Asda Athletes

Rowing events are split into two different boat categories, Sculling (2 oars per person) and Sweep Rowing (1 oar per person). Since I began rowing i have solely been a sculler when training and competing, to lose your novice status you have to compete at either a senior or a junior 16-18 level. On winning a race you will gain a point and therefore move to higher status.

This summer is the first year I have competed in sweep rowing, the first summer town regatta I went to was Stourport where I was racing in the Novice Coxed Four event with three other team mates from my rowing club, Trent RC. We raced this boat on the Saturday but unfortunately lost in the final to a good crew. We then did this same event on the Sunday and won beating two crews in the semi and final!

Saturday 21st July I competed at the Home International Regatta with my crew member Chris Williams at Cardiff Bay, Wales.

We had been selected to row this combination after winning the National Championships in the Men’s Junior Double Scull event the weekend before.

We raced over 1500m against Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Ireland took an early lead over us and maintained that down the course finishing first. With me and Chris finishing closely behind in second with Wales 3rd and Scotland 4th.

It was great to row for my country again and a good ending to the season.

On Saturday 14th and Sunday the 15th July the British Rowing Championship were held at the National Water sports Center in Nottingham.

I was competing in the Junior men’s Double Scull event. A total of 18 crews had entered. Racing started for my event at 11.50 on the Saturday morning, the 18 crews were split into three 6 lane eliminator races. The outcome of each race would be 1st to the Final then 2nd and 3rd to a repecharge. We led our eliminator race all the way finishing 5 seconds ahead of 2nd place. This put us in a great position straight into Sundays final.

After lots of food and a good sleep the battle was on to get that Gold Medal!

Our final went exactly to plan, to go out fast and stay in front! We managed to keep a comfortable lead all the way down the course finishing in the Gold Medal position a whole 7 seconds in front of the Silver Medal crew.

In becoming British Champions we have also been selected to row for England in the Home International Regatta competing against Wales, Scotland and Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday the 21st July.

On Saturday 7th july I will be racing off for a place at the GB Junior Final Trials. 16 people have already secured their place at the trials through a previous selection trial in which I did not perform to my greatest ability finishing 18th. With only 2 remaining places available I will be racing off for one of those places against others in the same situation as myself.

On getting a top 2 position in the race off I will then go through 5 days of intense seat racing to determine my rowing ability with the others athletes.

Crews will then be selected from the final trials to compete at either the Junior World or European Championships.

Yesterday I competed at the GB Junior Small Boats Regatta at Dorney Lake. Finishing a good position here would ensure my position at final trials.

The first race of the day was a Time Trial over 1900m, finishing in the top 12 would get me to the A/B semi finals unfortunately I came 14th, missing out on 12th place by just 0.7s. This meant I raced in the C/D semi finals, here I finished 1st place which secured me in the C final.

My final did not go so well finishing a poor 6th position, which on the day meant I was at a ranking of 18th out of the 32 scullers who were there.