Image Credit: British Rowing
2024 has seen the first ever Olympic gold for the British women’s quad, and could soon bring a similar feat for the U19 outfit at the world championships. To date, this boat has never quite reached the very summit of international rowing – despite alumnae of the boat class including newly-minted Olympic champion Lola Anderson – but with two successive bronze medals and a historic summer for the GB squad behind them, this crew are well positioned to achieve what their predecessors couldn’t.
Eloise Etherington, Wycliffe College (J18)
Simply put, Eloise Etherington could be one of the finest quads rowers on the circuit. In a boat rife with international representation, she is the sole returner from last year’s bronze-winning quad and will be looking to upgrade this medal in her second world championships to match or beat the U19 quad’s best result – silver in 2015 and 2016. On a domestic level, Etherington has seen nothing but gold all season, completing the triple as the bow seat of her indomitable Wycliffe quad and notably besting two championship Leander quads at the Metropolitan Regatta. Be it raw power, technical mastery, or sheer determination, Etherington brings something special to the quad that is surely hard to match even across an international stage.
Amalka Delevante, Tideway Scullers (J17)
Delevante has achieved what few can in taking a Henley Royal Regatta victory at just 16, sitting in the two-seat of an ever-impressive Tideway Scullers quad in the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup. One year on, she’s been a mainstay of GB U19 projects as a member of the quad from both the European championships and Munich International Junior Regatta alongside crewmates Gardner and Etherington respectively, placing fourth and third. As the sole Tideway sculler in the GB women’s squad, Delevante benefits significantly from the long-term coaching of Rhona MacCallum, herself the lead of junior women’s sculling and this crew’s coach. With Delevante as a key addition to the rhythm and power of the boat, the standard of this crew will be raised even higher.
Catherine Gardner, Hartpury University (J17)
Hartpury University’s high-performance program has produced yet another powerhouse in 17-year-old Katie Gardner, who was most recently seen internationally taking bronze in the European championships quad, forming the middle pair with Amalka Delevante. She’s progressed steadily throughout the season to the top of the trials system, most recently taking fourth at April trials, and made a successful swap from the single to the quad as the season ended to reach the Friday of Henley Royal Regatta. Throughout, she has embodied the power of Hartpury athletes and the technique of a truly talented sculler.
Mia Lawrence, Marlow Rowing Club (J18)
Though Marlow’s quad played second fiddle to the unbeaten Wycliffe outfit all season, few scullers can match their pedigree like Mia Lawrence. She took victory at April trials in the single before delivering silver for Marlow at the National Schools’ Regatta, Henley Women’s, and Henley Royal with remarkable consistency through the season, and stepped up seamlessly from last year’s Coupe de la Jeunesse to deliver a convincing victory in the double in Munich alongside Etherington. Her versatility and strength across boat classes make her a key player in any crew and a force to be reckoned with at every level.
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