Women’s regatta appoint Olympians

HENLEY Women’s Regatta has announced its line-up of ambassadors ahead of this year’s event that takes place from June 21-23.

The list includes 11 new ambassadors, all high-achieving athletes whose role will be to help promote the event and support competitors at the regatta.

All of the 15 ambassadors have represented their countries at international level as a rower or coxswain, winning a collective three Olympic and three Paralympic gold medals; 11 Olympic silver medals; one Olympic and one Paralympic bronze medal; 36 world championship titles; nine world championship silver medals and eight world championship bronze medals; 10 European championship gold medals, four European silver medals and six European bronze medals.

Three of the new ambassadors are set to race for Team GB in Paris this summer — Imogen Grant and Emily Craig as the British lightweight double sculls crew at the Olympic Games, and Erin Kennedy as coxswain of the PR3 mixed coxed four at the Paralympic Games.

Many have also competed at Henley Women’s Regatta on numerous occasions and also contributed after their retirement to running the event. In particular, immediate past chairmen Naomi Riches and Miriam Luke have joined the group of ambassadors, maintaining their links with the regatta.

New Zealander Grace Prendergast is also among the list of new ambassadors. Prendergast’s achievements include gold in the women’s pair and silver in the women’s eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The 11 new ambassadors join the existing roster, which includes UK Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger, Britain’s most successful female Olympic rower; fellow London 2012 gold medallist Anna Watkins; and Zoe de Toledo and Jess Eddie, who together won a historic silver medal in the women’s eight at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The full list of Henley Women’s Regatta ambassadors are Ellen Buttrick, Emily Craig, Jess Eddie, Debbie Flood, Dame Katherine Grainger, Imogen Grant, Erin Kennedy, Jess Leyden, Miriam Luke, Alison Mowbray, Grace Prendergast, Naomi Riches, Zoe de Toledo, Imogen Walsh and Anna Watkins.