Great Britain announces squad for U19 and U23 World Rowing Championships

The GB Rowing Team has announced an 83-strong squad of up-and-coming and established rowers for the U19 and U23 World Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy from 25-31 July

The U23 World Rowing Championships will take place from 25-30 July with the U19 regatta following on 27-31 July in a combined event on the water in Varese.

A total of 46 U23 rowers and 37 U19 athletes will represent Great Britain with 35 athletes competing at U23-level for the first time, supported by experienced medallists from last year’s Championships who are returning to the international stage.

The week’s Championships will give athletes the chance to make their mark on the world stage as they strive to follow the success of former U19 and U23 rowers who are now in the senior squad.

Competition will be tough with rowers from 55 nations taking part in the U23 World Rowing Championships with Germany, Italy and USA sending the largest squads to both the U23s and the U19 Worlds.

Peter Sheppard, GB Rowing Team Chief Coach for U23s and Juniors, said: “2022 will be the first season since 2019 whereby GB have sent a complete U23 team and U19 team to their respective championships and, as such, most of the athletes will be representing their country at a World Championships for the first time.

“Clearly, this is an exciting time for everyone to measure themselves against the best in the world in Varese. Preparation over the last few weeks has been going well here in the UK and now it will be about delivering top-level performances on the water in Varese next week.”

He added: “Many thanks should go to all the clubs and their coaches that have supported and developed these athletes over the last 12 months to get to this point in their rowing careers. We are excited to see the next generation of future Olympians taking their first steps on the international stage.”

U23 Worlds

With seven men’s crews and six women’s, Great Britain is fielding a strong squad with medallists competing from last year’s U23 Worlds and European U23s, where the team collected four and five medals respectively.

The men’s four sees 2021 U23 men’s pair champions Douwe De Graaf and Calvin Tarczy team up with Miles Beeson, U23 Worlds gold medallist in the men’s eight, and Theo Darlow, men’s eight U23 European gold medallist. De Graaf and Tarczy also represented Great Britain at World Cup III, winning a silver medal in the men’s pair.

With Harry Geffen replacing Theo Darlow, the crew were also second to the University of Washington in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup at Henley Royal this year.

Bruce Turnell from Newcastle University also returns to the men’s coxed four after winning bronze at the U23 Europeans in this boat class. He’s joined by Oxford Brookes rower and cox Ben Hinves and Will Denegri respectively and Henry Pearson and Robbie Prosser. Cambridge Boat Race duo Oliver Parish and Luca Ferraro have been selected for the men’s pair.

There are also experienced athletes anchoring the men’s eight with Jack Prior and Isaac Workman from the winning men’s eight crew in last year’s U23 Europeans, while Jake Wincomb is a bronze medallist in the men’s coxed fours. Cox Scott Cockle steered the men’s eight to gold at the U23 Worlds last year.

In the men’s singles sculls, Twickenham Start athlete Callum Dixon made his debut at senior level this season narrowly missing out on the podium at World Cup I in May. Last year he teamed up with Nathan Hull at the U23 Europeans to win gold in the men’s double sculls.

In this year’s double sculls are Joseph Adamson and U23 debutant Adam Oliver, while three of the men’s quad were junior world medallists in the same boat class in 2018, with Victor Kleshnev also a bronze medallist at World Cup 1 last year.

Moving to the women’s squad, four U23 medallists from 2021 are returning to represent their country with the majority racing at U23-level for the first time.

In the women’s four, Lettie Cabot and Georgie Robinson Ranger have both won medals in the same boat class with Cabot part of the gold-medal crew at the U23 Worlds while Robinson Ranger’s crew won bronze at the U23 Europeans.

2021 U23 medallists Phoebe Snowden and Daisy Bellamy join new faces in a women’s eight coxed by Newcastle student Sam Shuker.

In the women’s single sculls, Lauren Henry from Leicester RC came fourth in the women’s singles at last year’s U23 Worlds and is targeting a podium finish this time. The 20-year-old famously beat Canadian Olympic champion Andrea Proske at last year’s Henley Royal.

Twickenham Start athlete Vwairé Obukohwo and Katherine George have had a great beginning to their international careers this season, winning both their races at the Holland Beker Regatta in late June. They reprise their partnership in the women’s double sculls at Varese.

In the women’s lightweight squad, 2021 U23 European silver medallist Olivia Bates is competing in the single sculls. At BUCS Regatta in May, Bates won the women’s lightweight championship single sculls and came second in the single sculls on the same day.

Last but not least, the final U23 crew is the lightweight women’s double sculls with Avery Louis and Lauren Maddison representing Great Britain.

U19 Worlds

Great Britain’s U19s last competed at the World Rowing Championships in 2019, so it’s great to see the international U19 rowing scene back up and running after the pandemic.

Three years ago, the British juniors won a silver in the men’s four and a bronze in the men’s eight. This year, a total of 37 athletes will compete across five men’s and three women’s crews with many of the U19s getting their first international experience – and medals – at the Munich Junior Regatta in May.

Since Munich, Marcus Chute has raced at Varese in the single scull at the European Rowing U19 Championships. His mature approach in the final dominated the field crowning him European Champion. Marcus – with fellow club mate Jacob Ioras, selected in the U19 M4x – continued to have a terrific season as part of the Windsor Boys School crew that won the Fawley Cup at Henley Royal in early July.

Speaking about all the junior squad, Team Manager John Layng said: “The team have worked extremely hard during the training camp and are now ready to test themselves alongside the world’s best U19 rowers.

“The World Rowing U19 Championships are a fantastic opportunity for us to see where our strengths lie and our presence in Varese will help inspire future generations of aspiring U19/school-age rowers.”

GBRT U23 Worlds crews

MEN

Men’s pair (BM2-)

Oliver Parish (Cambridge University BC)
Luca Ferraro (Cambridge University BC)
Coach:  Mark Fangen-Hall (Eton College BC)

Men’s four (BM4-)

Theo Darlow (Molesey BC)
Calvin Tarczy (Tideway Scullers School / Harvard)
Miles Beeson (Molesey BC / Yale)
Douwe De Graaf (Tideway Scullers School / Harvard)
Coach: Franz Imfeld (Molesey BC)

Men’s coxed fours (BM4+)

Robbie Prosser (University of Bristol BC)
Ben Hinves (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Bruce Turnell (Newcastle University BC)
Henry Pearson (Isis BC)
Will Denegri (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Brian Young (GBRT)

Men’s eight (BM8+)

Isaac Workman (University of London BC)
Theo Bell (Eton College BC)
Jack Prior (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Matt Heywood (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Tom Horncastle (Tideway Scullers School / Harvard)
Tom O’Sullivan (Colet BC / Harvard)
Jake Wincomb (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Harry Geffen (Molesey BC / Yale)
Scott Cockle (cox) (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Brendan Gliddon (Oxford University BC)

Men’s single sculls (BM1x)

Callum Dixon (Twickenham RC)
Coach: Helen Brown – (GBRT – Twickenham Start)

Men’s double sculls (BM2x)

Joseph Adamson (Newcastle University BC)
Adam Oliver (Tideway Scullers School / Temple)
Coach: Mark Fangen-Hall (Eton College BC)

Men’s quad (BM4x)

Victor Kleshnev (Leander Club / Harvard)
James Cartwright (Leander Club / Northeastern)
Bryn Ellery (Leander Club)
Miles Devereux (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Ali Brown (Leander Club)

WOMEN

Women’s four (BW4-)

Phoebe Campbell (Leander Club / Yale)
Georgie Robinson Ranger (University of London BC)
Lauren Carey (Leander Club / Yale)
Lettie Cabot (Leander Club / Stanford)
Coach: Richard Chambers (Leander Club)

Women’s eight (BW8+)

Abigail Topp (Leander Club)
Phoebe Snowden (University of London BC)
Hannah Medcalf (Molesey BC / Texas)
Natasha Morrice (Durham University BC)
Katherine Kalap (Tideway Scullers School / Princeton)
Zoë Scheske (Tideway Scullers School / Princeton)
Daisy Bellamy (Leander Club)
Lizzie Witt (Imperial College BC)
Sam Shuker (cox) (Newcastle University BC)
Coach: Paddy Ryan (Cambridge University BC)

Women’s single sculls (BW1x)

Lauren Henry (Leicester RC)
Coach: Pete Sheppard (GBRT)

Women’s double sculls (BW2x)

Vwairé Obukohwo (Twickenham RC)
Katherine George (Leander Club / Princeton)
Coach: Peter Chambers (Marlow RC)

Lightweight women’s single sculls (BLW1x)

Olivia Bates (Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association)
Coach: Declan Gamble (Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association)

Lightweight women’s double sculls (BLW2x)

Avery Louis (Tideway Scullers School / Stanford)
Lauren Maddison (Reading University BC)
Coach: Chris Bartley (Reading University BC)

SUPPORT TEAM

Team Manager – Anna Liddell
Doctor – Clodagh Dugdale
Physiotherapist – Liz Arnold
Physiotherapist – Becky Davison

GBRT U19 Worlds crews

MEN

Men’s single sculls (JM1x)

Marcus Chute (The Windsor Boys School)
Coach: Mark Wilkinson (The Windsor Boys School)

Men’s quad (JM4x)

Jacob Ioras (The Windsor Boys School)
Josh Matthews (Strathclyde Park RC)
Harry Ruinet (Claires Court School BC)
Matt Long (Kingston RC)
Coach: Tom Young (Strathclyde Park RC START)

Men’s pair (JM2-)
Tom Corbett (King’s College School, Wimbledon)
Arthur Scott (Eton College)
Coach: Josh Butler (Westminster School)

Men’s four (JM4-)

Saxon Stacey (Eton College)
Cameron Tasker (Radley College)
Joshua Brangan (St Edwards School)
Alex Forbes (King’s College School, Wimbledon)
Coach: Dave Currie (Shiplake College)

Men’s eight (JM8+)

Matthew Johnston (Shiplake College)
Thomas Griffin (Westminster School)
Hylton Harvey (Radley College)
Jake Birch (Shiplake College)
Max Peel (Westminster School)
Zac Day (King’s College School, Wimbledon)
Ben Lundie (King’s College School, Wimbledon)
Joseph Olagundoye (Eton College)
James Trotman (Cox) (St Paul’s School)
Coach: Patrick Duggan (King’s College School, Wimbledon)

WOMEN

Women’s quad (JW4x)

Alice McCarthy (Tideway Scullers School)
Laura Burton (Cambridge 99 RC)
Megan Knight (Trentham BC)
Matilda Drewett (Kingston Grammar School)
Coach: Dan Safdari (Shiplake College)

Women’s four (JW4-)

Maisie Aspinall (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)
Amy Newton (George Heriots School)
Izzie Magee (Headington School)
Zoe Beeson (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)
Coach: Holly Reid (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)

Women’s eight (JW8+)

Megan Johnston (Surbiton High School)
Isla Bathgate (George Heriots School)
Alice Baker (King’s School Worcester)
Isabel Llabres Diaz (St Edwards School)
Madeleine Greenstock (Surbiton High School)
Annalisa Janss Lafond (Tideway Scullers School)
Isla Wilding (George Watsons College)
Martha Shepherd (Hinksey Sculling School)
Sophie Wrightson (Cox) (Headington School)
Coach: Ryan Demaine (Headington School)

SUPPORT TEAM

Team Manager – John Layng
ATM / Driver – Dan Cooper
Equipment Manager – Tim Liversage
Doctor – Andy Ciecierski
Physiotherapist – Eoghan O’Connor