Purchase storms through his heat (From Worcester News)

Purchase storms through his heat

7:30pm Friday 30th May 2008 in Sport

WORLD Cup leader Zac Purchase hit the heights again in the foothills of the Alps, storming into tomorrow's semi-finals at the head of his Lucerne lightweight doubles heat.

But there was disappointment for Evesham Rowing Club's Alex Gregory when he pulled out hours before racing in Switzerland with a slight injury.

Purchase and GB partner Mark Hunter waited until half-way to make their move, pushing their bows in front of early pace-setters France by the 1,500-metre mark before powering away to win by clear water.

To boost the ex-King's School Worcester pupil's Beijing gold medal hopes, the chink in world champions Denmark's armour widened slightly when they stopped racing and trailed in fourth in their heat.

Worcester Rowing Club's Matt Beechey was another absentee from the GB team after being replaced in the pair by Chris Bartley, but he may return in either the pair or lightweight quadruple scull in Poland in three weeks.