Press Release: Day two review

Australia’s crew of Christopher Morgan, James McRae, Brendan Long and Daniel Noonan set a new World Best time of 5:36.20 in the first heat of the men’s quadruple sculls. The former World Best time of 5:37.31 had been set by three-time World Champions Poland in 2006. “We are very surprised to have done the World Best time! It just felt so good out there; we weren’t focusing on the time or the place, just on the boat, and we had a really good rhythm from the start,” said Australian bow Christopher Morgan.

China’s lightweight women’s double hold the World Best time in their event and today qualified for the semifinal by winning their heat ahead of 2007 world bronze medallists Denmark. China’s lightweight men’s four, World Champions in 2006, remained unbeaten during the 2008 Rowing World Cup season and won their heat against reigning World Champions Great Britain. The Chinese women’s quad are the most significant threat to Great Britain winning a first-ever gold medal in women's rowing and finished first in heat one with the fastest qualifying time of two heats – Great Britain won heat two.

Denmark are the reigning Olympic Champions and World Best time holders in the lightweight men’s four and stroke Eskild Ebbesen, number two on World Rowing’s 2007 list of Top 10 male athletes, is a two-time Olympic gold medallist in this boat class. The crew has seen mixed results since Athens but today took first in their heat – they will race again in the semifinal on Thursday 14 August. In the lightweight men’s double sculls, two-time World Champions and World Best time holders Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist were unbeaten in 2007 but did not yet win a race in 2008. Today they won their heat, qualifying for Thursday’s semifinal.

Racing included heats in the seven Group B boat classes: the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x), the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x), the Lightweight Men’s Four (LM4-), the Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x) and the Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x). Adverse weather conditions caused four heats – in the Women's Eight (W8+) and in the Men's Eight (M8+) – to be postponed to tomorrow Monday 11 August at 14:50, 15:00, 15:10 and 15:20. The repechage races for the women's pairs are now moved to Tuesday 12 August at 17:20 and 17:30.