:00:09. > :00:16.Welcome to Henley women's regatta, one of the quintessential events of
:00:17. > :00:19.the British rowing summer. This event was founded three decades ago,
:00:20. > :00:24.ironically because no women were allowed to compete at Henley Royal
:00:25. > :00:28.regatta at all. We will be watching the pictures coming back from the
:00:29. > :00:32.World Cup in Poland, and if timing is your thing it is the British
:00:33. > :00:37.women's team who are leading the charge. No sooner have we packed up
:00:38. > :00:44.the gear from Rio, here we are going in a new season with lots of new
:00:45. > :00:49.faces. It is a very good start for the women's pair of Great Britain.
:00:50. > :00:53.Surely the British have done enough, just through into first place. The
:00:54. > :01:00.Netherlands have taken out the crew from Great Britain, a major upset. A
:01:01. > :01:05.nice way to cap a good weekend of racing, a World Cup victory. Welcome
:01:06. > :01:16.to a beautiful day here for the 2017 World Rowing Championships. The
:01:17. > :01:20.British crew are up to the line for bronze and that's a perfect start.
:01:21. > :01:28.Karen Bennett and Holly Molton through for Great Britain. The men's
:01:29. > :01:43.four has come through in fifth position. A very warm to pass, and
:01:44. > :01:50.what do you make of this season so far? A mixed season, lots of medals
:01:51. > :01:54.but very small entry. In the World Championship is a bigger entry but
:01:55. > :02:00.only from European countries and surprisingly Great Britain did not
:02:01. > :02:04.have a great regatta so no medals for any of the men's team. Only one
:02:05. > :02:08.gold and that was from Vicki Thorn in the singles so probably not the
:02:09. > :02:13.regatta they wanted but it wasn't the beginning of the end, just
:02:14. > :02:17.changes are needed. And yet more changes, because the British team
:02:18. > :02:26.are on the back foot, aren't we? Some changes are deliberate and some
:02:27. > :02:29.have been forced because a lot of injuries hit the team so it's really
:02:30. > :02:32.not an ideal time but sometimes those changes are catalyst for
:02:33. > :02:39.something new, it feels like a fresh start for some crews. Some changes
:02:40. > :02:44.have happened in the women's quad, this is Jess and Matilda who were
:02:45. > :02:51.originally slated to race in Poland and here you are. What has gone
:02:52. > :02:55.wrong? We have had two illnesses in the boat but an injury as well but
:02:56. > :03:02.you can't go wrong with this weather! And would you have wanted
:03:03. > :03:06.to race in another boat, if the quad wasn't available? Was that
:03:07. > :03:12.possibility in Poland? It was an idea but we decided to stay home,
:03:13. > :03:15.use different combinations, keep the project moving forward without a
:03:16. > :03:19.full line-up and I think we have done that really well. Matilda, we
:03:20. > :03:24.are looking at some happy pictures of you on the medal podium. On
:03:25. > :03:32.reflection how do you feel about that performance? It's given us a
:03:33. > :03:35.lot of confidence going forward. It has definitely come through with the
:03:36. > :03:42.injury, just trust in different parts of its to link them together
:03:43. > :03:48.so it's really good. There is a confidence that even with this break
:03:49. > :03:52.you can keep it going through to the World Cup? Definitely, we have been
:03:53. > :03:56.working in doubles and we went out the other day and a quad and
:03:57. > :04:02.realised how that had stepped on even though we hadn't been out for a
:04:03. > :04:07.while. A lot of the teams seem to have changed and haven't been able
:04:08. > :04:11.to go, how does it feel within the team at the moment? It was really
:04:12. > :04:14.hard when we all got on with it and very few boats weren't affected but
:04:15. > :04:19.it's just one of those things that happens in the team and it's how we
:04:20. > :04:26.can carry on and support each other. As a unit it has made us a stronger
:04:27. > :04:30.team. But luck when you get back to racing. Let's turn our attention to
:04:31. > :04:34.the women's lightweight double. They had a change before the European
:04:35. > :04:43.Championship but that seems to have paid dividends. Emily Craig came in
:04:44. > :04:49.last minute. There is a chance they can make the podium here. It will be
:04:50. > :04:52.agonisingly close for Catherine Copeland and Emily Craig because
:04:53. > :04:59.they are being chased hard and the British group will have to step on
:05:00. > :05:03.and step on again. France have cooked the goose early and it is
:05:04. > :05:11.coming off the boil. Poland coming up right in front of the commentary
:05:12. > :05:14.position and Great Britain looked to be on the medal podium. They will
:05:15. > :05:23.fight for the last couple of strokes up to the line for the bronze. It
:05:24. > :05:25.was pretty savage! We knew there were six boats but they were coming
:05:26. > :05:28.from everywhere so it was like using the people around us, and the last
:05:29. > :05:35.bit was heads down and just do whatever we could so yes, it's
:05:36. > :05:38.pretty good as a first regatta. That was the European Championships,
:05:39. > :05:43.let's see what progress they have made in three more weeks together.
:05:44. > :05:45.Garry Herbert and James Cracknell will be talking us through all of
:05:46. > :05:58.today's racing. Great Britain moving into fourth
:05:59. > :06:04.place. Great Britain have turned the screw and moved up into fourth,
:06:05. > :06:11.which is OK, it is all right if in the third five it is time to step on
:06:12. > :06:15.and move on. That is what tapped Copeland and Emily Craig need to do.
:06:16. > :06:21.They were the European bronze medallist three weeks back again.
:06:22. > :06:24.They came away with the confidence high and they cannot afford not to
:06:25. > :06:35.be on the medal podium here. We are into the mid part, and we are
:06:36. > :06:44.watching on the left-hand side for Great Britain. Solid for China. Both
:06:45. > :06:53.China won and China two. The British girls in lane five are holding the
:06:54. > :06:56.polls now so it looks like the Chinese team have come here in good
:06:57. > :07:05.form but Copeland and Craig are starting to get an overlap on the
:07:06. > :07:12.Poles. They could be in the hunt for a bronze medal here and this is not
:07:13. > :07:18.good when the crews in the lanes are disappearing next to you like the
:07:19. > :07:24.Chinese have. Hopefully the British girls can get on the podium in the
:07:25. > :07:28.last 500 metres. Coming into the business end of the final of the
:07:29. > :07:33.lightweight women's double sculls and Great Britain sitting in fourth
:07:34. > :07:38.place. A big turn of the screw is required because China won go
:07:39. > :07:50.through in first place, China two in second, Poland in three, then Kat
:07:51. > :07:53.Copeland and Emily Craig. They have got themselves back into it but now
:07:54. > :07:58.the platform has got to be solid enough to step on it. They are
:07:59. > :08:06.chasing down Poland in lane number three. They are receiving rapturous
:08:07. > :08:11.support from the grandstands as we move towards the closing stages.
:08:12. > :08:15.They have just over a minute to turn around a quarter of a length and I
:08:16. > :08:20.think they can do it because the Chinese have broken a lot of energy
:08:21. > :08:24.on the Polish boat. Both Chinese crews are coming and having a
:08:25. > :08:28.ding-dong themselves. I think the Brits will get the European
:08:29. > :08:32.champions who beat them a few weeks ago so it will be a productive few
:08:33. > :08:36.weeks for Copeland and Craig and hopefully they will do it. We are
:08:37. > :08:43.looking at Copeland and Craig closest to us, racing Poland in lane
:08:44. > :08:50.number three. Look down the bottom right-hand side, so they are through
:08:51. > :08:56.to the last 150 metres. This is desperate closing stages of this
:08:57. > :09:11.final of the women's light double. It is China two from China won.
:09:12. > :09:21.Poland are coming back on China won. -- China one. It is China two coming
:09:22. > :09:24.through in first place. In the last 100 metres, it was too much for
:09:25. > :09:30.Copeland and Craig, and as we mentioned earlier on, a little bit
:09:31. > :09:34.laboured in the first 750 metres and it took them some time. They weren't
:09:35. > :09:45.really in the race until it got through to the 1250 mark.
:09:46. > :09:49.After a medal at the Europeans, that event is filling up quickly now.
:09:50. > :09:54.This is the big change. In that event, the Olympic champions, the
:09:55. > :09:59.Dutch, they have not appeared, South Africa and Canada still haven't
:10:00. > :10:04.appeared in that event. It is always a tight, fierce event and the
:10:05. > :10:08.Chinese crews look very impressive. As the year progresses the events
:10:09. > :10:14.will get tougher. I think the British will be disappointed not to
:10:15. > :10:18.make the podium. There are two crews from China and in the World
:10:19. > :10:22.Championships everyone will only have one crew but there are still
:10:23. > :10:25.nations to come. They have been progressing in training so I think
:10:26. > :10:30.they will be disappointed not to make the podium this time but still
:10:31. > :10:34.a long season. In the first World Cup was a tremendous drop-off in the
:10:35. > :10:38.British crew in the last bit whereas they were competitive right the way
:10:39. > :10:47.through to the line there, in the hunt, it's not as if they suddenly
:10:48. > :10:52.lost the medal. No, they were close. The Chinese are very classy
:10:53. > :10:59.athletes. They were close to some very good crews but unfortunately
:11:00. > :11:06.just behind. For Kat Copeland winning her medal is now five years
:11:07. > :11:14.ago, is it an asset mentally or is it beginning to turn into that was
:11:15. > :11:18.then and this is now? That would be for her to answer. I hope it would
:11:19. > :11:24.be a source of confidence, you don't win the Olympic Games by chance.
:11:25. > :11:30.Yes, every time we move forward that takes a step behind and she will
:11:31. > :11:34.once more results to boost its so it's not a distant memory. But it
:11:35. > :11:39.still shows what she is capable of so I hope it's a positive thing for
:11:40. > :11:42.her. Let's turn to the men's four. A few changes from the European
:11:43. > :11:54.line-up which have a pretty awful result a few weeks ago. Let's see if
:11:55. > :12:00.they are in a positive mood for the World Cup. Has Jurgen Grobler
:12:01. > :12:07.managed to turn it around since we saw Great Britain at the European
:12:08. > :12:14.Championships when they finished in a disappointing fifth place? They
:12:15. > :12:18.are quick, have Argentina in one. This will be the top boat for the
:12:19. > :12:26.nation of Australia in the rowing event. They are in lane number four
:12:27. > :12:32.and they were still... Albeit quick to 1000 metres across the two leads
:12:33. > :12:37.so they too will be fast. France in five, the Czech Republic in lane
:12:38. > :13:36.six. I know the British team thought I was harsh on my commentary last
:13:37. > :13:37.time out, but that's because I have such high expectations and I know
:13:38. > :13:37.the quality of the athletes in that boat. Fifth place was an
:13:38. > :13:38.underperformance. They are better than fifth. They have got to produce
:13:39. > :13:38.that against the Australians and they have taken the race by the
:13:39. > :13:39.scruff of the neck at the moment. Australia are going for it but they
:13:40. > :13:40.haven't gone clear. They are one length up on Australia Great
:13:41. > :13:40.Britain. They will come back in the second five. What I don't like about
:13:41. > :13:41.Australia is there is no rhythm now. Get out of 500, that's great, now I
:13:42. > :13:41.want to see them coming down, lengthening and being efficient on
:13:42. > :13:45.the speed. They are out to make a big mark here, out to lay it down
:13:46. > :13:52.against Great Britain and the rest of the world here now but they don't
:13:53. > :14:04.look, and it's being harsh, like Ruby is brilliant Australian fours
:14:05. > :14:11.we have seen. -- like previous brilliant Australian fours. The
:14:12. > :14:16.German four, which our British boys are just behind, the best eight
:14:17. > :14:20.German athletes are in the eight, but these are not the best four
:14:21. > :14:24.German athletes. Our crews will storm through these Germans any
:14:25. > :14:28.minute now, then they have got to start pegging back the Australians
:14:29. > :14:36.but the Australians are in the driving seat and can see our British
:14:37. > :14:40.boys. The one thing Will Satch has done is shown he can stroke boat and
:14:41. > :14:47.he has got to do it now. Great Britain have been ripped apart by
:14:48. > :14:54.Australia in lane four. They have had a brilliant second 500, they
:14:55. > :15:01.were out quick Australia and they continue to go. 2.49 is a quick
:15:02. > :15:05.time. They may not look like the best Australian four but they are
:15:06. > :15:10.rowing well. They look like pumped up lightweights and that's in a
:15:11. > :15:15.complimentary way. They are neat and efficient. They are moving the boat
:15:16. > :15:20.well. What our boat has is raw power and they have got rhythm now. You
:15:21. > :15:22.can see they are starting to inch it back and they have three minutes to
:15:23. > :15:35.do it. We want to see with and length, and
:15:36. > :15:40.that will give them the confidence to put the power down, because
:15:41. > :15:43.there's no doubt that the British crew are by far and away the most
:15:44. > :15:48.powerful out there. They are definitely coming back. I am going
:15:49. > :15:51.to keep confidence here. I want to see more length, though, from the
:15:52. > :15:59.British crew. I want to see the boat running on. They're coming for an
:16:00. > :16:03.overlap. As soon as they've got past the, bridge, they need to have an
:16:04. > :16:06.overlap with 500 metres to go, otherwise they're going to run out
:16:07. > :16:10.of water. Look at what they have done to the German boat, they have
:16:11. > :16:17.gone from a quarter of a length Hinde to half about ahead. They're
:16:18. > :16:22.having their best row of the season so far, notwithstanding they are
:16:23. > :16:27.down on the Australians. 50 strokes to go here, we are at the business
:16:28. > :16:32.end. The Australians had clear water by almost a length and a bit at the
:16:33. > :16:40.halfway mark. The British have torn into that here. There's still clear
:16:41. > :16:46.water. That's too much to do. They are matching the Aussies stroke for
:16:47. > :16:48.stroke here. Heap it light and quick, it's about being quick with
:16:49. > :16:57.the hands are being really efficient here. But the Australian crew,
:16:58. > :17:01.Alexander Hill, 23 years of age, sitting in the strokes eat. Second
:17:02. > :17:06.in this event at healing big game last year. So, plenty of experience
:17:07. > :17:11.in the still the Australians are going. They know they cannot let
:17:12. > :17:15.their foot off the gas for one second. If they do that, British
:17:16. > :17:22.will have the overlap and then they will start coming right in. They are
:17:23. > :17:25.still coming. They may not get the result they want, but I think the
:17:26. > :17:30.result will be the other way round at the World Championships. They're
:17:31. > :17:37.coming back hand over fist now. They're not going to get them today,
:17:38. > :17:50.but... No, Wigan do this, James. Oh, just too much. Australia, half a
:17:51. > :17:53.length over Great Britain. They will get the Australians at the World
:17:54. > :17:59.Championships, no doubt about it. Yes, they will be disappointed, and
:18:00. > :18:03.there will be a period of reflection, but this is their best
:18:04. > :18:07.race of the season, they found a speed through the middle and at the
:18:08. > :18:11.end which they did not have before and I have no doubt they will get
:18:12. > :18:15.those Australians at the World Championships. The backdrop to this
:18:16. > :18:18.race has been quite tough, you will have been disappointed with Prague,
:18:19. > :18:26.are you happier now? Slightly happier. We've definitely improved
:18:27. > :18:29.over the last three weeks. We've done a more consistent weekend than
:18:30. > :18:33.what we did three weeks ago. We were disappointed not to get the win. The
:18:34. > :18:37.Aussies took the bull by the horns in the first kilometre and it paid
:18:38. > :18:45.dividends for them towards the end. If the race had been 2100 metres,
:18:46. > :18:54.you would have got them? I like your optimism, I'm not social, I think
:18:55. > :18:57.they were in a very strong position. I think calling the race plan, that
:18:58. > :19:03.is how it felt. We were gaining and catching them, and then there was
:19:04. > :19:07.about a ten or 15 script period when we did not gain much on them. It was
:19:08. > :19:12.at that point that they put the final knife in. Games is absolutely
:19:13. > :19:16.certain they're going to win, are you going to take him up on his pet?
:19:17. > :19:23.He never sits on the fence, that man! I think he's got a very valid
:19:24. > :19:27.point. I think it's fantastic for all of us to see the men's four not
:19:28. > :19:31.necessarily back where we want them to see, but back competitive. They
:19:32. > :19:38.were just over a second behind that Australian crew, who went off very
:19:39. > :19:45.fast. Great Britain were closing, and then we saw the gap opening up.
:19:46. > :19:48.It was a two boat race, and I think there is a lot more to come from
:19:49. > :19:52.that British crew, but it's back where it needs to be. And it looks
:19:53. > :19:58.like another four years of us against Australia. I wake up in a
:19:59. > :20:07.cold sweat in the morning, hearing the strains of Advance Australia
:20:08. > :20:14.Fair! I know, and you want a great adversary, that's easy to say! Not
:20:15. > :20:22.Australia! So, it's going to be good for them, that motivation. I have
:20:23. > :20:25.talked to some of the guys recently, and there is that, even if you're
:20:26. > :20:31.winning, you want to train as if your second. Obviously, you don't
:20:32. > :20:35.actually want to finish second, but that result today will show that
:20:36. > :20:41.they're back on track. Let's turn now to the men's quad, as we go back
:20:42. > :20:46.down to Gary and James. Great Britain in nine number three will be
:20:47. > :20:50.leaved to have John Collins back in the three seat. He missed the
:20:51. > :21:03.European Championships, when they came fourth.
:21:04. > :21:25.Things have changed around a bit for the Germans.
:21:26. > :21:33.The fastest qualifier was Great Britain, in lane number three,
:21:34. > :21:37.slightly down at the moment. We have got France in five and the
:21:38. > :21:41.Netherlands closest to us. The British quad over the last four or
:21:42. > :21:47.five years have been the quickest starters but also have a fast second
:21:48. > :21:51.half of the race. So to be in the mixed, head of Poland at this stage,
:21:52. > :21:56.is a good sign. And they did start the last Olympiad off well, but they
:21:57. > :22:02.had some injury problems in the last couple of seasons. They need a good,
:22:03. > :22:06.consistent run of health. 500, a quarter down already. These races
:22:07. > :22:10.are so, so quick, and the British are in amongst it here, currently in
:22:11. > :22:14.the bronze medal position. That's OK. Now, length and with here from
:22:15. > :22:26.Great Britain, led by Peter Lambert in the stroke seat, and with him,
:22:27. > :22:33.John Collins, Jack Beamont and Jonathan Walton. They are getting
:22:34. > :22:36.the power on here, and it is all about efficient application, and
:22:37. > :22:42.then you want to get something back. Yeah, feel the speed - there it is.
:22:43. > :22:49.They're coming into second place now, coming through France in 95.
:22:50. > :22:59.They are not having to really push, they've got their base pace now,
:23:00. > :23:03.which is OK. -- France in lane five. I am a bit surprised the Dutch are
:23:04. > :23:12.ahead, but I think there it is starting to slow down. What they
:23:13. > :23:15.will be pleased with is the way they've dispensed of Poland at the
:23:16. > :23:24.moment. And the British boys know they have got a quick second half of
:23:25. > :23:28.the race. There was a push in that last couple of strokes, Great
:23:29. > :23:36.Britain, with a bit more speed than everybody else. The Netherlands in
:23:37. > :23:39.lane number six just caught the water, and the British crew will
:23:40. > :23:51.have to capitalise on that. They have capitalised, the British crew
:23:52. > :24:07.have gone. I think it was in the three seat, just caught his blade.
:24:08. > :24:14.And this is Great Britain's house. The Dutch
:24:15. > :24:20.may have the first half, but GB own the second half, and they deserve
:24:21. > :24:25.it. Can they get up a length coverage when we talk about length
:24:26. > :24:30.and rhythm, you can just see, on it, bang. You sit back, let the handle
:24:31. > :24:34.coming to you, and that should give you the momentum, and enjoy. Good
:24:35. > :24:40.stroke, we're onto next. And the speed of the boat takes you on to
:24:41. > :24:44.the next catch. And that rhythm is what you want in the middle
:24:45. > :24:47.thousands, and the British quad have really been great at that in the
:24:48. > :25:04.last few years. Paul Stannard coaching this, doing a good job. So,
:25:05. > :25:14.a great middle thousand for Great Britain. It has been textbook
:25:15. > :25:17.execution they're a length ahead and going ahead and I hope they're
:25:18. > :25:22.enjoying this. What is the same in the women's quad and the men's quad
:25:23. > :25:26.is the rhythm. And the Brits had a very good with, from 300 metres
:25:27. > :25:30.gone, they seemed to settle into a good pace. They've shown the
:25:31. > :25:35.benefits of having that strong rhythm from early in the race. If
:25:36. > :25:40.you're chasing it to halfway, you will end up paying for it. The Brits
:25:41. > :25:45.have raced incredibly well. 25 strokes out, it just shows you how
:25:46. > :25:51.much John Collins was missed at the European Championships, when Great
:25:52. > :26:03.Britain finish fourth. Here, things have turned around. In the bow seat,
:26:04. > :26:09.Jack Beamont has really cemented his place. And in the stroke seat, Peter
:26:10. > :26:18.Lambert, who started off his season coming tenth in the single sculls
:26:19. > :26:24.regatta. Job well done for the British crew. Gold medal in the
:26:25. > :26:29.men's quadruple sculls. That will be a huge disappointment for the
:26:30. > :26:33.Netherlands, who came second. Well done, superb result? Thank you very
:26:34. > :26:37.much. We're happy with the result. We raced well, it has been a good
:26:38. > :26:44.training block, so we're happy. And were you confident? Yeah, we did
:26:45. > :26:48.well in the heat, we laid down the fastest time, and we thought we
:26:49. > :26:52.could win it, we just needed to stay calm in the first thousand, when the
:26:53. > :26:58.guys to our left went out pretty fast. And then we just executed what
:26:59. > :27:03.we wanted to do in the third 500. It was a bit parents Karen? May be for
:27:04. > :27:07.you! From my seat in the boat, I could see what was going on and I
:27:08. > :27:11.could relay that to the guys. I had no doubt that these three were going
:27:12. > :27:16.to do the business. Room stick John, next up, Henley? Yeah, looking
:27:17. > :27:23.forward to that, we have only got the Kiwis there, so it's only going
:27:24. > :27:31.to be a straight final. And you have got lucerne after that, it's going
:27:32. > :27:36.to be there a chaotic period of training? It is but that is the
:27:37. > :27:41.reason why we do the sport, for the racing. One of the top crews was not
:27:42. > :27:46.there this weekend, so we are looking forward to laying down a
:27:47. > :27:50.marker going forward. The British men's quad is one of the very few
:27:51. > :27:55.crews that are sort of in their first line-up, I guess, and it
:27:56. > :28:01.showed? Yeah. And they deserve to that so much. Not just to those four
:28:02. > :28:04.guys, but the men's quad of the last few years has been beset by
:28:05. > :28:10.challenge after challenge, with illness and injury. You want to see
:28:11. > :28:13.them when they put out their best line-up, and that was still a good
:28:14. > :28:21.field. The Polish crew who had won the other semifinal, that was a big,
:28:22. > :28:26.fast, solid field, and the British crew absolutely dominated. You to
:28:27. > :28:31.fool with, took the race on, very confident in letting the race
:28:32. > :28:34.unfolded, with such dominant. Even from behind, they always looked like
:28:35. > :28:39.they could come through and have that results. And after the slightly
:28:40. > :28:42.downbeat results that we had coming back from the Europeans, from the
:28:43. > :28:49.men's team, an enormous Philip for everyone? I know. And that's why
:28:50. > :28:53.there was a sense after the Europeans, we had never seen such
:28:54. > :28:59.bad results from the men's team, but you always know the calibre of
:29:00. > :29:01.athletes, the strength of the coaching, Paul Stannard, the coach
:29:02. > :29:08.of that men's quad, he does put out top-class crews. It was not like it
:29:09. > :29:13.was game over, it was just things were not quite firing, and now you
:29:14. > :29:21.see, they're back on track. They're absolutely going in the right
:29:22. > :29:25.direction. The British development crew of Anastasia Chitty and Rebecca
:29:26. > :29:30.Girling got a taste of what it was like to compete at the very highest
:29:31. > :29:33.level in the women's pair. But it was the New Zealand pair who stole
:29:34. > :29:39.the show in Poznan, breaking the world record of Helen Glover and
:29:40. > :29:46.Heather Stanning. It was something like deja vu in the men's single
:29:47. > :29:49.sculls final nursery Tom Barras lined up in a world-class field.
:29:50. > :29:55.This time it was New Zealand's Robert Manson who smashed the world
:29:56. > :30:06.record by three seconds, a record previously held by Mark Hager right
:30:07. > :30:11.there. So, racing is fast and furious at', just as it is here in
:30:12. > :30:16.Henley, where the women's Regatta is continuing apace. I am joined by
:30:17. > :30:22.some former Olympians now. You are coaching one of the crews which is
:30:23. > :30:29.competing at the moment? Yes. Can you tell us a bit about it? It is a
:30:30. > :30:31.huge regatta, started 30 years ago. We had one day of racing then, and
:30:32. > :30:48.now we have three days of racing. And weighs into malt and as a
:30:49. > :30:59.competitor to come, just? -- why it is important as a competitor to
:31:00. > :31:05.come? Henley is a exciting place to come. My girls are pretty good,
:31:06. > :31:09.quite feisty, and I'm passing on some of my traits to them, helping
:31:10. > :31:18.them get down that course as fast as possible. And how important is it to
:31:19. > :31:22.pass on that to future generations? For me, I really wanted to give
:31:23. > :31:27.something back to the sport. I have a family, so being a coach is very
:31:28. > :31:35.full-time. I hadn't qualified as an umpire so this was a way I could put
:31:36. > :31:39.my skills organisation into it and helping. I didn't realise it would
:31:40. > :31:48.take up quite as much time. Any regrets? Yes, I'm looking for a
:31:49. > :31:56.successor, are you busy? Very! How do you feel as a coach, that there's
:31:57. > :31:59.not much you can do when the crew goes out there? It is so
:32:00. > :32:05.nerve-racking. It is letting them go out on the water and do their thing,
:32:06. > :32:09.I have no control over them once I get there. But get on the start
:32:10. > :32:13.line, having Sir Matthew Pinsent line them up, it is really
:32:14. > :32:17.heart-warming. I love being part of the sport and it's a great way to
:32:18. > :32:23.stay connected with the grass roots level of rowing. In the women's
:32:24. > :32:28.rowing is going from strength to strength, both internationally and
:32:29. > :32:34.domestically. Yes, and what we have seen in this regatta is huge growth
:32:35. > :32:39.in junior women's rowing. The third of our entry actually comes from the
:32:40. > :32:49.junior sector, and we have some great US crews here as well for them
:32:50. > :32:52.to race. They are really bringing strong competition for the junior
:32:53. > :32:57.women so the junior women's side is massive stocks have also seen a lot
:32:58. > :33:01.more universities being competitive and our most competitive event is
:33:02. > :33:06.the academic eights. Quite often we will see photo finishes on the line
:33:07. > :33:13.so we are seeing a massive rise in numbers but also a huge rise in
:33:14. > :33:18.standard. Thank you both, please keep up the good work and let's see
:33:19. > :33:23.what's happening back in Poznan. This is the women's eight and they
:33:24. > :33:40.are away. Out quick in lane number two is China one. Going with them is
:33:41. > :33:46.Great Britain in lane four. These crews now go out at full speed and
:33:47. > :33:49.the British crew in lane number four strengthened somewhat with Karen
:33:50. > :33:54.Bennett sitting in the seven seat, but looking to take it on whether
:33:55. > :33:59.British crew left with a sensational silver medal at the Olympic Games
:34:00. > :34:06.last year. Out fast, they were so disappointed to be off the medal
:34:07. > :34:18.podium a few weeks back, they are looking to make amends this time
:34:19. > :34:29.out. Taking you down the boat, McMurtry, Warren, Douglas, Bennett,
:34:30. > :34:46.and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne coming in this time round.
:34:47. > :35:01.-- Mathilda Horn. The United States of America surprisingly down but
:35:02. > :35:05.this will be a much weaker boat than we have hitherto been treated to.
:35:06. > :35:09.The Americans have dominated this event all the way through to the
:35:10. > :35:16.Olympic Games. That looks good, James. Exactly what I was thinking.
:35:17. > :35:20.It's amazing not just how they are rowing, but how quickly we have
:35:21. > :35:24.become used to the women's eight being at the sharp end of the field
:35:25. > :35:32.and that is a real testament to the coaching system in place and the
:35:33. > :35:36.belief these athletes have. None of them were in Rio, they have learnt
:35:37. > :35:40.and half the level of expectation raised by the performances of the
:35:41. > :35:44.women's eight last year and they are carrying on from where the Olympics
:35:45. > :35:50.left off and it's brilliant. James Harris is the coach responsible for
:35:51. > :35:55.this and he will be watching this hopefully pleased with the opening
:35:56. > :35:59.first half. So we are just going across to New Zealand and you
:36:00. > :36:04.compare, New Zealand rating slightly higher, not Masaru chasing it. They
:36:05. > :36:13.are having to work for it but the rhythm looks better. Long and strong
:36:14. > :36:22.from Rebecca, backed up by Karen Bennett at seven. The women's eight
:36:23. > :36:33.have taken this by the scruff of the neck. They didn't go out as fast as
:36:34. > :36:38.China one but they have consolidated the -- the position. New Zealand
:36:39. > :36:42.have definitely come back onto it. They are still a third of a length
:36:43. > :36:46.down, but they were further down before. This is where the British
:36:47. > :36:51.eight last year showed the guts in the second half of the race and they
:36:52. > :36:54.need to do that now. New Zealand taking two strokes per minute more
:36:55. > :36:59.than the British crew, so at some point the black boat at the top of
:37:00. > :37:10.your picture is New Zealand and the light blue on the right of your
:37:11. > :37:15.picture shows the boat has been two strokes below. It's all very well
:37:16. > :37:19.leading, but when you are being attacked as they are by New Zealand,
:37:20. > :37:23.the change has got to come because New Zealand will go right through
:37:24. > :37:26.them in the next two or three strokes. If there isn't a change
:37:27. > :37:32.from the British crew, New Zealand will be through. You are right, but
:37:33. > :37:37.inching through, not blasting through. The psychological damage
:37:38. > :37:41.being done is America, having been clear water down, they won't get
:37:42. > :37:45.them but they are inching back. This is where the belief in the British
:37:46. > :37:53.crew will be tested. They need to keep long. They were rowing nice and
:37:54. > :38:00.long. Rebecca was running incredibly long in the first 1000 metres. They
:38:01. > :38:06.need to set the length to lay the power-down. The third 500 now, the
:38:07. > :38:13.New Zealanders continue to move and they look angry. They look like we
:38:14. > :38:18.have settled long but we will keep the length going. They are at 36
:38:19. > :38:25.now, Great Britain, but at one point they were at 35 strokes per minute
:38:26. > :38:29.and you cannot be that low. They looked brilliant, Great Britain
:38:30. > :38:33.looked fantastic in the first 500 metres. This middle files and has
:38:34. > :38:38.all been about New Zealand, and New Zealand were fought that the Olympic
:38:39. > :38:42.Games last year. Four of that crew are returning here and they also
:38:43. > :38:57.have some Bosworth in the cox seat, the first time a guy will be coxing
:38:58. > :39:05.in the women's eight. They have hit the ground running. They are showing
:39:06. > :39:12.they are race ready. Great Britain now having to fight off the USA, who
:39:13. > :39:15.won't catch Great Britain but the British have to come back again on
:39:16. > :39:25.to New Zealand. It has been outstanding. They will take the gold
:39:26. > :39:26.medal, New Zealand, who took it from Great Britain who were almost
:39:27. > :39:37.nothing. The silver medal, Karen, which I
:39:38. > :39:45.would have thought is a pretty good results, isn't it? Yes, I think we
:39:46. > :39:51.all did a really good job. It is an awesome result for the eighth. And
:39:52. > :39:57.when you beat the USA in the women's eight know you are doing something
:39:58. > :40:01.right. Yes, and we got an especially fast time which has given us a lot
:40:02. > :40:07.of confidence moving forward. It was bittersweet because the Kiwis beat
:40:08. > :40:14.us but then we beat the Americans so awesome. Fast conditions, optimal
:40:15. > :40:20.tailwind and Stillwater, it was a fast race. Definitely, APB for us
:40:21. > :40:26.which was nice, and a nice simple race that we did so that's good. And
:40:27. > :40:32.you are regressing in the right direction? Definitely, we are still
:40:33. > :40:36.quite a new crew and each session we go out we are progressing and
:40:37. > :40:42.learning more. We are putting more and more of our practice in the
:40:43. > :40:46.performance. Without silver medal in the women's eight, that is another
:40:47. > :40:52.British boat doing brilliantly. Absolutely, and it is back on the
:40:53. > :40:57.podium. The New Zealand crew is the interesting one in that event. They
:40:58. > :41:02.have been in under 22 crew in previous years. They have been
:41:03. > :41:06.building, at the Olympic games last year they came for, not quite making
:41:07. > :41:09.the podium, and now we have seen them take a step on and the first
:41:10. > :41:14.time this year we have seen the Zealanders come in. Often they come
:41:15. > :41:18.over, obviously it is a long travelling distance from New Zealand
:41:19. > :41:24.and they don't always start up the fastest but they did here. And the
:41:25. > :41:29.women's pair for New Zealand have just smashed the record. For the
:41:30. > :41:32.rowing geeks, an American aid should always win but that's the first time
:41:33. > :41:36.they have been back in the pack. That would be five years since we
:41:37. > :41:43.have seen an American women's aid back that far. Yes, since 2012 it
:41:44. > :41:47.has been the American women's aid all the way and there haven't been
:41:48. > :41:51.many British women who have been ahead of them on the finish line so
:41:52. > :41:57.they will take that away with them. It is a new view for them so that's
:41:58. > :42:01.another thing for the British women's eight. Yes, the Americans
:42:02. > :42:07.are reforming but so are the British reforming. To go out there and beta
:42:08. > :42:11.crew that is also inexperienced with a lot of learning to do from the
:42:12. > :42:15.American side but still with the calibre, the American crew should
:42:16. > :42:18.have the confidence of being Olympic champions going back now couple of
:42:19. > :42:23.Olympics so for the British to be ahead of them is a good step.
:42:24. > :42:26.The performance of the European Championships from a Jewish point of
:42:27. > :42:31.view was Vicky Thornley in the women's single but it did come down
:42:32. > :42:41.to the wire. -- from a British point of view.
:42:42. > :42:49.Laying three still hunting, Vicky Thornley with long strokes as you
:42:50. > :42:58.would expect. This is the first time in her career at a single scull
:42:59. > :43:03.major championships. The German starting to move back again, she's
:43:04. > :43:09.got an overlap. We are about 200 out here and it is not done yet for
:43:10. > :43:15.Vicky Thornley. The warhorses coming back to the party! Bursting through
:43:16. > :43:20.in lane six, looking over to her right to see what's happening and
:43:21. > :43:25.Vicky Thornley will have to hang on. Vicky Thornley, European champion. I
:43:26. > :43:30.didn't come back into full-time training until January so I'm still
:43:31. > :43:33.building up to my best fitness. And please, I haven't been a
:43:34. > :43:39.champion of anything since eight years ago so European champion is
:43:40. > :43:44.cool. So victory and a European title - can she continue her success
:43:45. > :43:51.on the world stage? Over to Gary and James to find out.
:43:52. > :43:56.Halfway, 1000 metres in this final and Vicky Thornley is currently in
:43:57. > :44:03.second or third-place going through the halfway mark. The German sculler
:44:04. > :44:13.was the Olympic champion in the quadruple scull. It is very fine for
:44:14. > :44:18.Thornley but she will want to start turning the screw now and she's
:44:19. > :44:26.starting to pick up the rate. 31 strokes. She has gone up to 31 and
:44:27. > :44:31.will crank it up again as we go through 1500 metres mark. She will
:44:32. > :44:41.know she has the power. But you cannot write off the Chinese
:44:42. > :44:45.competitor in lane three. She's used to winning as well and she has won
:44:46. > :44:56.big races in the past so she will be difficult to roam down.
:44:57. > :45:06.Dwan will be the one form they can lean on. They could come back but it
:45:07. > :45:07.will be a tight finish between Austria, Britain and China. Germany
:45:08. > :45:21.has gone. Vicky Thornley has had the better of
:45:22. > :45:26.Magdalena Lobnig this season already. She will have that in her
:45:27. > :45:33.locker, when the chips are up against it. Look at the bows, still
:45:34. > :45:40.hunting, still rising Highbridge is the most important thing. She's high
:45:41. > :45:47.and the boat speed is still good. There's a long way to go. Vicky
:45:48. > :45:57.Thornley, the European champion from Great Britain. In this final of the
:45:58. > :46:02.women's single sculls in Poznan, here in World Rowing Cup II. But now
:46:03. > :46:05.shimmer under a huge test, it's the first time she is coming up against
:46:06. > :46:11.the Olympic bronze medallist Jingli Duan. And Jingli Duan is so hard,
:46:12. > :46:18.she right on it here, she will never give up one stroke to Vicky
:46:19. > :46:25.Thornley. Jingli Duan on her right, as she looks, and on the other side,
:46:26. > :46:28.Magdalena Lobnig, who's doing a sterling job. The big disappointment
:46:29. > :46:34.will be not necessarily losing to Jingli Duan, it's that it would be
:46:35. > :46:37.the first time since she has been back in the single that she will
:46:38. > :46:41.have lost to someone she has previously beaten. Everything has
:46:42. > :46:46.been an upward step, right now, it looks like being a backward one,
:46:47. > :46:53.because Magdalena Lobnig is some way ahead. Vicky has got to keep a long
:46:54. > :46:57.stroke here, keeping the weight and the power. 26-year-old Magdalena
:46:58. > :47:03.Lobnig from Austria has kept her rate up, and now it's a length, as
:47:04. > :47:09.they come towards the closing stages. Now, Vicky Thornley has
:47:10. > :47:14.finally brushed off Jingli Duan. She cannot afford, though, to let her
:47:15. > :47:23.go. She has got to keep focused here on Magdalena Lobnig, as they come
:47:24. > :47:28.slowly towards the line. She's not going to get Magdalena Lobnig. It's
:47:29. > :47:33.a silver medal for Vicky Thornley. And she will at the back of her mind
:47:34. > :47:36.be a little bit disappointed, because she has already beaten
:47:37. > :47:44.Magdalena Lobnig earlier in the year. One thing is for sure, this
:47:45. > :47:48.event is going to get tougher as we go through to the World
:47:49. > :47:57.Championships. Initially I was a bit disappointed. But now, I'm like, I
:47:58. > :48:00.did my best time by a long way and I felt like I've rowed pretty well.
:48:01. > :48:04.Magdalena Lobnig was just a bit quicker today stop you are in a
:48:05. > :48:12.great run of form, having won the Europeans three weeks ago? Yeah, so,
:48:13. > :48:15.it's going well. These races are great to be in, they are tight and
:48:16. > :48:19.tough, and that's what it's all about. Single sculling never looks
:48:20. > :48:23.easy, but at least you don't have to haul Katherine Grainger down the
:48:24. > :48:31.course now! No, I miss her a lot! Not having her here is a big thing.
:48:32. > :48:36.It is nice to see her every now and again as well. Busy times coming up
:48:37. > :48:41.for you? Yeah. Hopefully Henley, we will have to reassess after this
:48:42. > :48:44.regatta, and obviously, lucerne. But then a long break before the World
:48:45. > :48:50.Championships to get some really good training in. We've been saying
:48:51. > :48:54.all day that actually, there's probably more of the British rowing
:48:55. > :48:58.team on the tow path here in Henley than there is out in Poznan. Another
:48:59. > :49:05.one is Tom Ransley - tennis first of all why you are not racing? So, last
:49:06. > :49:10.week I had an emergency appendix removal, not in my plans at all!
:49:11. > :49:16.Should have been in Poznan. Let's have a quick look. The old form of
:49:17. > :49:24.appendicitis... Yeah. Actually... Very good keyhole, obviously! Yeah,
:49:25. > :49:28.so it should help a speedy recovery. I am already on my feet and looking
:49:29. > :49:38.forward to getting back training as soon as possible. I should be ready
:49:39. > :49:43.to race in the worlds in Sarasota. Before we talk about the men's
:49:44. > :49:47.eight, let's just reflect on Vicky Thornley's performance, another
:49:48. > :49:52.great result? That's three times we have seen her internationally this
:49:53. > :49:55.summer, and three podium finishes, which we have never seen from a
:49:56. > :50:00.single scull British athlete in this country, ever. There will mixed
:50:01. > :50:03.feelings for her trainer the very, very positive bit is, back on the
:50:04. > :50:09.podium and finishing ahead of the bronze Olympic medallist from China.
:50:10. > :50:17.She would have taken that at the start of the regatta. The
:50:18. > :50:23.disappointing thing is finishing behind the Austrian, whom she had
:50:24. > :50:27.beaten. What you want to do is to slowly pick off people in your
:50:28. > :50:31.event. To beat people and then have them come back and beat you is
:50:32. > :50:34.frustrating. But we have all been there. Every Regatta in the season
:50:35. > :50:40.is a moment of learning, and she will learn so much from each race
:50:41. > :50:43.she's doing. Frustration with the Austrian, but she will loan from
:50:44. > :50:47.that and come back better. Tom, have you noticed the difference with
:50:48. > :50:53.Vicky from one season to the next, going from a combined boat into now
:50:54. > :50:58.in control of her own future in a single scull? Well, certainly, she's
:50:59. > :51:05.always been really concentrated on her training, very focused. And I
:51:06. > :51:11.think she's obviously seeing the results in the single, able to keep
:51:12. > :51:16.that level of discipline, even without a crew motivating you. I'm
:51:17. > :51:20.sure she will come back stronger off the back of this. We are all eager
:51:21. > :51:29.to see how this men's eight will be getting on. Tom's place has been
:51:30. > :51:35.taken by Callum McBrierty. Let's meet him. I first started rolling in
:51:36. > :51:38.2004, forced into it by my parents, because they did not like the idea
:51:39. > :51:45.of me playing rugby. I was pretty useless, actually, so, might as well
:51:46. > :51:49.try another sport! Ended up getting the bug for rowing and ended up
:51:50. > :51:52.training hard. The best thing about it for me is pushing your body to
:51:53. > :52:00.the limit, and finding out exactly what you can do and what you can't
:52:01. > :52:05.do sometimes. I would probably quite like to be a golfer, if I'm being
:52:06. > :52:11.honest, lots of money in that sport! Would I be good enough to be a
:52:12. > :52:15.golfer, that's the thing?! My ideal weekend would be a weekend back up
:52:16. > :52:20.in Scotland in the Highlands, doing some country walking, relaxing up
:52:21. > :52:27.there. Might be bitterly cold, but nowhere better to relax and unwind.
:52:28. > :52:32.Being a Scotsman, you've got to say Andy Murray. He's come through a lot
:52:33. > :52:40.in his career, some high points and low points, but he seems to produce
:52:41. > :52:50.the results. Big fan of his. Third 500 metres now, Germany will move on
:52:51. > :52:55.again. The British crew have got to hang on, keep the speed, keep
:52:56. > :53:05.moving, it is all about being driven by Henry Fieldman. They will know
:53:06. > :53:11.all about the Germans. The New Zealanders are coming at them. New
:53:12. > :53:18.Zealand, five returning from the crew which finish sixth at the
:53:19. > :53:19.Olympic final last year. So, starting to stretch out now.
:53:20. > :53:31.Wonderful position from Germany there. Just looking a little bit
:53:32. > :53:33.laboured from the British. Furious from New Zealand, New Zealand
:53:34. > :53:52.looking the slightly better of the two crews? They get out and take
:53:53. > :54:00.onto that catch. 5.19 is the 2000 metres time, as Germany go through.
:54:01. > :54:03.And New Zealand have half a length over Great Britain, so a Great
:54:04. > :54:07.Britain are in the bronze medal position. I was not expect in them
:54:08. > :54:11.to come third, off the speed they have shown so far. So I think they
:54:12. > :54:18.have raced well. Yes, the Germans are dominating them, but considering
:54:19. > :54:22.they have changed in the last minute this week, that is a par
:54:23. > :54:35.performance, I would say. So, coming down the German boat, including
:54:36. > :54:46.Martin Sauer. New Zealand now almost a length ahead of Great Britain now.
:54:47. > :54:49.Themselves chasing down Germany. They will not get on terms with
:54:50. > :54:58.Germany but they will be looking to get clear of Great Britain. The
:54:59. > :55:01.Germany are on 41. They're going after a world record, I reckon. They
:55:02. > :55:10.will have heard what has been going on at this regatta. They're at 41
:55:11. > :55:17.strokes per minute, and they're coming to the line. Oh! That's going
:55:18. > :55:25.to because! We're not quite sure whether that will be a world record
:55:26. > :55:27.a lot. Great Britain clear of Australia, with the home nation
:55:28. > :55:33.Poland coming through in fifth place. That is all from us at the
:55:34. > :55:39.Henley women's Regatta, and from Poznan today. We will be back with
:55:40. > :55:45.the final World Cup of the season, which is happening in Lucerne. Red
:55:46. > :55:50.button coverage starts at 9.15 on Sunday the 9th of July, with
:55:51. > :55:55.highlights later in the day on BBC Two. Stand by for some time and
:55:56. > :56:00.league athletics from Stockholm. And our summer tennis starts tomorrow,
:56:01. > :56:07.from Queen's Club on BBC at one o'clock. Tom can join us to look
:56:08. > :56:12.back on that men's eight days. A medal, but some big gaps involved?
:56:13. > :56:18.Can be we have seen a world record low there. But there are definitely
:56:19. > :56:23.positives for our British team. We had a turbulent run into that event,
:56:24. > :56:27.and we still managed to get onto the podium. And I think we actually
:56:28. > :56:30.closed a small amount on the distance between us and the Germans
:56:31. > :56:35.from the Europeans. So, there's a lot to be positive about. I think
:56:36. > :56:40.you can move on and get stronger from there. And no mistaking the
:56:41. > :56:45.tactics in that race? From the Germans?! And from the Brits to try
:56:46. > :56:50.and stick with them so they were too good today? Of course. The Germans
:56:51. > :56:54.were the standout crew of that regatta, in that event, certainly,
:56:55. > :56:59.at the moment. So you see how close you can get to them, see if you can
:57:00. > :57:04.throw them off there again, in any way, and see how long you can hold
:57:05. > :57:08.them. All you can do is show a bit of speed and how close you can get,
:57:09. > :57:11.and build on that. The next time you're going to race the Germans
:57:12. > :57:17.will be here on that bit of water in a couple of weeks at Henley - that
:57:18. > :57:23.is going to be big? Yeah, Henley is an awesome event. I don't know if I
:57:24. > :57:27.will be in it personally, but it's going to be good, if I am not in it,
:57:28. > :57:31.I will be watching, for sure. Catherine, how do you reflect on the
:57:32. > :57:38.World Cup, from a British point of view? On the whole team, there was a
:57:39. > :57:41.very turbulent run into the regatta, some of the crew did not even make
:57:42. > :57:48.it like the women's quad. And the ones that did have a lot of changes,
:57:49. > :57:52.not many crews were lined up according to Plan A. Considering
:57:53. > :57:57.that, it is a much stronger result than it was a couple of weeks ago at
:57:58. > :58:00.the Europeans. It shows that the tactics are right from the coaches,
:58:01. > :58:04.and there will be ups and downs I'm sure in the weeks to come. But
:58:05. > :58:07.ultimately, everybody knows it is the World Championships at the end
:58:08. > :58:10.of the year which everybody is aiming for. And Tom, for you
:58:11. > :58:15.personally, on the injured list at the moment, is the feeling, we can
:58:16. > :58:22.start climbing back out of the European situation? Yeah. I would
:58:23. > :58:27.echo that. And technically, it shows what we've done through the winter
:58:28. > :58:31.is to try and make a common style, so that when injuries do occur, you
:58:32. > :58:38.can mix and match and still hold a high standard. So, I think we are on
:58:39. > :58:42.the way to improving those results. As nice as it is being to see you
:58:43. > :58:47.here, we look forward to seeing you out there on the water again.
:58:48. > :58:52.Likewise. Good stuff. That is it from Henley women's Regatta. We will
:58:53. > :58:54.be back in three weeks' time for the World Cup, and for the British team,
:58:55. > :59:14.it's onwards and upwards. You'll favour me by never setting
:59:15. > :59:18.foot on Trenwith land.