Last year’s Women’s Championship Single proved to be one of the most exciting races of the weekend. Two seconds separated the top three, with the favourite Imogen Grant beaten by Vwaire Obukohwo and Olivia Bates into third. This year, it’s all to play for once again.
Olivia Bates, University of Nottingham BC
With Obukohwo and Grant absent this year, Bates is the only returning medallist in a stacked field. Bates had a stunning season in the single in 2022, winning the lightweight categories at Henley Women’s Regatta and Holland Bekker, and placing third at the U23 European Championships. At BUCS Regatta last year, she chose to enter both the Championship Lightweight Single and the Championship Openweight Single on the same day, winning gold and silver respectively. She is down to do the same again this weekend, giving herself another tight schedule and the possibility of six races all in close proximity. However, an athlete of Bates’ calibre should be able to take this in her stride and see it as a training weekend, with bigger aims later in the season. Coming off a sixth place finish at last weekend’s GB Trials, she is in stunning form and will want to tick this weekend off ahead of a busy summer. The schedule could be detrimental to her gold medal chances, especially with the lightweight final taking place before the openweight one, but she’s certainly one of the top contenders for the podium.
Hannah Supple, Edinburgh University BC
Supple has had an impressive season so far at Edinburgh. Part of both sweep and sculling boats, she has already recorded some fine results, most recently placing the second-highest of the U23 athletes at GB Trials earlier this month. Boosted by this result and previous crew boat performances, Supple is in brilliant form. She will look to build on this as she aims for a seat in U23 boats later this summer.
Lauren Henry, University of Leicester BC
It is hard to look past Henry for this year’s champion. Her form in the single has been stunning in recent years. This season alone she has placed in the top three at every iteration of GB Trials, capped off with a spectacular win last weekend in the senior category. Henry is set to have a big summer stepping up into senior racing but, in her final year as a U23, she will no doubt be targeting a World Championship title in the single in July. BUCS Regatta could be one of her only races in the scull until then, so she will seek to put on a dominant display this weekend.
Molly Curry, Queen’s University Belfast BC
Curry placed sixth in last year’s final. With a host of results under her belt since then, she will aim to improve this year. Curry was part of the Women’s Quad selected to race at the European U23 Championships last summer, and she will be aiming to be part of the U23 team again this season. After finishing as the sixth U23 athlete at the February instalment of GB Trials, Curry was absent from the April Trial at Caversham last weekend on medical grounds. With this in mind and provided she is hopefully well enough to compete, it will be interesting to see how she fares against scullers who have had slightly more time to prepare. That being said, any Queen’s sculler who makes the trip to Nottingham is always in the mix for a medal, so expect her to be up there.
Jade Lindo, University of Greenwich BC
Jade Lindo returns to BUCS Regatta for the first time since 2019. Despite her university making rare appearances at BUCS Regatta, Lindo has plenty of experience, having previously rowed at the University of Nottingham. Part of the former Twickenham Start Centre, Lindo has amassed plenty of race experience in her single, placing second at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2022 and recently placing 11th at GB Trials. Known for her fast starts, Lindo could spring some surprises early on, potentially putting her in contention for a medal.
Kathryn (Katie) Mole, University of Birmingham BC
Birmingham medical student Mole returns to BUCS Regatta this year after a four-year break from the event. The Championship Single title will be her big aim this weekend, with the University of Birmingham typically having less depth in the crew boat categories. Having placed eighth at Trials last week, Mole is a tough competitor and hugely experienced in the single. The last time she raced here was for the University of York in 2019, where she placed fourth in the Intermediate Single. Since then, she has made impressive strides, predominantly under the Yorkshire Start programme, and will want to capitalise on this. It is not often we see the University of Birmingham on the Championship podium, so this will be an exciting prospect for the small club.
Prediction
We are in for another exciting race this year. I expect Henry to take the victory, continuing to cement her dominance in this boat class. The minor medals could be in very close contention between Bates and Mole. Both are experienced single scullers and capable in whatever conditions Holme Pierrepont decides to throw at them. Bates might just edge Mole but the remainder of the field are all capable of springing surprises and could be in the mix for silver and bronze as well.
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