Perhaps one of the most oversubscribed events of the weekend, the open intermediate single is generally made up of a combination of athletes from the GB Performance Development Academies and students from smaller programmes. It’s difficult to predict who might come out on top, though the recent GB Olympic Pathway Regatta should provide us with some indicators of who is on form.
Bath University: Luka Halozan Bayley
With five Bath University entities, Halozan Bayley is perhaps the standout performer. Having competed for Molesey BC in their Wyfold Challenge Cup last summer, he went on to compete for Slovenia in the European U23 Championships in the coxless four. This is his third season at Bath, and that saw him turn his attention to trialling for GB Rowing, where he came eleventh in February with his partner Archie Norton, who’s also in the intermediate field.
Bath University: Archie Norton
Mentioned above, Norton isn’t a slouch himself, having come 51st in the November trials before the eleventh place that Bath University achieved in February. Learning to row at Yarm School, he was selected to race for the England Rowing Team at the Home International Regatta in the Junior single and coxless quad, where he came second in both events. Norton will be hoping to continue his development at Bath, and he, along with the other Bath entries, have what it takes to compete for victory in this event.
Reading University : Harrison Green
Reading University always enters an abundance of athletes in this event and, with first, second and third place at BUCS Head in the Intermediate quads, they’ll be looking to add to those medals here. Having come 53rd in November Trials and thirteenth in February, Green was slightly behind the Bath duo detailed above. He will be desperate to overturn what appears to have been a trend this season when competing in smaller boats, and, with the margin of defeat being tight, he’ll be confident that the last few months of training could make all the difference.
Leeds University: Ollie Owen
The Leeds University sculler is a veteran of the GB Performance Development Academy system and will be looking to make his experience count in Nottingham. Having learnt to row at Leeds, Owen made the switch to sculling in his second year of studies, where he has continued to climb the ranks. Coming 54th in November trials, Owen is on the coattails of a few of the aforementioned athletes in this preview, less than 0.2 seconds behind Green and 0.7 seconds behind Norton.
University of York: Barney Evans
Racing for the University of York, Barney Evans has been training with the Performance Development Academy since the start of this season. Having qualified for the Temple Challenge Cup with York in 2023, before narrowly missing out in 2024, Evans returned to sculling, coming 56th at November trials. Were Evans to overturn his Yorkshire training partner Owen in this event, it would place him right at the front of the field competing with the aspiring winners.
Prediction
With the experience that he has, Luka Halozan Bayley appears to be the standout contender for this event. Having represented Slovenia, and now trialling for GB, he’s already beaten most of the big names in this field. The rest of the medals will be competed for by the Bath and Reading athletes, and potentially those from Queens though its difficult to make predictions with the lack of single racing that we see through the winter. Either way, BUCS tradition dictates that you should often expect the unexpected.
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