Rowing: Ginn makes successful return at Henley

Drew Ginn. Photo / Getty Images

Triple Olympic gold medallist Drew Ginn has made a successful return to international competition at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta in England.

Ginn combined with Joshua Dunkley-Smith, Nicholas Purnell and Sam Loch in the men's four to defeat a Swiss crew by a length in the quarter-final of the Steward's Challenge Cup at the historic regatta.

The quartet will face off with the United States in the semi-finals.

Australia's men's quad scull team will also compete in a semi-final on Saturday night (NZT) after defeating 2008 Olympic champions Poland in the quarter-finals of the Queen Mother Challenge Cup.

The crew of Daniel Noonan (NSW), Karsten Forsterling (VIC), James McRae (SA) and Chris Morgan (SA) will face current world champions, Croatia.

Both Australian women quad sculls began their campaigns with excellent victories, sweeping aside their opposition in the quarter-finals.

Amy Clay (NSW), Brooke Pratley (NSW), Sarah Cook (ACT) and Sally Kehoe (Qld) won by a comfortable margin, while the composite quad scull crew of Alice McNamara (Vic), Kim Crow (Vic), Kerry Hore (Tas) and Hannah Every-Hall (Qld) also won with ease. Both Australian crews now face the United States in the semi-finals.

Will Lockwood (Vic) and Brodie Buckland (NSW) won the clash of the Australian men's pair crews, defeating lightweight combination Ali Foot (Tas) and Rod Chisholm (NSW) in the Silver Goblets and Nickalls Challenge Cup.

Olympic champions David Crawshay (Vic) and Scott Brennan (Tas) marked their return to the international scene with a win in the men's double scull, and they were joined in the semi-finals by James Chapman (NSW) and Jared Bidwell (QLD).

Chapman also progressed to the semi-final of the men's single scull, along with compatriot Nicholas Hudson (NSW).

- AAP