U23 rowers to race at Essen
A squad of rowers vying for places on the 2009 U23 team will race this weekend, 16-17 May, 2009, at Essen Regatta in Germany.
GB rowing coaches will use the Regatta to test both individuals and boat combinations before making a final team selection for the World U23 Championships later this year.
The squad for the Essen Regatta, which includes 2008 world junior bronze medallists Olivia Oakes and Jenny Arnold and 2008 U23 bronze medallist Vicky Bryant as well as brothers Scott and Mason Durant, will face international opposition on both Saturday and Sunday.
The crews include a lightweight women’s single scull, two lightweight men’s double scull boats, a men’s coxed four, a men’s eight and two women’s fours that will combine to race in the women’s eight on Sunday.
As part of the testing of combinations, the men’s four and the men’s eight will feature different line-ups on Saturday and Sunday.
Only one GB boat will enter the lightweight single scull event, as Tees sculler Ben Rowe has withdrawn through illness. The has also been a withdrawal from the open men’s single scull, as Kieren Emery will take George Nash‘s place in the men’s eight. Nash has been forced to pull out due to illness.
In addition, two other rowers will travel with the U23 rowers in order to gain race experience against international opposition. Brendan Crean and Stuart Honor will both race in the men’s single scull event.
The Essen Regatta follows on from a strong British performance another German Regatta, the Munich Junior Regatta, held on 9th and 10th May. Over the two day event, a squad of rowers seeking selection for the GB junior squad recorded some excellent results.
The men’s sweep squad performed particularly well, notching up a first and second place finish in the men’s fours on Saturday. The two fours then combined to race in the eight on Sunday, winning gold.
Other strong results included a bronze in the men’s pair, two silver medals for Rachel Gamble-Flint in the women’s single scull and a fourth place for the men’s quad on Sunday.
Racing at Essen Regatta starts at 9am on Saturday and finishes at 5.30pm on Sunday.
