Grobler glad to see heats victory by injury-hit coxless four
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The coxless four, one of four British crews to win heats in the final round of the World Cup here yesterday, instigated sighs of relief from all concerned.
"It was good to win with Tom James on board," said the chief coach, Jürgen Grobler. James replaced Alex Partridge two months ago, only to suffer a rib injury. The stroke, Andy Hodge, then missed the second round of the Cup. The first-choice crew have been rowing together for little more than a week.
"Realism is the word of the day," said Steve Williams, the Athens gold medallist in the No 2 seat. "We could have done with another week before racing, but it would have been a mistake to sit at home and watch the last regatta before the Olympics on television."
Hodge said: "Effectively we're starting from zero here. It was a bit rocky, a bit delicate, but I'm pleased with what we did. We know people have been stepping up. It's much closer than last year."
The double scullers Elise Laverick and Anna Bebington, who have also struggled with injury, showed their promise with a win. Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were on song in the lightweight doubles and the lightweight pair of Chris Bartley and Danny Harte also won.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments