Marlow rower prepares for showdown at Henley
10:10am Friday 1st July 2011 in Sport By Alan Feldberg
Greg Searle
GREG Searle is hoping to renew rivalries with Germany at the Henley Regatta this weekend.
Marlow star Searle is part of the GB men’s eights squad competing at the event, and if both crews hit their standard they can expect to square up again in the final of the Grand Championship Cup.
GB took silver behind Germany in the 2010 World Championships and were just beaten to the line again at the first World Cup of the series, in Munich last month.
The regatta forms part of Searle’s romantic bid to win a second Olympic gold 20 years after his first.
Alongside brother Jonny, he won gold in the coxed pair in Barcelona in 1992 and has come out of retirement to make it an Olympic double on home waters next year.
The Henley Regatta is part of busy schedule for Searle.
Next week he will be in Switzerland for the final World Cup event of the series.
However, Marlow team-mate Zac Purchase won’t be at the World Cup.
He has been sidelined with a virus lately and although he is closing in on full fitness again, the Lucerne Regatta is too soon for hi.
Instead, Wycombe’s Mark Hunter will crew with Adam Freeman-Pask in the men’s lightweight double scull.
Meanwhile, Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins will pair up again now Watkins has recovered from a back niggle.
The pair were unbeatable last year but this will be their first outing together of 2011.
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