News

Posted: 24 February 2023

Many of Scotland’s leading rowers have taken part in GB Rowing Team winter assessments across the country in recent weeks.  Below we summarise the Scottish performances:

GB Rowing Team Senior, Under 23 and FISU Open Trial – Boston (11 February 2023)

There was a Scottish 1-2-3 in the lightweight men’s category as Edinburgh University Boat Club duo Dale Flockhart and Dan Jones took the top two spots in the combined division with the openweight scullers.  As well as being the top lightweight Dale was 7th overall, whilst Dan was less than 8 seconds behind in 11th place.  Strathclyde University Boat Club’s Ben Parsonage took third place and ranked 14th overall, just ahead of Cameron Buchan who finished 15th in the openweight category.

Dale Floackhart

In the women’s pair, there was an impressive performance from former Dundee University rower Eleanor Brinkhoff, now representing Leander Club.  Brinkhoff and her partner Eve Stewart ranked 4th overall, one place ahead of 2022 world champions (in the women’s four), Rowan McKellar and Heidi Long.  2016 Olympic silver medallist Karen Bennett came home in 6th place with Lauren Irwin whilst Aberdeenshire’s Abigail Topp was in the second ranked under 23 pair with Phoebe Snowden.

Eleanor Brinkhoff and partner Eve Stewart

Leander Club’s Sholto Carnegie, current world champion in the men’s eight, achieved a top three finish in the men’s pair.  Former Clydesdale and Edinburgh University Boat Club athlete Matthew Fielding was among the leading under 23 men’s pairs, finishing 19th overall with his fellow Leander Club partner Matt Johnston.

World bronze medallist in the women’s quad Lucy Glover was highest ranked in the women’s sculling division placing 7th overall, ahead of fellow Edinburgh University Boat Club athlete Maddie Arlett in 12th and Strathclyde Park Rowing Club’s Perri McCluskey in 18th.  Current Edinburgh University student Hannah Supple was the highest ranked under 23 athlete from Scotland.

Following this assessment invitations will be issued to the next stage of the trialling process, the GB Rowing Team April Trials at Caversham from Friday 14th – Sunday 16th April.

GB Rowing Team Para-Rowing Trial – Caversham (19 February 2023)

Strathclyde Park Rowing Club’s Jake Woods took part in his first on-water assessment as part of the GB Rowing Team Para-Rowing programme.  The PR1 athlete, who only took up the sport in the autumn, enjoyed a successful outing at Caversham producing personal bests across the two 2000m pieces and giving him a solid benchmark against the leading athletes in the country.

GB Rowing Team Under 19 Long Distance Trial – Boston (18-19 February 2023)

Under 19 GB international Amy Newton enjoyed a successful weekend with both one and two oars as she put down a strong marker for the season ahead.  The George Heriot’s School athlete achieved a top 10 finish in the single scull on Saturday before moving into the pair on Sunday with Ailish Harkin of Henley Rowing Club and ranking second, less than 2 seconds off top spot.

Amy Newton

Glasgow Academy’s Kloe Hunter was the next ranked Scottish athlete in the single scull, coming home in 17th place ahead of St Andrew Boat Club’s Phoebe Pryce in 25th.  Hunter and her Glasgow Academy partner Sofia Nielsen teamed up in the pair on Sunday, finishing 8th overall.  Whilst Pryce and George Watson’s Emma Steele were 14th and ASRA pair Penny Irvine and Sophie Sinclair were 16th.

In the boys’ sculling Alexander Patton of St Andrew Boat Club was the top ranked athlete, finishing 14th in the single scull and 2nd in the double scull.  His former teammate Freddy Foxwell, now representing Leander Club was 15th and 7th across the two days.  Lachlan Uttley (George Watson’s College) and St Andrew Boat Club’s Hector Patton finished 23rd and 26th respectively in the single sculls and 9th and 12th in the doubles.

The junior men’s sweep athletes were involved in three shorter divisions of 2800m across the weekend, swapping partners each time.  Magnus Heidenreich recorded 11th, 4th and 13th place rankings with his ASRA teammate Murray Bone putting down two 11th place finishes and a 17th.  The highest finishing position across the three runs of Harris Bisset (George Heriot’s School), Andrew Wright (St Andrew Boat Club) and Sam Doherty (ASRA) was 23rd, 29th and 38th respectively.

Invitations will now be issued to the leading under 19 athletes for the GB Rowing Team Spring Assessments in Nottingham next month before the GB Rowing Team Under 19 Trials Regatta on Sunday 23rd April.