All the things you need to know about the racing today at Henley Royal Regatta with Sarah Winckless, Race Umpire, Steward and Olympic medallist.
OVERVIEW
It’s a really exciting day because we start to see the Olympic medallists alongside the quarter-finalists in some of our events. Obviously, we’re really sad that Emma Twigg had to withdraw yesterday, but today we do get the treat of starting to watch some of those world class athletes on the back of their results in Tokyo and other Olympics Games.
RACES TO WATCH
Race 2 - 9.35 Stonor 659 Buriak & Kobus-Zawojska, UKR/POL vs 657 M. Baher & H. Mead, USA
We’ve got to mention the Ukrainian athlete, she’s been living in Poland since the war started and we see that double racing together and it’s really easy when you’re focusing on the rowing to forget what’s going on in Ukraine, so it’s great to see her racing.
Race 3 - 9.40 Fawley 455 St. Andrew B. C. vs 430 Hereford Cathedral School
Hereford raced all the way to the line yesterday and I think that could be an interesting match.
Race 10 - 10.20 Stonor 671 A.L.C. Reardon & L.J. Coleman, AUS vs 668 O.A. Obukohwo & K.S.A. George
We’ve got the Aussie lightweight double that just got a medal in the World Cup and coming up against a heavyweight development crew from GB.
Race 16 - 11.00 Wargrave 102 Thames R.C. 'A' vs 80 Barbarians R.C., AUS
Every single commentator went for this race when I asked them for their one to watch. Barbarians are a club that bring together athletes, who have competed at a high level and we’ve seen some of them in the past in American universities and now they’re back in Australia training. A few of them have been through school together.
Race 18 - 11.10 Town 316 Waiariki R.C., NZL vs 313 Ox. Brookes Univ. & Oxford U.W.B.C.
Olympic silver medallist in this one - so our first Olympic medallist of the day, I think. It’s the New Zealand four against the Oxford Brookes and Oxford University one, who have two winners from the Island Challenge last year.
Race 20 - 11.20 PRCC 735 H.E. Scott vs 718 D. Dymchenko, AZE
Diana Dymchenko racing for Azerbaijan, but in the past she raced for Ukraine. Diana has been a medallist at the Europeans and Hannah we saw get a medal at World Cup I and again I was impressed with how she managed her way to get through to today.
Race 23 - 11.40 Fawley 438 Leander Club vs 420 Claires Court School
Leander have been at a high level all year, but up and down from the very top level, Claires Court look like another class crew.
Race 33 - 2.10 Hambleden 627 G. Prendergast & K. Williams, NZL vs 615 L. Ahyi & F. Van Westreenen, USA
If I was coming to Henley Royal Regatta as a spectator I would go up to the start to watch these races because watching the Olympic champions go up against developing athletes, will be a real thing to see.
At the start they will be doing absolutely their best work, guns out, and the opposition will be up to upset them. Of course, we know upsets do happen Mahé Drysdale and Brigham always springs to mind - I umpired that race (in 2019).
Race 36 - 2.30 P.Grace 389 Chinese National Rowing Team, CHN vs 391 Leander Club 'A' & Race 37 - 2.35 Hambleden 618 L.R. Edmunds & K.S. King-Smith, USA vs 625 M. Musnicki & J. Morrison, USA
Races 36 & 37 more Olympic gold medallists. The Chinese in the quad and Musnicki & Morrison.
Race 42 - 3.05 PE 267 King's School Parramatta, AUS vs 258 St. Paul's School
PE watch! King’s School were ten seconds slower than St Paul’s two weeks ago when they came over. However, jet lag, first coming here, they’ve impressed at this regatta, let’s see what they can do against them today.
Race 51 - 4.00 Island 231 Yale University, USA 229 vs University of Washington, USA
A good all-American match-up.
Race 56 - 5.30 Goblets 606 M. Macdonald & T. Mackintosh, NZL 609 W. Stocovaz & S. Pienaar, USA & Race 60 - 5.50 Remenham 13 University of Washington, USA vs 10 Rowing Australia, AUS
More Olympic golds; the New Zealand pair in 56 and the Australian eighteenths in 60.
Race 67 - 6.35 Thames 77 West End R.C., NZL vs 37 Leander Club
West End - unusual for a New Zealand club crew to come over and they looked impressive and now they’re up against Leander let’s see.
