News

Posted: 07 Aug 2024

With the goosebumps just settling from Team GB's inspiring performances in the Olympic Regatta in Paris, Scottish athletes and coaches are gearing up for the combined Senior, U23 and U19 World Championships in St Catherines, Canada.

Sophie Sinclair and Penny Irvine of Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA), will both make their debut for the U19 GB Rowing Team, racing in the JW8+ and JW2-, respectively. ASRA coach Holly Reid returns for her second U19 World Championships to coach the JW2-, after leading the JW4- in Varese in 2022. Both Sophie & Penny were part of the crew who won the Groton School Challenge Cup at Henley Women’s Regatta earlier this season, once again, coached by Holly Reid.

Holly Reid said, "I am very excited to coach at this year’s U19 World Championships and so proud of the girls selected to row on the team. Penny and Sophie have worked incredibly hard this year and it is fantastic to see their continued motivation to improve and learn through this opportunity."

Josh Matthews of Edinburgh University BC will race his first U23 World Championships in the Men’s quadruple sculls (BM4x), having raced the same category in 2023 at the European U23 Championships in Krefeld, Germany, and 2022 in Varese, Italy, at the U19 World Championships.

Tom Young, Scottish Rowing’s Interim Head of Performance, who travels out with the U23 team to Canada to coach the U23 Men’s quadruple scull, had this to say about the announcement:
“We’ve had a lot of athletes involved in the trialling process this season, and it’s been an incredibly competitive process, just to get to the point of selection. I’m proud to see the work of these young athletes pay off as they each prepare to make their debut for Great Britain at this level, and I’m excited to see this hard work continue with the final preparations for the championships!”

The combined World Championships in St Catherines, Canada, begins on Sunday 18^th August for the Senior and U23 crew, with the U19’s beginning their campaigns on Wednesday 21^st August. A Finals will run for the U23’s on Thursday 22^nd/Friday 23^rd August, Seniors and Para athletes on Saturday 24^th August, and U19’s on Sunday 25^th August.
See the full crew announcements on the British Rowing website, here.

More information will be available regarding race timetables and livestreaming nearer the regatta.

Image Credit: Izzy Cooper (GB Rowing)

More young Scots at the Coupe de la Jeunesse

This coming weekend, we also have two Scots racing for GB at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, in Račice, Czechia. Jemima Aspinall, the third ASRA athlete to represent Great Britain this Summer will race in the JW4-, making her international debut. Kloe Hunter of The Glasgow Academy makes her second appearance for Great Britain, racing once again in the Junior Women’s coxed four and the eight, having won gold and silver medals in the same events in 2023.

The Coupe de la Jeunesse will run from Friday 9^th to Sunday 11^th August, and you can find more information and full crew lists on the British Rowing website, here.