Gold and bronze cap memorable British Championships

Henley Rowing Club enjoyed an outstanding four days of racing at the British Rowing Championships at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, with a gold medal, a bronze medal and a host of impressive performances against the country's strongest junior competition.

The championships attracted crews from 170 clubs and schools across the UK, including two from Gibraltar, with Henley represented across a wide range of junior age groups. Junior racing followed a championship format of time trials, semi-finals and finals, with each category completed on a single day.

The opening day saw Henley's J16 crews make an immediate impact. In the Open J16 double sculls, Ollie Rowley and Diego Petrosillo progressed confidently through the heats, finishing second in their semi-final before placing fifth in the A Final to secure an excellent top-five national finish.

In the WJ16 pair, Erin Goodall and Polina Bezuhlyi qualified 11th from the time trial before finishing sixth in their semi-final and rounding off their regatta with third place in the B Final.

Saturday brought another strong performance from the girls' squad as Erin and Polina joined J15 athletes Liv Baker and Eloise Askin, with cox Emily Robinson, in the WJ16 coxed four. The crew qualified tenth from the time trial before finishing fourth in their semi-final and then produced an outstanding row to win the B Final.

Sunday saw Rowley and Petrosillo race in the Open J16 quadruple sculls as part of a composite crew with former Henley juniors Flynn Burrow and Miles Vann, now at Shiplake College. After qualifying second in the time trial and winning their semi-final, disaster struck when equipment failure on the way to the start prevented them from taking their place in the championship final.

The WJ15 coxed quadruple scull of Liv Baker, Zeffie Whiteman, Eloise Askin, Eliza Vann and cox Emily Robinson reached the A Final after qualifying sixth from the time trial and finishing third in their semi-final, eventually placing sixth overall in Britain.

Henley's Open J15 coxed quadruple scull of Will Askin, Henry Featherstone, Rohan Shanker, Charles Chapman and cox Sinan Girgin also enjoyed a successful campaign, progressing to the B Final where they finished sixth.

The final day featured J14 crews and J15 small boats racing over 1,000 metres.

Lottie Cotton produced a determined performance in the WJ15 single sculls, progressing from a field of 66 competitors to finish fifth in the E Final. Rohan Shanker matched that achievement in the Open J15 singles, finishing fifth in the E Final after competing against a field of 76 athletes.

The WJ14 coxed quadruple scull of Grace Grant, Matilda Groh, Martha Lowe, Emily Weeks and cox Isabelle Pennington qualified for the B Final after finishing fourth in their semi-final, but unfortunately had to withdraw before the race.

One of the standout performances of the championships came from Eliza Vann in the WJ14 single sculls. Vann dominated the early stages, winning both her time trial and semi-final to qualify as one of the favourites for the title. In a thrilling final, she led during the early stages before an incredibly close finish saw Walton Rowing Club take gold, Southampton Coalporters silver and Vann secure a superb bronze medal, with less than half a second separating the top three.

Henley's gold medal came in the Open J14 coxed quadruple sculls, where Ace Hawkins-Bekir, Ernest Sterjo, William Cowburn, Thomas Leppard and cox Ben Freeman delivered a magnificent performance. After qualifying fourth fastest and finishing third in a fiercely contested semi-final, the crew made a blistering start in the A Final and held their lead to become British Champions. Lee Rowing Club finished less than a second behind in silver, with Windsor Boys' School taking bronze.

Overall, Henley Rowing Club enjoyed an excellent championship, reaching numerous A and B Finals across all four days of competition. The performances highlighted the strength and depth of the club's thriving junior programme, with athletes gaining invaluable championship experience while producing outstanding results against the very best young rowers in the country.