Purcell fears for funding after failure to hit targets

British Rowing performance director Brendan Purcell admitted his squad had underperformed after they missed their UK Sport medal target at the World Championships.

Great Britain finished the competition yesterday with two Olympic-class medals after the men’s eight won bronze in Bulgaria, just missing out on silver to Australia in a photo-finish.

UK Sport’s 2018 rowing target had been four to six medals, along with the para-rowing gold won by the mixed coxed four on Saturday, which could put pressure on rowing’s funding.

“We haven’t all delivered, not just the athletes. It’s the staff, everyone,” said Purcell. “I think we’ll be having some frank conversations with UK Sport.”

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic target equals the Rio one of six medals – an ambitious figure, given that only five were won in 2016, after which many top rowers retired.

“Is the potential in the athlete group indicative of that six?” added Purcell. “If it is, then we have to step up.”

The men’s eight set off fast in yesterday’s crosswinds but, as defending champions Germany wound up to claim gold, the field closed right up. Britain finished only 0.03 sec behind Australia. “It’s obviously the better side of not getting a medal,” said Moe Sbihi. “We can hold our heads up high.”

‘We haven’t all delivered. I think we’ll be having frank conversations with UK Sport’

Single sculler Harry Leask came fourth in the world a month off his 23rd birthday, an astonishing result to end an impressive debut season.

The under-23 women’s double also came a superb fourth. Double scullers Angus Groom and Jack Beaumont were a quarter of a second outside the medals after failing to find finishing speed in their final. Para-sculler Andy Houghton and the women’s eight were sixth.