ROWING: Houghton still on course for Olympics

10:21am Thursday 1st May 2008

Thirteen Oxfordshire rowers have been named in the British crews for the first World Cup Regatta in Munich next week, raising hopes for their selection for the Beijing Olympics.

World champions Frances Houghton, in the women's quad, plus Richard Chambers and Paul Mattick, in the men's lightweight four, retain their places.

The other locals were scattered amongst the women's and men's eights and the women's lightweight single and double sculls.

Meanwhile, Heather Docherty did all that could be expected of her, but Oxford Brookes still left Nottingham City Regatta on Saturday without the senior 1 eights title.

Cox Docherty found that her crew's new, state-of-the-art rudder, broke on the first stroke in the 2000 metre final.

Gamely, she tried to steer with her hand, and, in spite of the slowing effect, Brookes finished eight seconds ahead of Newcastle University.

But the umpire deemed that the Oxford crew had impeded their rivals and Newcastle were awarded the race.

There was consolation for Brookes since they did win the senior 2 eights and the women's senior 2 coxed fours.

St Edward's School, Oxford, finished first and third in the senior 4 eights final, while their women's Novice Four also won.

Teddies' under 14 crew were racing at the six inter-school 'basher' event at Dorney Lake, where Abingdon School and Radley College first and third respectively in the top eights event.

Action continues at Dorney on Sunday, with the staging of Wallingford Regatta.

Remarkably, entries have been accepted from 659 crews from 108 clubs - nearly a 400 had to be turned away, one major sufferer being Bath University with twenty crews left out in the cold. Racing starts at 8am and finishes at 7pm.

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