Scott and Stratton into women’s quad world final

Hannah Scott has never missed out on a world championship final since her senior debut for Great Britain.

She kept that record intact on the Bosbann in Amsterdam as the GB quad sculls boat of Scott, fellow Northern Ireland rower Finnola Stratton, Imogen Grant and Lola Anderson finished second behind the Netherlands in Thursday's semi-final.

Through to Saturday’s final, Scott has always been involved in the biggest occasions as she won a world title in 2023 and Olympic gold in Paris a year later.

At last year's World Championships, she took silver behind the Dutch but is determined not to let that happen again.

In order to do that, the GB quartet will have to be faster off the start. While they were reeling the Dutch in over the last 500m, by then the gap was too great.

"I've been in that race with them many, many times, and I'm a bit sick of it now," said Coleraine rower Scott.

"I would like to be in a position, like in Lucerne earlier in the season [in a World Cup event], where we lead out and are in control of it.

"They've now done their jump scare and we were in control of it, which I'm happy with."

The rivalry between GB and the Netherlands will play out in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 on Saturday and, at the halfway point of the Olympic cycle, it’s an opportunity to lay down a marker.

In the other semi-final, the USA, Romania and Germany all rowed faster than the Dutch and GB boats.

"I think we need to change our mindset going into our final," added Scott.

"We've trained harder than that to show that we can be a bit more aggressive off our start, and show the training that we've put in."

Scott added that peaking for the final is important and the GB grew would "have a little bit of a revamp" in the decider.

"In a championship event you always have to rise to the occasion and rising through the rounds is sometimes the main thing.

"It's a final and I think there is more in the tank. I'm confident that we can bring another gear, so we'll see what happens."

Finnola Stratton, by contrast, is enjoying her first senior world championships just a year after winning the world under-23s.

She’s certainly not serving an apprenticeship in a boat with three Olympic champions, she is expected to deliver.

"I'm really, really excited about the final," said Stratton.

"It's been amazing to go straight from Under-23s last year to a senior World Championships this year.

"I don't think you really expect that when you're Under-23, and it's definitely been a step up, and I'm so excited."

Stratton’s family, on her mums side, from Cullybackey in County Antrim are all here to support her and along with the Scott clan from Coleraine, will be going out on Saturday night for dinner, whatever the result.

In the same semi-final as Scott and Stratton was the Irish quad that includes 19-year-old Sophia Young from Methodist College Boat Club.

They were closing strongly, but couldn’t catch Australia for third and a place in the A Final.

What makes the Irish performance particularly encouraging is that this is a new combination as Young, Emily Hegarty, Alison Bergin and Izzy Clements only recently come together, and Amsterdam is their first experience of racing together.

The Irish women’s four of Claire Feerick, Emma Waters, Aisling Hayes and Emma Fagan were also fourth and move into the B Final.