Britain enter the final World Cup round in Lucerne this weekend as leaders of the 32-nation medal league with 102 points after the first two regattas in Linz, Austria and Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
China are second with 96 points, but, after their ten-medal haul in Amsterdam, the Chinese have just one entry, a sculler, in Lucerne and the threat to Britain’s title hopes will come from Germany, the perennial winners, who are third with 79 points.
Two British boats, the men’s double scull of Matt Wells and Steve Rowbotham and the women’s quad scull, head the standing for their individual boat class events, the women’s quad sharing top place with China. The men’s double took gold and silver in Linz and Amsterdam and the women’s quad did the same, the silver in Amsterdam, behind China, being their first “blip” after two years as world champions.
The men’s unbeaten coxless four, comprising Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Andy Triggs-Hodge and Tom James still subbing for the injured Alex Partridge, lie fourth having not racing in the four in Amsterdam when they competed in the gold medal “super eight”. Colin Smith and Matt Langridge, gold medal coxless pair winners in Linz, also raced in the “super eight” but they are still second in their boat category, four points behind Croatia, the Skelin brothers, who they beat in Linz.
Two other British crews are also second in the standings - the men’s lightweight double and lightweight four. The new lightweight double of Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were second in both Linz and Amsterdam, on both occasions behind Denmark, the world champions. The men’s lightweight four of Richard Chambers, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick and James Clarke, another new 2007 combination, have taken bronze and silver medals. They are led only by the absent Chinese in their event.
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The men’s eight were fifth in Linz but improved markedly with a bronze medal in Amsterdam, behind the British “super eight” and China. Alan Campbell lies fourth in the closely contested single scull.