History was in the making for the Women’s four (W4-) of Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten, who won GB’s first medal in their boat class on the sixth day of the Olympic Rowing Regatta in Paris.

Holding tight to the leading Dutch boat through the entire race and trading bow balls in the last 250m, it was the closest of margins across the line, but ultimately a silver medal for GB.

Four time Olympian and three time Olympic medallist Helen Glover said: “You expect tight racing in an Olympic final and that’s what we got today. You just have to put it all out there and have no regrets that you could’ve done something differently. We can hold our heads high because we raced together with lots of heart – we should be proud coming away with a medal.

“There are mixed emotions right now – on the one hand we had the potential to win, on the other hand we know that nothing is a given. For the rest of my boat this is their first ever Olympic medal – that’s a huge achievement and we have to celebrate it.

“My family are thrilled – beaming smiles from them in the grandstand. They’ve loved every minute of watching their mummy race at the Olympics. Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and I have worked so hard to break into the team as mums and now we’re reaping the reward. We’ve fought those battles now, so every single mother who comes after us will have a journey based on performance rather than proving that they can do it.”

Rebecca said: “Obviously everyone wants a gold medal, but this is still a fantastic achievement in its own right. This field is a tough one full of fantastic women, and we’re a part of that. It means everything to have an Olympic medal around your neck – I’ve loved the journey I’ve been on with this boat since before Tokyo. This also means so much for Northern Ireland – we’ve had medals for the last two days (Hannah Scott winning gold in the Women’s quad) and it’s so good for the country.”

Esme said: “Sam and I both came in after Tokyo and our journey has always felt like we’re building towards something special. It really does mean a lot to me – my first Olympics, my first Olympic medal. We went out there, followed our race plan and gave it everything we had.

“I really trust in these three girls and our coach James and I believe that we delivered our best performance today. What’s next is a massive question – there was so much sacrifice leading into this that everyone wants to go home and see their families. You need to take time and reflect about what’s next, but LA 2028 is a very exciting prospect.”

Photo credit: Steve McArthur / Row360

The Team GB Rowing Squad’s second medal came in the Men’s four (M4-); an exciting bronze won by Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson. Racing in a stacked field, the four moved up from sixth place through the 500m to finish behind the USA boat in gold, with silver going to the New Zealanders.

Freddie said: “It’s been a difficult road to get here but I’m immensely proud of the race we put together today. We kept our heads in the boat whilst we were fighting through the back of the field and we’ve got a medal around our necks to show for it. Last year we had a smooth run of things and this year we’ve had more challenges. It’s just testament to how quick those guys are. The Kiwis and the USA were absolutely unreal and we’ve got to take our hats off to them, shake their hands and say well done.

David said: “I sensed we were dead last out of the blocks and we might have been. It doesn’t matter where you are at the start, it depends where you are at the end. We watched the Women’s quad yesterday – that was a good race to have in the back of our minds as a confidence builder. It was inspiring to see, and our coach Christian (men’s coach Christian Felkel) told us to focus on that.”

Oli said: “This has been a long time coming and it hasn’t been a smooth ride for me – a couple of years ago I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I was a reserve in Tokyo, the following year I got Covid and was replaced for the rest of the season, so two years out from the Olympics it wasn’t looking good for me. The rest is history. We went unbeaten last season, World Champions, and I’m so proud and so pleased to have been part of this crew. We’ve been through thick and thin together, I’d say. It’s really what teamwork is made of, and friendship. It’s hard to put it into words, but I’m immensely proud. I’ll keep an open mind about what’s next but I’m really proud of what we’ve done. It’s been epic to be with these guys.”

Matt said: “We got to the point a couple of weeks out where I was like, you know what, we’re not going into this as favourites anymore and to me that took a huge amount of pressure off. And I think that makes this even sweeter. Of course you dream of winning, but I’m incredibly proud of the performance we put out. This has made the last three and a bit years completely worthwhile.”

Photo credit: Steve McArthur / Row360

Six weeks ago the Women’s double sculls (W2x) of Becky Wilde and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne didn’t know they would be at the Olympics, let alone on the start line of the A Final. Coming through the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in May (known as the ‘Regatta of Death’ in the rowing world) as a newly-formed crew, it was the podium and a phenomenal bronze medal to end the season for this crew and their coach Tom Pattichis.

The double went out like the clappers and led through the first 500m of the race. Thereafter they kept contact on the leading crews from New Zealand and Romania right down the lake, holding off multiple charges from the Dutch crew and crossing the line cleanly to win their medal.

Mathilda, who became the first mum to win a medal for Team GB rowing, said: “I don’t have any words. We weren’t meant to qualify and now we’re bronze medallists?! For rowing and sport in general, having a child shouldn’t be the end of your career. Helen and I are proving that. The support around us has shown us what is possible – I couldn’t have done this without the flexibility and understanding of both Becky and our coach Tom. This time last year I wasn’t even back in centralised training and Becky wasn’t part of the team, so the three of us together with Andy’s programme (women’s head coach, Andrew Randell) now have a bronze medal!”

“My son Freddie stops the pressure of rowing from becoming overwhelming. Even at Qualifiers I just thought ‘it’s ok no matter what happens, I’ll see him in 45 minutes.’ He has no idea his mum has just won an Olympic bronze medal – he’ll be told about it in years to come and know that he was part of that journey.”

Becky Wilde’s focus in her boat was so absolute that she didn’t believe they’d won bronze until the scoreboard lit up. At only her third international competition, she said: “It’s still sinking in – it’ll take a while to sink in. It was in the back of our minds that we could medal given what we were doing in training, but to actually go out there and prove that we can do it is incredible. Our Head Coach said to us at Final Qualifiers that there is always one crew that surprises, and we wanted to be that crew. To have done that makes all the hard work we’ve put in with our coach Tom worth it – he’s been incredible, and we have to thank him for that.”

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They led the race throughout before being pipped on the line by Romania, but had done enough to become Olympic finalists.

Becky, speaking to the media at only her third international event said: “When I think about it, it’s unbelievable. If you’d told me I would’ve made the Olympic final having gone through final qualifying (the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in May) and making my debut this year, I would never have believed you. It’s always a dream, but to have done it is still sinking in.”

On the results coming in from the rest of Team GB’s rowers, she said: “It helps knowing the team is in such a good position. We’ve watched the results all week and we’ve seen how strong all the crews have looked. Watching the Women’s eight race yesterday and seeing how strong they were in the final 500m we were like – we’ve done the same training as them, we can do that.”

Mathilda commented: “My aim was to follow Becky and showcase what we can do – I think from that we’ve shown what we’re capable of and I’m excited to see what we can do in the final.

“I didn’t consider Freddy (her two year old son) during the race! I just needed to stay in time with Becky but I’m looking forward to seeing him later. In a small boat, having a bigger support network of family and friends around is important, because otherwise there’s a lot of pressure for both of us to keep each other going. I’m not saying we can’t do that, but there’s only one person to turn to. So having those friends and family just relieves pressure from each other.”

The action hots up even further tomorrow (Wednesday, 31 July) with five GB crews racing in three semi finals and then the first two medal finals of the Olympic Rowing Regatta!

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It was another dominant row for the Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x) of Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgie Brayshaw. They led throughout and won their heat, finishing 4 seconds faster than the Dutch, who won the first heat. They are now through to the final on Wednesday.

Georgie said: “The first race I always feel is the most nerve wracking – figuring out how the field has moved on. Now it’s just building on that for the final. It’s about remembering that this is the same 2km lake as everywhere else I’ve ever rowed – just trying to block out everything else that’s happening. It’s the Olympics and it’s so special but that doesn’t matter when we’re racing, we’ll think about that later.”

Lauren said: “It’s very exciting to get the first race down and take the win from the heat. I think now we focus, keep very internal and focus our intention of preparing ourselves as best as we can for Wednesday’s final. That’s where the big dance is, the race we’ve been preparing for all this time. Really pleased but excited to see what we can do on Wednesday. “

On being favourites, Lola added: “We try to block out all the noise of coming in as favourites. We have had seasons before where we’ve come in as underdogs and had great results, then come in as favourites and havent come on top. It doesn’t make any difference to us, we just try to respond to whatever the crews are doing on the day and move with them.”

Photo credit: Steve McArthur / Row360

The Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x) of Tom Barras, Callum Dixon, Matt Haywood and Graeme Thomas are also through to Wednesday’s final, with a second place finish in their heat.

Callum said: “What gives us confidence is this saying we’ve always had – the water, the wind and the waves don’t know it’s the Olympic Games. So it’s different because you’ve got five other boats side by side but internally we’re running the same processes, rowing the same patterns. There’s a lot of confidence to be taken from that.”

On making his Olympic debut, Matt said: “It was really good to get my first race in at my first Olympics. We’ve definitely got a lot of stuff to work on, but it was a good first round to get done. All eyes on the final next week. I think you’ve got to think of this as another race – as soon as you start to think about it as an Olympics, nerves will build and panic starts to set in. It’s just another race – there are less crews and we’ve faced them all before. It’s the same people, we have to focus on that.

“The thing that’s so different is the crowd – there are so many people. This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. From the 1000m mark you have people screaming and shouting the whole way, and to know my family and friends are there and supporting from home, it really adds to it.”

Photo credit: Steve McArthur / Row360

The first race of the day saw Becky Wilde and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne finish second in the Women’s double sculls (W2x), booking their place in the semi final.

Becky said: “I think that was a really solid start, we’ve all had really great training camps so I’m glad we could go out and show that in our race today. It’s a relief that we got to the start line in one piece, it’s a dream come true. I’m really glad we have had a good start to the regatta.”

Mathilda added: “This Olympics is so different to the last one now that I’m a mum. I’m grateful that I have friends and family out here – we have a big support network and that really helps. We’re learning every time, this is the first time we’ve avoided the repechage. We’ve had some solid training blocks so I’m excited to see what we can do each time we race. From all three heats the results are all over the place so I can’t predict who will be in the final, but it’s a very exciting event to be a part of.”

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Of the 23 women and 19 men, 50% are making their Olympic debut and 50% are returning Olympians. These include double Olympic Champion Helen Glover, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Tom Barras and Team GB’s only brother and sister, Tom and Emily Ford.

“Team GB has an impressive Olympic tradition in rowing, and I am delighted to welcome the 42 athletes that have been selected today for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” commented Team GB Chef de Mission, Mark England.

“The Olympic experience in this squad is huge, and I have no doubt it will be an asset to the 21 athletes who will make their Olympic debut in Paris this summer. Team GB is also set to include more women than men in the team for a second successive Games and it is fantastic to see two mothers, Helen Glover and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne, named as part of the team today.

“Our rowers have posted some outstanding results this season and I am sure the crews will relish the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of their friends, family, and Team GB fans as they race the Olympic course at the National Olympic Nautical Stadium of Île-de-France in Paris this July.”

Commenting on the team selection, 91ÌÒÉ« Director of Performance Louise Kingsley, who will be Rowing Team Leader in Paris, said: “This Olympic cycle has come with a few challenges along the way, but the athletes, support staff and coaches have really pulled together to create a fantastic atmosphere, culture and training environment that has lead to impressive results on the water. We qualified nine boats at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and added a tenth most recently at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Now, we have selected a very strong team of athletes with a good mix of returning and first-time Olympians who I know are relishing the opportunity to go out there and write a unique chapter in the legacy of the GB Rowing Team.”

Olympic Regatta Results and more

Meet the crews:

Women’s four (W4-)

Photo: Team GB

Double Olympic champion and mum of three, Helen Glover is joined by returning Olympian Rebecca Shorten alongside Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave who are both making their Olympic debuts. This crew formed at the start of the 2024 season and are unbeaten this year having won gold at World Rowing Cup I, World Rowing Cup II and the European Rowing Championships.

Helen said: “Selection for my fourth Games feels different because the first time I still had this disbelief that I was becoming an Olympian! A huge reason for aiming for Paris was thinking how great it will be to have my family there to watch and support me and being able to share all of this with them is so special.

“Our four has a very good mix of Rebecca’s experience and the new energy of Esme and Sam and I do really feel more emotional for them than myself, seeing them enjoy this for the first time and getting their first Olympic vest. I love celebrating other people, so seeing them have this experience today and witnessing them enjoying this for the first time is amazing. I’m so fortunate that I’ve rowed with the most phenomenal people throughout my career
 It’s exactly the same here in our four and I’m really enjoying working with them.”

Men’s four (M4-)

Photo: Team GB

The four has medalled at every event this Olympiad (nine gold, one silver, one bronze). Identified as part of the ‘Project Paris’ group in 2020, Oli Wilkes, Matt Aldridge and old school friends, David Ambler and Freddie Davidson will all be making their Olympic debuts in Paris.

Oli said: “It’s very surreal to be selected for our first Games. I never really thought this would be a possibility and it feels so special. It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s a brilliant opportunity. There’s a lot more to a Games, but we want to keep thinking about it as another race, to not get overwhelmed by the occasion and to focus on the job at hand!”

Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x)

Photo: Team GB

Emily Craig and Imogen Grant are reuniting for Paris after missing the podium in Tokyo by just 0.01 seconds and only 0.5 seconds off gold. Since then, Emily has kept a print out of that photo finish on her living room wall. Stepping on this cycle, the double are one of only two crews in the World to remain unbeaten this Olympiad. They have the chance to make history by becoming the last ever Olympic medallists in this event.

Emily said: “Double Olympian sounds crazy! Being an Olympian the first time round was something I had dreamt of since I was 12 years old, so going to two Olympics is even more out there! I thought I would be one and done, and here I am back for Paris!”

Men’s pair (M2-)

Photo: Team GB

Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George won bronze at the Tokyo games in the Men’s eight. They switched to the Men’s pair after taking a year out to study at Cambridge and compete in the Boat Race. They have been on the podium at every race this cycle (seven gold, three silver, one bronze), won their first championship title at the 2024 European Rowing Championships, and are unbeaten in 2024.

Ollie said: “Last time GB won gold in the pair was Redgrave and Pinsent in 1996 and that was the only gold for Team GB at that Games. That’s when Lottery funding started and that makes it even more special to be in this boat class and to try to emulate what those guys did. It’s nice to have the opportunity to put our little piece of history in the much bigger puzzle that is Team GB.

“For me, having friends and family in Paris will be amazing as it gives them the opportunity to watch and support us in something that will seem almost like a home Games. To share that with them, whatever the result, is something really special.”

Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x)

Photo: Team GB

Hannah Scott returns after racing the quad in Tokyo. She is joined by first time Olympians, Lola Anderson, Georgie Brayshaw, and Lauren Henry. The quad were crowned World and European champions in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Lauren, the youngest athlete in the squad said: “It’s amazing and a dream come true to be selected. I want to thank everyone who has helped to get me to this point, my parents, coaches and teammates. It’s incredible being the youngest in the team. I remember being on a junior training camp and the coach said ‘one of you could still make the Paris team’ and I thought ‘I want that to be me!’, so to actually do it is amazing. I might be the youngest but I know I’m surrounded by a great group of experienced people and am confident in my performance and results. Ultimately, we still have a job to do and want to get a result in Paris that we can be proud of.”

Men’s eight (M8+)

Photo: Team GB

Tokyo bronze medallists Jacob Dawson, Charlie Elwes, James Rudkin and Tom Ford are joined in the eight by returning Olympians Sholto Carnegie and Rory Gibbs. Morgan Bolding was a reserve in Tokyo and will therefore make his Olympic debut along with Tom Digby, and cox, Harry Brightmore. The eight are double European and double World Champions this cycle. They are coached by Men’s eight Sydney 2000 gold medallist, Steve Trapmore.

Tom said: “It’s always amazing to be told you are selected for Team GB. For me, knowing that my sister Emily has also been selected for her second Games (in the Women’s eight) is huge. It’s a really proud moment for our family. Sharing this experience with Emily is just brilliant.”

Women’s eight (W8+)

Photo: Team GB

Heidi Long, Holly Dunford, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart and Annie Campbell-Orde are all making their Olympic debuts. Hattie Taylor and Rowan McKellar have switched from the four in Tokyo while Emily Ford is the only returning athlete from the eight in 2020. Cox Henry Fieldman won bronze in the Tokyo GB men’s eight and will make history as the first male to cox a female boat for GB at the Olympic Games.

On making her Olympic debut, Heidi said: “It’s something that myself, my family and friends have been working towards for a very long time, so the fact that it’s here still feels surreal. Everyday I’m trying to keep focussed on rowing and what we are trying to achieve but I also want to enjoy and feel the excitement of all these special moments like being here today and going to kitting out. It takes a village to get to this point and knowing that my friends and family will be in Paris to support the whole team will hopefully inspire and encourage us to have the best time of our lives.”

Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)

Photo: Team GB

Tokyo silver medallist Tom Barras is joined by Olympic debutants Callum Dixon and Matt Haywood. Completing the quad is Graeme Thomas, who raced in the double in Tokyo and was selected for Rio 2016, where he was heartbreakingly taken ill before having a chance to take to the water.

Second-time Olympian, Tom said: “Olympic selection is awesome. It’s a huge moment in an athlete’s life. It’s the build up of so many years of training, hard work and effort. All the miles we put in at training camps, the frustration and the enjoyment, it all culminates in this
 selection for the greatest show on earth! Winning the silver in Tokyo was a brilliant, magical experience and I hope we can continue to build on that.”

Women’s pair (W2-)

Photo: Team GB

Switching from the Women’s eight in Tokyo to the pair in Paris are Chloe Brew and Rebecca Edwards. Chloe’s father, Paul, swam for Team GB at Seoul 1988, while Rebecca’s proudest moment was winning World Cup gold in the Women’s eight in Lucerne in 2023.

Rebecca said: “Selection for a second Olympics is incredible. I always believed I could do it and I’m proud of myself for sticking through the hard times and for enjoying the good times and it’s so rewarding to feel I’ve got to this point. Chloe is my best friend in rowing, we live together, we row together so sharing this with her is pretty special and we are ready for it!”

Women’s double sculls (W2x)

Photo: Team GB

Becky Wilde and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne qualified the double for the Games just two weeks ago. Becky joined the senior team this season and has only raced internationally at the 2024 European Championships and the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Mathilda returns from Tokyo having taken time away from the team to have her son, Freddie. Now two, Freddie is enjoying supporting his mother on her Olympic journey.

Mathilda said: “The reality of us qualifying is starting to sink in! I’ve enjoyed the journey this time around and it’s great that my family and son Freddie can come out to Paris to support us. Becky is great to race with because she is fearless and energetic and I feel like we are really bringing out the best in each other.”

Team GB Rowing team

Women’s eight (W8+)

Heidi Long (Leander Club/Marlow RC)
Rowan McKellar (Leander Club/Broxbourne RC)
Holly Dunford (Molesey BC)
Emily Ford (Leander Club)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club/Durham University/Chester-le-Street ARC)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club)
Hattie Taylor (Leander Club/Sir William Perkins’s School)
Annie Campbell-Orde (Nottingham RC/Leander Club)
Henry Fieldman (cox) (Leander Club)
Coach: Richard Chambers 

Men’s eight (M8+)

Sholto Carnegie (Leander Club/Marlow RC)
Rory Gibbs (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Jacob Dawson (Leander Club/Plymouth ARC)
Charlie Elwes (Leander Club)
Tom Digby (Oxford Brookes University BC/Griffen BC)
James Rudkin (Newcastle University BC/Hollowell Scullers)
Tom Ford (Leander Club)
Harry Brightmore (cox) (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Steve Trapmore

Women’s four (W4-)

Helen Glover (Marlow RC)
Esme Booth (Leander Club/Stratford upon Avon BC)
Sam Redgrave (Leander Club/Norwich RC)
Rebecca Shorten (Imperial College BC)
Coach: James Harris

Men’s four (M4-)

Oli Wilkes (Oxford Brookes University BC)
David Ambler (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Matt Aldridge (Oxford Brookes University BC/Christchurch RC)
Freddie Davidson (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coaches: Christian Felkel/Dan Moore

Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x)

Lauren Henry (Leicester RC)
Hannah Scott (Bann RC/Leander Club)
Lola Anderson (Leander Club/Newcastle University BC)
Georgie Brayshaw (Leander Club)
Coach: Andrew Randell

Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)

Tom Barras (Burway RC/Leander Club)
Callum Dixon (Twickenham RC)
Matt Haywood (Nottingham RC/Burton Leander RC)
Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC)
Coach: Paul Stannard

Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x)

Emily Craig (University of London BC)
Imogen Grant (Cambridge University BC)
Coach: Darren Whiter

Women’s double sculls (W2x)

Becky Wilde (Leander Club/Bath University BC)
Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne (Upper Thames RC)
Coach: Tom Pattichis

Men’s pair (M2-)

Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Leander Club/Cambridge University BC)
Tom George (Leander Club/Cambridge University BC)
Coaches: Christian Felkel/Dan Moore

Women’s pair (W2-)

Chloe Brew (Leander Club/Plymouth ARC)
Rebecca Edwards (Leander Club)
Coach: Tom Pattichis

Reserves

Photo: Team GB

Olivia Bates (Nottinghamshire County RA/University of Nottingham BC)
Lucy Glover (Edinburgh University BC/Warrington RC)
James Robson (Leander Club/Newcastle University BC)
Will Stewart (Leander Club)

Team Management, Coaching and Support staff

Louise Kingsley, Team Leader
Tom Dyson, Deputy Team Leader
Jo Bates, Team Manager
Maurice Hayes, Resources Manager
Andrew Randell, Head Coach – Women
James Harris, Women’s Coach
Darren Whiter, Women’s Coach
Richard Chambers, Women’s Coach
Tom Pattichis, Women’s Coach
Paul Stannard, Head Coach – Men
Dan Moore, Men’s Coach
Steve Trapmore, Men’s Coach
Christian Felkel, Men’s Coach
Ann Redgrave, Team Doctor
Penny Stern, Team Physiotherapist
Emma Stewart, Team Physiotherapist
Gareth Turner, Sports Scientist
Molly Lloyd-Jones, Sports Scientist
Shelley Wyatt, Team GB Press Officer
Paul Cobbett, Regatta Support
John Gearing, Regatta Support
Dan Lockey, Regatta Support

Crew photos: Team GB

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It was mixed emotions for Great Britain on the final day of racing at the 2024 World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. In the pouring rain and under grey skies, the Women’s double sculls triumphed in their quest to qualify for the Olympic Games. Sadly, George Bourne fell short in the Men’s single sculls.

The Final Olympic Qualification Regatta is a brutal event, known as ‘the Regatta of Death’ in the rowing world. Its all or nothing approach sees athletes from across the world competing on the Rotsee to cross the finish line in first or second place, to win the biggest prize – a chance to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Success for the Women’s double sculls means GB now has ten boats on the start line at the Games.

Emotions were high as Becky Wilde and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne crossed the Women’s double sculls (W2x) finish line in second place to qualify for Paris. Their route to the final saw them finish second in their heat before going on to win the repechage.

Speaking after the race with her two year old son Freddie in her arms, Mathilda said: “When I became pregnant it changed my outlook on things. I don’t think having a baby should be the end of your career. My identity is a mum, but also an athlete and I’m definitely a better mum for rowing and I’m a much better athlete for him. So if anyone out there is considering whether it’s possible or not, it’s hard –  your recovery is terrible at times but you never get stuck in a stress bubble and luckily I’ve got a really great doubles partner in Becky and a coach who makes it possible to go out there with childcare and things. They’re flexible. Things are changing – you can have a child and carry on. Helen (Glover) is showing that too – I hope that the two of us inspire some people going forwards.”

On the race, she added: “We stayed [focused] in our boat the whole way through. In our heat I was too reactive to the crews around us. We said we wanted to do our best race and put that together, and that happened. I was aware that more and more crews were coming behind us. I said to Becky we were just counting down strokes – it was such a relief to get through the finish line. I’m still in shock, I’m mainly relieved. Our biggest project was trying to qualify, so I’m excited to see what we can do now.”

A tearful but overjoyed Becky said: “I’m in shock. I don’t know what happened there. It’s been a lot of hard work and there have been some downs as well as some ups. It’s been tough, but Tom Pattichis, our coach, has been brilliant. I can’t believe we’ve qualified for Paris
 It’ll take a while to settle in. I was listening to Mathilda’s words the whole way down, listening to what she was saying and trying to to think about anything or anyone else. In the last 200m I just wanted to get to the line. We’re going to have a few days off then all eyes on Paris and see what we can do there.”

George Bourne battled through the rounds in the Men’s single sculls (M1x), winning his heat and quarter final and finishing a close second in the semi final before booking his spot in the A final, where he missed out on qualification with a fifth place finish. “It’s gutting that it just didn’t go to plan today.” A disappointed George said, “That’s racing and I just need to pick myself up. If I look at the big picture, I’m proud of myself and have believed in myself the whole way through but sometimes that’s just life. You can only do your best and that’s what I’ve tried to do the last few days.”

Commenting on the results, Louise Kingsley, 91ÌÒÉ« Director of Performance said: “The Final Olympic Qualification Regatta is always a big test. All credit to George, he went out and gave it all he could but it just wasn’t to be today. But I’m really pleased for the Women’s double, that’s a great addition to our team for Paris.”

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Topping the medal table, Sunday saw four gold medals and a silver added to the four gold and bronze from Saturday. Highlights include a ‘clean sweep’ of golds across the men’s sweep boats, medals for all 10 Para rowing athletes, and gold for both the Women’s four and Women’s quad.

Louise Kingsley, Director of Performance at 91ÌÒÉ« said: “It’s been a great weekend and it’s promising to see us top the medal table once again. We are still learning and building through this season, but performances this weekend have put us in a good place as we look towards the Olympic and Paralympic Games later this year.”

Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George were sublime in the Men’s pair (M2-) finishing the race to win their first championship title since they moved into the pair. “Obviously it’s nice.” Tom said: “It’s a good marker and a checking point. We talk about it all the time but the big one is the Olympics. It’s good to learn how to win and win in different ways and different conditions. Today was a good example of that. It’s amazing – we’re European Champions and that’s really cool.”

Credit: Benedict Tufnell / 91ÌÒÉ«

The Men’s four (M4-) of Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson took the gold despite windy conditions on the lake. Freddie said: “We’ve done quite a lot of stuff in some windy conditions in training camp so I think that helped us, but it’s obviously a different beast in six-lane racing versus just doing pieces on our own. I think it took quite a lot of commitment through the middle of the race to get ourselves back into it and lead it and to build our rhythm from there. We said after our heat we didn’t just want to sit or be satisfied, so we had a real focus of just doing our own piece and to be happy with where we were. I think that helped us during the long race because we had quite a simple plan. Obviously there’s still a bit to improve but it worked well for us.”

David added: “Obviously we want to get the win so we’re happy with that, because we’ve only had a week and a half to turn around and improve after falling short in Varese. There’s now three weeks until the next race and we can work on quite a lot of things in that time. There’s a lot of positives to take away, but we know there are a lot of really good crews to come in and the Italians are always going to be a force to be reckoned with. We worked hard and focused after World Cup I, if anything, having a slightly disappointing second place at the World Cup galvanised us into getting our eyes on the prize, sometimes you need a kick up the backside to do it.”

Credit: Benedict Tufnell / 91ÌÒÉ«

Another dominant crew were Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson in the PR2 Mixed double sculls (PR2 Mix2x), winning back to back European titles. Gregg said: “This is my first double medal. We won the Europeans last year so to come here and do it again is pretty special. This is a springboard now, we’ve worked hard over the winter and we know what we have to do.

Lauren dedicated the win to her partner and five week old baby, “Five weeks ago my partner Jude gave birth to our son and so today was for Noah and Jude – I was thinking about our little boy in the last 500m. I was getting emotional being away from him so I definitely did it for them. To be out here and to be able to execute this is amazing. And to have Gregg supporting me through that – he’s trusted me the whole way and trust is a key part of this partnership.”

Credit: Benedict Tufnell / 91ÌÒÉ«

Frankie Allen, Josh O’Brien, Giedre Rakauskaite, Ed Fuller and cox Erin Kennedy continued the unbeaten run in the PR3 Mixed coxed four (PR3 Mix4+), dominating the race and finishing thirteen seconds ahead of France. Ed said: “It was our first race in this combination and the first race of the Paralympic cycle, so this crew is constantly learning and this race was another step in this journey. We’re racing three times this year including the Paralympic Games, so we’re going to keep building, keep progressing, keep our noses to the grindstone and keep pushing on for the one race that matters at the start of September which is the Paralympics.”

Credit: Benedict Tufnell / 91ÌÒÉ«

Newcomer Josh, making his international debut, added: “European champion sounds pretty good. It’s very exciting going out there for my first final today. We executed the race plan really well and I’m just so pleased. We had a big block of winter training at Caversham in pretty tough conditions, and we went out there today and executed our race plan brilliantly. It’s great.”

It was a solid silver for the Women’s eight (W8+) of Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Holly Dunford, Eve Stewart, Lauren Irwin, Emily Ford, Hattie Taylor, Annie Campbell-Orde, and cox Henry Fieldman. Eve said: “The race was good, we got off to a really good start and a good rhythm. It was disappointing that we couldn’t hold off the Romanians, but we’re learning every race and moving on. We’re in front of Italy in this race who pipped us at the end of the last race, so we’re happy with what we’ve done but hungry for more.”

George Bourne continued to build his experience in the Men’s single sculls (M1x) final, placing sixth. Rebecca Edwards and Chloe Brew were fifth in the Women’s pair (W2-). Earlier in the day, the Women’s and Men’s double sculls (M2x and W2x) B finals saw Becky Wilde and Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne finish seventh and Seb Devereux and John Collins finish ninth respectively.

The post Great Britain tops medal table for third consecutive year at the European Rowing Championships appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

, which took place last weekend, is renowned for its impressive range of cups and trophies. One of these, the London Cup and medal for open elite single sculls, has long been regarded as one of the most prestigious prizes in rowing. The cup presented to the winner dates from 1866 and the matching solid silver medal, which is awarded to the winner to keep, has the cup depicted on it.

In 2020 the organising committee decided to introduce a similar prize for the women’s elite sculls and to dedicate it to Sophie Hosking MBE, who was 2012 Olympic Champion in the Lightweight Double Sculls with Kat Copeland, and is a former captain of London RC, with which the regatta is closely associated.

Kat Copeland (left) and Sophie Hosking, 2012 Olympic Champions

For the following two years, while a suitable cup was sought, the solid silver medal was awarded on its own; the winner in both 2021 and 2022 was Lauren Henry of Leicester RC.

The committee was delighted that in 2023, the winner of the Women’s Championships Sculls on the Saturday of Metropolitan Regatta event could also be presented with the Sophie Hosking Cup. This beautiful trophy was originally awarded in 1874 to the winner of the elite sculls at Metropolitan Regatta in Ireland. In recent years it came into the possession of who generously donated it to ‘the Met’. The regatta has had it replated and mounted on a plinth containing a copy of the medal, which now includes a design of the cup.

The Sophie Hosking Cup was presented for the first time on Saturday to Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne of Upper Thames RC by Sophie’s dad, David Hosking, also a London RC member, who was World Champion in the Lightweight Eights in 1980.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Mathilda said, “With this being my first race after having my son last summer, I had no idea what to expect. I remember watching Sophie race in 2012, so to be the first winner of this trophy named after her is a great honour. I can’t wait to see how the rest of this season goes, and return to full International racing soon.”

Sophie, who is currently in France, is looking forward to presenting the Cup and medal in person at future regattas.

The post Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne wins first Sophie Hosking Cup at Metropolitan Regatta appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

Bennett was part of a Leander Club crew, along with reigning World Champions Fiona Gammond and Holly Norton, that claimed gold in a well-contested women’s eight competition on Sunday.

“That was a really nice way to start the season,” said Bennett. “It was great fun racing with the girls, they are all up-and-coming rowers and really talented.”

Leander also won the men’s eight title in a new regatta record as they got the better of an experienced Oxford Brookes University crew featuring Olympic champion Scott Durant and fellow Rio 2016 rowers Peter Chambers and Mat Tarrant.

Holly Nixon and Jess Leyden, World Senior and U23 Champions respectively, teamed up with Lucy Burgess and Emily Carmichael to claim a clear-water victory in the women’s quadruple scull.

And their club colleagues at Leander recorded a one-two in the men’s competition, with gold going to the lightweight quad of Ed Fisher, Charles Waite-Roberts, Jonathan Jackson and Samuel Mottram.

The first day of competition saw a 26-year-old record fall as an Isis A crew featuring Ollie Cook took full advantage of the weekend’s tail-winds to win a cracking men’s four final in a new regatta-best time of 6:03.17.

Cook was one of three reigning World Champions to claim gold on Saturday, with Wallingford RC’s Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott continuing their successful partnership by dominating the women’s double competition.

Leander Club’s Nick Middleton and Tom Barras did likewise in the men’s double, while Cambridge University Women’s BC’s A crew of Myriam Goudet, Alice White, Lucy Pike and Melissa Wilson claimed the women’s four title in impressive fashion.

Four aspiring GB para-rowers competed in an open arms-trunk single scull, with Scott Jones (Gloucester Hartpury), Sophie Brown (Sudbury RC) and Ekow Otoo (Marlow RC) winning gold in their respective classifications.

Paralympics legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson presented the medals and said: “The inclusive nature of these Championships is really important and great to see. I wish more sports would do it.”

This year’s Championships – sponsored by Visit Sarasota County, hosts of the 2017 World Senior Championships – were the first to include prizes for non-high performance programme clubs and universities. Tideway Scullers School, Lea RC, Kingston RC and Thames RC were among the clubs to take home shields.

More than 1,000 rowers from 100 clubs – 19 of which were composites – raced during a busy and competitive weekend.

Jim Harlow, Chairman of the Regatta, said: “It has been a hugely successful weekend at the 91ÌÒÉ« Senior Championships. We have seen lots of close racing over the course of the weekend, with crews really pushing each other to bring out their best. It is testament to the dedication and hard work that every rower and coach puts in; it’s great to see.

“I would like to personally thank all the outstanding volunteers, without which this event would not be possible. I’m already looking forward to next year!”

Go to to see the results in full and click on the expander boxes below for reports and reaction from the weekend, plus a roll of honour.

The post Record-breaking weekend of racing at Senior Champs 2016 appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

A host of reigning World Champions, at both senior and U23 level, will also be representing their clubs when the two-day competition is staged at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont.

“I love racing at the British Championships”, Scott Durant, Olympic champion

The last time Durant raced, he was part of the Team GB men’s eight that stormed to gold in memorable style on the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Two months later, and at the end of a week when the Rio 2016 heroes were celebrated in Manchester and London, he will line up in an Oxford Brookes University eight looking to retain the British title they won last year.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend, I love racing at the British Championships and it should be good fun as always,” said Durant.

“It’s always good to get back into an Oxford Brookes boat and race with the students coming through. Brookes played such a huge part in my rowing development – I was there for six years between leaving school and joining the GB Rowing Team, and I owe so much of my rowing success to them.

“It should be a good competition. There are a lot of guys coming into the GB team who will be racing for the likes of Leander this weekend, so it will be tough but we are hoping to retain our title.”

Also representing Oxford Brookes are double Olympian Peter Chambers, twice World Champion Mat Tarrant, who was a men’s heavyweight spare in Rio, and Joel Cassells, a European Champion and World bronze-medallist in the lightweight men’s pair this year.

Sam Scrimgeour, Cassells’ partner in the boat for both of those races and the lightweight men’s spare at the Olympic Games, races for Imperial College BC this weekend.

The men's eight from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Bennett’s last competitive outing was with the GB women’s eight that won a historic silver medal in Rio. She returns to action as part of a strong Leander Club squad looking to once again secure the Victor Ludorum accolade for top performing club.

“I’m excited to kick-start the season at the British Championships,” said GB Rowing Team Start graduate Bennett, who will compete in a women’s eight field that has attracted an impressive 31 crew entries.

“It’s great to see so many women getting involved and racing. The eight is a very fast but fun boat because you can share all the moments with eight other people.

“It will be the first time I’ve raced since my Olympic final and the scenery will be a bit different but I’m really looking forward to it.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to represent my club. They’ve given me a lot of help over the years so when I was offered the chance to race for them this weekend I couldn’t turn it down.

“It will be tough after the post-Rio break I’ve had but I’m going to go out there and give it my best shot.”

Other rowers with senior GB experience include Becca Chin, Caragh McMurtry, Jamie Copus, Zak Lee-Green and Nick Middleton, who won both the double scull and quadruple scull titles at last year’s British Championships.

There will be plenty of potential Tokyo 2020 stars for rowing fans to look out for this weekend, including several who shone at this year’s combined Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships in Rotterdam.

“It’s fantastic to see such a strong and diverse line-up”, Jim Harlow, Regatta Chairman.

Ollie Cook (University of London BC) and Callum McBrierty (Leander), powered to gold alongside cox Henry Fieldman in the senior men’s coxed pair, while three of the women’s four that won in Rotterdam – Fiona Gammond, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton – will race in Leander colours this weekend.

Lightweight women’s quadruple scull World Champion Emily Craig will represent University of London BC, while Ellie Piggott and Brianna Stubbs – her team-mates in Rotterdam – will race for Wallingford RC.

All six of GB’s reigning U23 World Champions will be in action – Jess Leyden (Leander) and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading RC) were emphatic winners of women’s double scull gold, while Hugo Coussens (Durham University BC), Ollie Varley (Newcastle University BC), Matthew Curtis and Gavin Horsburgh (both Edinburgh University BC) took the lightweight men’s quadruple scull title in fine style.

Eleven other U23 medallists and eight World Junior medallists will also take their place among the 1,004 rowers from 100 clubs – 19 of which are composites – who have signed up for this weekend’s championships.

Jim Harlow, Chairman of the Regatta added: “It’s fantastic to see such a strong and diverse line-up at this year’s Senior Championships. It is testament to the strength and depth of senior rowing across the UK. Rowing is one of those rare sports where club rowers have the chance to compete alongside GB rowers including returning Olympic champions. After so many inspiring performances on the Lagoa in Rio it is set to be a hotly contested championship.”

Races will take place in nine categories – men’s and women’s double sculls, men’s and women’s fours, men’s and women’s quadruple sculls, men’s and women’s eights, and mixed para-rowing.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 9am on both days and conclude around 4.30pm on Saturday and 4.10pm on Sunday. This year’s championships are the first-ever to include prizes for non-high performance programme clubs and universities.

For more information about the 91ÌÒÉ« Senior Championships, visit .

SCHEDULE FOR A FINALS (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Saturday

15:30 – men’s double scull

15:48 – women’s double scull

16:06 – men’s four

16:24 – women’s four

Sunday

13:40 – para-rowing

15:06 – women’s eight

15:24 – men’s quadruple scull

15:42 – women’s quadruple scull

16:00 – men’s eight

The post Olympic superstars to race at Senior Championships appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

This weekend will see aspiring 2020 and 2024 Olympians gather at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham for the second GB Rowing Team Start testing camp of the new season.

If the rowers are looking for inspiration during the three days of testing, education and bonding, they need only look back at another outstanding summer of success for graduates and current members of the Lottery-funded talent ID and development programme.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning became the first British women to defend their Olympic title when they won pair gold in Rio and Vicky Thornley – a fellow graduate of the Bath Start centre – secured silver in the double scull with Katherine Grainger.

Alex Gregory (Reading) and Moe Sbihi (Molesey) helped GB win a fifth successive gold in the men’s four and Matt Gotrel (Nottingham) stood on top of the podium with the triumphant men’s eight, while Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Reading) and Karen Bennett (Glasgow/Molesey) won silver medals with the history-making women’s eight.

Having been inspired to take up the sport by former Start athletes like Helen and Heather, it’s been really exciting to watch the progress of Start alumni in World and Olympic races

It wasn’t only at the Olympics that Start rowers excelled – the combined Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, saw Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne claim an emphatic U23 double scull success with Jess Leyden. Holly Hill (Cambridge) and Chloe Brew (Gloucester Hartpury) won silver in the U23 women’s eight, as did Sheyi Blackett (Reading) in the junior women’s quadruple scull.

Hodgkins-Byrne, who first started rowing as a youngster at Hereford RC before joining the Start programme, is regarded as one of Britain’s most promising young scullers and made her senior GBRT debut during the 2016 season.

She credits her time on Start – first with Tom Pattichis at Gloucester Hartpury, then with Dan Moore at Reading – as being a key factor in her development.

“Through Start I have been able to gain access to top coaches and support staff,” said Hodgkins-Byrne. “The monthly Start camps meant I was able to test myself regularly against some of the top girls in the country as well as get feedback on technical improvements.

“Though the camps can be gruelling, especially the winter ones, the frequency helped keep me focused and I feel sped up the rate at which I have improved.”

It was the gold-medal success of Glover and Stanning at London 2012 that first inspired Hill to give rowing a try – now, just four years later, she is a double World U23 medallist and has represented Cambridge University in the Women’s Boat Race.

“I had never rowed before but was so excited by the Olympic performances that I ended up searching for rowing videos online and that’s how I came across the Start Programme,” she said.

“I applied for the scheme and started rowing in September 2013 when I made it to university. I spent my whole first year with Peter Lee at the Cambridge Start Centre and had a brilliant time, competing at the BUCS [British Universities and Colleges Sport] Regatta and later at Henley Women’s.

“I loved the Start scheme because every month I had the chance to race against my former self and see if I’d progressed and what techniques and training practices had been most effective.

“Thanks entirely to the Start scheme and coaches, the following winter in 2014 I was able to attend my first set of GB Rowing Trials and went on to win my first GB vest in the summer of my second year – racing in the women’s four at the U23 World Championships and winning bronze.

“Without the Start scheme there is no way I’d have made as much progress, so I owe the programme for much of the enjoyment that I’ve so far had in the sport.

“Having been inspired to take up the sport by former Start athletes like Helen and Heather, it’s been really exciting to watch the progress of Start alumni in World and Olympic races.

“To know that you’re currently on a similar pathway to Olympic and World medallists is awesome. Obviously there’s a ton of hard work between where we are and where they’ve got to but all their performances prove that it can be done and that this is a seriously good place to start.”

Click here to find your local GB Rowing Team Start centre and learn more about the talent development programme, including the criteria for testing.

Find out more about Women’s Sport Week 2016 by clicking here.

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