Henley athletes strike gold at British Rowing Masters Championships

Henley Rowing Club athletes enjoyed an outstanding weekend at the British Rowing Masters Championships in Nottingham, returning home with an impressive haul of medals across a range of events.

Leading the way was the club’s C Quadruple Sculls crew of Tom Jost, Jack Barrett, John Gelling and Nick Friend, who produced a commanding performance to take gold. Despite John battling a stomach bug throughout the regatta, the crew raced superbly to defeat the reigning champions by six seconds.

There was further success in the B Pair, where Elliot Cole and James Padmore secured gold after an exceptional race. Having taken bronze at last year’s championships, the pair returned determined to improve on that result and delivered a performance worthy of the national title.

Jack Barrett added a silver medal in the B Single Sculls following a closely contested race against the Bradford-on-Avon sculler he defeated to claim the championship title last year.

Henley also celebrated a bronze medal in the Mixed E Quadruple Sculls, with Alex Scott, Jane Ashby, Jo Paice and Sean Paice producing a strong performance against a competitive field.

Elsewhere, Henley member Marcus Bateman enjoyed success in the Open Championship C Double Sculls while representing Avon Country Rowing Club alongside former international crewmate Matthew Wells. The duo, who won World Championship silver together in 2010, reunited in a double scull for the first time since 2011 and claimed gold in convincing fashion.

The weekend began with a strong performance from Victoria Morgan in the Women’s E Single Sculls. After progressing through her heat, Victoria secured a place in a highly competitive Championship Final, where she finished an impressive fifth overall.

Henley’s first medal of the regatta came courtesy of the Mixed E Quad Sculls crew of Alex Scott, Jane Ashby, Shaun Paice and Jo Paice. Producing a powerful second half of the race, the crew moved through the field to claim a well-earned bronze medal.

In the Men’s E Quad Sculls, David Brown, Dave Carr, Andrew Garnett and Shaun Paice battled impressively through a competitive heat to qualify for the Championship Final. The crew raced strongly against a high-quality field, finishing sixth overall.

Elizabeth Thomazeau and Helen Turnell represented the club in the Women’s E Double Sculls. After a determined performance in their heat, they narrowly missed out on qualification for the final.

Henley’s Women’s E Quad Sculls crew of Emily Hillyard, Jane Ashby, Miriam O’Leary and Jo Paice also enjoyed an excellent regatta. A superb performance in their heat earned them a place in the Championship Final, where they finished a highly respectable fifth.

Rachel Galbraith and Jeff Ellison took to the water in the Mixed F Double Sculls. Despite a determined effort in challenging conditions, they were unable to progress from their heat into the final.

In the Women’s G Quad Sculls Final, Julia Lock, Victoria Molloy, Judy Walker and Nicole Peachy faced an early setback but showed tremendous resilience to fight their way back through the field, ultimately finishing sixth.

In the Women’s 50+ Quad Sculls Final, two Henley crews lined up against each other in a thrilling contest. Emily Hillyard, Jane Ashby, Miriam O’Leary and Jo Paice delivered a superb performance to secure the silver medal, while Julia Lock, Victoria Molloy, Elizabeth Thomazeau and Nicole Peachy finished sixth.

Rounding off the club’s racing weekend were Rachel Galbraith and Jeff Ellison, competing once again in the Intermediate 50+ Mixed Double Sculls. Building on their earlier performance, the pair produced a strong race to claim Henley’s final medal of the regatta with an excellent bronze medal finish.

The British Rowing Masters Championships attracts some of the strongest masters rowing talent in the country, making the club’s achievements all the more impressive. Congratulations to all Henley athletes who competed and represented the club with distinction throughout the weekend.