British Olympian Alan Campbell set a course record in winning his Diamond Challenge single sculls heat at the Henley Royal Regatta on Thursday.
Campbell rowed to the Barrier _ 2,089 feet (637 meters) _ in 2 minutes, 4 seconds, a second faster than the previous record by three-time world champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.
Drysdale won his heat, along with Olympic champion Olaf Tufte of Norway, Belgian Olympian Tim Maeyens and Zhang Shumying, the first Chinese to win a heat at Henley.
British Olympic champions Andy Hodge and Peter Reed easily defeated Andrew Walker and John Huppi from Tulane Rowing Association in the Silver Goblet event for international coxless pairs.
Hodge and Reed _ racing for local clubs Molesey and Leander _ powered to an early lead that they never relinquished.
In the same event, Max French and Pete Stevens of Worcester Polytechnic Institute lost by five lengths to their English opponents from Oxford Brookes University and alumni club Taurus.
The New York Athletic Club and Camp Randall of the United States made a successful start in the Visitors' Cup, beating a composite from University of Queensland, Australia, and Cambridge University.
Four Score and Four Rowing Club from the U.S. made the quarterfinals of the Thames Cup for club eights.
In the Ladies' Plate for intermediate eights, MIT beat an experienced crew from Molesey, England, which included former Olympic champion Jonny Searle.
The lightweight eight from Princeton University looked impressive as it powered to a win in the Temple Cup against Newcastle University of England. Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus of the Netherlands defeated Bates College of the U.S. by nearly two lengths in round of 16.
