With racing in 2023 having well and truly begun, the eyes of the rowing world turn again to Boston where the second round of trials is taking place. The seriousness ramps up here, with the next stop being Caversham and being one step closer to a coveted GB vest. In November, the U23 men’s sculling event showcased not just their talent as a group but also their ability to compete with veterans of the GB trialing system and the senior team. With the addition of senior squad members this time around, it will be interesting to see how each rower copes with the pressure.
Miles Devereux (Leander Club)
A product of the Leander junior squad and Oxford Brooks University, it would be an understatement to say that Miles Devereux has achieved a great deal in his rowing career thus far. With multiple GB vests at the Junior and U23 World Championship, plus a couple of Henley wins, the young sculler clearly has the performances to back up the hype. The highest-finishing U23 sculler in November, he looks well placed to repeat the same feat this time around, although he likely faces strong competition from rising star Callum Dixon, who together with Seb Devereaux took twelve seconds off the rest of the field last time around. His ability to perform on big occasions is not in doubt and it will be interesting to see his performance against a stacked field.
Joseph Middleton (University of London BC)
A former member of the St. Paul’s first eight for two years and a junior world medalist as a J16, Joe Middleton has regularly punched far beyond his weight in the world of competitive rowing. What’s more, he shows no signs of stopping. Donning the famous purple of ULBC, Joe finished 12th at the November Trials at the second-fastest U23, an incredible feat for someone competing at their very first U23 trials. Although the normal rules don’t seem to apply, it would perhaps be slightly overzealous to expect a much higher finish this time around, especially considering that he will be up against athletes who have U23 World Championship success such as Sam Meijer. I would predict a strong finish for Joe provided he performs to the same level as in November, which all indicators indicate he will.
Stephen Hughes (Leander Club)
A name that we will hear an awful lot more in the future, like Devereux and Middleton, Hughes had an incredible junior career, winning the Fawley at Leander as a junior competing at Coupe de Jeunesse. Despite the long-term injury, Hughes has come fighting back finishing inside the top 20 in the November Trials. One hopes that Hughes is back to full fitness, his results seem to suggest it, and that he can challenge for a top spot come the weekend. A top ten finish may be beyond him, given that he will be facing the likes of sculling veteran John Collins and recent World Championship silver medalist George Bourne. In any case, Hughes will certainly be towards the top end of the U23 field, taking one more step towards Caversham and another GB vest.
Prediction
The main contenders for the overall win in this category should come from those mentioned above, who are also well placed to rank well among the seniors. I expect that Miles Devereux will repeat his placing at November trials as the top U23 with Joe Middleton behind him.
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