 The following race report is taken from the Daily Telegraph:
British singles silver medallist Alan Campbell beat world champion Mahe Drysdale in the Wingfield Sculls, successfully retaining his Champion of the Thames title against the stiffest opposition ever seen in the event. Lightweight Sophie Hosking also retained her women's title for the event.
A footnote to the history of sculling champions occurred yesterday when, to a bankside audience of several joggers, a dog or two and a single boat full of enthusiastic supporters, the top two single scullers in the world raced the 169th Wingfield Sculls over the Boat Race course.
Homegrown talent Alan Campbell and his New Zealand rival Mahe Drysdale were half a length apart when they won silver and gold respectively at this year's world championships in Poland, then took part together in the Great8's conquering of the Head of the Charles in Boston last month.
Now for the first time ever, the world's best were taking on the Wingfields, to decide the Championship of the Thames.
The race itself was straightforward: Campbell rightly decided to use every advantage possible against the bigger and stronger Drysdale. The Coleraine sculler bolted off the start fast and hard, quickly pulling into a short lead ahead of Drysdale and Nottingham and Union's challenger Graeme Coleman.
Drysdale, looking uncomfortable on the choppy water caused by a stiff westerly breeze, did not get clear of Coleman and into his long flowing rhythm until the end of the first mile, by which time Campbell's advantage was a solid three lengths.
"The race was really over in the first kilometre", said Drysdale. "I just had an absolute shocker out of the start. It's one of those races where you do think about giving up, but then I thought well it's such a long race and so much can happen, I kept trying to push back. When you're sitting out pretty in front like he was, you just do enough to stay there."
Campbell generously paid tribute to Drysdale, who defended his Armada Cup title in Switzerland last weekend and is off to race in Turin tomorrow.
"I've basically been planning for this race - he's had a lot of other races to prepare for", said Campbell. "I've had an opportunity to prepare solely for a race against Mahe on this course. I knew it was going to be tough, I used every advantage I had, I used a boat which was better in the rough water today, everything came together and it was fantastic."
Lightweight world bronze medallist Sophie Hosking retained her Women's Wingfields title with a similar tactic against openweight sweep specialist Jess Eddie. The two had gone on a cycling holiday together in France and thoroughly enjoyed competing against each other, even though Hosking's lightning start put the race beyond doubt within just a few strokes.
Next year the world championships in November disrupt the usual timetable for this event, so it will move back to its original 1830 date, celebrating the 180th year and 170th race with a competition on 10th August 2010, the anniversary of founder Henry C Wingfield's birthday. The GB Rowing coaches have already given permission for their scullers to take part, so a rematch is possible if Drysdale can gain similar leave from his Rowing New Zealand bosses.
Results:
Men's race - Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers) bt Mahe Drysdale (Tideway Scullers) and Graeme Coleman (Nottingham & Union).
Milepost 4min 32sec (AC), 4-40 (MD), 4-44 (GC)
Hammersmith Bridge 7-58 (AC), 8-07 (MD), 8-20 (GC)
Chiswick Steps 12-37 (AC), 12-46 (MD), 13-12 (GC)
Barnes Bridge 16-49 (AC), 16-57 (MD), ntt (GC)
Finish 20-27 (AC), 20-37 (MD), 21-45 (GC)
Women's race - Sophie Hosking (London) bt Jess Eddie (Univ of London)
Milepost 4-59 (SH), 5-10 (JE)
Hammersmith Bridge 8-48 (SH), 9-07 (JE)
Chiswick Steps 14-06 (SH), 14-28 (JE)
Barnes Bridge 19-03 (SH), 19-28 (JE)
Finish 23-05 (SH), 23-34 (JE) |
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