Image Credit: AllMarkOne
In the final days of what has been a far sunnier and drier Autumn than last year, GB trials took place on the River Witham in Boston, Lincolnshire. As is customary for the first trial of the season, athletes who raced at the world championships this summer, as well as those based overseas, were exempt, and an impressive array of up-and-coming athletes took to the 5k time trial with gusto.
Women’s Single Sculls
A recent graduate of Reading University and the GB U23 programme, Finnola Stratton registered the fastest time, beating her crewmate and fellow gold medallist from this summer’s U23 World Rowing Championship quad, Poppy Baker, into fourth. Team GB is the reigning Olympic champion and world silver medallist in this boat class, and these two top athletes show that there is more talent in the pipeline. In second and third place were Katherine George and Holly Youd, both of whom have significant experience in sweep boats. George trained in the eight at Princeton University, and Youd was a world champion in the U23 pair, making their performance in the single scull this weekend even more impressive. With British Rowing favouring reserves who demonstrate expertise in both disciplines, these athletes have numerous routes into the senior squad, and their futures look promising. A seventh-place finish and honourable mention go to Sarah Marshall, who was the sole representative of Oxford University’s dark blues at these trials. Marshall won gold at the FISU World University Games alongside George and Youd, and recently began her fourth Boat Race campaign. Zara Povey, also of Reading University, was the fastest U23 and tenth overall.
Men’s Single Sculls
Matt Long was many writers’ favourite going into this weekend, and sure enough, the man from Reading University and Kingston set the fastest time by almost 20 seconds. Having achieved fifth place at this event last year, Long, still a U23 and student athlete, adds this result to his recent second-place finish at Wingfield Sculls and win at Vesta Scullers Head. Long has raced several times for Team GB in his age category, and he is undoubtedly on track to join the senior squad when he is ready. Leander Club’s Oliver Costley, James Cartwright, and Alex King finished within a few seconds of each other, with Costley claiming second place overall and bringing home bragging rights to what will surely be a lively erg room next week. In between the boys in pink was Tideway Scullers School’s Adam Oliver, who set the third fastest time.
Men’s Coxless Pairs
Athletes not bound by the trials’ national funding regulations may complete the course rowing sweep in the coxless pair. California Golden Bear Robbie Prosser and London Rowing Club’s Calum Jenkins set the fastest time, just one second ahead of Newcastle University’s Edward Ridley and Gwilym Johnson. In third place were the respective three-seats of the 2025 Cambridge and Oxford Boat Race crews, Luke Beever and Felix Rawlinson. Both athletes are now trialling together at Cambridge, and Rawlinson is undoubtedly a significant loss to Oxford, who were not represented in the trial’s men’s races.
Outlook
Athletes will now return to their home clubs, with many turning their attention to upcoming head races. The University of Reading can be proud of many impressive results this weekend, including the fastest time in both the men’s and women’s single sculls events. The next on-water trials will be close by at Team GB’s base in Caversham in mid-December. The athletes invited back will look to impress ahead of selection for next summer’s World and European Rowing Championships, with some perhaps beginning to dream of LA.
