Imogen Grant and Henry Fieldman earn bronze medals for Great Britain at World Rowing Championships
Imogen Grant and Emily Craig produced a brilliant late rally to earn a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in Austria.
The lightweight double sculls duo had already booked the boat’s place at next year’s Tokyo Olympics, and were seeking to add precious metal to their achievement in the final in Linz.
Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club’s Grant and partner Craig showed their class and composure.
They were in fifth through the 1,500m mark, but drove through to take third behind winners New Zealand and the Netherlands.
“I’m a bit stunned. I’m too shocked to cry,” said Craig. “For the last 250m we were throwing everything at it – when we crossed the line, I was like ‘I think we’ve got it?’.
“I was staring at the result board just thinking, ‘show me that GBR’.”
Brendan Purcell, the GB director of performance, said: “Imogen and Emily in the lightweight double put in a fantastic performance; they and Maddie Arlett (who won bronze in the lightweight single sculls) were a credit to their coach Darren Whiter and it’ll be exciting to see how they go next season.”
There was also a bronze medal for former Cambridge University Boat Club cox Henry Fieldman.
He steered the GB men’s eight to third, behind Germany and the Netherlands, as just three seconds separated the top three.
“Huge credit to the guys – everyone in our boat left everything out there,” said Fieldman. “We wanted a higher result so it hurts a bit, but credit to the guys for delivering on everything we said. Well done to the Dutch and the Germans and we’ll be coming back with more next time.”
CUWBC’s Holly Hill helped the women’s four qualify for the Olympics.
Together with Sara Parfett, Emily Ford and Polly Swann, they needed a top-two finish in the B final.
China made a fast start through 1km, but the GB four made their move in the final 500m to row through the Canadian and Chinese crews to take the win for a spot at the Games.
Fellow Light Blue Melissa Wilson joined Jess Leyden and Mathilda and Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne in booking GB a spot at the Olympics in the women’s quadruple sculls for the first time since 2012.
They did so by taking second place in the repechage to qualify for the final, where they eventually finished sixth.
Overall, Great Britain qualified 10 boats for the Tokyo Olympics and three for the Paralympics.
