:01:02. > :01:06.Welcome to Bled for the final day of this year's World Rowing
:01:06. > :01:11.Championships. I am sure these pictures are doing the Slovenian
:01:11. > :01:17.Tourist Board no harm at all. The water is crystal-clear. There are
:01:17. > :01:20.fish jumping all over the place. It is the most glorious venue for any
:01:20. > :01:30.international sporting event and so far on the water there has been a
:01:30. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :01:38.fair amount of glory for British gets serious. Perfection. A gold
:01:39. > :01:44.medal to Great Britain. It is going to be a photo finish! New Zealand
:01:45. > :01:51.are awarded the gold. Tom Aggar at, Great Britain world champion.
:01:51. > :01:59.British crew will get the bronze medal. Gold for Great Britain in
:01:59. > :02:07.the women's lightweight quadruple scull. Try as Dale blasting his way
:02:07. > :02:10.and it is bronze for Alan Campbell. A gold medal for New Zealand! 14
:02:10. > :02:19.consecutive second places for Team GB. They are all now in maximum
:02:19. > :02:29.sprint. Great Britain starting with such style and panache. It is going
:02:29. > :02:31.
:02:31. > :02:34.to be a gold medal executed with JOHN INVERDALE: And that is the
:02:34. > :02:40.former President's Summer Palace over there. This is the only island
:02:40. > :02:44.in Slovenia and it is right in the middle of this lake, Bled. The
:02:44. > :02:50.tradition here is that because there is a church on the top of the
:02:50. > :02:54.hill, the husband has to carry his wife to be up the steps, 99 steps
:02:54. > :02:58.to the top, to guarantee a happy marriage. I have no idea who they
:02:58. > :03:04.are but I wish them the best of luck for many years to come. That
:03:04. > :03:08.has made your day! Indeed, timing is everything. What is will take on
:03:08. > :03:12.how things have gone so far? It is a bit odd because of the way the
:03:12. > :03:15.programme has been changed. We normally have our success at the
:03:15. > :03:19.beginning of the finals and not at the end and the way it has turned
:03:19. > :03:24.out is that we have are stronger events at the end and so the first
:03:24. > :03:28.few races were a sort of anti- climax as we were not doing as well
:03:28. > :03:33.as we normally should do but actually we are coming on strong it.
:03:33. > :03:37.Grainger and Watkins, how good were they? Absolutely. They have had a
:03:37. > :03:41.difficult season and to perform as well as they have done... Even
:03:41. > :03:47.though Catherine did raise at the World Cup races with a spare and
:03:47. > :03:51.still won races. That is the standard we are talking about. Very
:03:51. > :03:55.pleased and it has got to put them in the right frame of mind for a
:03:55. > :03:58.good winter and great performances next year. Yesterday we spend an
:03:58. > :04:03.awful long time building of the great jewel in the sun between
:04:03. > :04:07.Great Britain and New Zealand in the men's pair, Hodge and Reed are
:04:07. > :04:11.losing for the 14th time in a road to their New Zealand rivals. Is
:04:11. > :04:15.that the end of that particular episode? If I was a gambling man I
:04:15. > :04:18.would be making quite a lot of money because I cannot see them
:04:19. > :04:24.racing internationally in the pair again. Even though I am not sure if
:04:24. > :04:29.it is the right decision for them to go into the four, they could
:04:29. > :04:36.still beat the New Zealand pair but it will be tough. My gut feeling is
:04:36. > :04:41.that from the interview they gave yesterday, time is time. They will
:04:41. > :04:47.try to get an Olympic gold medal in the four. We have quite a few gold
:04:47. > :04:53.medal opportunities this afternoon. Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter are
:04:53. > :04:56.the Olympic champions. The men's coxless four know they live in the
:04:56. > :05:01.shadow of so many great crews from the past but can they join that
:05:01. > :05:04.elite band themselves this afternoon? Anne Hester Goodsell
:05:04. > :05:12.Anne Sofie Hoskins have one advantage over their rivals in the
:05:12. > :05:16.lightweight double, they can sing. And that is a view then you do not
:05:16. > :05:22.normally see. We are on the island looking across to the grandstand.
:05:22. > :05:26.It is built into the side of the woodland at the water's edge. We
:05:26. > :05:35.will start with a crew who always find themselves racing alongside
:05:35. > :05:41.loaded with added pressure in British rowing it is the men's
:05:41. > :05:45.heavyweight coxless four. COMMENTATOR: Just there by two
:05:45. > :05:51.centimetres! Recently there were three straight Olympic titles and a
:05:51. > :05:57.number of World Championships. COMMENTATOR: Gold medal, Great
:05:57. > :06:01.Britain! But the current squad know only too well that the past counts
:06:01. > :06:05.for nothing. COMMENTATOR: A huge disappointment
:06:05. > :06:13.for the British crew. Their heads are down. What happened to Great
:06:13. > :06:20.Britain, the defending world Derry over the line in fourth place
:06:20. > :06:23.last year. -- going. It was massively disappointing at the time.
:06:23. > :06:30.I thought about stopping them doing something else. What made you
:06:30. > :06:36.change your mind? Jurgen persuaded me not to. I got it all out in the
:06:36. > :06:42.open. 2011 has seen a welcome return to form with gold medals at
:06:42. > :06:48.the World Cups in Munich and Lucerne.
:06:48. > :06:51.COMMENTATOR: Back on the gold medal podium for Great Britain. Tom James
:06:51. > :06:57.is back in the boat this season and happy to be back after taking a
:06:57. > :07:02.year out after his Olympic triumph. I have been growing since I was 12
:07:02. > :07:07.or 13 and that mentality, looking after yourself, that routine I felt
:07:08. > :07:13.I needed a break. -- I have been rowing. I have put on a bit of
:07:13. > :07:21.weight and I do not think that has done any harm. I am a stone heavier
:07:21. > :07:27.than I was in Beijing. Tom coming back has given us a bit of emphasis
:07:27. > :07:35.on things and it just feels quite nice and easy with the field behind
:07:35. > :07:40.us. My seat is a really enjoyable position. There are gold medallists
:07:40. > :07:45.today by some distance. But the courage grew might not even light
:07:45. > :07:49.up together next year in London after Hodge and Read lost to New
:07:49. > :07:55.Zealand in the pair yesterday for the 14th consecutive time. They
:07:55. > :07:59.could yet return to the fore in 2012. Of course, if it was this
:07:59. > :08:05.year, I scraped into the boat so I would be out doing something else.
:08:05. > :08:09.It is not happening yet, though, so I will not concern myself with that.
:08:09. > :08:15.There is an issue especially leading into next year but for me,
:08:15. > :08:20.the way I see it, I have to just make myself better and as best as I
:08:20. > :08:25.can be and if that allows me to be in the top crew, which have a crew
:08:25. > :08:29.that is, that is great for me. There is a lot of good things about
:08:29. > :08:32.this four and if it wins has this year it seems silly to break it up
:08:32. > :08:37.next year. JOHN INVERDALE: That story will run
:08:37. > :08:40.and run but for now it is all about this race in Bled and banishing
:08:40. > :08:43.those painful memories from the World Championships last year.
:08:43. > :08:47.will be the last World Championships before the Olympics
:08:47. > :08:54.and we will want to make sure we start the Olympic year as world
:08:54. > :08:58.champions. We have a good focus in mind. We are always aspiring to be
:08:58. > :09:02.better. If we can finish in the strongest position, the gold medal
:09:02. > :09:12.position this year, it can only be a good thing leading to the
:09:12. > :09:19.
:09:19. > :09:26.Olympics. What has got to be the four, Great Britain going in a lane
:09:26. > :09:30.number four. Looking to avenge their fourth place last year. So
:09:30. > :09:38.much riding on this race from Great Britain's point of view as they
:09:38. > :09:48.move out of lane number four. The final of the men's heavyweight
:09:48. > :09:51.
:09:51. > :09:56.charging out in the first 100. Australia in lane five. Watch out
:09:56. > :10:02.for them, the dark horses of this particular event. A crevasse has
:10:02. > :10:10.just been put together this year in Lucerne. -- a group that has just
:10:11. > :10:16.been put together. And we have to Germany in lane number six, and
:10:16. > :10:23.Great Britain in lane number four, just slightly down through the
:10:23. > :10:28.first two 50 metres, will absolutely drive on. They are a
:10:28. > :10:33.pretty classy cru, the British group. Last year they finished
:10:33. > :10:37.fourth. The coach has since then changed the crew around a little
:10:37. > :10:46.bit. Tom James has come in instead of Alex Partridge, who has gone
:10:46. > :10:50.into the eight. They have also changed their strip. -- their
:10:50. > :11:00.stroke. That has changed the rhythm of the crew and it is very
:11:00. > :11:03.
:11:03. > :11:09.effective. Great Britain are in third place, 500 down now. Now into
:11:09. > :11:13.the second. The second 500m as the stock to stretch out. Watch number
:11:13. > :11:20.four, that is the bow of the British crew. Creeping up on
:11:20. > :11:28.Australia. The Australians just having the better of the first 500m.
:11:28. > :11:31.Matthew Langridge in the bow seat for Britain, Egington, Tom James
:11:31. > :11:36.and Gregory in the stroke seat. Now Britain are coming up level with
:11:36. > :11:42.Australia. That was a good move there in the second 500, just
:11:42. > :11:47.easing back like that. They are a really excellent crew. This is the
:11:47. > :11:55.event that Great Britain got a gold medal in three years ago in Beijing.
:11:55. > :11:59.Services an event that we have not lost a gold medal at Olympic level.
:11:59. > :12:05.Here they are now moving up. They are Britain's most successful men's
:12:05. > :12:11.crew. Perhaps not the strongest men in the squad, those two were in the
:12:11. > :12:18.pair, Hodge and Reed. But this four is really the most successful of
:12:18. > :12:23.our crews this year. Langridge, Egington, James, Gregory refused to
:12:23. > :12:27.be drawn on what is growing on -- going on in the coxless pair for
:12:27. > :12:31.Great Britain. Their task is really driving it home. They have gone
:12:31. > :12:35.through in first place at the halfway mark. We are now only
:12:35. > :12:39.1,000m away from the finishing line here in the final of the men's
:12:39. > :12:47.heavyweight coxless four and the British crew have been like
:12:47. > :12:52.stalking horses in the second 500. The Australians took them out to
:12:52. > :12:56.forced -- first place in the first 500. We are now in the third 500.
:12:56. > :13:03.This is where we would expect the British to really step on. There
:13:03. > :13:07.were outstanding in the training camp a couple of weeks ago. They
:13:07. > :13:12.are at 37 strokes a minute. That is pretty intense, pretty high. It
:13:12. > :13:19.looks much lower and that is the mark of a boat that is really
:13:19. > :13:27.travelling well, that calmness under pressure, that relaxation,
:13:27. > :13:36.and they are moving in that really smooth, rhythmic way. Langridge in
:13:36. > :13:41.the bow seat. Expect Britain to do something now at the 1250m mark.
:13:41. > :13:46.There they go. It is out to three- quarters of a length. Langridge
:13:46. > :13:51.calling it from the bow seat. The British are almost free of
:13:51. > :13:57.Australia in lane number five. A sensational third 500m. They made
:13:57. > :14:02.their move. You are right. They made their move and it showed.
:14:02. > :14:05.British crew will now step into the last 500m of this final of the
:14:05. > :14:10.men's heavyweight coxless four absolutely determined now to nail
:14:10. > :14:14.it. They have done everything asked of them. They have been the
:14:14. > :14:19.outstanding crew for 2011 and they have now broken free of Australia
:14:19. > :14:24.in a lane five, a freak from Greece in lane three, and the British now
:14:24. > :14:28.we'll just have to stretch it out. The British coming up on the
:14:28. > :14:34.shoulder of Australia. That is a pretty good push there in the last
:14:34. > :14:38.500m from Greece, because Australia seemed to have the measure of it.
:14:38. > :14:42.Great Britain are still trying to move further and further away
:14:42. > :14:46.because they have a lot to prove and they want to show they are a
:14:47. > :14:52.class outfit that should really not be messed with in the coming months.
:14:52. > :14:59.Etude statement now being made by Great Britain in lane number four.
:14:59. > :15:06.-- a huge statement. Matt Langridge makes another call. Up there from
:15:07. > :15:12.Leander Club in the bow. Greece have wind it up. The Greeks are now
:15:12. > :15:22.coming back. They have got the overlap. But surely the British
:15:22. > :15:36.
:15:36. > :15:39.and so he should, they have been the most outstanding crew of 2011
:15:39. > :15:44.and surely now they have done enough to stay in this group in
:15:44. > :15:49.this line-up but they will celebrate today and enjoy what was
:15:49. > :15:52.a remarkable performance right from the start. Great Britain are the
:15:52. > :15:57.world champions over Greece and Australia. That will give Juergen
:15:57. > :16:03.Grobler a lot to think about as chief coach of the heavyweight
:16:03. > :16:10.men's team. The one word that sprang to mind
:16:10. > :16:14.was smooth. That is the illusion we try to create! You are pulling
:16:14. > :16:21.yourself to pieces out there but we always try to go out there and roll
:16:21. > :16:25.well. It feels well connected and if you can do that when you are
:16:25. > :16:32.paddling and take it up to racing, that is good. It was a tough race,
:16:32. > :16:35.we knew the margins would close down since the other race we have
:16:36. > :16:42.done and you see it in every single event, the other teams have been
:16:42. > :16:47.right to the line. A two second margin is great. We are really
:16:47. > :16:57.happy, we have had a great season. At what point did you think you
:16:57. > :16:57.
:16:58. > :17:02.have got this? Quite early on. We knew how much speed we have. We
:17:02. > :17:06.have been doing some really good training and I think you get a way
:17:06. > :17:10.of knowing that everybody is really with us early on. The bow seat knew
:17:10. > :17:14.we were in control and we could pull away. It is one of these weird
:17:14. > :17:22.position because you always think to win the world's final, you need
:17:22. > :17:26.to have the best rowing. For us at our best, it was a bit scrappage.
:17:26. > :17:29.We have had a few illnesses and injuries but I think we are so
:17:29. > :17:35.pleased about the fact we have shown that when it matters on the
:17:35. > :17:40.day, we can do it. Certain afflict behind me always saying that you
:17:40. > :17:44.need to be able to win on your worst day and that was not our best
:17:44. > :17:49.day but it was good to show we could win. Steve, what was your
:17:49. > :17:53.take on the race? Absolutely brilliant. I would like to ask from
:17:53. > :18:00.last year, is used last year, do you think you are mentally stronger
:18:00. > :18:07.after the situation of last year? In yes, I think so. As a crew, we
:18:07. > :18:13.have really come together. I think we have got a lot more relaxation
:18:13. > :18:17.now and the main thing with us was you have got to go out there no
:18:17. > :18:21.matter how bad it is and we have got to make sure we win. Even
:18:21. > :18:26.though it may not be our best date. Fantastic season and that was a
:18:26. > :18:30.final great race for it, well done. And as a final thought, Steve is
:18:30. > :18:37.here, on the build up to the race on the programme, we were talking
:18:37. > :18:43.about the history of the coxless four. Does that weigh heavy on you?
:18:43. > :18:47.No, on the whole, it is a positive thing. You have got a legacy and
:18:47. > :18:51.expectation which can be a negative thing but if you are able to turn
:18:51. > :18:57.it into a positive thing, that is great. In the top teams you have
:18:57. > :19:03.that spirit. It is as much how you train in the legacy as much as
:19:03. > :19:06.Howard comes into training. Sometimes you feel it is a bit
:19:06. > :19:12.unfair because you have got to get five gold models to look good these
:19:13. > :19:18.days, one is not good enough. Sorry! It was pretty good today,
:19:18. > :19:22.and it may continue to be good for the next 11 months. Congratulations.
:19:22. > :19:28.Steve, one final question that ought to be thrown at you, they are
:19:28. > :19:32.very keen, this four, to say it is a four and they are in it together.
:19:32. > :19:36.But the spectre of possible team changes. That is always the case.
:19:36. > :19:40.The British team has always been like that for a long time. Working
:19:40. > :19:46.up to the final trials and if you are world champions, it is harder
:19:46. > :19:49.to move into different boats. That is what they have to go out to do,
:19:49. > :19:53.say to the world you have got to knock us out of our seed.
:19:53. > :20:00.composition of the men's four will be a debate over the winter I am
:20:00. > :20:03.sure and it will impact on what will be the men's eights. But next
:20:03. > :20:07.summer's Olympic Games poses some different problems than just plain
:20:07. > :20:13.growing. Rowing is all about strength
:20:13. > :20:20.togetherness and timing. Consent Muslims will be close with now as
:20:20. > :20:24.they observe the end of Ramadan. This man is the muscle in the men's
:20:24. > :20:28.eights. But the timing is a worry as next year's month of Ramadan
:20:28. > :20:38.clashes with the Olympics. Borrowing fastest harder when you
:20:38. > :20:39.
:20:39. > :20:43.are busting and so Mohamed Sbihi is postponing. With the long days in
:20:43. > :20:49.the summer... I am still training three times a day whilst fasting.
:20:49. > :20:53.By the end of last year's Ramadan I actually felt better for it and it
:20:53. > :20:56.was probably one of the easiest Ramadans I have done in terms of
:20:56. > :21:01.training and getting the most out of it. Conflict between faith and
:21:01. > :21:04.performers are not new to the Olympics. Chariots of Fire Eric, a
:21:04. > :21:07.devout Christian would not race on a Sunday and passed up a medal
:21:07. > :21:13.chance what Jonathan Edwards struggled with the same dilemma
:21:13. > :21:17.before jumping to gold. It took a bar any athlete to show you can
:21:17. > :21:22.compete and maintain your modesty. So a lesson is that compromise is
:21:22. > :21:27.king. Eric raised a different race on a different day and became a
:21:27. > :21:33.legend. And while Ramadan is an important part of Islam, there is
:21:33. > :21:36.flexibility for certain cases. an Olympic athlete is doing
:21:36. > :21:42.something strenuous that requires a lot of energy and if they fast,
:21:42. > :21:46.they will have a detrimental impact on their body. And because it is an
:21:46. > :21:51.exemption for exceptional situations, it can be given to them.
:21:51. > :21:55.They should make up the 30 days of fasting later on after the training.
:21:55. > :21:59.Many of the 3,000 was done athletes expected at next year's and unpicks
:21:59. > :22:02.will defer the fasts but not all of them. Hockey player Darren
:22:02. > :22:08.Cheeseman is convinced he can perform for Team GB and follow his
:22:08. > :22:13.faith. The same way that you might go down to 10 men in a game, you
:22:13. > :22:17.need to train for that. I need to make sure that I trained for being
:22:17. > :22:21.thirsty or not having a huge amount of food in my system. It is about
:22:21. > :22:25.making sure I can do the substitutions and not play as long
:22:25. > :22:29.as other players and understanding when I can train and when I can
:22:29. > :22:35.play. The men's eights is the Ferrari of the rowing competition
:22:35. > :22:43.and Ferraris need fuel but for some, that sustenance can be spiritual.
:22:43. > :22:46.Present a macro we are ingrowing mode now but all 20 sports that go
:22:46. > :22:52.into that can be seen on our Olympics website.
:22:52. > :22:57.JOHN INVERDALE: On that Olympic website you can follow the export
:22:57. > :23:01.of our gold medal winners from other, Katherine Grainger and Anna
:23:01. > :23:05.Watkins. Do gold medals feel better the day after always? It felt sweep
:23:05. > :23:09.yesterday when we crossed the finish line. You can see how the
:23:09. > :23:13.week built up but at the time you are sitting on the start line, you
:23:13. > :23:18.don't know what will happen, particularly with our built up. You
:23:18. > :23:22.have the elation and relief mixed together and when it is just over,
:23:22. > :23:29.in that second, I don't think that can be beaten. The feeling today is
:23:29. > :23:32.what? Trying to calm down and let all the adrenalin wash out and
:23:32. > :23:38.enjoy the beautiful scenery and sunshine which we have been trying
:23:38. > :23:43.to stay out of so far. And excited about watching today's racing.
:23:43. > :23:48.are the plans from now then? 11 months to go almost to the day.
:23:48. > :23:54.Straight back into training? the crucial thing for the next few
:23:54. > :23:58.weeks is a bit of downtime. We will not get in the boat for a while and
:23:58. > :24:06.I think we know that the 2012 season will be absolutely fall on a
:24:06. > :24:10.need to make sure we get everything right. -- will be absolutely 100%.
:24:11. > :24:15.How much can you let yourself go over the next few weeks? You don't
:24:16. > :24:20.want to turn up for training completely wrecked. Or do you?
:24:20. > :24:24.coach certainly does not want us to! To be honest, after a couple of
:24:24. > :24:27.weeks, you start to feel you want to get back in any way so it is a
:24:28. > :24:33.good mix of getting enough time away and you feel you have had the
:24:33. > :24:38.rest and are eager to get back so you do arrive... The best thing is
:24:38. > :24:43.mentally fresh. And physically, your body needs a bit of downtime
:24:43. > :24:47.as well. You do not ruin yourself for the next few weeks at all but
:24:47. > :24:55.you make sure you have come back and you are persevering. We will
:24:55. > :25:02.try to renew a little bit! May be 24 hours of ruin! Is it almost like
:25:02. > :25:05.going back to scull when you train again? Yes, exactly. We will not
:25:05. > :25:10.have seen each other for a while. The noise level at Caversham will
:25:10. > :25:16.be immense as we swap holiday stories and catch up. And then
:25:16. > :25:19.quickly it will turn around in two the fact we have got the whole
:25:19. > :25:26.winter of dark mornings and cold weather. And that will settle down
:25:26. > :25:33.quickly. At what point do you start talking about London seriously? Or
:25:33. > :25:36.do you put it to the back of your mind, so much work to be done?
:25:36. > :25:40.think when we first come back, we will get on to it pretty quickly
:25:40. > :25:45.because we will have an initial meeting which will be the plan. And
:25:45. > :25:49.we will debrief the season and find where we need to make improvements.
:25:49. > :25:54.But it will be clear from the beginning. For the job in the lake
:25:54. > :26:03.again? And may go for a dip this afternoon. We couldn't encourage
:26:03. > :26:08.I thought that would be one of the best end to the great pieces we
:26:08. > :26:16.have done, systematically he would launch yourself into the water?
:26:16. > :26:21.will not be spontaneous now. The other victorious Boat yesterday
:26:21. > :26:25.was the women's lightweight quad, a non Olympic class, a clear water
:26:26. > :26:29.behind them. And the faces of men told the joy of victory. It was
:26:29. > :26:36.easier than we thought it would be, we thought it would be a fight all
:26:36. > :26:40.the way to the last stroke. We do not know who it would be at the
:26:40. > :26:46.beginning but it was a nice surprise. To do not feel like
:26:46. > :26:50.shouting to the guys, what is wrong with you? Week expected Italy to be
:26:50. > :26:54.out front at the start and thought China would fight has all the way.
:26:54. > :27:00.But we knew we had broken them and the coach said that time would come
:27:00. > :27:07.and we knew that. It was ours to lose from Matt point. The World
:27:07. > :27:13.Championship medal around their next. For Steph Cullen, Andrea
:27:13. > :27:19.Dennis and Catherine Twyman. The next race we will show you
:27:19. > :27:25.features a music scholar who's role is two fault. One as a medallist
:27:25. > :27:30.but also as the musical director of the British rowing choir.
:27:30. > :27:34.It was sort of a joke and think let's run a choir I will teach you
:27:34. > :27:41.how to sing. # I heard there was a secret court,
:27:41. > :27:48.that David played and it pleased I love it, music gets everybody
:27:48. > :27:58.singing, together. About 16 people normally turn up and we learn songs
:27:58. > :28:02.
:28:02. > :28:07.and occasionally perform them to The camaraderie it brings is great
:28:07. > :28:12.fun. There is only so many boxed set that you can watch and getting
:28:12. > :28:17.together, in a lake is wonderful, it really get people together. --
:28:17. > :28:21.it is wonderful. It brings people out of their shells. Those who
:28:21. > :28:26.appear the most wonderful confident people in rowing are actually quite
:28:26. > :28:32.shy in singing and you get different sides of people, they
:28:33. > :28:36.really respond to the group ethos. Because people change personality,
:28:36. > :28:40.it is wonderful when they come to the choir. Catherine is the most
:28:40. > :28:45.professional role there is but when she comes into the choir room, she
:28:45. > :28:49.is one of my naughty altos. She sits in the, giggling. Jess is a
:28:49. > :28:57.good member, Lynsey is as well, and Sophie my doubles partner is in
:28:57. > :28:59.there as well. We came together in 2009 and we are very different
:28:59. > :29:04.people but each of us brings something to the boat that really
:29:05. > :29:08.helps to get the other going. Work each other and make sure we produce
:29:08. > :29:14.something that is greater than just present individual strength. This
:29:14. > :29:17.is our third season together, me and so free. We have only once not
:29:17. > :29:23.been on the podium. And in lightweight rowing, I think that is
:29:23. > :29:28.consistent. Apart from the bronze, we have
:29:28. > :29:32.always got a bronze or a silver. Going into these championships in a
:29:32. > :29:42.good position, we feel strong in our double. We are really, really
:29:42. > :29:43.
:29:43. > :29:49.On to the serious stuff now, just Anne-Sophie scrambled their way
:29:49. > :29:59.into the final by less than a 10th of a second so could they come up
:29:59. > :30:13.
:30:13. > :30:22.what women's double sculls for have had a great 2011 World Cup
:30:22. > :30:26.campaign. So perhaps now they can just relax and get that length.
:30:26. > :30:31.Today they look like they have a bit more of a fluidity around the
:30:31. > :30:34.catch that is taking them out to the front end of the stroke. They
:30:34. > :30:42.are in a very good position and now they have to sustain that through
:30:42. > :30:46.the middle part of the course. Sophie is in my London Rowing Club
:30:46. > :30:54.and she is there day-in, day-out, working. They are a very motivated
:30:54. > :31:00.double. Let's see if they can make this work. Pressure is coming on
:31:00. > :31:05.from the crews behind. Sophie Hosking has, London Rowing Club,
:31:05. > :31:09.Hester Goodsell from Imperial College Boat Club. Just at this
:31:09. > :31:13.particular step, they have turned things around from the semi-final.
:31:13. > :31:18.A long way to go but they must be feeling a lot, lot better. And so
:31:18. > :31:23.they should. They were bronze medallists two years ago at the
:31:23. > :31:28.World Championships. Disappointing to get fifth last year. Stepped up
:31:28. > :31:34.this year and now they are having the race of their lives. This is
:31:34. > :31:39.very good. They are relaxed, looking much more relaxed than they
:31:39. > :31:43.were in the semi-final, and they are stretching out. Now they can
:31:43. > :31:48.see what they can do and they are moving very well. Greece has gone
:31:48. > :31:53.up fast but Great Britain on their tail. Halfway mark, it is clear
:31:53. > :31:58.water from Greece in lane three but Great Britain are right on their
:31:58. > :32:03.heels in a second position. Now Sophie Hosking in the stroke seat,
:32:03. > :32:07.Hester Goodsell, Great Britain lightweight double scull, having
:32:07. > :32:12.first -- such a good acting. They have to take That confidence to
:32:12. > :32:15.really move and believe in their ability. They have had a couple of
:32:15. > :32:20.years of ability together and have shown great speed in training camps
:32:20. > :32:26.resulted. It is all about stepping up on the big day and this crew can
:32:26. > :32:30.do that. My goodness, though, Greece have just opened up to clear
:32:30. > :32:33.water and now the battle is on for the silver and it is a battle
:32:33. > :32:37.between the United States and Great Britain but Great Britain moving
:32:37. > :32:42.very well and they have checked that advance from Greece, but they
:32:42. > :32:48.have got to hold of the United States. Greece were fourth in
:32:48. > :32:51.Lucerne. There was a change, though, they have brought back in a rower
:32:51. > :32:56.who was not in that group and now the double scull, the bronze
:32:56. > :33:02.medallists from last year have found incredible speed. But Hester
:33:02. > :33:05.and Sophie from Great Britain, a great combination. Around their
:33:05. > :33:11.training camp recently, they are such passionate individuals about
:33:11. > :33:21.their outside interests but also about rowing. They have total
:33:21. > :33:26.
:33:26. > :33:29.belief in their ability. We head towards the 1,500m of this
:33:29. > :33:38.lightweight double sculls final and the British crew bar in amongst it
:33:38. > :33:42.all for the medals, out front and clear. 500m to go, Greece in lane
:33:42. > :33:45.number three. Great Britain are still up there in the silver-medal
:33:45. > :33:51.position and the United States of America and Canada will really
:33:52. > :33:56.charge on. Less than 50 strokes remain in the World Championship
:33:56. > :34:01.final of 2011 and now Great Britain have to give absolutely everything.
:34:01. > :34:06.They can do the strikes to the line. Great Britain must not tighten up.
:34:06. > :34:11.They have been rowing well in the middle of the race. They have been
:34:11. > :34:15.relaxed. They must not tighten up and start to grab at the stroke.
:34:15. > :34:19.They have the United States there and they have to be aware of that
:34:20. > :34:24.but they have to be able to wind this up without shortening their
:34:24. > :34:29.stroke and without tiding it in the shoulders. Behind them, Great
:34:29. > :34:33.Britain can see the charging crews of New Zealand, Australia, Canada
:34:33. > :34:37.of the world champions. They are in lane number five. The USA in lane
:34:37. > :34:42.number six. It is looking so painful in the crew closest to us
:34:42. > :34:46.in lane number six but look out for Canada because Canada are sprinting.
:34:46. > :34:51.The world champions have picked up pace and on the top of your picture,
:34:51. > :34:56.grain Britain in lane number one are just starting to sag in speed.
:34:56. > :35:01.Out front, Greece are looking so magnificent. They are running for
:35:01. > :35:07.the line. 150m for the gold medal and everybody now racing for the
:35:07. > :35:12.silver medal. Great Britain, Canada, the United States of America,
:35:12. > :35:22.inside 75 metres. The British are hanging on. Greece for the gold,
:35:22. > :35:27.
:35:27. > :35:33.on the line for bronze and Hester in the bow seat collapses, such was
:35:33. > :35:37.the effort required just to get the bronze medal. So Greece. It was
:35:38. > :35:45.clear and comfortable on the day. A gold medal to them. Canada in
:35:45. > :35:49.second and Great Britain will be After watching the semi-final
:35:49. > :35:53.yesterday, not many people were expecting that. Were you? To be
:35:53. > :35:57.honest, we did not expect the semi- final. We knew it had been a
:35:57. > :36:02.horrendous event in terms of qualification for the Olympic Games,
:36:02. > :36:07.which is what everyone was fighting for yesterday. We row really close
:36:07. > :36:11.off the B final. But today we knew what we had to do. We have beaten
:36:11. > :36:14.all of those crews before at some point or other and we just had to
:36:15. > :36:19.believe in ourselves. Sophie let out absolutely strongly and that
:36:19. > :36:25.was just the aim, to go and see what happened. You went for it from
:36:25. > :36:32.the word go. I do not know if you were aware how close it was in the
:36:32. > :36:35.last 200m or so. I did not have any idea. I was just focusing on each
:36:35. > :36:39.stroke at a time and trying to squeeze on the intensity and just
:36:39. > :36:44.going with whatever Hester was telling me to do. One thing we have
:36:44. > :36:47.learnt from this regatta is what it is like to be in close races and we
:36:47. > :36:50.are not the only ones in the British team who have had close
:36:50. > :36:56.races and at the end of the day, when you're in that position, you
:36:56. > :36:58.have to be 100 % focused on producing the most power you can
:36:58. > :37:03.through the stroke, otherwise you're giving time away by looking
:37:03. > :37:07.at them. So I was not aware of what was happening the last bit. We had
:37:07. > :37:13.to look at the board to find out where we had come. If every race
:37:13. > :37:18.was exciting as that that was not a bad thing. For all the public,
:37:18. > :37:23.anyway! Ute won a bronze two years ago. How would you compare your
:37:23. > :37:28.crew now? We are so much more mature now. Back then we felt we
:37:28. > :37:32.had lost silver, because it was 0.2 from silver and we were naive in
:37:32. > :37:37.everything that we did whereas now we have had three years of learning
:37:37. > :37:42.how to row together, produce stuff, get each other going an essentially,
:37:42. > :37:49.to go into a race and know how the other will respond is a massive
:37:49. > :37:53.deal. Back in 2009 we did not totally nerve everything that would
:37:53. > :38:00.happen whereas now I know how it Sophie will relax -- react and what
:38:01. > :38:06.she can produce. Congratulations to both of you. A tremendous re. Steve,
:38:06. > :38:11.just a quick word on that? A real battle of Mills. What it really
:38:11. > :38:14.shows is that when you get to a Championships, you can be badly in
:38:14. > :38:20.one race and it can destroy you but what they have actually done is
:38:20. > :38:23.taken it away as a positive. They just won in the race at all -- they
:38:23. > :38:32.were not in the semi-finals yesterday and they have turned it
:38:32. > :38:35.around and say we have got to be in there. That bad race has turned it
:38:35. > :38:40.into a good one and now they have confidence going into the next 11
:38:40. > :38:45.months. The men's lightweight double. Hunter and Perch have been
:38:45. > :38:48.part of the rowing furniture for so long, Olympic champions, world
:38:48. > :38:58.champions, but it has not been plain sailing for them of recent
:38:58. > :39:02.
:39:02. > :39:04.the Olympic champions! We are now a world champion crew. Hunter and
:39:04. > :39:08.Perch would normally find themselves to be clear favourites
:39:08. > :39:15.to defend their title but after a year of illness, they find
:39:15. > :39:20.themselves playing catch-up with This year has had its challenges.
:39:20. > :39:26.It is now a good to get back in the racing frame of mind and show what
:39:26. > :39:30.we can do. We have enjoyed the last two or three weeks of being in the
:39:30. > :39:33.boat, really consistently, making sure we are there, physically and
:39:33. > :39:39.mentally ready to rock and roll. has been a difficult and
:39:39. > :39:43.frustrating season because at the start of the year we had a plan and
:39:43. > :39:46.we did not really get a chance to put that into play so we are
:39:46. > :39:51.playing a bit of catch-up but the last five weeks of training have
:39:51. > :39:55.been exceptional. We have really worked hard and instead of looking
:39:55. > :40:00.at it week by week, we have fine- tuned every single session, made
:40:00. > :40:07.the most of everything. More than we would do normally. So we have
:40:08. > :40:14.kind of condensed three months in to six weeks. It is quite a tricky
:40:14. > :40:20.thing, being a lightweight. We have to wait in two hours before the
:40:20. > :40:28.race, with a maximum individual weight of 72.5 itkg. We have been
:40:28. > :40:35.doing this together for a long time. We generally hit 70kg. It is one of
:40:35. > :40:40.the things you have to do that makes it more challenging. What
:40:40. > :40:44.would it really mean to defend the World Championship? Given where we
:40:44. > :40:49.are, and the athletes that we are, we will give a winning performance.
:40:49. > :40:53.I expect nothing less than an established successful crew and we
:40:53. > :41:01.have just got to make sure that we do our best to ensure that that is
:41:01. > :41:04.the case. Every season has been different. We have never had a
:41:04. > :41:12.typical season. It has always been different with sickness, injuries,
:41:12. > :41:16.all these different things. So it is a new and exciting chapter and
:41:16. > :41:22.where we stand at the end of the day when we crossed the line will
:41:22. > :41:25.be the end of this year and the start of next year. It is an
:41:25. > :41:28.interesting World Championships for us because we do not have any form,
:41:28. > :41:38.we have not performed this year in any event, and we are good at
:41:38. > :41:41.
:41:41. > :41:50.delivering when we come to the big final of the men's lightweight
:41:50. > :41:53.double scull, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter. So far, 2011 has been an
:41:53. > :41:59.unsettled year for the defending champions and the Olympic champions.
:41:59. > :42:03.Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter. They going lane number three. They seem
:42:03. > :42:09.to be finding some form as they come through these World
:42:09. > :42:16.Championships. Let's see what the first 500 metres have. Lane 1,
:42:16. > :42:20.Italy, Germany two, Great Britain 3, New Zealand four, Denmark five,
:42:20. > :42:24.China in lane number six. This race, though, should come down to Great
:42:24. > :42:30.Britain and New Zealand. New Zealand have dominated the World
:42:30. > :42:33.Cup campaign of 2011. We just saw Denmark are dominating the whole
:42:33. > :42:40.scene four years ago. They took a year off and have come back. They
:42:40. > :42:44.are always a threat. Great Britain have had a wonderful start but this
:42:44. > :42:48.will be a chance to see again whether this faster stroke rate
:42:48. > :42:58.that New Zealand has a right across all its crews is going to be as
:42:58. > :43:15.
:43:15. > :43:22.effective in this event against the World Cup winners against the world
:43:22. > :43:27.champions, as we head towards the first time in mark. Great Britain
:43:27. > :43:31.now lead New Zealand into the second 500m. The Italians are also
:43:31. > :43:39.in amongst it in lane number one. Bertie Mee and Luini, the world
:43:39. > :43:45.silver medallists 2010. -- Pacini. The crew is very tight here.
:43:45. > :43:51.Maximum individual weight cannot exceed 72.5 kilograms, the crew
:43:51. > :43:55.average cannot exceed 70kg. It is interesting seeing New Zealand
:43:55. > :44:01.against Great Britain. New Zealand have three strokes a minute higher
:44:01. > :44:04.than Britain. So great Britain are getting better value per stroke.
:44:04. > :44:08.The thing is that the New Zealanders seem to be able to
:44:08. > :44:12.continue this right through to the end and build on it at the end,
:44:12. > :44:15.whereas most crews would find that difficult. So great Britain is
:44:15. > :44:20.trying to stay there steady and reliable and their cohesion, the
:44:20. > :44:23.way they scull, letting their boat run, but we see in New Zealand move
:44:23. > :44:29.on air now. Now we will find out whether Zac Purchase's illness were
:44:29. > :44:33.have an effect here in the final stages of this race. Interesting
:44:33. > :44:38.that Great Britain are still upon 39 strokes per minute in this
:44:38. > :44:45.second 500. I would have expected to them -- them to have come down
:44:45. > :44:55.to 38 strokes, a little bit more containment. So that gives you a
:44:55. > :44:59.
:44:59. > :45:04.and Great Britain are through the halfway mark in this final of the
:45:04. > :45:09.men's lightweight double sculls. New Zealand, who have dominated
:45:09. > :45:17.2011 on the World Cup scene, really pushing on ahead. It is a compare
:45:17. > :45:21.and contrast the style and the speed of New Zealand against Perch
:45:21. > :45:27.and Hunter from Great Britain, defending world champions, reigning
:45:27. > :45:30.Olympic champions. -- Purchase. The British scull have a really upset
:45:30. > :45:34.season here. The first time they have come together and we are
:45:34. > :45:37.really starting to see some form. Pretty good semi-final. We would
:45:37. > :45:41.expect them out to just step up. They have gone into this race
:45:41. > :45:51.thinking that they can win. Regardless of the season they have
:45:51. > :45:53.
:45:53. > :45:57.double scull together and moving sweetly and the Great Britain
:45:57. > :46:00.double scull believe that when they have got it right, when they are
:46:00. > :46:05.together, they are unstoppable and they are scum and beautifully at
:46:05. > :46:10.the moment. They have about two strokes per minute lower than the
:46:10. > :46:20.New Zealanders and in an earlier heat, New Zealand went through them
:46:20. > :46:28.and went through. This time, they are going to revalue their race
:46:28. > :46:33.plan and push on him in the last 500. They are almost level when
:46:33. > :46:37.they come to the 1,500 metre mark. One Foot separating New Zealand and
:46:37. > :46:44.Great Britain. Watch for Mark Hunter in the stroke seat, from
:46:44. > :46:49.Leander Club, he will pick up this pace. And now the British are
:46:49. > :46:54.starting to move. The bows of No. 3, Great Britain, slicing through the
:46:55. > :46:58.water and with it going through New Zealand in lane number four. The
:46:58. > :47:02.New Zealand crew are fighters to the end, they will respond but the
:47:02. > :47:08.British now are looking the stronger of the two boat. They both
:47:08. > :47:11.pull away from a chasing field led by Germany in lane number two.
:47:11. > :47:15.is a beautifully judged race from Great Britain and if they can
:47:15. > :47:19.sustain this push and Zacks seems to have recovered and that the mood
:47:19. > :47:23.now. They are pushing right back. New Zealand don't have anywhere to
:47:23. > :47:29.go because they are as high as they can go and this time it will be
:47:29. > :47:33.great Britain going through New Zealand. 200 metres remain in the
:47:33. > :47:37.final of the men's lightweight double scull and the Olympic and
:47:37. > :47:42.world champions now are starting again to move, they have taken
:47:42. > :47:46.another foot but the Sprint of the All Blacks, here it comes, one-
:47:46. > :47:50.hundredth, 10 strokes to the line and now New Zealand will go up but
:47:50. > :47:55.the experience that is the great British Olympic and world champions,
:47:55. > :48:00.they have done enough surely to get to the line. You can count the
:48:00. > :48:03.strokes now. Inside five, Great Britain holding, the New Zealand
:48:03. > :48:08.crew look right, they are attacking that Great Britain will have it on
:48:08. > :48:13.the line, it is gold today and the arms are loft. What a comeback for
:48:13. > :48:19.Great Britain's Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, given the season they
:48:19. > :48:29.have had. What they set up a head of the Olympics next year in London.
:48:29. > :48:32.JOHN INVERDALE: What a race! Yes, we like to be entertaining. We like
:48:32. > :48:38.to make the sport exciting to watch and it is all about making sure
:48:39. > :48:43.that people are excited. The result is even better. You were calm, of
:48:43. > :48:47.course. We just wanted to make it entertaining for the crowd! Your
:48:47. > :48:51.mum and dad and girlfriend in the crowd, I bet they were having
:48:51. > :48:55.kittens in the last 50 metres. I know from the outside it is
:48:55. > :49:00.always harder looking on but we had a plan and we knew what we would do
:49:00. > :49:07.and we executed it perfectly. We did not panic, we were sculling
:49:07. > :49:12.better today. Sit back and relax and when we wanted to put some work
:49:12. > :49:20.in, we knew we could. Lot of New Zealand boats have been pipping
:49:20. > :49:24.people on the line, did that come into your tactics? The Kiwis
:49:24. > :49:34.generally have won the gold muddles on the line. Is that a worry coming
:49:34. > :49:40.into it? We did think about it and we knew we had enough in hand to
:49:40. > :49:47.lay it down. Keep moving on because the good thing about the light
:49:47. > :49:52.weight is the same shape and bowel. In a pub one my Crowe and pick gold
:49:52. > :50:02.medals before. -- you have won Olympic gold before. Where does
:50:02. > :50:03.
:50:03. > :50:06.that come in the practice. This is the stepping-stone to the Olympics
:50:06. > :50:12.and we have the most turbulent season you can imagine so to come
:50:12. > :50:17.back and put six weeks of training to get that result, we are really
:50:18. > :50:21.looking forward to the training. We want to make this exciting.
:50:21. > :50:27.Monumentally exciting, congratulations to both of you.
:50:27. > :50:30.Great to see you as winners once again. That was fantastic. Never
:50:30. > :50:38.mind what Zac Purchase was saying, great sport but great credit to
:50:38. > :50:43.them. Zac has been out of the season with a virus, and they were
:50:43. > :50:48.talking about racing here with a spare man just to get the but
:50:48. > :50:53.qualified and prepared for next year so to make a final and win it
:50:53. > :51:00.at the start of that, I have seen embrace so many times and they have
:51:00. > :51:08.put some fantastic races. They have dominated and so much pressure on
:51:08. > :51:11.them, so much going on and on the basis of training they have had the
:51:11. > :51:14.former have is outstanding. ringing endorsement from Steve. But
:51:14. > :51:20.talk about other people who are here at the regatta there have
:51:20. > :51:27.problems of a different nature. If you watched yesterday, he will say
:51:27. > :51:31.-- you will see about our piece on a road from Angola. Also problems
:51:31. > :51:36.faced by the Iraqi rulers. Matthew Pinsent has spoken to them.
:51:36. > :51:41.The last time I was in Bled for the World Rowing Championships, I was
:51:41. > :51:46.18 and nervously awaiting my first big race. This then was Yugoslavia,
:51:46. > :51:50.the Berlin Wall was still up. One country definitely not represented
:51:50. > :51:55.at those championships was Iraq and for the past year I had been
:51:55. > :52:05.following one of their current crop of athletes as he, like the rest of
:52:05. > :52:10.the rowing world, tries to qualify It might not be an opening ceremony
:52:10. > :52:15.to rival the Olympics 20 years after independence, Slovenia is
:52:15. > :52:18.proud to be hosting the rowing World Championships. Dozens of
:52:18. > :52:21.countries fighting against one another through sporting
:52:21. > :52:31.competitions is one of the things here but life is not always that
:52:31. > :52:32.
:52:32. > :52:40.This is the single Iraqi rowing athlete for 2011. In his home city
:52:40. > :52:43.of Baghdad, one of the most violent in the world. He trains every day
:52:43. > :52:47.and is a university student and in the security checkpoints between
:52:47. > :52:52.his college and the River Tigris, his sporting Korea is even more
:52:52. > :52:56.demanding than it should be. He was given a wild-card entrants to the
:52:56. > :53:04.Olympics in Beijing he is determined to make it to London on
:53:04. > :53:10.his own merit. If we do the preparation and work right and do
:53:10. > :53:17.it in the right way, it is possible to qualify so I will do my best to
:53:17. > :53:22.qualify because I need to. Growing demands more than just
:53:22. > :53:26.determination. He needs to improve his technique and his tactics and
:53:26. > :53:32.he now has a European coach to help him. He is realistic about his
:53:32. > :53:37.chances. I know he will not be a big champion and not be in the
:53:37. > :53:42.final but is it possible that he improves so far that he can reach
:53:42. > :53:47.it by all of those things? This is important to me. If he is in London,
:53:47. > :53:51.my mission is accomplished. Of the face of it, the challenge is almost
:53:51. > :53:56.too great but there are other examples with any rowing fraternity
:53:56. > :54:00.from which he can take heart. There's been a lot of help go into
:54:00. > :54:04.Iraq from different parties around the world. That has caused them to
:54:04. > :54:09.become really motivated and given them the opportunity to train
:54:09. > :54:12.abroad and improve themselves and participate with a reasonable level
:54:12. > :54:18.and good standard at the international level. This has been
:54:18. > :54:22.a model for the others and that we can show others about how it can
:54:22. > :54:27.happen and how you can reach the international level. Obviously
:54:27. > :54:31.every athlete wants to win their races but for him it is much more
:54:31. > :54:37.even than that. Racing on the world stage is a sign that Iraq is
:54:37. > :54:42.finally emerging from the sporting world and us. The result is not
:54:42. > :54:46.entirely unexpected. He finishes in the bottom group of scholars and
:54:46. > :54:54.hasn't secured his Olympic qualification but his best chance
:54:54. > :54:57.for that will come in early 2012. Inspired by the lessons of these
:54:57. > :55:01.championships and one of the most beautiful rolling Lakes in the
:55:01. > :55:10.world. JOHN INVERDALE: All athletes face
:55:10. > :55:17.the continual fear of injury and forth from Houghton, it has been a
:55:17. > :55:22.problem. But to finish 4th was no mean feat but she found herself in
:55:22. > :55:32.the Bfinal and she had to finish in the top three to qualify for the
:55:32. > :55:38.
:55:38. > :55:43.medallist, the four times rowing championship Horton from Great
:55:43. > :55:49.Britain is in lane number three as they approach the halfway mark in
:55:49. > :55:53.this final of the women's single scull. Extremely accomplished but
:55:53. > :56:00.she has not won a muddle at senior international level in the single
:56:00. > :56:04.scull. Will she do something today? She has to do something in the top
:56:04. > :56:09.three of the Bfinal to qualify for the Olympic Games next year. The
:56:09. > :56:13.first 1,000 will be very steady, and the second 1,000 will need her
:56:13. > :56:22.to pick up on that strong rhythm that she has had. Great Britain in
:56:22. > :56:30.lane number three. Out front from Azerbaijan, they lead and Estonia
:56:31. > :56:40.is in two. Frances Wharton in number three. And Russia in lane
:56:41. > :56:48.
:56:48. > :56:54.Azerbaijani. She has made quite an impression, a good sculler. And now
:56:54. > :57:04.this is where Francis has to wind it in. She has got to get past
:57:04. > :57:10.
:57:11. > :57:17.demonstrating the big task ahead of France's, an unsettled here for her.
:57:17. > :57:21.She was injured and had to have surgery. Slowly coming back into it
:57:21. > :57:25.and her coaches have been delicate with a progression. But the year
:57:25. > :57:30.before the Olympic Games, the team want to do as much to qualify in
:57:30. > :57:32.all 14 events. The team have qualified in 13 and this is the
:57:33. > :57:42.last remaining one. Francis hopefully will rise to the
:57:43. > :57:49.
:57:49. > :57:55.1,500 metres down, 500 metres remaining Indian women's
:57:55. > :58:03.heavyweight single sculls and the sculler from Azerbaijan in lane
:58:03. > :58:08.number one, storming away. In lane of the six that is the Russian here.
:58:08. > :58:11.Six boats chasing a coveting three places for the Olympic
:58:11. > :58:18.qualification and Francis from Great Britain is now starting to
:58:18. > :58:28.struggle, she is on the back of three scullers. Look at the gap
:58:28. > :58:28.
:58:29. > :58:34.here between Azerbaijan in lane number one and the chasing field in
:58:34. > :58:39.which Francis is in. People saving their race and the final stages and
:58:39. > :58:43.may have all got a pretty par-four last 500 metres to unleash.
:58:43. > :58:50.France's biding her time but so lacking in race practice that it is
:58:50. > :58:54.a very difficult tournament. strokes remain now as the crews all
:58:54. > :59:00.start to wind up and Francis in line number three for Great Britain
:59:00. > :59:05.has started her sprint here. She has done so well just to get to the
:59:05. > :59:14.stage here. Out front, the Azerbaijani in lane number one will
:59:14. > :59:19.win comfortably but the rest now I'll in a cat fight. Still
:59:19. > :59:23.Britain's is in among us that. has pushed it up to 35 strokes per
:59:23. > :59:28.minute, that is real aggression and that experience from her Olympic
:59:28. > :59:38.medals in the quad working very close up now. A inside the last 15
:59:38. > :59:44.metres and still Francis has not given enough, but first, qualifying
:59:44. > :59:49.post goes to Azerbaijan. Francis coming in 4th position. It was a
:59:49. > :59:54.task just too much for Francis today. 4th position not good enough
:59:54. > :00:02.to qualify the women's single sculls for London for London 2012
:00:02. > :00:08.at this particular regatta. What was your reaction immediately
:00:08. > :00:13.at crossing the line in fourth? am not like it was the end of the
:00:13. > :00:17.world, devastated, but I am just disappointed. I do not want to come
:00:17. > :00:21.away and beat myself up. Three weeks ago I did not think I
:00:21. > :00:27.becoming here, so you have to put it in perspective. As you are
:00:27. > :00:32.fighting injury and now, bit by bit, you will get back to 100 %, what
:00:32. > :00:37.with the personal ambition be? still want to be in a crewed boat
:00:38. > :00:43.vying for a gold medal in London, Absolut. But I just had to sustain
:00:43. > :00:47.its training, get the injuries at the way. Just keep enjoying it. I
:00:47. > :00:52.have absolutely loved the experience. I am so pleased I
:00:52. > :00:56.managed to enjoy it all the way through. So Frances Houghton
:00:56. > :00:59.disappointed but justifiably proud at her performance but it meant in
:00:59. > :01:04.the women's singles gold there was no British representation. He would
:01:04. > :01:14.come out on top in the last rays of the regatta? -- who would come out
:01:14. > :01:21.
:01:21. > :01:27.women's race. The world champion, at Frida Svensson, in lane number
:01:27. > :01:31.six. A brave race from a Emma Twigg of New Zealand. Clear water but in
:01:31. > :01:38.this event so much can change and we would expect that as we head
:01:38. > :01:44.towards the last 500m. It is the final 2011 World Riley Inc -- World
:01:44. > :01:54.Rowing Championships women's single scull and here comes the charge.
:01:54. > :01:58.
:01:58. > :02:08.500m to go. The chequered rower -- the person from the Czech Republic
:02:08. > :02:08.
:02:08. > :02:14.ahead. A big surprise from Xiuyun Zhang from China, it went through
:02:14. > :02:19.that market in sixth position. So the overlap now coming from a Mirka
:02:19. > :02:25.Knapkova, who was fourth last year. The best result she has had is a
:02:25. > :02:32.silver badge in 2007. Really using... It is almost like she is
:02:32. > :02:35.using Emma Twigg as the pacemaker in this race. Get me out to 1750
:02:35. > :02:40.and I can just take it out from there, and she has done exactly
:02:40. > :02:46.that. We have now a new race leader, Mirka Knapkova from the Czech
:02:46. > :02:52.Republic. We have 250m remaining. Around 25 strokes and that is
:02:52. > :02:56.plenty of time for Ekaterina Karsten from Belarus, the multi-
:02:56. > :03:02.Olympic and world champion, to make her charge, and make it she is.
:03:02. > :03:07.Emma Twigg, who led so valiantly, and bravely, to the 1,500m mark,
:03:07. > :03:15.still in second. But she's handing on for dear life. Mirka Knapkova
:03:15. > :03:19.now looks stronger and stronger as the rate goes up. Inside 100m. It
:03:19. > :03:29.is Mirka Knapkova from the Czech Republic out from. Surely she has
:03:29. > :03:39.
:03:39. > :03:42.done enough. But still Ekaterina Republic, it is a gold medal to her
:03:42. > :03:48.and Ekaterina Karsten from Belarus gets the silver medal, and Emma
:03:48. > :03:58.Twigg is content with a bronze medal. A wonderful result from
:03:58. > :04:02.This time next year the Paralympics will be in full swing and there are
:04:02. > :04:12.several adoptive races as part of these World Championships here in
:04:12. > :04:15.
:04:15. > :04:23.Bled. Here we go with the mixed cox drug and arms mixed coxed four and
:04:23. > :04:27.Great Britain in lane four. -- legs, trunk and arms. The United States
:04:27. > :04:35.are in lane one, Canada in lane two, Germany in lane three, Britten in
:04:35. > :04:41.lane four, Ireland in line drive and France in lane six. -- Ireland
:04:41. > :04:44.in lane five. Great Britain were the fastest qualifiers here by a
:04:44. > :04:53.length and a half so they go into this as favourites for the gold
:04:54. > :04:58.medal. The British crew are in lane four. Silver medallists last year
:04:58. > :05:03.in the World Championships. They just lost out by half a second to
:05:03. > :05:13.Canada, who are in lane number two. A real rivalry developing between
:05:13. > :05:19.those two boats Between -- through the season. Canada are out front
:05:20. > :05:25.and then Germany spitting the two boats in lane number three. --
:05:25. > :05:30.splitting. Pamela Relph from Great Britain is in the bow seat. Naomi
:05:30. > :05:40.Ritchie, Paralympic bronze medallist from 2008 seats at two,
:05:40. > :05:42.
:05:42. > :05:46.David Smith at three, James wrote at stroke. -- James Roe. A number
:05:46. > :05:53.of changes in the crowd and it has really made a big difference. They
:05:53. > :06:02.are moving well at the halfway point. Great Britain lead the world
:06:02. > :06:08.through 500m in this final of the Lex, trunks and arms mixed cox for
:06:08. > :06:15.-- legs. They have taken the race by the scruff of the neck. Such
:06:15. > :06:21.disappointment last year to lose the gold medal to challenge her. --
:06:21. > :06:24.to Canada. Canada are in a sprint mode and Germany, who were so fast
:06:24. > :06:29.in the first five cannot live with the pace that has been set by Great
:06:30. > :06:37.Britain. This is very good rowing. They are very accurate. Could power
:06:37. > :06:41.in the middle of their stroke. -- could power. Most of the crews have
:06:41. > :06:51.the men in the stern but Canada and the United States have it the other
:06:51. > :06:54.
:06:54. > :07:03.way round. This is an event where the FISA Federation categorise this
:07:03. > :07:10.event as having a minimum disability similar to cerebral
:07:10. > :07:13.palsy or visual impairment. They have to have one of the three
:07:13. > :07:18.impairments as classified by the International Rowing Federation.
:07:18. > :07:24.They are coming up towards the line. Great Britain absolutely
:07:25. > :07:29.outstanding in this final. Really driving it on. James Roe, 2010
:07:29. > :07:33.world silver medallist in this event, leading it clear water from
:07:33. > :07:39.a field that includes the world champions from Canada and Great
:07:39. > :07:44.Britain now at standing, right from the first stroke. They regain the
:07:44. > :07:53.World Championship title that they had in 2009 and that they suddenly
:07:53. > :08:03.leap gave up in 2010. -- that they sadly gave up. So great Britain win
:08:03. > :08:05.
:08:05. > :08:09.Dave, you have had an extraordinary 12 months. In 2009 I won the World
:08:09. > :08:13.Championships and at the start of 2010 I was diagnosed with a tumour
:08:13. > :08:17.inside my spinal cord that had been there for the best part of 12 years
:08:17. > :08:22.and had not been found. They operated to remove it and I
:08:22. > :08:27.developed a blood clot. I woke up fully paralysed from the neck down
:08:27. > :08:31.apart from my right arm and I had to learn to walk again, learn how
:08:31. > :08:37.to train again, pretty much everything in life had to be relent.
:08:37. > :08:42.That has all happened in the last 12 months. So the rowing is the
:08:42. > :08:46.easy bit? It was not too easy today! It has been a big roller
:08:46. > :08:52.coaster. Every time the training was hard I got back and nothing can
:08:52. > :08:56.be as hard to walk -- learning to walk again. Congratulations to you.
:08:57. > :09:02.What does that gold medal round your neck mean to you? It means the
:09:02. > :09:06.hardest nine months of my life. I have only been rowing for about
:09:06. > :09:10.nine months. This time last year I was introduced to the sport by my
:09:10. > :09:15.sister who is also a great Britain person. I never thought it would be
:09:15. > :09:18.so possible to do that in such a short space of time. I am so
:09:18. > :09:22.grateful to the crew around me today. It is the most amazing
:09:23. > :09:27.experience I have ever had in my life. Great Britain are top of the
:09:27. > :09:31.pile. JOHN INVERDALE: So here and another
:09:31. > :09:35.World Championships and for the boss of the world rowing, David
:09:35. > :09:41.Tanner, I guess you are pretty pleased? Very pleased. A specially
:09:42. > :09:45.good day today with some fantastic performances and ten Olympic class
:09:45. > :09:49.gold medals, two Paralympic. Overall, going into this, as it
:09:49. > :09:54.exceeded expectations or is it just about what you expected? I think it
:09:54. > :10:01.is at the top end of what I would have hoped. We have missed one or
:10:01. > :10:04.two. Maybe the men's quad. Overall there have been one of two, Alan
:10:04. > :10:08.Campbell, liked men's double, who have come through there are almost
:10:08. > :10:12.periods and performed here and to do credit to them. So on balance,
:10:13. > :10:17.at the top end. Steve, what is a general assessment? Coming into
:10:17. > :10:21.here, I would have been -- I was hoping all 14 boats would qualify
:10:21. > :10:26.and we have missed out on that by one boat missing out on one place
:10:26. > :10:32.and that is no disappointment because it is a pan plastic --
:10:32. > :10:40.fantastic performance, 13 boats. Because the programme has changed
:10:40. > :10:45.to what it was before, normally we have all our best races at the
:10:45. > :10:50.beginning. But by the end of it, with ten medals from Olympic class
:10:50. > :10:56.boats comedy been, that is a fantastic performance. We are in
:10:56. > :11:00.Olympic overload already and we are 11 months away. One of your key
:11:00. > :11:06.jobs for the next 11 months must be to just keep calm and say, every
:11:06. > :11:11.day will follow its own course and you will get there in the end. Is
:11:11. > :11:15.that man management key now? Absolutely. They will have three
:11:15. > :11:21.weeks of but they will be back bent to do the training and the hard
:11:21. > :11:24.grind and the winter work. We will need to keep calm and be very aware
:11:24. > :11:28.that the whole field has been bunching up. Some very strong
:11:28. > :11:34.nations there. New Zealand has more Olympic class golds than us. We
:11:34. > :11:38.have seen their Olympic performances so we have to be
:11:38. > :11:44.confident in what we have done and how we have got here but also stay
:11:44. > :11:48.calm. Many congratulations to all the team. Steve, the final word. Is
:11:48. > :11:52.passionately, if you can be, how do you view our prospects, 11 months
:11:53. > :11:57.out? I think we can be even stronger than we are here. We have
:11:57. > :12:02.an outstanding team. Every boat apart from possibly the women's
:12:02. > :12:08.single scull, are going in thinking, we can win medals. We have never
:12:08. > :12:12.had a team like that before. Being an old British rower, a very old
:12:12. > :12:16.Bridget Roma, that is part of it but so many of our boats are
:12:16. > :12:23.outstanding. Enjoy your three weeks of, although you probably never had
:12:23. > :12:31.a day off. I have one or two. thank you very much as well.
:12:31. > :12:36.Overall, a fantastic regatta for If you look at the Olympic classes
:12:36. > :12:42.in isolation, New Zealand with four gold medals, just edging Great
:12:42. > :12:47.Britain but ten Olympic gold medals -- ten gold medals overall. Plenty
:12:47. > :12:52.more sport for the rest of the week. The World Athletics Championships
:12:52. > :12:56.have finished today but the best in the world return to Zurich. That is
:12:56. > :13:03.on BBC Two at 7:00pm and then in Beijing at the weekend for the
:13:03. > :13:12.World Series final of the triathlon. The men's race on Saturday and the
:13:12. > :13:15.Three weeks off for the British rowers and then back four are at
:13:15. > :13:22.the end of September, by when Slovenia will be ancient history
:13:22. > :13:32.and all roads lead to London. From beautiful place back very -- from
:13:32. > :13:37.
:13:38. > :13:42.Championship title. We are the world champions! Matt Langridge hit
:13:42. > :13:48.the water and so he should. They have been the most outstanding crew