Frances is in the Great Britain W4x and is writing on the BBC Sport website
Women's quad enter final countdown
It's so hard to describe how it feels as we make the final preparations for Sunday's final.We have spent the week working on all the aspects of rowing and our racing that we think could possibly give us more boat speed.
We were pleased with our heat, and it was a good win for us, but we know that the final will be on an entirely different level.
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Chris is blogging on the WSJ China Journal
Five days into the Games now, the Olympic spirit among all the athletes here is definitely palpable. With the performances over the last few days by the swimming, fencing, and shooting teams the United States is off to a great start, and with medals being won by teams overcoming last minute obstacles such as the bronze in the men’s team gymnastics… I know that there is only more good to come.
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Fran is writing on the BBC blogs site . Seems missing the opening ceremony was the only option for the rowing crews!
Rowers having our own opening ceremony
It is now pre-pre-race day – two days to go for us, one day for the smaller boats, and just a few hours until the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, we cannot march in the stadium though, as the ceremony goes on until very late; it would be like going out for a big night out two days before racing.
It is a real shame, as the opening ceremony in Sydney was absolutely awes-inspiring and an experience I will never forget.It has inspired me every time I've thought about it since then, for everything it stands for within the Olympic movement, and for also being a moment when every athlete can say to him or herself, "Wow, I'm really here, I really have got here, I am a part of this; this is a dream come true."
Hopefully the rest of Team GB will be there in force, and gathering massive inspiration from the whole occasion.
It is a reminder for us though that the rowing comes first.
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BBC Webstream for Rowing Heats
Womens singles. Progression: first 3 go to Quarter Finals. China wins heat 1 easily. Emma Twigg for NZ wins heat 2. Karsten wins heat 3. Neykova wins heat 4 (Cuba second!). Bascelli of Italy easily beats Australia into second place in heat 5. Knapova leads easily in heat 6.
Mens singles. Progression: first 4 go to Quarter Finals. Maeyens from Belgium leads heat 1. Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand easily leads head 2. [Shock the Chinese sculler didn't show and was disqualified], Karonen from Sweden beats Hacker from Germany in heat 3. Synek commanding in heat 4 for Czech Republic. Heat 5 toughest yet: USA, Australia (Peter Hardcastle), USA (Jurkowski) and Alan Campbell of GB. Campbell sculls a mature race and wins by clear water. Heat 6 includes Rod Ideus fron Tideway Scullers who is a lightweight U23 and qualified to row for Colombia. Tufte of Norway and Hamburger of Netherlands pushing out in front. Tufte has fabulous rhythm.
Maeyens and Synek use Magik Oarlocks . Alan Campbell and Peter Hardcastle are Rowperfect users.
Womens Pairs. Progression: first to final everyone else to Repecharge. Heat 1 great line-up – could have been a final. Three crews who have won world championship golds Belarus, NZ and Canada. Belarus to the final. NZ second. Heat 2 Romania come through at 1500 to look so confident. They took 3/4 length on Germany in about 25 strokes.
Mens Pairs. Progression: First 3 go to Semi Finals; rest to Repecharge. Heat 1 Canada, USA (the brothers who sued Facebook and won!), France – who win with a great finishing sprint; Canada almost seem to give up and get third. Heat 2 Australia (Free, Ginn) have such a clear lead and dominate from the front. Heat 2 includes New Zealand (Twaddle and Bridgewater) and Chalupa stroking the Czech crew who only qualified because the Austrians withdrew. Skelin Brothers for Croatia don't look like they are in the same competition. New Zealand win.
Womens Double Sculls. Progression: first to Final, rest to Repecharge. Heat 1 the Kiwi twins are leading with confidence – 6 seconds ahead of the rest on the line. Heat 2 the Chinese world champions (just) beat the Czechs into second. GB third. Wonderful challenge by the Czechs – should have gone a bit later, might have had the jump on the Chinese. Wicked sprint from the Chinese after challenge from Czechs Antosova and Varekova.
Mens Double Sculls. Progression: First three to Semi Finals, rest to Repecharge. Heat 1 Belarus lead out from New Zealand and USA (Coached by Tim McLaren). Great race – if the Belarussians get their pace judgment right they could be very dangerous later in the regatta. Kiwis win in the sprint to the line. Heat 2 Estonia (Juri Janssen and Tonu Endrekson) lead out challenged later by Great Britain (Wells and Rowbotham) who win with Croatia second as Estonians fade. Heat 3 Chinese don't show AGAIN. No reason given, just DNS (did not start). Slovenia, France, Australia the crews to watch. Aussies win but it seems strange that the Slovenians backed off.
The British double have used Rowperfect this year for the first time and Estonians are also Rowperfect users (from WAY back) as are Dave Crawshaw from Australia, he's the hunk on the front page of the Rowperfect brochure – rowing by the ocean.
Mens Fours. Progression: first three to Semi Finals, rest to Repecharge. Heat 1 Great Britain in the middle lane with the USA and Italians also in the hunt. GB holding the Italians off nicely through the second half of the race. Heat 2 the Dutch are strong. Slovenians row really nicely. Dutch hold off the Kiwi late challenge. Same time as previous heat. Nothing to learn from the times except it'll be a great semi final and final. Heat 3 Ireland, Australia – rowing beautifully. Poise at the finish keeping the body leaning back while the handle continues to move around and lead onto the recovery. Ireland beat them in the sprint for the line. Jonno Devlin formerly of GB switching to row for them probably in order to get this trip to race in the Olympics.
Irish use Magik Gates.
