Leander athletes help GB top World Cup medal table

LEANDER Club athletes were involved in six of the nine podium finishes that helped Great Britain top the medal table at the World Rowing Cup 2 in Varese, Italy, last weekend.

In all, Great Britain came away with five gold and four silver medals, with Leander athletes involved in three of the wins and three runner-up spots.

Eight of the medals came on Sunday with GB having taken gold in the women’s lightweight single sculls the previous day.

Leander athletes were involved in a first and second place in the women’s fours. Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave, along with Marlow’s Helen Glover and Imperial College’s Rebecca Shorten, took gold for the first GB crew and Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar and Emily Ford, along with Molsey’s Holly Dunford taking silver for the second GB boat.

Speaking after the win, Redgrave said: “I think we’ve been doing well in training and today was a good row. I think we have got that little bit of magic together which is really nice to have this early on. There’s more to come I’m sure.”

Racing just 59 minutes after the women’s four final, the women’s eight of Leander’s Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Emily Ford, Hattie Taylor, Annie Campbell-Orde and cox, Henry Fieldman, along with Molesey’s Holly Dunford, battled through to take silver.

It was another world cup gold medal for the Leander men’s pair of Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George who haven’t lost a senior race at Lago di Varese.

Speaking after the win, George said: “We’re feeling good. Obviously it’s the first race in a long time, so we’re happy to get out there, get side by side and race these boys again because it’s a really strong field.” Wynne-Griffith added: “The Europeans is the
next big one for us ahead of the next World Rowing Cup and then the Olympics. So we will keep learning and continue to trust ourselves.”

In the final race of the day, Leander’s Sholto Carnegie, Jacob Dawson, Charlie Elwes and Tom Ford along with Oxford Brookes’ Rory Gibbs, Tom Digby and Morgan Bolding and Newcastle University’s James Rudkin secured gold in the men’s eight.

The men’s quadruple sculls of Leander’s Tom Barras and Matt Haywood, along with Twickenham’s Callum Dixon and Agecroft’s Graeme Thomas secured silver.

Elsewhere, GB also secured gold in the women’s lightweight double sculls and silver in the men’s coxless four.

The second World Cup will take place in Lucerne, Switzerland, from May 24-26.