BEIJING 2008: Egington through to Sunday's final (From Warrington Guardian)

BEIJING 2008: Egington through to Sunday's final

8:36am Monday 11th August 2008 in Sport By Mike Parsons

RICHARD Egington and his crewmates are through to the final of the men's eight Olympic rowing competition on Sunday.

Team GB, with Warrington's Egington in seat four, led from the front after the 500m mark to finish first in the delayed second heat at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park lake this morning.

Yesterday's scheduled race was postponed due to poor weather but the former Lymm High School pupil and his fellow oarsmen did not allow the setback to upset their rhythm.

They finished the 2,000 metre course more than three seconds ahead of second-placed USA in 5mins 25.89secs.

Egington, aged 29, became the first ever Warrington-born Olympian with this morning's race.

Canada qualified from heat one in 5mins 27.69secs while there will be a repechage tomorrow, Tuesday, to decide the other two qualifiers for Sunday's final.