Schröder sets pace at indoor championships

LEANDER Club athletes were among the 34 Great Britain squad that competed in last weekend’s British Rowing Indoor Championships at the NEC in Birmingham.

The squad, made up of
21 men and 13 women, battled it out over the 2,000m events competed for on ergometers.

Olympic champion Lauren Henry won the women’s event for the second year in a row, breaking her own championship record in the process and sneaking under the
6 minutes, 40 seconds barrier with a time of 6 minutes, 38.9 seconds. Leander’s Becky Wilde, from the silver medal-winning women’s quadruple scull in Shanghai, took silver, while Olympic bronze medallist Lauren Irwin was third. Speaking after the event, Irwin said: “This was my first time competing at BRIC, it was incredible to see so many people racing from all over the country, plus a few familiar faces from my junior rowing days — huge congrats to everyone who competed.”

In the open 2,000m, 16 athletes went below the six-minute wall. Leading the pack and winning in a time of 5 minutes, 47.9 seconds was Leander’s Tobias Schröder, 1.4s ahead of Archie Drummond, with Callum Dixon rounding off the podium.

The adaptive racing provided some of the most memorable moments of the event. After winning the PR1 open 2,000m, just outside of his world record time, Paralympic Champion Benjamin Pritchard galvanised the crowd as he roared on his fellow competitors in the PR2 women’s 2,000m.

Paul Stannard, men’s Olympic head coach, said: “Thanks to everyone involved in the setting up, organisation and implementation of this event which is a brilliant showcase for our sport.”

After racing, many of the GB squad athletes hosted a “meet and greet” with other competitors, club members and children from across the UK. Athletes signed T-shirts, paper and even shoes as well as showing off their BRIC and Olympic medals. Elsewhere, in the masters open 500m sprint for 40-49-year-olds, Henley Rowing Club’s John-Joe Cottam finished in 12th place in a time of 1 minute, 22.4 seconds.

Upper Thames’s Andrew Green finished eighth in the Masters 50-54 open 500m event.

In the junior events, Shiplake College’s Alexander Green finished sixth in the Year 7 boys 500m event in a time of 2 minutes
1.6 seconds.

In the Year 11 boys’ event, Nico Sastre finished 12th in a time of 1 minute,
30.4 seconds. Sastre also finished joint 11th in the
6 minutes category in a time of 1 minute, 41.9 seconds.