GB junior rowers bring home a flurry of medals from Munich International Junior Regatta 2023

The weekend’s racing saw 12 medals (including 5 gold) for Great Britain, with all of the women’s scullers topping the podium

30 junior GB athletes and 10 members of support staff travelled to the Olympic Regatta Centre for Munich International Junior Regatta, which took place from 6-7 May 2023.

Saturday racing

Saturday’s racing focused on smaller boats, with singles, doubles and fours racing in both heats and finals.

Both GB crews in the women’s doubles progressed through to their A Final, with Matilda Drewett (Kingston Grammar School BC) and Jessica Weir (Shiplake College BC) achieving an emphatic win and bringing home Great Britain’s first gold medal. The Wycliffe Junior BC crew of Lily Martin and Yasmin Howe won bronze.

Both of the men’s doubles progressed through to the B Final, where Alexander Patton (St Andrew BC) and Harry Ruinet (Claires Court School BC) achieved eighth overall and the Leander pair of Byron Richards and Nathaniel Gauden 10th.

A good row in the women’s fours heat sent the crew of Madeleine Greenstock (Surbiton High School BC), Amy Newton (George Heriot’s School BC), Valentina Fenton (St Paul’s Girls School BC) and Martha Shepherd (Hinksey Sculling School) through to the A Final, where they lost out to a flock of German crews, finishing fifth.

In the men’s fours, Great Britain had crews in both the A and B Finals. Felix Peerless (St Paul’s School BC), Freddie Middleton (Shiplake College BC), Max Peel (Westminster School BC) and Philip Wolfensberger (St Paul’s School BC) raced a brilliant A Final and came home with the gold in a time of 6:13.27, while in the B Final Edward Floyd (Shiplake College BC), Alexander Perkins (Eton College BC), Ali El Sayed (Molesey BC) and Alec Wild (Latymer Upper School BC) finished fourth, making them 10th overall.

In the women’s single sculls, Ella Fullman had a tough heat and came a close second to the eventual event winner from Austria, but narrowly missed out on an A Final place. She won the B Final comfortably by over 7 seconds. and Olivia Cheesmur won her C Final, finishing 11th overall.

A win by Jack Cadwallader (The Windsor Boys’ School BC) in the men’s single sculls heats meant a straight shot to the A final, where he won the bronze medal.

Capping off Saturday’s racing were the pairs, where both women’s crews medalled. Ailish Harkin (Henley RC) and Niamh Comerford (Tideway Scullers School) led until the last 250m before slipping back to the silver medal position, closely followed by the second GB pair of Harriet Noyes (Stratford Upon Avon BC) and Isadora Kennedy (Surbiton High School BC) in bronze.

Another A Final for Great Britain saw a well-deserved silver medal for the Welsh men’s pair of Kai Schlottmann and Osian James from Llandaff RC.

Sunday racing

Sunday saw finals for the quads and the eights.

After a dominant scull in their heat, it was no surprise to see the women’s quadruple scull (comprising both of Saturday’s doubles) win a gold medal, giving all four athletes their second medal of the weekend.

The Great Britain men’s quadruple scull of Harry Ruinet, Byron Richards, Nathaniel Gauden and Jack Cadwallader took the bronze medal.

A furiously-paced A Final for the men’s eight of Alec Wild ( Latymer Upper School BC), Kai Schlottmann (Llandaff RC), Edward Floyd (Shiplake College BC), Freddie Middleton (Shiplake College BC), Max Peel (Westminster School BC), Alexander Perkins (Eton College BC), Felix Peerless (St Paul’s School BC), Philip Wolfensberger (St Paul’s School BC) and Natalia Toms (Cox – Royal Shrewsbury School BC), saw them win by a third of a length to take home gold.

Capping off a brilliant weekend of racing was Sunday’s win from the women’s double scull (the JW 2x A event, as the AA event was raced on Saturday) of Lily Martin and Olivia Cheesmur, meaning all six of the U19 women’s scullers came home with a gold medal.

Speaking of the team’s success, team manager John Layng said: “In all this has been a promising start to the U19 international racing season in 2023. We will have a men’s double and a women’s double at the European Rowing U19 Championships in Brive, France in two weeks’ time.

“Thank you to all those who have made the weekend happen and to the coaches back home who have developed and coached the athletes, many of whom are representing GB for the first time.”

Team Announcement

Final Results

Boat	Crew	Race	Time	Place
JW 2x (AA)	Matilda Drewett / Jessica Weir	Final A	7:24.35
JW 2x  (AA)	Yasmin Howe / Lily Martin	Final A	7:36.17
JW 2x (A)	Olivia Cheesmur / Lily Martin	Final	7:50:06
JM 2x	Alexander Patton / Harry Ruinet	Final B	6:48.80	2th (8th overall)
JM 2x	Byron Richards / Nathaniel Gauden	Final B	6:52.70	4th (10th overall)
JW 2-	Ailish Harkin / Niamh Comerford	Final A	7:56.25
JW 2-	Harriet Noyes / Isadora Kennedy	Final A	7:57.20
JW 4-	Madeleine Greenstock / Amy Newton / Valentina Fenton / Martha Shepherd	Final B	7:14.51	5th (11th overall)
JM 4-	Edward Floyd / Alexander Perkins / Ali El Sayed / Alec Wild	Final B	6:31.87	4th (10th overall)
JM 4-	Felix Peerless / Freddie Middleton / Max Peel / Philip Wolfensberger	Final A	6:13.27
JW 1x	Olivia Cheesmur	Final C	8:34.97	1 (13th overall)
JW 1x	Ella Fullman	Final B	8:17.80	1 (7th overall)
JM 1x	Jack Cadwallader	Final A	7:24.50
JW 2-	Ailish Harkin / Niamh Comerford	Final A	7:56.25
JM 2-	Kai Schlottmann / Osian James	Final A	7:08.76
JW 4x	Ella Fullman / Jessica Weir / Matilda Drewett / Yasmin Howe	Final A	7:07.60
JM 4x	Harry Ruinet / Byron Richards / Nathaniel Gauden / Jack Cadwallader	Final A	6:23.28
JM 8+	Alec Wild / Kai Schlottmann / Edward Floyd / Freddie Middleton / Max Peel / Alexander Perkins / Felix Peerless / Philip Wolfensberger / Natalia Toms (Cox)	Final A	6:08.24

Full Results