In the second open trial of the season, 12 athletes will race over 5000 metres in Boston, Lincolnshire, aiming to deliver a performance that could secure them a place on Great Britain’s senior rowing team.
Household Names: Post-Olympic Glory
Looking back at the Paris Olympic Games, one moment that stands out is the GB women’s quad’s victory, as they powered their bow ball ahead of the Dutch in the final sprint to the line. This marked the first time in history that Great Britain had won gold in the women’s quads, and the Sunday Times Team of the Year crew has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on both rowers and non-rowers alike. Most recently, the quartet was honoured with MBEs in the King’s New Year Honours List, a well-deserved recognition of their commitment and impact on women and girls in sport. The stern pair of the quad will be participating in this weekend’s racing, hoping to make this Olympiad even better.
Three-seat and Leander Club captain, Lola Anderson, has demonstrated her versatility with an impressive record of success in both the quad and the single. In 2021, at World Rowing Cup III, Lola made her senior debut, winning bronze in the single, competing against many athletes with more senior experience. That same year, she triumphed in The Princess Royal Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, battling fiercely with Lauren Henry, who would later join her in the quad to become European, World, and Olympic champions. Having become a poster girl for GB rowing, Lola has used her platform to advocate for girls’ sports participation. She also attended an Invictus Games training camp with her teammates before the athletes travelled to Vancouver, Canada.
Another athlete who has captured the nation’s heart with her inspiring comeback following a horse-riding accident at the age of 15 is Georgie Brayshaw (Leander Club), who stroked Great Britain’s quad to victory in Paris. Having won 11 senior-level medals in the past three years, Brayshaw has been a pivotal member of the women’s squad and also holds the 5km world record on the RP3 rowing machine. Although less experienced in the single, Brayshaw’s strength and stamina for long-distance racing will undoubtedly stand her in good stead on Saturday.
As lightweight rowing is gradually phased out, Paris hosted the final ever lightweight double sculls event. After finishing fourth in Tokyo 2021, just 0.5 seconds behind gold, Imogen Grant and Emily Craig vowed never to find themselves in that position again. Their remarkable Olympiad saw the pair unbeaten, and after their final race together, they stood atop the podium, reflecting on all they had achieved in those extraordinary three years. This season, Grant (Upper Thames RC/ Cambridge University BC) has become the first-ever women’s Wingfield Sculls triple champion, started her career as a doctor, and explored beach sprint rowing. With her momentum, Grant looks unstoppable, and this weekend presents an opportunity for her to begin her career as an openweight.
Heidi Long is another athlete championing women in sport. In September, she joined the University of Oxford Boat Club for the 2024/25 season while beginning a Master’s degree in Women’s and Reproductive Health. In her first Boat Race campaign, she stroked her crew, ‘Moto Moto,’ to a commanding eight-length victory in the Trial Eights race in December. Long was also part of Great Britain’s women’s eight, which claimed bronze in Paris. She also has an impressive collection of 14 senior international medals. The switch from two blades to one has not slowed her down; in the GB closed trials in December, she outpaced many of the country’s top sculling talents. With a few returning Olympians competing this weekend, Long will have the chance to measure herself against the best the world has to offer.
A New Olympiad: A Fresh Start
At the start of a new Olympiad, familiar faces will likely retire to pursue other avenues, creating opportunities for new talents to establish themselves as regulars on the team. Kyra Edwards (Oxford University BC) made her senior debut in 2019, representing Great Britain numerous times over the following four years. With a large pool of talented athletes, Edwards narrowly missed Olympic selection. After taking some time off to travel and recover from two hip surgeries, the new Olympiad offers Kyra a second chance, and this weekend presents an opportunity to lay the foundations for four years of success.
Over the past two seasons, Olivia Bates (Nottinghamshire County RA/ University of Nottingham BC) has made a name for herself as one of the most promising emerging talents in lightweight rowing. With a flair for racing the single, Bates stepped up to the senior category, earning three bronzes and one gold medal. After being selected as a reserve for the Paris Olympic Games, she became the last-ever lightweight to represent Great Britain when she competed at the World Rowing Championships in Canada, finishing ninth overall. With no option but to transition to heavyweight rowing, Saturday will be one of Bates’ first opportunities to test her speed against her heavyweight counterparts.
New Kids on the Block: Future GB Stars
Hoping to break into the GB rowing team are the young athletes aiming to make the leap from U23 to senior level. Having been invited to the GB water and cycling camp in Avis, Portugal, this January, Cam Nyland (Leander Club) and Vwairé Obukohwo (Twickenham RC) have had a taste of life in the national team. Nyland has demonstrated her versatility across both disciplines of rowing. At U23 level, she represented Great Britain in the double sculls before moving to Leander Club, where she completed two seasons as a sweeper. Over the past season, she returned to sculling, competing in The Princess Grace Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, and at the November trials, she placed 12th overall.
Another up-and-coming talent, Obukohwo earned her place on the camp after a 2km erg test that saw her top the rankings, followed by a ninth-place finish overall on the water. Racing over the same course this weekend, Obukohwo seems to be translating her raw power on the erg more effectively onto the water, and it will be exciting to see if she can climb the rankings even further.
Katie Mole (University of Birmingham BC/Leander Club) is one of the most experienced single scullers, with an impressive record that includes a victory at the non-Olympic Trials last February, winning by 11 seconds. Balancing her studies as a medical student with consistent top-level performances, Mole is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. It will be exciting to see what she can achieve this weekend.
After a fourth-place finish at the November Trials, Sarah McKay (Leander Club/Grosvenor RC) has steadily climbed the rankings since 2023. At the Paris Olympic Trials, she placed 22nd, but in February, at the non-Olympic trials, she secured second place, finishing just behind Mole. This impressive performance earned her a spot at the Holland Beker Regatta, where she achieved second and third-place finishes in the double sculls.
Angharad Broughton (Molesey BC) has primarily been based overseas, rowing at the University of Washington since 2019. With four international vests to her name, having represented Great Britain at both U19 and U23 levels, Broughton finished eighth in the rankings at the November trials. It appears she has easily transitioned to senior level, showcasing her potential at this stage of her career.
Franny Hunt-Davis (Leander Club) has been a prominent figure in the top tier of domestic sweep rowing. Competing in Leander pink, she has reached the final of The Wargrave Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta twice, and in 2023, her eight finished second overall at Women’s Head of the River Race, narrowly losing to the GB senior women’s eight. In 2024, Hunt-Davis transitioned to sculling, competing in the quadruple scull at Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. With her strength on the erg and wealth of experience, Hunt-Davis will be a strong contender this weekend, particularly when navigating the challenging river bend in the racing line.
Prediction
As these athletes have raced with each other but not extensively against one another, it’s difficult to predict the exact rankings. Given their Olympic sculling golds, it would be unwise not to include Lola Anderson (Leander Club), Georgie Brayshaw (Leander Club), and Imogen Grant (Upper Thames RC/Cambridge University BC) among the top five. The leading contenders to challenge the Olympians for the top spots are likely to be Katie Mole (University of Birmingham BC), Sarah McKay (Leander Club/Grosvenor RC), Heidi Long (University of Oxford BC/ Leander Club) and possibly Kyra Edwards (University of Oxford BC). However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some U23 athletes break into the top ten.
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