Rowing: British women's hopes dashed

Hopes were as high as the sun here yesterday in anticipation of the great showcase of rowing featuring an entry of over 400 crews.

Hopes were as high as the sun here yesterday in anticipation of the great showcase of rowing featuring an entry of over 400 crews.

The Great Britain squad crews practise early this morning, with the coxless four, who have won the first two rounds of the World Cup, preparing to take on Dukla Prague on Saturday, then the Canadian national crew in Sunday's final.

The Goblets pair of Josh and Kieran West also look good, but they have been drawn in the same half as South Africans Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech, the holders and bronze medallists in Athens.

The hopes of the British women's team were dashed when the World Cup winning quadruple scullers withdrew because of a wrist injury to Sarah Winckless. Debbie Flood has not entered the single sculls while she prepares for next week's World Cup final, so the Princess Royal is left bereft of a challenge to Rumyana Neykova, of Bulgaria.

Henley's entry is eclectic, as ever. The sleeper in the Visitors Challenge Cup for coxless fours are Melbourne University who have avoided the selection eye of the Stewards despite containing Peter Antonie, an Olympic champion of 1992, and Mark Watkin of last year's Wyfold Cup winning crew.