Henley Rowing Club’s junior crews sweep to success

DUE to the River Thames being flooded and out of bounds for most rowing, athletes from Henley Rowing Club have been doing most of their water training at the Eton Dorney rowing lake but competition has been non-existent with all recent Thames-based events cancelled.

However, last weekend Henley travelled to Gloucester where they competed at the Wycliffe Big Head, held over a 4,500m course on the Gloucester Berkeley Canal, with bridges wide enough for only one crew to pass through and bends that made for interesting racing.

The women’s U18 eight of Issy Hughes, Holly Jackson, Lilian Graham, Evie Meeks, Scarlett Hyde, Sophie Floyd, Polina Bezuhlyi, Daisy Millard and cox Emily Robinson, despite missing a couple of the top athletes, put in a winning performance to take a 16-second victory over Wallingford Rowing Club.

In their first sweep race and first in an eight the women’s U15 crew of Holly Mordecai, Zeffie Whiteman, Lottie Cotton, Eloise Askin, Liv Baker, Amber Kriefman, Darcy Kenny, Charlotte Roberts and cox Eva Worboys raced well to pick up a win with a 30-second win against Wallingford’s J15s.

The girls’ WJ14 quads first boat and winner Emma Groat, Matilda Groh, Katie Clegg, Eliza Vann and cox Pelin Girgin and the second boat of Camille Bolton, Grace Grant, Aurelia Buckingham, Martha Lowe and cox Belle Pennington achieved impressive first and second places respectively with 55 seconds between them and third-placed Monmouth Comprehensive School.

The boys’ J15 quad of Charlie Chapman, Henry Featherstone, Rohan Shanker, Jonathon Paine and cox Sinai Girgin had a slightly tighter race, securing their win with a two-second victory against another Wallingford crew.

l TOMORROW’S (Saturday) Henley Fours and Eights Head has been cancelled due to the flooded river conditions.