Opening Heat Success
World champions Poland had won the first of the two heats but Katherine and Anna followed them down in much faster times until the closing stages of the race when, with the chasing pack led by USA well in their wake, they dropped the stroke rate to cruise comfortably home.
Britain and Poland now go straight to the final, while the other nine crews in the field will race in rowing’s second-chance repechage system to fill the four remaining final slots.
Earlier, high winds had caused the postponement of almost all of the first day’s racing programme and, with a worried eye on a weather forecast that predicts further trouble, organisers are not yet confirming a future racing schedule.
Anna and Katherine started the race on world-record pace and, speaking afterwards Anna said, “we know we’re capable of world record pace and we didn’t know what the conditions were going to be like all the way down the course, but we didn’t feel that we went mental because after the first 250 we weren’t pushed. It’s nice to see that number, but at the end of the day, it’s only a number”.
After the race, Katherine was asked if she was relieved at finally getting back into action. She said, “I don’t think we feel relief, because we very deliberately had a moment last night to remind ourselves that it IS the world championships and it IS a big step up and, while we might be favourites going into the event, fundamentally we still love it”
“We want to keep the fun there so I didn’t feel relief after the race. But I can’t believe we’ve got to wait for a week now to go and do that again, because it’s frustrating and that was really enjoyable”.
She also issued a word of warning, “as much fun as it was winning by that margin, there’s no complacency in anything we do. We’re still very aware we’ve got the world champions on the other side and we haven’t raced them yet. I don’t take on anyone who’s world champion lightly. They’ll have a lot of pride in this event and they’ll want to make it two wins back-to-back. I’m also sure the Australians will step up and the Czechs have got more to come”.
“I don’t think we’re going to cruise through to Sunday night. I only feel that’s our first step and now we’ll see where we are and how we’ll punch up from here”.
Katherine and her partner Anna Watkins produced what was arguably the performance of the entire day’s racing programme as they cruised to victory and a place in Sunday’s final in their opening heat of women’s double sculls at the World Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro, New Zealand on Tuesday (1 November 2010).
World champions Poland had won the first of the two heats but Katherine and Anna followed them down in much faster times until the closing stages of the race when, with the chasing pack led by USA well in their wake, they dropped the stroke rate to cruise comfortably home.
Britain and Poland now go straight to the final, while the other nine crews in the field will race in rowing’s second-chance repechage system to fill the four remaining final slots.
Earlier, high winds had caused the postponement of almost all of the first day’s racing programme and, with a worried eye on a weather forecast that predicts further trouble, organisers are not yet confirming a future racing schedule.
Anna and Katherine started the race on world-record pace and, speaking afterwards Anna said, “we know we’re capable of world record pace and we didn’t know what the conditions were going to be like all the way down the course, but we didn’t feel that we went mental because after the first 250 we weren’t pushed. It’s nice to see that number, but at the end of the day, it’s only a number”.
After the race, Katherine was asked if she was relieved at finally getting back into action. She said, “I don’t think we feel relief, because we very deliberately had a moment last night to remind ourselves that it IS the world championships and it IS a big step up and, while we might be favourites going into the event, fundamentally we still love it”
“We want to keep the fun there so I didn’t feel relief after the race. But I can’t believe we’ve got to wait for a week now to go and do that again, because it’s frustrating and that was really enjoyable”.
She also issued a word of warning, “as much fun as it was winning by that margin, there’s no complacency in anything we do. We’re still very aware we’ve got the world champions on the other side and we haven’t raced them yet. I don’t take on anyone who’s world champion lightly. They’ll have a lot of pride in this event and they’ll want to make it two wins back-to-back. I’m also sure the Australians will step up and the Czechs have got more to come”.
“I don’t think we’re going to cruise through to Sunday night. I only feel that’s our first step and now we’ll see where we are and how we’ll punch up from here”.
Below: Katherine and Anna face the media after their opening heat victory at Lake Karapiro
(Pic: Rachel Quarrell)
Posted on Monday, 01 November 2010 under News
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Opening Heat Success
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