Sydney Uni Women’s Rowing Club (SUWRC) members Sally Kehoe and Sarah Cook have their minds set firmly on a medal after sealing a spot in Thursday’s women’s eight final by finishing third in the repechage heat at Eton Dorney on day 3.
Rowing under overcast skies at the purpose-built venue, the Australian team finished more than three seconds behind winners the Netherlands in a time of 6:18:63.
That was enough to qualify for Thursday’s final along with host Great Britain and Romania, with Germany the sole team eliminated.
University of Sydney graduate and former SUSF Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder Kynan Maley has finished 6th in the C-1 (canoe single) final.
Maley, who has waited 12 years for a shot at Olympic glory, paddling a clean run of 107.08 seconds at the Lee River whitewater course.
But even with a faultless run – Maley incurred penalties in his three lead up races – he couldn’t match the speed of his European rivals who have reigned over the C1 event for years.
Maley ran into trouble in the middle of the notoriously challenging whitewater course and the delays ended up costing him dearly.
“I just got stuck through the middle, didn’t quite get the boat moving or tracking through the moves,” Maley told Ninemsn.
“I didn’t quite get the run out that I was capable of but I’m happy to have got that close.”
The race was won by Frenchman Tony Estanguet. Germany’s Sideris Tasiadis finished second after he pipped Slovakian Olympic champion Michal Martikan.
Results aside, just making the final was a major achievement for Maley who sits 40th on the world ladder.
Maley’s debut Games is not over with he and crewmate Robin Jeffery in the C2 semi-final on Thursday.
In the pool, University of Sydney graduate Loudy Wiggins fell just short of her third Olympic medal in the synchronised 10m platform final.
Wiggins, a former SUSF EAP scholarship holder, and partner Rachel Bugg had to settle for fourth, as China claimed their third medal from as many diving events.
The mother of one returned to the sport at the start of the year and was disappointed she couldn’t claim a medal at her fourth Games to add to the bronze ones she collected in Sydney and Atlanta.
But she had no regrets about her comeback.
“I think I held my own today and showed that age isn’t really that much of an issue,” Wiggins, the oldest platform competitor, male or female, in London, told Ninemsn.
Wiggins and Bugg were in the medal hunt right up until the last dive but couldn’t quite deliver the big finish needed.
China’s Chen Ruolin and Wang Hoa won the gold with 368.40 ahead of Mexico’s Paola Espinosa Sanchez and Alejandra Orozco Loza (343.23).
Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion (337.62) avoided any disasters on their final dive to hold Australia (323.55) out of third place.
SUSF EAP scholarship holder and sailor Olivia Price and her team of Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty remain undefeated after six races – the only crew to do so.
Price, studying Arts at the University of Sydney, is the skipper of her women’s Elliot 6m crew. She is back on the water tonight for another two races.
University of Sydney health sciences student Krystal Weir has again sailed well overnight to hold 17th position overall in the women’s laser radial.
The Hockeyroos, which contains University of Sydney graduate Megan Rivers, have stunned gold medal favourites Germany 3-1 to launch themselves back into women’s hockey medal contention.
After falling behind early to a ninth minute goal from a penalty corner, the Hockeyroos deservedly levelled things up through Hope Munro on 20 minutes after neat lead-up from Rivers and Emily Smith.
The Hockeyroos scored twice more in the second half to seal the 3-1 victory.
New Zealand lead Pool B with six points from two wins after beating South Africa.
Australia are now among a group of four teams with one win and live hopes of making the top two to qualify for the semi-finals.
The Hockeyroos have the chance to put pressure on the rest of their group if they can beat the United States in their next match on Thursday.
Australian water polo representatives Thomas Whalan and Sam Mcgregor have starred in their teams 7-4 defeat of Kazakhstan to square their win-loss ledger.
By the main break, Australia had netted four goals to one to take a stranglehold on the contest.
And apart from a brief rally by Kazakhstan, who scored consecutive goals in the third quarter to sneak within one, Australia dominated.
McGregor, a former SUSF EAP scholarship holder and current Australian captain, scored the Sharks first goal of the contest and also contributed with a fine goal assist later in the game.
Fellow former scholarship holder and University of Sydney graduate Thomas Whalan had two goal assists for Australia in a physical contest.
The Sharks play Spain on Thursday in their third of five preliminary matches.
Wednesday 1 August
5:30pm
Hockey – Men v Spain
Matthew Butturini
7:30pm
Rowing – Men’s Eight Final
Tobias Lister, Matt Ryan, Sam Loch, Francis Hegerty and Nicholas Purnell
8:00pm
Rowing – Men’s Pair Semi-final
Brodie Buckland
9:00pm
Sailing – Women’s Laser Radial Race 5 and 6
Krystal Weir
11:30pm
Basketball – Women v Brazil
Belinda Snell
Thursday 2 August
1:10am
Sailing – Women’s Elliot 6m Round Robin Races 7 & 8
Olivia Price
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