Even a sub can’t sink Brit duo in the water
SWIMMING TRACK CYCLING
BY MARK WOODS JACK BEAUMONT and new boy Harry Leask gelled together quickly as they claimed victory on the opening day of the rowing at Strathclyde Park.
With Leask summoned into the British double sculls line-up when fellow Scot Angus Groom fell ill, the duo sat fourth after 500 metres of their heat.
But they responded to advance into Saturday’s semi-finals by holding off Romanian rivals MarianFlorian Enache and Ioan Prundeanu in a time of six minutes 17.34 seconds.
Beaumont said: “We had a late substitution on the boat and had no idea where we gauged in the field before the race started. We had a plan, stuck to it and that worked out really well.
“Winning the heat was really important in helping us get our preferred lane because the course can be quite wavy here.”
Sam Mottram won his heat to ease into the semis of the men’s lightweight single scull.
Tom Ford, Jacob Dawson, Adam Neill and James Johnson took first place in their men’s four qualifier to reach the final.
In the velodrome, Scot Katie Archibald helped the British women’s team come fastest in team pursuit qualifying.
Archibald teamed up with four-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny, Ellie Dickinson and Elinor Barker of Wales.
And they set a time of four minutes 19.330 seconds in the 4,000m pursuit time trial, more than two seconds faster than champions Italy, with Germany third and France coming fourth.
Team GB now face the French today for a place in the final while Italy take on the Germans. Hannah Miley won Commonwealth gold at Tollcross four years ago and will be looking for a repeat against 400m individual medley rival Aimee Willmott after losing their battle in Gold Coast.
The final is at 5pm, followed by the men’s 400m freestyle when home hopeful Stephen Milne looks to star. At 6pm it’s the women’s and men’s 4x100m freestyle relay finals. Katie Archibald will be back at the velodrome to join up with Britain’s top female Olympian Laura Kenny with team pursuit gold and bronze medal runs from 6.45pm.
At 8.15pm Jack Carlin hopes to combine with Kenny’s husband Jason in the men’s team sprint showpiece in a bid for a GB double.
The women’s 10km scratch race final is at 3.45pm and the men’s team pursuit around 6.30pm. The 15km men’s scratch race follows at 7pm with women’s team sprint gold decided just after 8pm.
Two gold medals will be settled in the synchronised swimming at Scotstoun. At Strathclyde Country Park it’s non-stop rowing from 9.30am to noon as a host of Scots gear up for the medal deciders.