GBRT April Trials 2025 – Women’s Senior Doubles Preview

It’s that time of year again when the best of the senior team hopefuls get their chance to race invite-only trials to win an all-important podium Easter egg and maybe a shot at a spot on the GB Rowing Team. The senior women’s doubles may be a relatively small field this year, with only five boats in the category, but it is also chock-a-block with returning senior athletes and Olympic medallists, which should make for some excellent racing at Caversham this weekend.

Lola Anderson / Lauren Henry

It goes without saying that this is already a formidable combination, having raced as one-half of the gold medal-winning women’s quadruple scull at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Anderson has found herself as the poster girl for GB Rowing, especially since capturing the hearts of the nation in Paris, and has enjoyed wins at Henley Royal Regatta, World Rowing Cups, and most recently, the Olympic Games. Henry joins her in the quad as World, European, and Olympic Champion and also topped the November 5km standings by more than 40 seconds over the rest of the field. Similarly, we saw Henry excel on the ergo to become the British Indoor Champion back in December, so I have no doubt that we’ll see a repeat stellar performance on the water this weekend. The plethora of accolades these two scullers hold between them certainly makes them the standout favourites to win this category.

Sarah McKay / Becky Wilde

Sarah McKay has already proven to be an incredibly adept single sculler across multiple rounds of trials, including topping the rankings at the February 5km in Boston, Lincolnshire. Paired with Olympic Bronze medallist Becky Wilde, I really think that this is a pairing that will be challenging for the top spot. Wilde went out to Paris as an underdog with doubles partner Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne. Nobody had pinned hopes on the duo to win a medal, but their drive, determination, and hard work became clear race after race, and the bronze medal that resulted was a testament to the skills within the boat. This, combined with how Sarah McKay has ascended through the ranks in the past 12 months, makes for an exciting pairing to race this weekend. McKay’s demonstrated skill and speed and Wilde’s experience in the stroke seat certainly make this a potential combination to challenge Henry & Anderson.

Vwaire Obukohwo / Freya Keto

Speaking of climbing the ranks, Vwaire Obukohwo and Freya Keto have already had a taste of the senior team, having been on the Avis development camp and raced internationally for the GB Team, including a bronze medal for Obukohwo at the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2022, and a silver in 2023. In terms of trials results, Keto placed third on the water in November and Obukohwo ninth – demonstrating that they both perform well in the single. Keto also has experience racing doubles internationally, finishing sixth with Jenny Bates at World Rowing Cup III last year. These two scullers may be relatively inexperienced compared to the depth of the rest of the field, but I’m excited to see how they can perform as a duo, especially given that they will likely both have one eye on aiming towards LA 2028 Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of some of the athletes that they’ll be racing against this weekend.

Lucy Glover / Imogen Grant

To add another Olympic gold to the field, Imogen Grant is paired with Paris 2024 sculling reserve Lucy Glover. Following the recent retirement of long-time lightweight doubles partner Emily Craig, it’s not within recent memory that we’ve seen Grant race with anyone else, but Glover’s experience on the international stage is certainly not to be sniffed at. With World and European titles to her name, the Edinburgh University graduate will likely be aiming to remain on the senior squad with the goal of working towards LA 2028, making her a two-time Olympian, having raced in the quad at Tokyo 2020. The depth and experience of racing within this crew should see them knocking on the door of a podium finish, and I’m hopeful to see Grant continue her unstoppable trajectory despite now also working as a junior doctor.

Katie Mole / Cam Nyland

Katie Mole is an athlete who has consistently performed well at trials, finishing fifth in the A-final in 2022, second in the B-final in 2023, fifth on the water in November and seventh in February. Now paired with Leander Club’s Cam Nyland, who also placed inside the top 12 at both 5km trials, this will be another set of development athletes looking ahead to LA 2028. Both have already raced on an international stage, with Nyland winning the B-final in the W2x at the 2023 U23 European Rowing Championships and Mole picking up bronze and silver medals at Wedau Regatta with Becky Wilde in 2023. Having both climbed the ranks in recent years, I’m excited to see how they can perform together this weekend, and I hope to see them race in the A-final of the women’s doubles.

Prediction

It’s difficult to look past the gold-standard pairing of Lola Anderson and Lauren Henry to take the win in this field, although I think their most likely challengers are certainly Becky Wilde and Sarah McKay. The depth of this field – as well as in the U23 athletes – is outstanding, and I’m excited to see what the results will look like this weekend.

About The Author

Lara Robinson

Having first sat in a boat aged 13 at Stratford upon Avon BC, Lara’s love for the sport has only gone from strength to strength. Now Women’s Captain at City of Oxford RC and in her second season writing for JRN, she primarily covers student and club level women’s rowing alongside her day job as a neuroscience researcher at the University of Oxford.

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