Image Credit: AllMarkOne
Final trials are already upon us; regatta season is just around the corner and the first international racing of the new Olympiad will soon commence.
The first year of the LA 2028 cycle will see a fundamental change in the names we are accustomed to seeing at the top of trial sheets and in senior teams that will race later this summer. With many Olympians having retired or taken time out, there has been an influx of development athletes into Caversham. These less experienced athletes will be mixing with experienced medallists, many of whom have had months off after the highs of Paris last summer. It makes for some exciting and unpredictable racing.
Lauren Irwin/Eve Stewart (Leander Club / Durham University BC / Chester-le-Street ARC / Leander Club)
On paper, this should be a winning combination. Olympic bronze medallists in the eight, Irwin sat in the five-seat and Stewart was in six, and they resume their seating combination in the pair. Like many others, both had extended breaks after Paris and, on their return to trialling, placed second at February trials. With more time together and miles under their belts, they should be in better shape heading into this weekend.
Eleanor Brinkhoff/Megan Slabbert (Leander Club / Molesey BC)
The winning pair at Trials in February, this lineup is unchanged ahead of the shorter distances this weekend. Brinkhoff was unlucky not to make the Olympic team last summer and was a travelling spare for all races up to that point. Certainly, one to look out for this coming Olympiad, she has already posted some impressive results at all the trials this season. Her partner Slabbert has been somewhat of a breakthrough. A former world U23 medallist, she has stepped up to the senior level and looks to be taking it all in her stride. Replicating their February success would be impressive, but this is the pair to beat on previous form.
Amelia Standing/ Daisy Bellamy (Leander Club / Oxford University BC / Reading University BC)
A new pairing since February trials, Bellamy and Standing are reunited for the first time since April 2023. Bellamy took time out during the 2024 season but looks to be back stronger than ever. She has always been one to look out for in the development pathway, and to see her finally break into the senior team would be no surprise, given her talent and past success. Standing made waves in the 2024 season, winning final trials, albeit without Olympians present, and racing at World Rowing Cup III in the development four. They placed sixth in 2023, and with more experience and age on their side this time around, a top-three spot is almost certain.
Lizzie Witt/Martha Birtles (Leander Club / Imperial College BC / Oxford Brookes University BC / Oxford University BC)
Two relative newcomers on the senior scene, Birtles and Witt are another new pairing. Birtles had some senior representation last season as part of the World Rowing Cup four with Standing, Brinkhoff and Juliette Perry. Witt has known pedigree in the pair, just missing out on winning Henley Royal Regatta in 2023. She placed third at February trials and will want to replicate a similar placing this weekend. Having now trained with the senior team for several months, they will no doubt be fitter and stronger than ever; it’s just a question of how fast they can get this new combination moving.
Philippa Emery/ Hannah Scott (Leander Club / Durham University BC / Bann RC / Leander Club)
One of the two pairs training out of Leander Club, this combination sees Olympic Champion Hannah Scott returning to a sweep boat for the first time since 2019. Most recently known for her exploits in the quad, it is easy to forget the success she had with one blade pre the Tokyo Olympic Games. A world U23 medallist in the pair and eight, and winner of Henley Royal Regatta in the smaller boat, she is arguably the most talented rower of her generation. A five-year break from sweep rowing will count against her somewhat, but she will slowly be blowing those cobwebs away each time she gets into the boat. Emery has shone at U23 level for the past few seasons, and this is her first year racing in the senior category. A world champion in the four last summer, she can only be full of confidence, having continued to gain invaluable experience as part of the Leander women’s squad. This is one of the most talented boats in the field, and it should be exciting to see them progress through the weekend.
Lauren Carey/ Annie Campbell-Orde (Leander Club / Nottingham RC / Leander Club)
Olympic bronze medallist Campbell-Orde has been training at Leander all season and this weekend is paired with Yale graduate Carey. Campbell-Orde has had previous success in the pair racing at a World Rowing Cup, Henley Royal Regatta final and multiple final trials. A previous world U23 medallist, Carey is in her first season back at Leander post her collegiate rowing career. She has been a stalwart of Leander’s top boats this season and no doubt this has led to improvements. The mix of youth ad experience is intriguing, and they could certainly be in the mix in the A-final.
Jade Lindo/ Juliette Perry (Twickenham RC / Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
In another changed combination since the February trials, Perry and Lindo are undoubtedly a pairing to look out for. Lindo has trialled all over this season: a sculler, a bow sider and now a stroke sider- it’s this final result that will matter the most. As final trial results go, Perry’s previous two years have been stellar. Placing second in 2023 and winning last year’s non-Olympic edition, she is undoubtedly someone who knows how to nail the regatta format. Whilst time will not have been on their side since February, both are proven racers and could be a match for anyone.
Predictions
Expect this event to be fiercely competitive and the margins as close as ever. A standout pairing has yet to emerge, so placings down the field could be tight; even making the A-final means one of these pairs will miss out. If Irwin and Stewart gain confidence throughout the rounds, it would be no surprise to see them emerge as winners, but pairs can be so unpredictable any number of these seven could be in the hunt.
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