing on, holding everything Great Britain are pushing
:18:08. > :18:12.at them. The British crew up to 37 strokes a minute, matching Serbia
:18:13. > :18:18.with 37 as well. The Serbians have raised it well, they went off hard,
:18:19. > :18:23.a dodgy second 500 and I thought they overcook tip. Now they have
:18:24. > :18:31.responded again. The last 250 is not just flat out. There is a long way
:18:32. > :18:35.to go yet. The Brits, the finish will come down to how much they have
:18:36. > :18:38.left in the tank. That is where the hard training comes in. It looks
:18:39. > :18:48.like they have done enough over the winter. This is it, this is it.
:18:49. > :18:52.Sinclair and Stewart Innes, starting to move. The Czech Republic are
:18:53. > :18:57.coming back as well. We have five boats fighting out for the gold
:18:58. > :19:00.medal. It is about who can be clean, and the stake in these conditions
:19:01. > :19:06.will be the difference between first or third. One last push, the British
:19:07. > :19:12.crew in lane three. The Hungarian 's have gone up on their range. The
:19:13. > :19:17.British have got to respond here. Stroke for stroke to the line, it's
:19:18. > :19:22.going to be close. It is going to be Hungary. They were just caught on
:19:23. > :19:26.the line. The British will be disappointed with that, ten strokes
:19:27. > :19:30.out it was Great Britain but on the line the medals go to Hungary, and
:19:31. > :19:36.rightly so. Stewart Innes punches the water. That is what I said, if
:19:37. > :19:40.they make a mistake it will cost them. They hit the water at about
:19:41. > :19:43.ten strokes out from the line which gave the Hungarian is the extra
:19:44. > :19:48.couple of feet they needed. It is about fitness, commitment and also
:19:49. > :19:55.not making a mistake in these conditions. It is not perfect, but
:19:56. > :20:00.they have to make the best of it. Just pipped on the line, is that the
:20:01. > :20:05.glass half full or half empty? Empty, definitely. We came here to
:20:06. > :20:09.win. I think we were probably the fastest crew but on the day the
:20:10. > :20:14.conditions got the better of us a bit. The crosswind, mentally it
:20:15. > :20:23.ruined us all the way down. The boat in the Chevron from the wind side,
:20:24. > :20:30.and the Serbians took it to the finish line. Gutted. So often we
:20:31. > :20:32.hear from rowers who are at disappointed at not winning races
:20:33. > :20:36.and we will reflect on their performance in a moment or so, after
:20:37. > :20:49.we have seen the Women's Pair, the most dominant group in this British
:20:50. > :20:55.team at the moment, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning. Nobody can beat
:20:56. > :21:07.them. Two in a row in the European Championships now. Helen Glover and
:21:08. > :21:08.Heather Stanning! They are champions and it couldn't go to more worthy
:21:09. > :21:21.winners! Great Britain go into the Olympic
:21:22. > :21:25.year holding all major international titles. Here they are defending,
:21:26. > :21:36.Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, undefeated throughout. They are in
:21:37. > :21:43.lane number three. Germany in two, Russia in four, Denmark in five and
:21:44. > :21:46.France in six. They won last year by two lengths clear of the field,
:21:47. > :21:51.demolished the field in emphatic fashion. On that day they had water
:21:52. > :21:56.conditions a lot better than today. This will be a real test for them, a
:21:57. > :21:59.test of how good they really are performing in these conditions.
:22:00. > :22:04.Already they are just starting, the barrels of the British crew, Helen
:22:05. > :22:10.Glover and Heather Stanning easing out into the breeze. I love the way
:22:11. > :22:19.you say easing out. The panning shot, all six crews in the picture,
:22:20. > :22:22.why they are leading is they are attacking the conditions, dominating
:22:23. > :22:26.the conditions are not letting the conditions dominate them. You can
:22:27. > :22:33.see how that approach makes a massive difference to your boat
:22:34. > :22:39.speed. This water is going around everywhere. If you let that annoy
:22:40. > :22:43.you, frustrated, and it's not going to be comfortable, if you think I am
:22:44. > :22:47.going to power my way through this, it's seven minutes, it can dominate
:22:48. > :22:48.everyone else but it will not dominate our boat, you find yourself
:22:49. > :23:01.in a very different position. Denmark won the other competition.
:23:02. > :23:04.Our girls are just giving it some stick and saying, right, you can
:23:05. > :23:08.take me on but I'm going to get through this and get a medal round
:23:09. > :23:14.my neck. One thing we have to watch out for, the German pair have had
:23:15. > :23:20.perhaps the better of the first 500 in terms of conditions. While the
:23:21. > :23:24.British crew continue, watch how the blades come out and there is a lot
:23:25. > :23:28.of slapping from the British crew, but Germany coping a lot better.
:23:29. > :23:32.Almost coming up level, putting on the pressure, the first time in a
:23:33. > :23:36.while now that Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have been put under
:23:37. > :23:39.this kind of pressure at this point in the race. If you look at the
:23:40. > :23:47.shoulders of Heather Stanning on the left of the picture, incredibly
:23:48. > :23:53.relaxed, down, not up near her ears, no tension. The Germans still look a
:23:54. > :23:58.bit more tense. A tense muscle uses energy in a relaxed one doesn't. I
:23:59. > :24:03.think over the distance you will see them inch out. They have taken the
:24:04. > :24:08.aggression in the first 500 metres and now they can relax and will just
:24:09. > :24:13.shift away. As you were talking, it looks like Germany were coming right
:24:14. > :24:17.off it. A great first 500 metres, right on the tail and the shoulders
:24:18. > :24:22.of the British crew. But the class and form of glove and stunning
:24:23. > :24:27.opening up, coming into their rhythm. Clear water. -- Helen Glover
:24:28. > :24:33.and Heather Stanning. They are going to control this race here. 100
:24:34. > :24:37.metres out from the line, Great Britain heads up looking powerful
:24:38. > :24:42.and strong. This is the way you want to open your season's account. You
:24:43. > :24:47.are leading every other nation, no doubt as to who the dominant force
:24:48. > :24:50.this year is going to be. I think them up won the other heat and went
:24:51. > :24:57.straight to the final, they are not even on the podium. They are not
:24:58. > :25:00.only fast but consistently fast. 89 days until the Olympic Games in Rio
:25:01. > :25:06.and this is not a bad statement to be making from Great Britain's Helen
:25:07. > :25:11.Glover and Heather Stanning. Job well done. Of the races remaining
:25:12. > :25:16.that is a big tip, a big statement. Who is out there to beat them in the
:25:17. > :25:18.early stages? Great Britain the European champions yet again. The
:25:19. > :25:25.crucial thing was that they cross the line European champions, didn't
:25:26. > :25:29.punch the air or celebrate. This is one small box ticked on the way to
:25:30. > :25:33.the ultimate goal. They have their heads in the right place and they
:25:34. > :25:39.are growing well. Was that as tough as it looked, it was a dominant
:25:40. > :25:41.performance but conditions looked tough? Physically you can't really
:25:42. > :25:47.lay it all out there because really it is a very technical row. Looking
:25:48. > :25:51.after the boat is important. In one sense we could go out and again and
:25:52. > :25:57.in another sense we would want to because it is not fun. Who is it
:25:58. > :26:03.most difficult for? Probably for the newest crews. Probably Helen because
:26:04. > :26:08.it is against! I had the easy job because the wind blowing across
:26:09. > :26:13.across that lane. We are experienced but these are conditions we haven't
:26:14. > :26:17.raced on before. It was a chance for a different set of conditions.
:26:18. > :26:21.Defending champions now, but what does this mean in terms of your
:26:22. > :26:26.preparations for Rio? Really good preparation, because we know our
:26:27. > :26:31.main condition is outside Europe. In one sense we thought, what can we
:26:32. > :26:37.gain from this? To experience new conditions that could be like Rio is
:26:38. > :26:41.a really huge thing that we have come out and gained. We don't feel
:26:42. > :26:44.like we have left the country, lost or we can's training to race not our
:26:45. > :26:50.main competition. We feel like that is something that has upscaled us,
:26:51. > :26:56.something we didn't have before. I think it will be useful in the long
:26:57. > :26:59.runs. Interesting point Helen made. If we took about the race itself,
:27:00. > :27:03.normally when we show highlights we join it with 500 to go, but we
:27:04. > :27:07.showed the start of the race because it was the first time for a while
:27:08. > :27:10.that another crew have thrown the gauntlet down to them in the first
:27:11. > :27:14.500 metres and said, this is what we've got. But after that it was
:27:15. > :27:20.plain sailing. Everyone was talking about the Americans last year,
:27:21. > :27:23.putting the two girls out of the American eight into the pair, saying
:27:24. > :27:28.this is our best Americans. This is what they did. They pushed them very
:27:29. > :27:32.hard in the first half. Once they got through 1000 metres, they just
:27:33. > :27:35.edged away and the same story. If you are racing somebody who is as
:27:36. > :27:39.dominant as that, what you do question I do hold back and try to
:27:40. > :27:42.be strong at the end question might know, because you will lose. The
:27:43. > :27:46.only way you can do it is by surprise in them and trying to be up
:27:47. > :27:50.there in the first half, especially when you have rough, difficult
:27:51. > :27:54.conditions. Get up there and throw them off their stride. That may give
:27:55. > :27:59.you a chance of beating them. The verdict at the end really showed
:28:00. > :28:06.that they are still a very class act. They'd talked about the
:28:07. > :28:11.upskilling, conditions they hadn't raced in before, good to have done
:28:12. > :28:16.it? Rio is quite a big lake, almost the shape of a brute. Where you
:28:17. > :28:21.start is very close to the bank, as you go out, you go out into the
:28:22. > :28:25.middle of the lake. -- the shape of a boot. We could have conditions
:28:26. > :28:30.like that in Rio, it is good to have been through it and feel what it is
:28:31. > :28:34.like. Good stuff, let's move onto a look at the lightweight team in
:28:35. > :28:38.general, who over the general scheme of things perhaps not as competitive
:28:39. > :28:44.as the Great Britain management would like. One particular
:28:45. > :28:47.disappointment took place yesterday where Kat Copeland, who was a gold
:28:48. > :28:51.medallist in 2012, and Charlotte Taylor failed to make it through to
:28:52. > :28:55.their final, which left them both absolutely devastated. Charlotte on
:28:56. > :28:59.the left, they finished second this morning. Lots of non-Olympic races
:29:00. > :29:07.earlier today, when conditions were not that bad. Clegg and scrimmage
:29:08. > :29:10.won the Men's Pair in style. You could see the water was almost calm,
:29:11. > :29:16.compared to what happened later on. After that, lane six was not the
:29:17. > :29:22.draw you wanted. Well done to Jamie Kirkwood, who battled well against
:29:23. > :29:26.the elements and only just missed out on a medal. About to appear on
:29:27. > :29:31.your screen now at the bottom, but finishing in fourth place was Imogen
:29:32. > :29:36.Walsh tailed off last in the women's singles. Let's stay with races who
:29:37. > :29:40.are going to be competed for in the medals at Rio. The men's lightweight
:29:41. > :29:47.four, always competitive and Great Britain always among the medals.
:29:48. > :29:53.1000 metres, halfway mark in the men's lightweight coxless four.
:29:54. > :29:58.Great Britain leading from the champions. Switzerland in second
:29:59. > :30:04.race, Germany currently in bronze. Now as you move into the third 500
:30:05. > :30:11.metres we will look to see the crews jostle around about. I think the
:30:12. > :30:15.Swiss. To press the British. This is where the last 18 months- two years,
:30:16. > :30:19.they have shown to be strong. Especially when the conditions get
:30:20. > :30:23.bad, if you are stronger in this part of the race it is a double
:30:24. > :30:29.whammy. You are good anyway and it is rough, so any improvement with
:30:30. > :30:32.your boat is going to be doubled. In fact, you can see, they have come
:30:33. > :30:37.through. The world champion Switzerland have come through. Great
:30:38. > :30:45.Britain, one leading to the halfway mark on the far side. Germany up to
:30:46. > :30:49.first. The Netherlands in second. Spain at five and Czech Republic in
:30:50. > :30:56.sixth, currently not challenging the scorecard here.
:30:57. > :31:05.And in, and a lead and you get in these conditions, it is hard to come
:31:06. > :31:10.back. That is what we're going to see. It is going to test the
:31:11. > :31:14.character of the Brits, and also how robust in their rhythm is. At the
:31:15. > :31:18.moment, they are found wanting, because the Swiss have not only gone
:31:19. > :31:26.through them, but have taken a significant lead, a length already
:31:27. > :31:31.and about 400 metres. A very impressive third 500 metres. Three
:31:32. > :31:34.quarters of a length. They have taken over a length in terms of
:31:35. > :31:41.movement, the Swiss, from the British. Time very well. Great
:31:42. > :31:46.Britain almost two seconds down. It is about responding and being aware
:31:47. > :31:52.that Germany will be pushing on as the Netherlands starts to come back
:31:53. > :31:56.in lane number two. The four crews on your screen, stretched out.
:31:57. > :32:06.Switzerland looking very strong here. Chambers in the stroke seat of
:32:07. > :32:19.the British four, racked up by Chris Bartley, Mark Aldred and Jono Clegg.
:32:20. > :32:22.Continuing to move away, the most important thing for the British crew
:32:23. > :32:33.is that they are moving away from Germany in Lane number one. 250
:32:34. > :32:37.metres remain. But the disappointing thing from the perspective of the
:32:38. > :32:41.Brits, yes, they are ahead of Germany, but there is a land now
:32:42. > :32:45.between them and the Swiss. But you also have the New Zealanders, the
:32:46. > :32:51.Americans, the Australians and the Canadians to come into this field.
:32:52. > :32:54.You do not want to have that gap between first and second, if you are
:32:55. > :32:59.European, because there are global competitors to come in. Less than
:33:00. > :33:07.ten strokes, and the British crew are coming back once again. Just a
:33:08. > :33:13.little on the world champions, but Switzerland squeeze it to the line.
:33:14. > :33:18.Making it two in a row for the European title. The race on the far
:33:19. > :33:25.side for the bronze goes to Germany. Just waiting for confirmation of
:33:26. > :33:28.that. Out front, looking superb as they did last year, Switzerland, the
:33:29. > :33:33.world champions and now two-time European champions. Perhaps that was
:33:34. > :33:38.the best that the British crew could have hoped for but overall, what was
:33:39. > :33:45.your take on the quality of the lightweight team? Obviously, the
:33:46. > :33:49.lightweight win, a bit of a surprise not being in the final. They should
:33:50. > :33:52.be up there, and there is a big question mark over that. The
:33:53. > :33:56.lightweight four are going to be pretty satisfied with that. They
:33:57. > :33:59.were ninth last year and they went off the pace, so they are back in
:34:00. > :34:04.the frame. And the lightweight men's double has had an injury, they have
:34:05. > :34:09.been out for a while but this should be back in three weeks' time. OK.
:34:10. > :34:14.We're going to show you the best of the rest now, but let me mark your
:34:15. > :34:17.card for the next half-hour. The women's race in particular is
:34:18. > :34:22.fantastic. Before that, let's see what has happened with some of the
:34:23. > :34:27.other crews on the water. First up, let's focus on the women's quad. It
:34:28. > :34:32.was a race they will probably want to forget because they finished
:34:33. > :34:36.fifth and caught a crab just before the halfway mark. Effectively, that
:34:37. > :34:43.could to their goose. The men's quad, they finished fifth in a race
:34:44. > :34:49.won by Estonia after the overhauled the Russian crew. In the lightweight
:34:50. > :34:54.men's double, what a fantastic result for Gary and Paul O'Donovan.
:34:55. > :35:01.The Norwegians looked certain to win until they came through to take the
:35:02. > :35:07.gold medal. In the men's double, Johnnie Walker and John Collins
:35:08. > :35:11.found the competition too hard to handle, finishing sixth behind the
:35:12. > :35:16.Croatians. Katherine Grainger was part of our commentary team at BBC
:35:17. > :35:21.television for two years after London 2012. She was agonising,
:35:22. > :35:24.would she go to the Rio Olympics with the microphone or a paddle? Now
:35:25. > :35:36.the clock is ticking to see whether or not that was the right call. What
:35:37. > :35:40.we are seeing right now is that dreams do come true. This year is
:35:41. > :35:44.better than 2012 in every sense. 2012 made such a massive impression
:35:45. > :35:48.on all of us, those of us who experienced it, watched it or took
:35:49. > :35:52.part, the memories are very vivid. In a way, it is right that it is
:35:53. > :35:56.different. I did not want to come back and try to recreate it all over
:35:57. > :36:01.again. It was never going to be the same. It is definitely harder. But I
:36:02. > :36:06.think that it is healthy and refreshing and good that it feels so
:36:07. > :36:10.different. Anna and I in 2012, we had a three-year run of winning
:36:11. > :36:15.every single race we did from the first to the last. Vicky and I have
:36:16. > :36:21.not won any. It is dramatically different. We have meddled and made
:36:22. > :36:25.of the podium, in a competitive event. When Vicky and I raced last
:36:26. > :36:32.summer, we had to learn quickly. From the first race, it was that
:36:33. > :36:37.level of competitive experience. Tactical, astute racing, where split
:36:38. > :36:41.seconds decided the results. 1500 metres from the end of the race, we
:36:42. > :36:46.were in a medal position but we ran out of steam. So unfortunate. Down
:36:47. > :36:50.in sixth position. Any new combination, you go through highs
:36:51. > :36:54.and lows together. You're trying to find your feet and compete against
:36:55. > :36:58.the best of the world at the same time. It is great to get in a boat
:36:59. > :37:01.with someone who is fresh and ambitious and has experience but has
:37:02. > :37:05.not experienced everything, wanting to learn and drive all the time.
:37:06. > :37:11.That was good for me because I had to feel the same hunger and drive.
:37:12. > :37:15.Honestly, I can say that I have no regrets about coming back. I have
:37:16. > :37:19.had days where I wondered why I am doing it, but I do not want to do it
:37:20. > :37:24.because I am sentimental, I am doing it because I still believe I can do
:37:25. > :37:32.it well. That is why I am doing it and why I am still competitive about
:37:33. > :37:36.it. Again, another quick start. A slow one from the Netherlands in
:37:37. > :37:43.Lane five. They are easing off, this is the final of the women's double
:37:44. > :37:50.sculls. The Czech Republic in two. Great Britain, with Katherine
:37:51. > :37:55.Grainger and Victoria Thornley. Greece, the world single medallists,
:37:56. > :37:59.did not qualify for the final. -- silver medallists. But the world
:38:00. > :38:03.champions New Zealand. Great Britain disappointed with a sixth-place
:38:04. > :38:07.finish at the world championships year, they come into this final as
:38:08. > :38:15.the current European bronze medallists. Across all of this,
:38:16. > :38:19.undoubtedly a crew with the pedigree of Katherine Grainger, they really
:38:20. > :38:29.should be up there. But already, across the boys, Germany moving out
:38:30. > :38:35.strong. 250 metres, only 12 and a half percent of the way through the
:38:36. > :38:42.race. As I said, Catherine has the experience and mental toughness to
:38:43. > :38:52.cope with the conditions and not let a dodgy first minute gets on top of
:38:53. > :38:56.the overall race. And that is where the experience counts. But Victoria
:38:57. > :38:59.is experienced enough as well. Don't worry at the moment, if you are in
:39:00. > :39:07.this situation at halfway, then you start to worry. Again, things can
:39:08. > :39:15.turn on a dime. A couple of strokes for Julia Lier in the bow seat has
:39:16. > :39:20.missed from the German double. Great Britain really have to just maintain
:39:21. > :39:25.confidence, and a solid rhythm. Keeping the length and keeping the
:39:26. > :39:31.faith. 500 metres and it is Germany at the top of the picture, with
:39:32. > :39:39.Belarus in Lane number one. I think the faith is starting to go now. If
:39:40. > :39:43.they lose to Lithuania, in Lane six, which has not been the most favoured
:39:44. > :39:52.Lane throughout the morning, then they will struggle to see many
:39:53. > :39:57.positives from this weekend, apart from saying that these conditions
:39:58. > :39:59.are making it a bit of a lottery. But the other crews are coping
:40:00. > :40:05.better without lottery at the moment. The Russian crew, look on
:40:06. > :40:09.the right-hand side, it side, it shows it all, how the crews are
:40:10. > :40:14.responding. The Belarussian crew getting stronger and stronger. The
:40:15. > :40:22.Czech Republic continuing to push away. I think Catherine and Victoria
:40:23. > :40:32.have responded to the Lithuanians, so no matter how bad it is, they are
:40:33. > :40:38.digging in. On the far side, the crew from Belarus, about 100 metres
:40:39. > :40:44.from the line here. A little over ten strokes in normal time. The
:40:45. > :40:49.Germans responding to the home crowd, with Lier and Adams, but it
:40:50. > :40:53.is too late to get back on terms with the Belarussians. The Czech
:40:54. > :41:02.Republic, a well-deserved bronze medal. Belarus in one, Germany in
:41:03. > :41:04.two and the Czech Republic in three. Let's just watch Catherine and
:41:05. > :41:14.Victoria's reaction when they cross the line. Very close they are,
:41:15. > :41:19.almost being caught by the Lithuanians. We did the whole of
:41:20. > :41:23.that race because by the halfway point it was clear that they would
:41:24. > :41:30.not be on the podium. How do you interpret that performance? Not good
:41:31. > :41:34.enough, basically. Their first race last year was winning a bronze medal
:41:35. > :41:39.at the European Championships, which was a good results, and it seems to
:41:40. > :41:42.have gone backwards since that time. Catherine, in that interview before
:41:43. > :41:49.the race, she said she was looking forward to doing well. The Katherine
:41:50. > :41:54.Grainger of old would never have entertained anything other than
:41:55. > :41:58.winning. Is that a discernible assessment of where she is? I think
:41:59. > :42:00.that might sum it up. A different mentality to when you are
:42:01. > :42:05.consistently trying to get through to the highest level. Which she did
:42:06. > :42:11.eventually, winning many World Championships and an Olympic gold
:42:12. > :42:14.medal. Then taking some time out, two and a half years out in this
:42:15. > :42:21.sport of muscular injuries, it is tough. But the whole process is
:42:22. > :42:25.about thinking can I get back to where I was before, and if she can,
:42:26. > :42:29.that is not good enough to win gold later this year. She has to be
:42:30. > :42:36.better than she was, and that is better as a crew. So what has to be
:42:37. > :42:39.summed up is, do you look at this and say, are they going to win a
:42:40. > :42:44.medal at the Olympics? If they can win a medal at the Olympics, it is
:42:45. > :42:50.worth keeping them together. If they cannot, will they make the women's
:42:51. > :42:54.eight go faster? Probably so. And that is the big dilemma in some
:42:55. > :42:59.ways. That takes us neatly to the women's eight, because does this
:43:00. > :43:07.crew need Granger and finally? Watch this race and you might not be quite
:43:08. > :43:13.so sure. A quarter of the race gone, the crews that get into the next 500
:43:14. > :43:19.will consolidate their position. And the British crew is in seventh. The
:43:20. > :43:25.more worrying thing is that they are 3.6 seconds away from the Russians,
:43:26. > :43:32.who more than likely will fade, but the Dutch are a good crew. What is
:43:33. > :43:40.your break even, what is par? Where would you say is par? Listen, I
:43:41. > :43:44.think they should be winning it. I absolutely think they should be
:43:45. > :43:49.winning it. They don't want to come away from this with an excuse, but
:43:50. > :43:53.this, but the conditions. They are the best team out there on paper,
:43:54. > :43:57.they absolutely are. The best even those in it with the mindset is to
:43:58. > :44:02.take this on, they have plenty of time to do this. They are in third
:44:03. > :44:10.place. They have to track the Dutch and if they can keep tracking that
:44:11. > :44:15.crew, the Dutch won three weeks ago, and they were sixth at the world
:44:16. > :44:20.Championships last year. If I was the British crew, 2 degrees I would
:44:21. > :44:23.forget the Russians and I would be racing a two horse race, the
:44:24. > :44:27.Netherlands against Great Britain. I would be focusing on that and
:44:28. > :44:36.driving to the line. Part for me would be second place. From the
:44:37. > :44:43.Dutch? From the British perspective, second would be acceptable and first
:44:44. > :44:49.would be a good start. It is a nice rhythm. They need to build on that.
:44:50. > :44:55.Don't let the Romanians through, race crews ahead of you, and don't
:44:56. > :44:59.get dragged into the one behind. A little wind tunnel here. It is all
:45:00. > :45:08.coming back together. Five crews abreast. An interesting last 1000
:45:09. > :45:11.metres. Into the second half, the final of the women's eight at the
:45:12. > :45:15.European Rowing Championships. A big race for these crews, particularly
:45:16. > :45:21.the British, so disappointed in their finish last year, fourth at
:45:22. > :45:27.the world Championships. They were ahead of a crew sitting beside them.
:45:28. > :45:35.The Russians were fifth last year, Great Britain were forth. Here they
:45:36. > :45:39.are, being led by the Russians. The Dutch are coming back hard against
:45:40. > :45:44.them. They have to bring the British crew with them. In this third 500 is
:45:45. > :45:48.about taking them by surprise, use the wind tunnel, push on, drive it
:45:49. > :45:54.and drive it again. The Russians doing all right, but the Dutch still
:45:55. > :46:09.looks strong. They will be strong. The Dutch, traditionally, have...
:46:10. > :46:16.The Russians are typically fast and the Dutch come home fast. There
:46:17. > :46:24.could be a blanket with 200 and feet -- 250 to go. Lane three going
:46:25. > :46:28.through. The Dutch are going through. The British are still
:46:29. > :46:35.there. Now keep pushing on here, because we have five minutes on
:46:36. > :46:41.this, still plenty of race in this. The final, the last 500 metres of
:46:42. > :46:45.the women's eight in the 2016 European Rowing Championships. The
:46:46. > :46:49.British have 50 or 60 strokes give or take to put everything at this.
:46:50. > :46:53.They put themselves in a good position. They could have been
:46:54. > :46:56.marginally better. If they were perhaps ten feet, a little more
:46:57. > :47:01.ahead of themselves they could push hard. But the British now have got
:47:02. > :47:07.to try and outdo the Russians, they are half a length down. The Dutch
:47:08. > :47:14.have broken the Romanians. I think the Dutch are too far ahead. I think
:47:15. > :47:20.what I said before, second place, it's not perfect but it is a nice
:47:21. > :47:23.platform for them. We had a couple of bounces on the bone side of the
:47:24. > :47:32.Dutch group, that will slow them down for one stroke. Great Britain
:47:33. > :47:35.have to consolidate on that. Zoe in the cox seat driving forward. She
:47:36. > :47:42.has to say I need everything and a little bit more on top of that.
:47:43. > :47:48.Coming out of it, 250 to go. This is doable, they have 30 seconds.
:47:49. > :47:55.Absolutely, absolutely, now. Zoe and Bennett backing her. All of those
:47:56. > :48:05.girls in the middle, the experience, the power is required from you. They
:48:06. > :48:08.are coming apart, coming up level, and the British now are going to
:48:09. > :48:16.come through. Have they got enough in the tank to get that last little
:48:17. > :48:21.bit of a push into the line? They are through, they have taken the
:48:22. > :48:25.Dutch. James Cracknell, Great Britain are the European champions
:48:26. > :48:29.of 2016, thank you very much. That is how you do it in these kind of
:48:30. > :48:34.conditions, and on the line. They can no go -- now go away, the
:48:35. > :48:39.British eight, with their heads held high. It was absolutely brutal, the
:48:40. > :48:44.whole way down the course. The wind is horrific out there. There were
:48:45. > :48:49.trees blowing all over the place, the wind was in our faces,
:48:50. > :48:53.everywhere, but the best thing to do was to keep our composure, keep our
:48:54. > :48:59.heads and deliver the best race we could have done all things
:49:00. > :49:04.considered. We rode in a composed way. We wanted to get together mark
:49:05. > :49:08.this as the beginning the season. -- we rowed. This is just the
:49:09. > :49:20.beginning. Really pleased to be able to do it today as a tribute. The
:49:21. > :49:24.former coach of the lightweights team. A great honour to do it for
:49:25. > :49:27.him. We have so much more to build, this is a relatively new crew. We
:49:28. > :49:32.are looking forward to every race and hopefully go straight to the
:49:33. > :49:36.top. A great result and race. Gary didn't even know what year it was at
:49:37. > :49:40.the end! We weren't surprised by that in the studio. Two of the last
:49:41. > :49:44.races of the day, the men's eight. Over the last four years or so,
:49:45. > :49:49.especially with the men taking part in the eight and being moved out of
:49:50. > :49:53.the four, this has been a great battle between the British and
:49:54. > :49:58.German crew and we were expecting a grand finale in Germany today. We
:49:59. > :50:07.are away now with the blue-ribbon to event. It is all about the first red
:50:08. > :50:15.strokes, then 100, then 500. They are right on the edge. Now lads, you
:50:16. > :50:19.have to show it. This is where you really lay it down. Each one of them
:50:20. > :50:23.will be hurting here. There it is to the line. That ladies and gentlemen
:50:24. > :50:34.is how you race! A quick start and Great Britain in
:50:35. > :50:41.Lane number four, alongside the Olympic champions, Germany. We watch
:50:42. > :50:45.the world champions moving. Look at the conditions, this is Power rowing
:50:46. > :50:51.at its best against conditions at its absolute worst. Top of the
:50:52. > :51:00.picture. Belarus in one, Germany two, the Olympic champions in three,
:51:01. > :51:04.Great Britain in four, Poland in five and Netherlands in six.
:51:05. > :51:10.Survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest and the strongest. I
:51:11. > :51:14.think despite the men's four Britain, the rest of that British
:51:15. > :51:21.eight is still phenomenally powerful. In these conditions I
:51:22. > :51:25.expect us to take out the Germans. Netherlands in Lane number six
:51:26. > :51:35.closest to us, already through 300 metres. Notwithstanding that breeze
:51:36. > :51:41.and headwind, all these crews taking it on after 500. The Netherlands
:51:42. > :51:46.leading. On the far side, Belarus in Lane number one. In amongst this,
:51:47. > :51:51.the world champions Great Britain and alongside them, the Green boat
:51:52. > :51:57.of the Olympic champions, Germany. The rivalry and competition resumes
:51:58. > :52:01.again here for the 2016 European Rowing Championships final. We are
:52:02. > :52:07.at 500. Look at that, into the breeze, still up 500. Netherlands,
:52:08. > :52:12.Belarus, Great Britain in bronze medal position. Germany just off it
:52:13. > :52:15.but not much in it. That looks wrong to me, the Germans are probably up
:52:16. > :52:21.in fifth position. The Dutch have done well to get out this last in
:52:22. > :52:26.Lane six. I think they will come back. The Brits, good to see the
:52:27. > :52:30.bleeding the Germans at this stage. This is where the Germans are
:52:31. > :52:34.traditionally strong, in the second 500. We will see of Britain can hold
:52:35. > :52:39.them off and then the fitness and strength over the second half, I
:52:40. > :52:42.think, will start to pay dividends. At the moment the Dutch taking out
:52:43. > :52:51.well, I can't see them holding onto this lead, though. The British crew,
:52:52. > :52:57.Andy Hodd Chuck, sitting in there, coming back from year out with
:52:58. > :53:01.glandular fever. In terms of all these guys coming up, although
:53:02. > :53:11.Yergin has taken a powerhouse out of it, still a solid boat along here.
:53:12. > :53:14.-- Jurgen. Arguably the strongest boat in this field but they have
:53:15. > :53:19.still lost their best four athletes and there is no other way to dress
:53:20. > :53:24.it up. These eight athletes may be the best eight athletes in the
:53:25. > :53:31.field, but they are not the best eight in Britain. Leading at the top
:53:32. > :53:35.now, and Russia coming through in Lane number two first up we get
:53:36. > :53:41.towards the halfway mark already. Halfway, the final of the men's
:53:42. > :53:46.eight, the 2016 European rowing championship. The Germans are
:53:47. > :53:51.traditionally good in the second 500, and this is where the Brits, in
:53:52. > :53:58.the third quarter, they need to show the toughness. The Men's Pair had a
:53:59. > :54:10.good third quarter, this is where we rely on the work the British put in
:54:11. > :54:19.over the winter. Language, a brilliant stern pair with Hodge.
:54:20. > :54:25.Individually all brilliant athletes, together, though, they can do
:54:26. > :54:30.special things. In this first 500 they are good racers, they will move
:54:31. > :54:34.it on here. They will need to do that. Here now the British have
:54:35. > :54:43.started to move through the 1250 metre mark. Not coming together. The
:54:44. > :54:49.Dutch have come back. The Russians are very definitely... They didn't
:54:50. > :54:53.go off to hard but they have come through in the third quarter, which
:54:54. > :55:00.is incredibly interesting to see. Especially as they have taken the
:55:01. > :55:04.best four Russians out. Great Britain closest to us, the world
:55:05. > :55:08.champions. At the top of your picture in the first Lane, Belarus.
:55:09. > :55:12.Still plenty to play for here. Hard to see where this is going to go. If
:55:13. > :55:20.the Russians hold on from here with 50 strokes to go, it will being --
:55:21. > :55:27.being credible. The British slightly slipped back here into third place.
:55:28. > :55:31.2.6 seconds off the Russians. Everything now going into this, as
:55:32. > :55:39.we count out 40 strokes from the line. The Russians, quite a big lead
:55:40. > :55:47.at this time. I think the Brits could get back the Germans, but the
:55:48. > :55:58.Russians too far ahead. The Russians in Lane number two. What out for the
:55:59. > :56:04.British crew. The Belarus and is our moving up. The Germans are only 37,
:56:05. > :56:08.one of these are going to win. If you are racing for your lives, up
:56:09. > :56:17.the rate goes with 200 from the line. Reeling in the Russians hand
:56:18. > :56:25.over fist. The Germans might get it... They knocked us off the
:56:26. > :56:29.podium! The Germans just jumped out, they are howling down against the
:56:30. > :56:34.Russians. Surely the Russians are not going to hold on here. The
:56:35. > :56:42.Germans have found the pace. The Olympic champions are coming through
:56:43. > :56:47.here at Brandenburg. The champions have opened up Clearwater against
:56:48. > :56:51.the British. Gold to Germany and the statement they are sending to the
:56:52. > :56:56.world champions. The Russians will celebrate with a silver medal. There
:56:57. > :57:02.really is only one statement here, as they look back on the British and
:57:03. > :57:08.say, the race is on! Your gold medal at Rio is far from certain. Men's
:57:09. > :57:14.eight racing, and other great finish. The next round of big
:57:15. > :57:18.important rowing action for you is live from Switzerland on the 29th of
:57:19. > :57:24.May. A lot of discussion about the men's eight and the composition of
:57:25. > :57:30.the men's and women's eight. What is your take on that? Definitely that
:57:31. > :57:34.the men's eight in the last 500 were very disappointing. They weren't
:57:35. > :57:40.really at the top of the race, but they weren't out of it at all. And
:57:41. > :57:43.then they just lost in the last bit. The concern is is not just the
:57:44. > :57:47.Germans in front of them, there are number of other boats. Hopefully
:57:48. > :57:53.there is an issue wide-out wasn't as good as we were hoping it to be. So
:57:54. > :57:58.a bit of work to do. But not a lot of time to do a lot of work. The
:57:59. > :58:02.women's eight, changes in personnel? An interesting one. A lot of
:58:03. > :58:06.excitement in coming back to win that race, you could see that on the
:58:07. > :58:12.girls faces. That is fantastic, but the reality is that the Dutch
:58:13. > :58:15.haven't qualified yet and they beat the crew that came fifth at the
:58:16. > :58:19.World Championships. They have to be faster. If they want to win a medal,
:58:20. > :58:23.they have to be faster than that. It will be interesting. We are
:58:24. > :58:26.finishing now but after that stick with us because the Badminton horse
:58:27. > :58:29.trials are coming up next. On the red button this afternoon you can
:58:30. > :58:34.see the British basketball play-offs. And there is football
:58:35. > :58:38.from four o'clock this afternoon and match of the day two tonight. For
:58:39. > :58:42.all the British rowing team after the events in Germany this morning,
:58:43. > :58:44.Rio just got a whole lot closer.