Historic gold for GB Rowing Team’s Leyden at World Championships
Jessica Leyden made history today in Trakai, Lithuania, when she won Britain’s first gold medal of all-time in the women’s single scull at the World Junior Championships.
After what looked like a slow first half, the Hollingworth Lake RC sculler, coached by Ian John, moved to the front and went on to win in 7:49.96 with a clear-water margin over her nearest rival Tatsiana Klimovich from Belaurs. France was third.
“It was a really fantastic gold for Jess”, said team manager, John Layng. “She paced her race well and many others front-loaded their race plan. She showed great maturity to focus on what she had to do”.
The Great Britain mens’ eight, coxed by Ian Middleton, and featuring Joel Cooper, Elliott Piercy, Harry Longergan, Morgan Bolding, Matthew Carter, Oli Knight, Matthew Banstead and Titus Morley, got a good start in today’s final. At 250m gone they were tucked in behind the German leaders. Italy and Serbia were also in the pack.
Little more than a second split the first five boats at the 500m marker with Australia marginally off the pace at this point in sixth.
Great Britain tracked Serbia as they attacked and moved through Germany to take the lead. At half-way the British crew were in fourth and well in contention to make a move.
With Serbia increasing their lead to half a boat length over Germany, the GB boat moved up into third just after the 1500m mark but found themselves also under attack from Italy.
Italy put in a massive final sprint and thought they had won but the verdict went to Germany by one hundredth of a second. Serbia moved up to third with Britain left agonisingly out of the medals in fourth in a time of 5:51.81.
“It was a cracking race all the way down the course”, said Layng. “Italy, we knew had a fantastic sprint finish”.
Sebastian Devereux and Sholto Carnegie were fifth in the men’s double scull., just under half a second behind Australia.
Germany and Romania were the early leaders with Germany coming through strongly after 500m gone to take and hold onto the lead. Behind them Lithuania and Poland tussled for the bronze with the home nation just missing out. GB came back on Australia in the final 500m to move from sixth to fifth.
Earlier the junior men’s pair of Ben Maxwell and Alastair Douglass and the junior men’s quadruple scull both took top ten finishes with fourth places in their respective B Finals.
“All our crews at this event raced to their potential”, said Layng. “But it is very tight at the top and you are racing the best in the world and the margins between getting a medal and missing out are very small”.
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RESULTS
(Events featuring GB Rowing Team crews only. For full results visit: www.worldrowing.com)
TO FOLLOW
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CREW LISTS
GB ROWING TEAM
World Junior Championships Team 2013
JUNIOR WOMEN
Single scull
Jess Leyden (Hollingworth Lake RC)
Coach: Ian John, Hollingworth Lake RC
Pair
Lauren Kedar (Reading RC)/
Anna Fairs (Tees RC)
Coach: Ade Roberts, GBRT
JUNIOR MEN
Pair
Ben Maxwell (Pangbourne College)/
Alastair Douglass (Hampton School)
Coach: Mark Woodcock, Pangbourne College
Coxed Four
Misha Wilcockson (St Paul’s School)/
William Geffen (Eton College)/
Charlie Elwes (Radley College)/
Robbie Wendin (Radley College)/
Sam Collier (Hampton School)
Coach: Neil Double, Hampton School
Eight
Joel Cooper (Abingdon School)/
Elliott Piercy (St Georges College)/
Harry Lonergan (Shrewsbury School)/
Morgan Bolding (Walton RC)/
Matthew Carter (Abingdon School)/
Oli Knight (St Edwards School)/
Matthew Benstead (Hampton School)/
Titus Morley (St Edwards School)/
Ian Middleton (Abingdon School)
Coach: John Gearing, Radley College; Richard Boulton, GBRT
Double scull
Sebastian Devereux (Leander Club)/
Sholto Carnegie (Marlow RC)
Coach: Richard Boulton, GBRT
Quadruple scull
Callum Gathercole (Walton RC)/
Chris Lawrie (Sir William Borlase Grammar)/
Andrew Joel (Windsor Boys School)/
Harry Glenister (Marlow)
Coach: Robin Dowell, Sir William Borlase Grammar
Spare
Joshua Kent (Marlow RC)
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