ROWING: British crews stake strong claim for medals

ROWING

British crews stake strong

claim for medals

Britain came out on top of the second day's racing at the Rowing World Cup regatta in Hazewinkel, Belgium, with 12 crews through to today's finals. Behind the British, Denmark and the Netherlands each secured eight berths for crews in finals. Britain's heavyweight coxless four, with four-time Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave and double Olympic champion Matthew Pinsent aboard, are aiming for a better start to their season than last year when they finished fourth at the opening World Cup event in Munich. As in 1998 the British crew is without Tim Foster, the fourth man in the double world gold-medal winning crew, He is recuperating from back surgery and is replaced by 23-year-old Edward Coode, a former world bronze medallist in the coxed four. The biggest casualty of the day was Jamie Koven, of the United States, the 1997 world single sculls champion who finished last in his semi-final.