Rowing: British duo will face tough test

A NEW Great Britain rowing team will meet its first serious resistance at Duisburg Regatta today and tomorrow, writes Hugh Matheson from Duisburg, Germany.

After winning the trials a month ago Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent will stay in the coxless pair this season and hope to extend their reign, which began in 1991, as world or Olympic champions in the event. Their first meeting is with the new German pair of Thorsten Strepplehoff and Peter Holtzenbein, who started their season by winning the Boat Race in the stern of the Cambridge crew.

Immediately behind them in the trials were Tim Foster and Rupert Obholzer, who have gone into a coxless four with the pair who finished third, Peter Bridge and Ben Hunt Davis. The four won a fortnight ago in Piediluco but will face a new four, including the Searle brothers, which was salvaged from the defunct eight that won in Piediluco.

The lightweight world champion single sculler, Peter Haining, will race in the Fisa World Cup, as a heavyweight, alongside Guy Pooley and Wade Hall Craggs who, in spite of finishing behind him a fortnight ago, are still going for selection in the heavyweight single scull.

The lightweight men's coach, Sean Bowden, has picked three fours from which to find the best combination to recover the World Championship won in 1991 and 1992.