:00:09. > :00:14.Welcome to one of the more unusual rowing clubs on the banks of the
:00:15. > :00:19.Thames. It's called full reach and it was only opened a couple of weeks
:00:20. > :00:22.ago -- years ago. It was funded by the developer with the express
:00:23. > :00:27.intention of kids from local state schools getting involved in a sport
:00:28. > :00:32.they might not otherwise be involved with. The reason we are here is
:00:33. > :00:40.because it is the World Cup in Poznan, Poland. The last big event
:00:41. > :00:41.until the Olympics, 47 days to go. 47 days until the next glorious
:00:42. > :00:55.chapter in Britain's rowing history. Great Britain started ahead, stayed
:00:56. > :01:01.ahead and finish the head. Great Britain are the Olympic champions
:01:02. > :01:07.and it sounds fantastic. Rate Britain win by a length and a half.
:01:08. > :01:13.We have done it and we have done it in style. They are the British
:01:14. > :01:22.Olympic champions. Heather Stanning, Helen Glover, we salute you. Great
:01:23. > :01:31.achievement. This crowd are going mad. Ladies and gentlemen, what we
:01:32. > :01:36.are seeing is a dream come true. If anyone sees me go near a boat you've
:01:37. > :01:44.got my permission to shoot me. Five in a row, what a great Olympian.
:01:45. > :01:51.With us to discuss all things rowing is Anna Watkins, a gold-medallist
:01:52. > :01:54.from London four years ago. Can it really be that long ago? The last
:01:55. > :02:00.time you are doing this, you're trying to get back in the team and
:02:01. > :02:05.trying to get to Rio de Janiero. What happened? I was watching the
:02:06. > :02:10.final and thinking, maybe this could be defended, maybe I should get back
:02:11. > :02:15.in there. I went back to the open trials in October, got back into the
:02:16. > :02:20.mix, got stuck in through the autumn. After Christmas, I noticed
:02:21. > :02:25.the speed had heated up and I could not stay with it. I stepped away
:02:26. > :02:33.then and the doubles project has gone on without me. At least I can
:02:34. > :02:39.step back and say that I've answered my big question. I can watch with a
:02:40. > :02:44.smile on my face. Elite sport is a brutal, uncompromising world. Rowing
:02:45. > :02:48.has found itself in the papers a lot and a lot about bullying in the
:02:49. > :02:54.women's squad, reminiscent of what British Cycling has been through. If
:02:55. > :03:00.that world you recognise? The picture is, the beginning of this
:03:01. > :03:04.year, there were 24 women sitting in a room and 12 seats for the
:03:05. > :03:10.Olympics. You've got to get down through those numbers somehow. I've
:03:11. > :03:13.been part of that myself and, that is brittle, that is difficult. Paul
:03:14. > :03:20.Thomson has been doing this for 16 years. When he came into the team,
:03:21. > :03:26.there was the odd medal in the team. Now, if we are not punching with the
:03:27. > :03:29.best in the world we think we are doing something wrong. Anybody who
:03:30. > :03:35.has navigated that process by that long without ruffling feathers
:03:36. > :03:42.should be in the United Nations, in my book. He strives to be fair but I
:03:43. > :03:46.know he wants to be the best coach he can and he always tries to
:03:47. > :03:50.improve, year-on-year, for something he could have done better. He will
:03:51. > :03:55.take that on board and want to know that. There is a process, that is
:03:56. > :04:00.great and people should have the opportunity to feedback, but I would
:04:01. > :04:04.not want anybody else to be coaching me. There is a fine line between
:04:05. > :04:08.pushing hard and bullying and I think Paul pushes hard. Interesting.
:04:09. > :04:14.The catalyst for this has been the treatment of and the form of
:04:15. > :04:19.Katherine Grainger. For their race in Poznan today it really was a last
:04:20. > :04:25.chance to prove they could be competitive in Rio de Janiero.
:04:26. > :04:40.They come together and sit forward, France in one, New Zealand in two.
:04:41. > :04:48.Let's see what they can do. There needs to be undying trust between
:04:49. > :04:50.Thornley and Granger. They are in lane number six in a high-quality
:04:51. > :05:13.field. France are in one. Good start for Great Britain as the
:05:14. > :05:14.bows slice through the water. Beautiful conditions here at Lake
:05:15. > :05:24.Malta in Poznan. Great Britain coming out through
:05:25. > :05:33.200, starting a transition into the race pace. So far, so good. New
:05:34. > :05:36.Zealand have had a shocking start. There's only one crew out the back
:05:37. > :05:37.and that the world champions. I don't know what they've done over
:05:38. > :05:51.the 300 metres. Going through the 1500 metre mark.
:05:52. > :05:52.Great Britain continue to be in fifth addition, almost five seconds
:05:53. > :06:05.out of gold-medal place. Full credit goes to even McFarlane
:06:06. > :06:12.and Zoe Stevenson, who had dropped out of the pack in the first 300
:06:13. > :06:16.metres. The world champions from last year. They are not going to
:06:17. > :06:30.catch. It will take an extraordinary effort if they are going to catch
:06:31. > :06:34.Poland. You're right. The Polish team deserve as much credit as New
:06:35. > :06:39.Zealand, they have not been rattled at all and they've kept their
:06:40. > :06:42.distance and they are moving away. That is testament to the improvement
:06:43. > :06:57.they've made. Polish looking very strong. A mark
:06:58. > :07:03.of that is keeping a length and the speed. That is what you want to be
:07:04. > :07:10.doing. Quick and long as you come under pressure. Continue to go hard.
:07:11. > :07:18.New Zealand are the world champions. They are holding off a feisty little
:07:19. > :07:25.French double scull. Real this appointment from the British
:07:26. > :07:32.perspective. Victoria Thornley and Katherine Grainger, the OBR fifth --
:07:33. > :07:43.there they are finishing in fifth position. They will not be happy
:07:44. > :07:47.with that but where does it leave them? They've shown that they've got
:07:48. > :07:55.bits of speed here and there, they beat the French double in the
:07:56. > :08:00.repechage and then they came third. They could put a positive slant on
:08:01. > :08:06.it, they could be in the medals, they've swapped round, they've got
:08:07. > :08:16.rid of this, they've just got to focus in on their boat, and make the
:08:17. > :08:20.best of the best bits. I will Katherine Grainger be approaching
:08:21. > :08:29.the next month and a half? She's very professional, it is her fifth
:08:30. > :08:32.Olympics. They've got a fantastic team to train against, they are out
:08:33. > :08:40.there racing against Heather and Helen everyday. It is hard when you
:08:41. > :08:50.are Olympic champion to get excited about a bronze medal but it would be
:08:51. > :08:55.a good result for them. Good stuff. You mentioned Helen and Heather,
:08:56. > :09:05.almost untouchable. Let's see how they feared in Poland. It was
:09:06. > :09:22.incredible to win home games. It is who we are, what we've worked
:09:23. > :09:26.so hard for. We are so lucky to do this. As much as you feel like
:09:27. > :09:29.sometimes you don't want to be there, you know there are so many
:09:30. > :09:34.people who would grab that seat from you and take your place. No female
:09:35. > :09:36.British crew has ever defended an Olympic titles that is what we aim
:09:37. > :09:54.to do. 1000 metres, halfway, and they are
:09:55. > :09:58.doing what they do best, they are out there leading and they were put
:09:59. > :10:11.under some pressure at Lucerne three weeks ago. Look at lane three, they
:10:12. > :10:20.are doubling up and pushing on hard against the British pair. We had
:10:21. > :10:31.this back at the early part of Lucerne. Three quarters of a length.
:10:32. > :10:41.Britain remain in lane number two, Germany in five. If you look back,
:10:42. > :10:46.New Zealand are the same distance behind as they were at 500 metres.
:10:47. > :10:54.That is what I mean about giving your opposition length. They gave
:10:55. > :10:59.the distance they are behind. What it means is Heather Stanning can
:11:00. > :11:09.look and they can control the race, see everything New Zealand are
:11:10. > :11:12.doing. If I was New Zealand I would put them in a position they've not
:11:13. > :11:27.been, they are going the same speed they have been going for the race.
:11:28. > :11:39.We had rain, lightning storms, going through 1500 metres. New Zealand
:11:40. > :11:42.continued to put pressure on Helen Glover and Heather Stanning from
:11:43. > :11:56.Great Britain. There is a gap between them. Look at the gap, lane
:11:57. > :12:09.to just snuck out of the picture to your left. There is no doubt that
:12:10. > :12:13.New Zealand are starting to put a little bit more on, they have eased
:12:14. > :12:22.back, this is a significant amount of pressure. You'd expect the
:12:23. > :12:26.undefeated world champions, the reigning European Championship...
:12:27. > :12:30.They have lifted it. Just looking to see where they are on the marker.
:12:31. > :12:35.Still, New Zealand are coming hard with them. You saw Heather having a
:12:36. > :12:51.look across and then they stepped up. This is not for show. They've
:12:52. > :12:56.had open water. It will give them a bit of incentive to make sure they
:12:57. > :13:05.are right on the money when real comes -- Rio de Janiero. It will
:13:06. > :13:11.need a huge effort to overhaul the champions. Coming up towards the
:13:12. > :13:20.line. Pressure from Helen and Heather. They are in first place and
:13:21. > :13:26.they finish 2016 undefeated and in a pretty good place heading out to the
:13:27. > :13:31.Olympic Games. It is good to be unbeaten in the last race before we
:13:32. > :13:37.go out. A tougher race than we wanted but that is more down to the
:13:38. > :13:44.fact that we wanted to race a steadier profile, we did not want to
:13:45. > :13:50.learn nothing about ourselves. We learned quite a lot, which is quite
:13:51. > :13:58.good. Hopefully this will make us stronger. We need to put this behind
:13:59. > :14:03.us. The next time we come down to do racing stuff, the Olympics will be
:14:04. > :14:09.at the forefront of our mind. We've got a good chunk of training to come
:14:10. > :14:15.and it will make us go faster. What do we make of it not being a
:14:16. > :14:20.cakewalk for them? You know, I think they will review that and decided it
:14:21. > :14:26.was the race they wanted to have. They needed to be pushed hard. The
:14:27. > :14:30.last thing you want to do is going to be Olympics complacent and we
:14:31. > :14:36.have plenty of crews that have lost in Lucerne and one in the Olympics.
:14:37. > :14:43.The Kiwis look to me to be physically more powerful than
:14:44. > :14:49.Heather and Helen. But they are not rowing as well. There's a danger
:14:50. > :14:58.there. If they move better, hold their body positions better, they've
:14:59. > :15:02.got more speed to find, whereas Heather... It is a question. They
:15:03. > :15:05.need to be on their toes to find every last millimetre of speed
:15:06. > :15:09.before the summer. They'll embrace that challenge. From a pair who are
:15:10. > :15:14.thinking about gold and nothing else to two pairs who are thinking about
:15:15. > :15:19.going to Rio. This is the men's pair. There's a New Zealand pair
:15:20. > :15:23.here who haven't lost for seven years. Forget about them. The race
:15:24. > :15:29.here is between the two British pair es. The winner goes to Brazil. The
:15:30. > :15:34.loser stays at home. We are away in what will be one of the most
:15:35. > :15:41.important races of their lives for Great Britain's Nathaniel Reilly
:15:42. > :15:46.O'Donnell and mat Tarrant in lane two, and Sinclair in lane 3.
:15:47. > :15:53.Alongside them Eric Murray and Hamish Bond. The all-black strip,
:15:54. > :15:59.the Olympic champions and the multi-world champions. Undefeated in
:16:00. > :16:16.this event. This is between the two of them since 2009.
:16:17. > :16:23.In lane 3, in a race for their lives. This is Olympic selection,
:16:24. > :16:34.Stewart Innes and Alan Sinclair in three. Behind them are Nathaniel
:16:35. > :16:40.Reilly O'Donnell and Mat Tarrant in lane 2. Nathaniel Reilly O'Donnell
:16:41. > :16:45.and Tarrant starting to edge back. It was a big 500 metres for Great
:16:46. > :16:51.Britain. It was just another day at the office for Murray and Bond, the
:16:52. > :16:56.All Black strip of New Zealand, as they start to move away. Opening up
:16:57. > :17:03.again. Almost a length of clear Water. 25 strokes, you can count
:17:04. > :17:14.them in. They know this race is well under control here, but Australia,
:17:15. > :17:18.they sniff a silver medal. Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes have to
:17:19. > :17:22.keep their heads up and be aware of what's going on in lane 5. Watching
:17:23. > :17:29.in lane 2, there is pressure from both sides. Here comes Great Britain
:17:30. > :17:36.in 1 and 2. The Australians, forget them. Their race now is against the
:17:37. > :17:40.British crew. There is no point in beating the Australians, because
:17:41. > :17:43.right now all they've got to do is focus on the other British crew and
:17:44. > :17:47.make sure they beat it, whether by 100th of a second or a length. New
:17:48. > :17:56.Zealand are first, Australia are away. And just by two or three feet
:17:57. > :18:01.Great Britain have booked their berth be, surely they have done
:18:02. > :18:06.enough to go to Rio. It was a valiant and brave last 500 metre
:18:07. > :18:13.push, but Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes did enough in the first 1,000
:18:14. > :18:18.metres to open the pace. Australia taking the benefit of that little
:18:19. > :18:22.clash and coming out with the silver medal. Third place confirmed.
:18:23. > :18:28.Confirmed. They know how important that is. That's what it takes to get
:18:29. > :18:35.on to the plane. The margins between going on the plane to Rio and not
:18:36. > :18:41.are minute aren't they? It is so painful to watch. Watch. Both pairs
:18:42. > :18:48.look like they could qualify for an Olympic medal but only one can go.
:18:49. > :18:54.That's the harsh reality of it all. I don't know what's going on in
:18:55. > :18:58.Juergen's head. It is probably too late, the crews were decided for the
:18:59. > :19:04.rest of the team a couple of weeks back, and we are weeks away. I think
:19:05. > :19:08.that's it. From two people who will be going to Rio and two who won't,
:19:09. > :19:17.to four who knew from the start. At the heart of the men's 4 is a giant
:19:18. > :19:22.of a man in every way. His is a remarkable tale. Feeling on the
:19:23. > :19:26.water is unparallel to anything I have ever done. That feeling of
:19:27. > :19:30.harmony, getting a reward for work. When you look at the boat race and
:19:31. > :19:37.look at our team you build a bond for life. My first rowing stroke I
:19:38. > :19:42.was 15. I took to it really badly. I kept falling in. So there were many
:19:43. > :19:49.moments in the first six months where I wanted to quit because I
:19:50. > :19:58.hated the sport. Hi Sue, how are you? Very well, how are you? On the
:19:59. > :20:07.first day you got me in the river... Within 45 seconds. Let's look at
:20:08. > :20:12.this gym. It hasn't changed much. It still has that Rocky IV feeling to
:20:13. > :20:19.it, cold and a back to basics style of training. It wasn't common in my
:20:20. > :20:22.school for people to row. It was football, rugby, basketball and
:20:23. > :20:27.tennis. At the time I had thoughts there could be a prejudice, that
:20:28. > :20:31.there were stigmas that you couldn't row, that it was only for public
:20:32. > :20:34.school, but it's not the truth. The first moment where the penny dropped
:20:35. > :20:41.was the indoor World Championships in 2003. I had been useless on the
:20:42. > :20:48.rowing machine. It was something that made me think, I can do this. I
:20:49. > :21:01.was born being a Muslim and it's been my personal choice growing up
:21:02. > :21:05.to carry on with that faith. There's been no prejudice against me about
:21:06. > :21:11.being a Muslim. It's been very accommodating as a sport to allow me
:21:12. > :21:15.to fast. I like the fact I'm an ambassador for the religion. I don't
:21:16. > :21:19.like the fact that I'm one of the first but hopefully that's for the
:21:20. > :21:23.next generation. Stunning conditions here at the Lake Malta for the final
:21:24. > :21:27.World Cup regatta, the final World Cup event for the men's heavyweight
:21:28. > :21:33.four, the final time these crews will line up before we see them in
:21:34. > :21:40.Rio. Germany in 1, Australia in 2, Italy, the world champions, first
:21:41. > :21:46.time we see them, then in lane 3. Lane 2, Australia and they are being
:21:47. > :21:49.dumped down. Lockwood looked to see where everyone is going. They are
:21:50. > :22:05.leave ing will you behind! Out fast and sharp in lane 3 Italy.
:22:06. > :22:14.Belarus in 5 and Romania in 6. Early stages it went to Italy. But this is
:22:15. > :22:19.looking very powerful. Great Britain, full order back-up again.
:22:20. > :22:24.They are right on it and they are looking smart. And powerful. The
:22:25. > :22:28.Italians raced off like greyhounds whereas the British crew have to
:22:29. > :22:33.crank their engine up and now it's running. They are not going to fly
:22:34. > :22:39.off. The spring in the Aussies' step is going to be dampened by having to
:22:40. > :22:44.do the repechage, a race neither the apprenticeship nor the Italians had
:22:45. > :22:54.to do yesterday. The Brits have a rhythm they didn't have at Lucerne.
:22:55. > :23:03.-- neither the British nor the Italians had to do the repechage
:23:04. > :23:08.yesterday. The Aussies are hanging on. They've probably taken a couple
:23:09. > :23:13.of feet since halfway. In the third 500 they are going faster than the
:23:14. > :23:17.British, which won't please Juergen or the British boys. They'll be
:23:18. > :23:20.giving it everything in the last minute-and-a-half to give the
:23:21. > :23:28.Australians something to think about over the next 50 days to Rio.
:23:29. > :23:34.England are through the 1,500 into the last 500 metres. You expect Stan
:23:35. > :23:41.in the stroke seat to lift up the power through the legs, driving his
:23:42. > :23:56.guys on. Mohamed Sbihi in the two seat. Gregory up in the bow. It is
:23:57. > :24:02.hard to see that the Aussies will come through the British point. The
:24:03. > :24:05.angle of the camera is giving the Aussies a slightly more aesthetic
:24:06. > :24:10.advantage. They've got a length now. I think the Brits want to have a
:24:11. > :24:18.third length of clear water to send a message to Australia when they
:24:19. > :24:24.watch the video over the next 50 days to Rio. The Italian crew, the
:24:25. > :24:30.world champions. A class difference between them who are taking on
:24:31. > :24:34.Australia. The rate has gone up there from the world champions. The
:24:35. > :24:40.white boat. Look out front. Long, hard, sharp. They will be winners
:24:41. > :24:49.today here. Gold medal to Great Britain. The silver is between Italy
:24:50. > :24:55.and Australians. The Italians jammed the rate right up here and chased
:24:56. > :25:01.hard. We await confirmation. Unfazed out front, gold medal goes to Great
:25:02. > :25:05.Britain. I'm very delighted. It is good to win the last race before the
:25:06. > :25:10.Olympics. I can go away on training camp and now that we are ahead of
:25:11. > :25:15.the pack and in the next couple of weeks we've got to stay there. It is
:25:16. > :25:21.a confidence boost for us. It shows we mean business. We always go out
:25:22. > :25:25.to win, and that was pleasing. We always put things right we haven't
:25:26. > :25:31.achieved yet as racing. The hard work starts now. We good away for
:25:32. > :25:37.three weeks to altitude, in Austria. We put in a lot of yards before the
:25:38. > :25:42.Games. We've got a lot of mutual respect and confidence in ourselves.
:25:43. > :25:46.To try to keep winning form is a good project for us. As a warning
:25:47. > :25:51.shot to everybody else, how was that performance for you? I think for
:25:52. > :25:54.anybody who enjoys the rivalry between Great Britain and the
:25:55. > :25:58.Aussies that was a sight to warm the heart. The message is last time
:25:59. > :26:06.around we let the Aussies get close. We had a sub on board. This is the
:26:07. > :26:11.real speed. Watch out, Australia! We are talking about the elite athletes
:26:12. > :26:17.in the context of the men's 4, but if I talk to the chief executive of
:26:18. > :26:21.the Fulham Reach club, we are at the polar opposite end of rowing but the
:26:22. > :26:25.potential for this project is immense. What are your ambitions for
:26:26. > :26:31.the future? It started a couple of years ago when there was planning
:26:32. > :26:35.consent between the planners and the developers and we decided to focus
:26:36. > :26:40.on local state schools and open up the sport as widely as we can. In
:26:41. > :26:47.the year we've taught just under 600 students to row. That will grow to
:26:48. > :26:52.900 next year. We'll try to get allel the schools in the borough
:26:53. > :26:56.rowing. In the context of sport for all, do you have ambitions perhaps
:26:57. > :27:02.to create elite athletes of your own at some point? That's got to be on
:27:03. > :27:06.the cards. One thing we are keen on here is we always promote an exit
:27:07. > :27:10.race through racing. Whether it is going from being not confident on
:27:11. > :27:15.the water to being confident, that's great. For other juniors we want to
:27:16. > :27:18.push them through all the way to national schools, Henley and beyond,
:27:19. > :27:23.if possible. It will be fascinating to see how you do. We go back to
:27:24. > :27:28.Poznan now. We saw the men's four a few moments ago. Now the men's quad.
:27:29. > :27:32.In Rio three of them will be experiencing their first Olympic
:27:33. > :27:37.Games, but for Sam Townsend he has memories of London that live with
:27:38. > :27:44.him. We are here today to announce 43 of the 47 members of the rowing
:27:45. > :27:48.squad for this summer's Rio 2016. It is always a relief to hear it
:27:49. > :27:51.officially. On a day like today it is gorgeous, to celebrate the fact
:27:52. > :27:56.that you've been selected is always a nice occasion. The Olympic final
:27:57. > :28:01.of the men's double sculls. Great Britain have taken it on in the
:28:02. > :28:04.first 100. I look back at London with fond memories but both of us
:28:05. > :28:09.were disappointed not to be on the podium. It was a tough week for us.
:28:10. > :28:12.Great Britain over in fifth place. That will be a disappointment for
:28:13. > :28:18.the British double who came into this final with such high hopes.
:28:19. > :28:24.Last year it was fourth in the world. It is often said fourth is
:28:25. > :28:28.the worst place. Fourth is not a great position to finish. I think we
:28:29. > :28:34.had an incredibly turbulent year last year. We were in terrible form.
:28:35. > :28:38.We were battling a long way to try to rediscover some national flow and
:28:39. > :28:42.boat speed. Actually it never really came. It is hard to take that
:28:43. > :28:45.result, because fourth is a horrible place to be. In contrast to last
:28:46. > :28:48.year we've been a lot more consistent. There's been a will not
:28:49. > :28:53.more continuity with what we're doing. I think that's only a good
:28:54. > :28:58.thing. I think these four men have a real point to prove. At the World
:28:59. > :29:03.Cup in Lucerne we won a silver medal and showed who of the this order
:29:04. > :29:08.could be capable of doing. We've never led those crews like that. One
:29:09. > :29:11.crew the Australians managed to reel us in, but others didn't. Great
:29:12. > :29:17.Britain hang on to their silver bravely. How do did you foresee,
:29:18. > :29:21.what can you achieve in Rio? There's a gap in the market for someone to
:29:22. > :29:28.stamp their authority on this event and good like, we are the ones you
:29:29. > :29:32.need to be. The I believe we have the capacity to medal in Rio, but
:29:33. > :29:36.I'm a pessimist at heart. I know there are incredibly good, strong
:29:37. > :29:44.crews out there. But we have enough to be able to do well, I'm sure.
:29:45. > :29:52.That is going to have to be at a nominal race for the British crew,
:29:53. > :30:01.as they leave the starting area. -- phenomenal race.
:30:02. > :30:14.What a disappointment the German crew had.
:30:15. > :30:23.They are current World Cup leaders in this event. We've got Germany in
:30:24. > :30:39.lane number three. First in Lucerne, the Italians go through. A
:30:40. > :30:40.combination of junior gold-medallists in Sweden and the
:30:41. > :31:00.sculling events. 50 strokes remain. 500 to go. It is
:31:01. > :31:08.Australia coming through. Great Britain are right off the pack.
:31:09. > :31:13.They've had a miserable third 500. Germany, the Olympic champions,
:31:14. > :31:21.sitting in the bronze medal position. They will be fighting a
:31:22. > :31:29.lost charge from the British crew. This is pretty spectacular from the
:31:30. > :31:34.Australian crew. They look very good, and slightly worrying from a
:31:35. > :31:40.British perspective, they will be training with the Australian men's
:31:41. > :31:57.coxes. They were really coming off the
:31:58. > :32:06.pace. They've found something to avoid the embarrassment, pushing
:32:07. > :32:13.Paul out of the picture. It is too late for the reigning world
:32:14. > :32:18.champions. What was going on in that third 500? They are throwing it all
:32:19. > :32:25.to the line but by Clearwater, Australia getting the gold medal.
:32:26. > :32:32.Subtle and coming through in fourth and Great Britain coming through in
:32:33. > :32:37.a very disappointing fifth position. Three weeks ago they were second at
:32:38. > :32:42.Lucerne. A disappointing result for the men's quad as we move on to the
:32:43. > :32:49.men's double sculls, and this is something we were not expecting.
:32:50. > :32:53.Great Britain continue to lead. They look back down the track and they
:32:54. > :33:00.see that is the path and they are moving into the future, the next 500
:33:01. > :33:07.becomes very critical. Has it taken too much out of them or is it part
:33:08. > :33:13.of a really nicely paced race? They look good, they've got great length.
:33:14. > :33:17.On the edge of it. 36 strokes a minute, that is all right. New
:33:18. > :33:25.Zealand taking two more to keep up with them. You would expect the
:33:26. > :33:30.Kiwis to come back hard. You'd expect Norwich to move as well. They
:33:31. > :33:35.are doing well, the British crews, some of the others have gone
:33:36. > :33:45.incredibly hard, have struggled across the halfway line, whereas our
:33:46. > :33:52.boys moved on. Look how far behind they are. It is open for Great
:33:53. > :34:06.Britain. They still look as though they are
:34:07. > :34:11.in control. The important thing is the lens. You shorten up when you
:34:12. > :34:17.get tired. If you continue to be long you continue to be strong.
:34:18. > :34:27.They're coming towards the last mark. 500 metres to go. This is an
:34:28. > :34:31.event they came fifth in. At the moment things are starting to turn
:34:32. > :34:38.around. Heads up, keep it on there. Right through to the finish. Long,
:34:39. > :34:46.powerful strokes. This is where it becomes a game of psychological
:34:47. > :34:56.warfare. They cannot rollover at this point. Right now, they are
:34:57. > :35:04.sprinting. The only slight concern is that they still look quite long
:35:05. > :35:21.and relaxed. Trying to get as much air as possible. New Zealand have
:35:22. > :35:32.placed it well. Keep the length. They continue to hold off from New
:35:33. > :35:36.Zealand. It is second from Lucerne. It is about holding on in this
:35:37. > :35:45.desperate stage. We could count them down. Here comes Andreas in the mix
:35:46. > :35:48.as well. The British crew have got to keep their heads high. There is a
:35:49. > :35:56.silver medal for Great Britain, just there. New Zealand get first. For
:35:57. > :35:59.them finish on the line. I think the British crew have got it and it is
:36:00. > :36:08.deserved, well-deserved silver medal. We are really pleased, it has
:36:09. > :36:11.been a long time coming for both of us, putting all those things in
:36:12. > :36:22.place, we've always had that the leaf. Good weight and the World Cup
:36:23. > :36:26.series and take us into that. It has been a long time waiting for this
:36:27. > :36:31.one. It is great to be on the podium and it is such a relief that
:36:32. > :36:39.everything we have been doing is finally paying off. As you say, all
:36:40. > :36:46.the competition is not here but it has set us up nicely to get ready
:36:47. > :36:49.for Rio de Janiero. That was a tremendous performance and you could
:36:50. > :36:56.see from the look on their faces how much that meant to them. Absolutely.
:36:57. > :37:03.They have shaken the event up and everyone will be looking at them
:37:04. > :37:06.saying, where are they going to be? Difficult camps before the Olympics
:37:07. > :37:11.to get fitness up to peak condition and they only need to hold on for
:37:12. > :37:17.another couple of hundred metres. I cannot wait to see how it pans out.
:37:18. > :37:30.From two men in a boat to one. The solitary world of the sculler. That
:37:31. > :37:35.is Alan Campbell in lane number three.
:37:36. > :37:45.Watch the Croatian in lane number three. It is a top-quality field.
:37:46. > :37:49.But it does not feature of a world champion. Rodriguez from Cuba is
:37:50. > :37:54.also withdrawn. It is an opportunity to put right what has been a very
:37:55. > :38:10.disappointing, under par season so far. In issuing fifth at Lucerne.
:38:11. > :38:16.Croatia, New Zealand, Great Britain continue to be in the bronze medal
:38:17. > :38:27.position. Would be at least the third best in this field. It is
:38:28. > :38:40.playing out up front. They are trying to get away from Alan
:38:41. > :38:44.Campbell. Who is your money on? You'll I am going with Drysdale. We
:38:45. > :38:49.will put a tenner on it and see you at the end. Drysdale is continuing
:38:50. > :39:05.to overrate by two strokes per minute. He doesn't shorten up.
:39:06. > :39:19.It is looking a bit dodgy. They are saying -- come on, I have got a
:39:20. > :39:24.tenner on you. I need you to do something. You can see, in the
:39:25. > :39:34.moments of a race at this speed, keep the length. He is three strokes
:39:35. > :39:36.under. The Olympic champion has just taken apart the European champion,
:39:37. > :39:49.keeping it long, keeping the pressure on. I've lost a tenner.
:39:50. > :39:55.He's in the bronze medal position, but that is the very least in this
:39:56. > :39:59.field. You would expect he would be very encouraged by that but as we
:40:00. > :40:02.move into the lightweight racers, the double of Richard Chambers and
:40:03. > :40:11.Will Fletcher will have been encouraged by the first thousand
:40:12. > :40:14.metres. The injuries to put all and they slipped back to the back of the
:40:15. > :40:27.field. Better performance from the men's. Great Britain in lane number
:40:28. > :40:38.two. Denmark in lane number two. -- four. In lane number five, France.
:40:39. > :40:43.Lane number six, Italy. What can Britain do to turn around their
:40:44. > :40:48.disappointing fifth place? They were European silver-medallist early in
:40:49. > :40:53.the season, it looked like a pretty good start, notwithstanding all the
:40:54. > :41:04.conditions. So disappointing to be knocked into fifth position. They
:41:05. > :41:08.will need a very big race. It is all about the last race to set yourself
:41:09. > :41:20.up. Really feeling good about yourself.
:41:21. > :41:36.Early stages, Britain up there but France in lane number five. Look at
:41:37. > :41:50.how tight it is, reflective of the weight category.
:41:51. > :42:07.New Zealand opening up in the third five. They took the length. That is
:42:08. > :42:13.the difference between getting to halfway in the race and getting to
:42:14. > :42:29.halfway and the race is done. This is where they respond.
:42:30. > :42:42.Great Britain in second, the middle thousands has all been New Zealand.
:42:43. > :42:45.They've worked hard by thinking about a bill, effortless speed, it
:42:46. > :42:48.is not effortless in the sense that they are working hard for it but
:42:49. > :42:54.they've gone right out and the race is on to the silver medal between
:42:55. > :43:06.Britain and Denmark led by Morten Joergensen. New Zealand out in
:43:07. > :43:11.front. Still, they want more as they come towards the finishing line,
:43:12. > :43:18.very impressive victory. Silver goes to Denmark, bronze goes to Great
:43:19. > :43:21.Britain. They come away with something, they congratulate
:43:22. > :43:27.themselves and they know there's a lot more work to done. Divorce your
:43:28. > :43:32.overdue on where things stand with lightweight crews at the moment.
:43:33. > :43:41.They will be disappointed with that. The doubles have both had injury
:43:42. > :43:48.problems, we see that in the speed of the men's doubles, and in the
:43:49. > :43:53.women's doubles, they've not made it out here because of injury problems.
:43:54. > :43:58.Both those crews have speed. They got world medal behind them. We know
:43:59. > :44:02.the team back at base will be working overtime to get them ready
:44:03. > :44:08.for the start in Rio de Janiero. We wish them the best of luck. I
:44:09. > :44:13.mention at the start that this initiative is all about getting kids
:44:14. > :44:22.started in this sport who might not have done it. With us we have... Why
:44:23. > :44:26.are you involved in drawing? When I was younger I did swimming but did
:44:27. > :44:35.not enjoy it. Plu-mac I only did tennis. I really wanted to get
:44:36. > :44:38.fitter. And you? I have always wanted to do drawing from a young
:44:39. > :44:43.age. It looked fun and peaceful but it is a challenge. Peaceful is a
:44:44. > :44:46.great word, especially on a Sunday morning like this. What do you think
:44:47. > :44:56.it gives to you? What do you like about rowing most?
:44:57. > :45:00.I like passing the pontoon and being with other people enjoying the same
:45:01. > :45:08.sport. After a load of competitions I've made a lot of friends. I find
:45:09. > :45:12.it fun to do teamwork with other people from our club. It is a great
:45:13. > :45:17.joy to experience this wonderful sport. Do you think you're going to
:45:18. > :45:21.be involved in it for a long time? I'm looking forward to the future.
:45:22. > :45:27.Probably from a university background. Excellent. The best of
:45:28. > :45:32.luck to all three of you. It's fantastic you've been give a chance
:45:33. > :45:38.to enjoy the sport. To Poznan now and the women's 8. There's been
:45:39. > :45:41.debate about this vote. Boo kg and Vicky Thornley find themselves a
:45:42. > :45:47.seat either individually or as a pair? The eight remain unchanged.
:45:48. > :45:51.Let's hear from their cox. The last few weeks have been tough, as we
:45:52. > :45:55.formed a really good crew. We've been working and building and we
:45:56. > :45:59.were told this might be tested again, which it was this week.
:46:00. > :46:04.There's two sides to it. We had this crew we were positive about but we
:46:05. > :46:07.were also, there was an excitement about the fact that people wanted to
:46:08. > :46:12.be involved in the eight, because it was going well. I knew I wasn't
:46:13. > :46:19.being tested the, but it was hard for me to watch it. I wanted it to
:46:20. > :46:24.go well, in that I wanted the boat to have the fastest crew we possibly
:46:25. > :46:30.could have. That's the crew we've raced in Lucerne in this Brandenburg
:46:31. > :46:34.in the Europeans. It is not that we don't like Vicky or Katherine, they
:46:35. > :46:38.are our team-mates and friends, but this crew had formed a close bond
:46:39. > :46:42.and we get on really well. The thing that's really nice about the crew is
:46:43. > :46:46.there's a range of experience. We have Fran, this is her fifth
:46:47. > :46:54.Olympics. For five of us it is our first. Katie and Jess have been
:46:55. > :46:57.rowing in the eight a lot. This is their third Olympics. We have a
:46:58. > :47:02.range of experience and personalities and different types of
:47:03. > :47:06.people. It means we've worked out a way to play on everyone's strengths
:47:07. > :47:10.and to encourage everyone's strengths. That's what has ford the
:47:11. > :47:13.Yoon it. Ncourage everyone's strengths. That's what has ford the
:47:14. > :47:18.Yoon it. We say a -- that's what has formed the unit. The parts that
:47:19. > :47:32.we've got in this crew are exceptional. This is too final of
:47:33. > :47:37.the women's 8. The last time in the World Cup series. A last time in
:47:38. > :47:42.this Olympiad before Rio that these 8s will lead up. The next time Great
:47:43. > :47:46.Britain leave the start it will be in the heat of the Olympic Games.
:47:47. > :47:57.That's how important all these raceses are.
:47:58. > :48:04.You've got a really good pack here in the apprenticeship crew. They can
:48:05. > :48:11.send out some power. Early stages Netherlands, a couple of feet
:48:12. > :48:17.perhaps, and 250 metres begun. The British crew are up around 40
:48:18. > :48:21.strokes per minute. We are coming up towards the last 500 metres. Great
:48:22. > :48:26.Britain through Netherlands. They are three quarters of a length down
:48:27. > :48:31.on the world silver medallists from last year, New Zealand. We need 50
:48:32. > :48:36.of the biggest strokes. It is so important that the British crew show
:48:37. > :48:50.their mettle, keep long, keep their heads up and push on a hard. De
:48:51. > :48:57.Toledo driving her girls forward. Polly Swann bringing power in the
:48:58. > :49:02.middle, as does Melanie Wilson in the bow seat. Everything that Great
:49:03. > :49:06.Britain are throwing at New Zealand, New Zealand are just batting it
:49:07. > :49:10.back. Three quarters of a length. 250 out. The New Zealandest will
:49:11. > :49:15.have to fall in if they are to lose this. But for the last time Great
:49:16. > :49:24.Britain are just pushing it. 20 strokes from the line. This is not
:49:25. > :49:29.where you want to leave your race in the European season as you head off
:49:30. > :49:33.to Rio. Our girls had a real chance to stamp authority over the rest of
:49:34. > :49:39.the field in the absence of the Americans. Yes, they've not given up
:49:40. > :49:43.and they've hauled back through the Netherlands, but in a week when they
:49:44. > :49:48.have been selecting the crew for the Olympics, this isn't how they wanted
:49:49. > :49:54.it to end. They are back to half a length. New Zealand is the silver
:49:55. > :49:57.medallist from last year, righting the perceived wrong of Lucerne when
:49:58. > :50:01.they were beaten into second by Great Britain and the Netherlands in
:50:02. > :50:06.third. There will be some disappointment because it was rising
:50:07. > :50:09.up nicely for Great Britain through and past Lucerne. They came second
:50:10. > :50:17.there. Gave the American as good run for their money. But you can see how
:50:18. > :50:21.much that means to the Kiwis and in particular to Genevieve Behrent as
:50:22. > :50:26.they fist pump there is. Well done, New Zealand. The. We raced it well.
:50:27. > :50:32.We are disappointed not to come away with the win. We've got a lot to
:50:33. > :50:37.take away from it. We had a great first 500 yesterday and a good race
:50:38. > :50:42.today. These races are all about learning things, and we've learnt a
:50:43. > :50:48.lot. It was touch. Had a lot on in the last few weeks. With some
:50:49. > :50:53.illness, some seat racing. Racing: We could feel the tired legs today
:50:54. > :50:57.but it's not excuse. We should be able to beat these crews on a worst
:50:58. > :51:00.day. It is time for reflection. The next few weeks will be crucial. I
:51:01. > :51:06.think they are exactly what we need to spring board is into the Olympics
:51:07. > :51:12.and get the medal we want around our next in August. We'll talk about the
:51:13. > :51:25.women's 8 after we've seen the men's.
:51:26. > :51:33.The Blue Riband event in Poznan. Group the green boat of the Olympic
:51:34. > :51:38.champions powering out of the start through the first 100m. Up the rate
:51:39. > :51:46.goes. They wind with the power. Great Britain are going with them,
:51:47. > :51:51.as are New Zealand in lane 4. Poland in lane 5.
:51:52. > :51:56.We have five Olympic champions, including the cox. Alongside we see
:51:57. > :51:58.the early stages by a couple of inches maybe half a foot there it is
:51:59. > :52:19.Great Britain. Great Britain will know, leadly Durant. All these
:52:20. > :52:31.crews go away on training camps. The one reference point they will have
:52:32. > :52:37.is what they did today. It is up to the 500 metres. A good start from
:52:38. > :52:51.the British crew. Germany just still in there. About a quarter of a
:52:52. > :52:56.length, or a third of a length. 500 down, a quarter down. It is Great
:52:57. > :52:59.Britain from Germany, New Zealand and Belarus, as they start to
:53:00. > :53:04.transition. Three quarters of a length out now both crews. Remember
:53:05. > :53:07.Great Britain include Pete Reed and Andy Hodge. Bags of experience. All
:53:08. > :53:16.the guys have medals in various boats. This is great stuff. It is a
:53:17. > :53:22.five-boat race but in effect it is true. The Germans have started to
:53:23. > :53:29.push, the Germans have come up level. Now they are in the lead by a
:53:30. > :53:33.couple of inches. This is going to the wire. The difference is even
:53:34. > :53:37.though our top athletes are in the four, the British 8 is more powerful
:53:38. > :53:41.than the German eight. We've got the guns on board. The Germans I think
:53:42. > :53:47.are rowing slightly better, which is why in the third quarter they may
:53:48. > :53:55.take the initiative. When it's all guns blazing in the last 500 metres,
:53:56. > :53:59.the ball is back in our court. They are now going into the last 550
:54:00. > :54:03.strokes. The British cox will count them down. They'll have a set race
:54:04. > :54:06.plan what they need to do. All eyes down. It is like a barrel. The guns
:54:07. > :54:09.come out and the power is moved on. The German crew are the Olympic
:54:10. > :54:13.champions, the European champions from this year. Never got to keep
:54:14. > :54:17.their heads up. They know the British will be strong here. Great
:54:18. > :54:21.Britain in terms of turninger around a performance of that Lucerne, they
:54:22. > :54:31.are right in there. They led up to the first mark. The third 500 has
:54:32. > :54:38.gone to Germany but they give the medals out at the end. Three or four
:54:39. > :54:42.feet, up to five feet. 250 out. The Germans have gone. The British have
:54:43. > :54:51.something in hand. They've got to go now. Up again the call from the
:54:52. > :54:54.rower in the front seat. The crowd in the grandstand are on their feet!
:54:55. > :55:04.Now the British start to pummel it down. Hodge in the 3 seat pushing
:55:05. > :55:08.hard. Pete Reed is pushing on. The German crew are going to hang on,
:55:09. > :55:13.but only just. Look at the distance between these two crews and the rest
:55:14. > :55:17.of the world, as New Zealand comes up fourth bronze medals and Poland
:55:18. > :55:24.just on home water into fourth position. That was a sensational
:55:25. > :55:30.race here. Although it is gold to Germany today, the will now that
:55:31. > :55:35.come Rio, the chief coach of the men's team and who oversees this
:55:36. > :55:44.crew, he has all the tools in the bag. You can't write him off. The
:55:45. > :55:50.boys said, we may not get it rite in Poznan but we will in Rio. Today is
:55:51. > :55:54.probably the first time this season where we've gone out and done what
:55:55. > :55:59.we've done in training. A confidence boost then? Massively. We can get
:56:00. > :56:02.some big work done. A big camp coming up. I bet you're looking
:56:03. > :56:07.forward to that. No. Well, yes and no. It will be hard. This camp is
:56:08. > :56:11.the one we look for our edge before our summer racing, so it is really
:56:12. > :56:15.hard miles, really hard work up in the mountains. We are off to
:56:16. > :56:21.Austria, altitude camp. Get the miles in and start building with up
:56:22. > :56:28.again ready for the final run-in for Rio. It's the beginning of the last
:56:29. > :56:32.cycle now. As so often of late the finale is a grand finale. The
:56:33. > :56:38.rivalry is captivating, you can't wait for the next instalment. It was
:56:39. > :56:43.neck and neck. For me the Brits missed a bit on the finish. With
:56:44. > :56:47.whether they let the Germans get a move on them, in a race of that
:56:48. > :56:52.speed you can't afford for somebody to have the momentum in the last 500
:56:53. > :56:55.like that. I'm sure they won't let that happen again. James was
:56:56. > :56:59.scathing about the women's eight, especially in terms of the tactics
:57:00. > :57:06.they employed. What's your take on that? Maybe they took too much
:57:07. > :57:13.confidence in being able to come back from behind before. But on the
:57:14. > :57:19.other hand, to be fair to them, they've spent the last three weeks
:57:20. > :57:23.since the last World Cup having trials again with the double scull
:57:24. > :57:27.coming in. Maybe the run in to the regatta wasn't the preparation they
:57:28. > :57:31.wanted. They will be disappointed but let's see what happens in Rio
:57:32. > :57:35.before we give the final verdict. We have our final verdict on where the
:57:36. > :57:37.British team stands a month-and-a-half away from the
:57:38. > :57:42.biggest test in four years. More sport on the BBC. The tennis in
:57:43. > :57:45.Eastbourne starts on Tuesday. Coverage every day, culminating with
:57:46. > :57:49.the final on Saturday. The euros continue tonight and tomorrow.
:57:50. > :57:55.England and Wales playing. You can follow those matches on BBC 5Live
:57:56. > :57:59.and on the website. Anna, six weeks to go. The boats are heading out,
:58:00. > :58:03.the athletes after that. How optimistic are you that the wonders
:58:04. > :58:07.of London can be repeated in Brazil? The rowing team got four gold medals
:58:08. > :58:12.in London. I'm not sure we'll get four in Rio, but our target is six
:58:13. > :58:16.medals overall. Overall. I think we can do that. There's been a lot of
:58:17. > :58:28.change in the personnel. The young people in the team have stepped up
:58:29. > :58:29.to that mark. For me what's exciting is those rivalries, with close,
:58:30. > :58:31.long-standing battles to be sorted out. They will be sorted out once
:58:32. > :58:38.and for all in six weeks' time. I can't wait. Good to have you here.
:58:39. > :58:42.The next rowing you see on the BBC we'll be swapping Hammersmith Bridge
:58:43. > :58:48.as the backdrop for Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio. They finish 2016
:58:49. > :58:59.undefeated. Great Britain, surely now they have done enough. Happy
:59:00. > :59:07.Father's Day. That was a sensational race.
:59:08. > :59:10.Britain's best athletes head to Birmingham