Coupe cracker as GB Juniors record biggest-ever win
The GB Rowing Team Juniors enjoyed an outstanding weekend at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Poznan, Poland, as they won 24 medals – 15 of them gold – to claim overall victory for the first time since 2013.
The GB Juniors celebrate after winning the 2016 Coupe de la Jeunesse © Rachel Hooper
All 51 of the rowers taking part came home with at least one medal as Great Britain dominated the European team competition, recording the biggest winning margin ever – 82 points clear of second-placed Italy – and topping both the men’s and women’s standings as well.
Robin Dowell, Lead Coach for the GBRT Junior Team, said: “What an amazing weekend, I am very happy with how it all went and congratulations to all who contributed to the success.
“The rowers’ professionalism and commitment to each step of the process meant that we had the right people at the event and they were able to deliver their best performances thanks to the support of the coaches and support staff.
“It was very much a team effort. Everyone played to their strengths and focused on the positives, which was particularly impressive.
“There is a lot of potential in this team and quite a few of the rowers will still be in the Junior ranks next year, so there is plenty more to come from them.”
Mark Wilkinson, Team Manager in Poznan, added: “It was quite phenomenal really and exceeded all of our expectations but it was well deserved because of how the rowers and coaches approached the event.
“There was such a strong team spirit and that support raised the level because they were all racing for each other. It is the best team I have ever been involved with, in terms of both athletes and support staff.”
The women’s eight of Celia Matthews, Kirstin Giddy, Beth Willford-Dutton, Flo Donald, Lauren Kay, Isabel Rundle, Lydia Currie, Danielle Semple and Autumn MacKay set the tone by winning Friday’s traditional opening race in impressive style.
All of the other crews raced for medals on both Saturday and Sunday, with Matthews and Giddy going on to collect two more gold medals in the women’s pair.
That achievement was matched by Lottie Orr and Semple in the women’s double scull, while Emma Andrews secured gold in the single on Sunday having won silver 24 hours earlier.
The women’s four of Donald, Kay, Rundle and Currie won bronze and silver, while the women’s quadruple scull of Hattie Orr, Meg Saunders, Lucy Edmunds and Katie King-Smith improved from fourth on Saturday to silver on Sunday.
GB’s men were in magnificent form throughout the regatta, finishing on the podium in every final.
Double gold went to the men’s four of Marcus Jonas, Henry Jones, Callum Urquhart and Alexander Wythe; the coxed four of Luke Robinson, Will Carey, Dent Goodman, Tobias Schroder and cox Rory Cruickshank; and the quad of Harry Oliver, Ben Simon, Callum Sullivan and Tom Smith.
Also topping the podium twice was the men’s eight of Henry Blois-Brooke, Tom Long, Barney Fox, Paddy George, Tom Wiblin, Thomas Phelps, Alfred Jacquemot, Victor Olsen and cox Charlie Marcus.
The men’s pair of Will Allen and Alex Williams won gold on Saturday and silver on Sunday, there was a brace of silver medals for Sam Champion and Matt Haywood in the double, and Oliver Costley improved from bronze on Saturday to silver on Sunday in the single.
Those results meant Britain won both the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as the overall trophy for the 13th time in the Coupe’s 31-year history. The 2017 edition will take place in Hazewinkel, Belgium.
Next up for the GB Rowing Team Juniors is the Junior World Rowing Championships. They are taking place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, from 21-28 August alongside the Senior and U23 World Championships.
Race Results
GB results only. For individual rower names by crew, see below. For full results go to http://coupedelajeunesse.rowing.poznan.pl/
JUNIOR
WOMEN
Pair
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Four
Saturday: Great Britain 3rd (Spain 1st)
Sunday: Great Britain 2nd (Spain 1st)
Eight
Friday: Great Britain 1st
Single scull
Saturday: Great Britain 2nd (Hungary 1st)
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Double scull
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Quadruple scull
Saturday: Great Britain 4th (Italy 1st)
Sunday: Great Britain 2nd (Switzerland 1st)
MEN
Pair
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 2nd (Italy 1st)
Four
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Coxed four
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Eight
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
Single scull
Saturday: Great Britain 3rd (Hungary 1st)
Sunday: Great Britain 2nd (Hungary 1st)
Double scull
Saturday: Great Britain 2nd (Switzerland 1st)
Sunday: Great Britain 2nd (Switzerland 1st)
Quadruple scull
Saturday: Great Britain 1st
Sunday: Great Britain 1st
OVERALL POINTS TOTAL
1. Great Britain 273pts (men 156, women 117)
2. Italy 191 (men 113, women 78)
3. Switzerland 113 (men 61, women 52)
Crew List
GB Rowing Team for Coupe de la Jeunesse
Poznan, Poland, July 29-31, 2016
JUNIOR WOMEN
Pair
Kirstin Giddy (Lady Eleanor Holles BC)
Celia Matthews (Lady Eleanor Holles BC)
Coach: Paul Carter (Lea RC)
Four
Flo Donald (Lea RC)
Lauren Kay (Henley RC)
Isabel Rundle (Headington School Oxford BC)
Lydia Currie (Headington School Oxford BC)
Coach: Helen Taylor (Molesey BC)
Eight
Celia Matthews (Lady Eleanor Holles BC)
Kirstin Giddy (Lady Eleanor Holles BC)
Beth Willford-Dutton (Northwich RC)
Flo Donald (Lea RC)
Lauren Kay (Henley RC)
Isabel Rundle (Headington School Oxford BC)
Lydia Currie (Headington School Oxford BC)
Danielle Semple (Headington School Oxford BC)
Autumn MacKay (cox) (Bedford Modern School BC)
Coaches: Helen Taylor (Molesey BC) & Paul Carter (Lea RC)
Single scull
Emma Andrews (Putney High School RC)
Coach: Ashley Carter (Putney High School RC)
Double scull
Lottie Orr (Henley RC)
Danielle Semple (Headington School Oxford BC)
Coach: Bret King (Marlow RC)
Quadruple scull
Hattie Orr (Shiplake Vikings RC)
Meg Saunders (Tideway Scullers School)
Lucy Edmunds (York City RC)
Katie King-Smith (Headington School Oxford BC)
Coach: Bethan Thomas (Headington School Oxford BC)
Racing spare
Beth Willford-Dutton (Northwich RC)
Coach: Rachel Hooper
JUNIOR MEN
Pair
Will Allen (Westminster School BC)
Alex Williams (Westminster School BC)
Coach: Ashley Carter (Putney High School RC)
Four
Marcus Jonas (Tideway Scullers School)
Henry Jones (Westminster School BC)
Callum Urquhart (Glasgow Schools RC)
Alexander Wythe (Winchester College BC)
Coach: Sam Grant (Eton College BC)
Coxed four
Luke Robinson (Winchester College BC)
Will Carey (Shiplake College BC)
Dent Goodman (Winchester College BC)
Tobias Schroder (Winchester College BC)
Rory Cruickshank (cox) (Norwich School BC)
Coach: Christopher Williams (Norwich School BC)
Eight
Henry Blois-Brooke (Shiplake College BC)
Tom Long (Hampton School BC)
Barney Fox (Royal Shrewsbury School BC)
Paddy George (Royal Shrewsbury School BC)
Tom Wiblin (Abingdon School BC)
Thomas Phelps (Latymer Upper School BC)
Alfred Jacquemot (St Paul’s School BC)
Victor Olsen (King’s College School BC)
Charlie Marcus (cox) (Hampton School BC)
Coach: Dominik Howald (Westminster School BC)
Single scull
Oliver Costley (Claires Court School BC)
Coach: Chris Clark (Claires Court School BC)
Double scull
Sam Champion (Isle of Ely RC)
Matt Haywood (Nottingham RC)
Coach: Nicola Benavente (GBRT)
Quadruple scull
Harry Oliver (The Windsor Boys’ School BC)
Ben Simon (Marlow RC)
Callum Sullivan (Globe RC)
Tom Smith (The Windsor Boys’ School BC)
Coach: Lewis Sloan (The Windsor Boys’ School BC)
Racing spare
Finlay Gronmark (Claires Court School BC)
Coach: Rachel Hooper (Northwich RC)
Management and team support
Team Manager: Mark Wilkinson (The Windsor Boys’ School BC)
Assistant Team Manager: Chris Boothroyd (Henley RC)
Doctor: Lucy Free
Physiotherapist: Helen Esplen
Equipment Manager: Andy Thomas (Radley College BC)
Driver: Jonathan Keir (Sir William Perkins’ School RC)
Contact Info
For background information about the The GB Rowing Team contact the Press office via comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk or 07831 755351
For picture requests please contact: GBRTpressoffice@gbrowingteam.org.uk
GB Rowing Team website, including full rower biogs: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk
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