As a dying breed, this is the sunset tour for lightweight rowing. Whether it is phased out at a domestic level in the same gradual fashion as it has been on the international scene remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that rowing is evolving and the lightweight community are not necessarily at the forefront of that. This weekend’s lightweight doubles should, however, be a fascinating contest in technical ability and aerobic capacity, with athletes who are physically equivalent but harnessing the magic of mentality.
Queen’s University Belfast
Queen’s University Belfast Boat Club have an infamous sculling program, enjoying success after success in sculling. As the reigning champions, with a phenomenal 30-second gap to second place in last year’s race, there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the Irish boys to take home gold. With Adam McKinley in bow who was a beginner last year, head coach John Armstrong must have a lot of faith in fresh legs.
University of Nottingham Boat Club
The University of Nottingham Boat Club are a club that have been on the rise, in both sweep and sculling events, notably under the reign of Head Coach Ade Roberts. With bow man, Lucas Salmon, enjoying recent success in lightweight events, including a sixth-placed finish in championship lightweight singles in 2023, we should expect a strong showing. However, with Salmon competing in championship lightweight doubles, singles, and fours, could tired legs lead to choppy waters?
Strathclyde University Boat Club
With the absence of Cambridge and Edinburgh in this year’s category, Strathclyde University Boat Club, who missed out on the A-final by half a length last year, will be looking to make the step-up. The Scots have an impressive program for their humble scale and we hope to see some strong results this year.
Reading University Boat Club
Reading University Boat Club are a name that are very hard to omit when considering sculling events of any form. Bearing the name of this boat club is a heavy burden and we have faith that the program, led by Will Rand, will produce fast times. It is likely one of these crews will feature Joseph Bates, medalist in last year’s intermediate quads, and so we can expect a competitive showing.
Predictions
My bet has to lie with Queen’s University Boat Club to return to Ireland with gold around their necks. I would predict a tight race for silver and bronze, which has often been present in previous years, to occur between Nottingham, Strathclyde, and Reading.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
