OXFORDSHIRE rowers enjoyed a 100 per cent success rate in today's Olympic racing at Eton Dorney.
All Great Britain boats featuring Oxfordshire oarsmen and women progressed from their heats and repechages, with Leander's Anna Watkins setting an Olympic record in the double sculls alongside Katherine Grainger.
First up for our rowers were Wheatley's Fran Houghton and Henley's Debbie Flood in the women's quadruple sculls repechage.
Having finished last in their heat on Saturday, alarm bells were ringing when Britain were in sixth place early on.
But buoyed by the superb home crowd, they clawed their way back to third and a place in Wednesday's final, recording a time of 6mins 21.65secs.
The men's eight, featuring Oxon's Alex Partridge, Richard Egington, Matthew Langridge, Stan Louloudis and cox Phelan Hill, stormed to victory in their repechage.
They led all the way to cross the line in 5.26.85 and reasserted their medal potential ahead of Wednesday's final.
The best Oxon display of the day came from Watkins and Grainger, who roared to victory in heat one of the women's double sculls.
Despite easing up at the end, they clocked 6.43.33 to beat the previous Olympic record of 6.49.00 set in 1992.
Completing the day in style were the all-Oxfordshire men's four, Britain's flagship boat, who won their heat with a bit to spare.
The crew of Oxford's Andrew Triggs Hodge (pictured) Oxford Blue Pete Reed, Henley's Tom James and Leander's Alex Gregory eased home in 5.50.27.
But their time was behind the 5.47.06 set by gold medal rivals Australia in heat one.
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