Watch out here comes GB's Watkins

Next year the waters of Eton-Dorney, just outside of London will see the best rowers in the world compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Great Britain’s rowing squad is making the most of the venue being on home ground and last weekend they staged their senior team trials there.

Using the Olympic venue for trials was a strategic decision by coaches as they wanted to get the athletes used to racing under pressure on this course. Usually these trials are hidden from spectator view as they take place in Belgium at the Hazewinkel rowing course. But using the home soil of Eton-Dorney as the venue meant that a few spectators showed up.

For the second time this season Anna Watkins outrowed her double sculls partner, Katherine Grainger in the women’s single sculls race. This win breaks Grainger’s run of six consecutive singles titles. Watkins said in the GB Rowing News press release after her race, "Whilst it's nice to win, I don't really like to race against Katherine, I would far rather be in a boat with her against the rest of the world.” Watkins finished 3 ½ seconds ahead of Grainger with Beth Rodford, from the British women’s quadruple sculls coming in third. 


The rest of the story here: worldrowing.com