3 Aug 2012

Rowing duo find perfect chemistry for medal success

Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins both have their own tales of Olympic agony despite four medals between them. Now the pair team up to go for gold in the double scull event at London 2012.

Katherine Grainger is Britain’s most successful Olympic female rower and was awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to rowing.

Originally from Glasgow, Grainger studied at Edinburgh University, where she took up rowing in 1993.

The 36-year-old has won three consecutive Olympic silver medals, twice in the rowing quad and once in the coxless pairs in Sydney with Cath Bishop. She celebrated the first in Sydney but the third, in Beijing four years ago, left her inconsolable.

Considered retirement

Sick of always being the bridesmaid, Grainger spent months considering retirement before eventually deciding on one more shot for gold in London.

For this Olympic campaign Grainger switched to the scull, in which rowers power the boat with an oar in each hand rather than a single oar in two hands.

After a year in the single sculls she eventually doubled up with a new partner.

Staffordshire-born Anna Watkins was herself an Olympic medallist with a bronze from Beijing in the double scull.

‘Perfect combination’

Like Grainger, the 29-year-old knows what it is like to come agonisingly close to gold, with just 0.23 separating the three Beijing medallists.

The duo, coached by Paul Thompson, were described by the sport’s governing body as the “perfect combination” and were praised for winning their world title in “dominating style” at the 2010 World Championships in New Zealand.

Grainger herself has described her partnership with Watkins as having “a little bit of the x-factor”.

They were named 2010 World Rowing Female Crew of the Year and at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Slovenia maintained their title as World Champions by leading their race from the start.

Healthy rivalry

The pair also continue a healthy sporting rivalry in the single scull.

At the 2011 GB Rowing Team Senior Trials held on 16-17 April at Eton/Dorney, Grainger was beaten into second place in by Watkins, thereby breaking her seven-year unbeaten record.

Grainger has also found time to study towards a PhD in homicide.

Since Grainger and Watkins’ partnership was first forged in 2010, the Britain’s female double scull crew have never been beaten.

If they can extend that winning run to 23 races, Grainger and Watkins will be Olympic champions at last.