This weekend is another opportunity for GB squad aspirants to impress the GB Coaching Team. Having submitted their 5k ergo scores, the next step in the trialling process involves another run down the track at Boston. Everyone will be looking to show that they have stepped on since November and move up the rankings in the hopes of earning a spot on the GB squad come the summer.
Reading University Boat Club
Reading has been one of the leading clubs in the UK for sculling since their shift to focus solely on it ten years ago. Five athletes from Reading are competing this weekend, and I would be looking to them to take a collection of the top spots. All of the athletes raced in either The Princess Grace Challenge Cup or The Stonor Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta last year and have won numerous BUCS medals between them. Zara Povey was the fastest U23 at the first assessment in November. However, Finnola Stratton and Ellie Cooke, members of the bronze medal-winning U23 GB quad last summer, were absent and may knock Povey off the top spot.
Newcastle University Boat Club
Another athlete who competed at U23 worlds last summer is Rachel Bradley of Newcastle University Boat Club. Bradley won a silver medal in the double, improving from her eighth-place finish in the quad the previous year. Domestically, she was a part of the Newcastle women’s eight that raced in the final of The Island Challenge Cup, making history as the first eight from the club to reach the Sunday at Henley Royal Regatta. After placing as the third U23 at the initial evaluation, Bradley seems set to make it a third year in a row on the GB U23 squad.
Molesey Boat Club
At her first senior trials in November, Olivia Cheesmur performed exceptionally well, placing 11th overall and finishing as the second-fastest U23. This strong result led to her being invited to the second assessment. As a junior, she was part of the Molesey quad that won a bronze medal at the National Schools’ Regatta before finishing second at the U19 World Rowing Championships. After her performance in the trialling process so far, she seems on track to repeat this feat at the U23 level.
Hartpury University and College Boat Club/ Greenbank Falmouth Rowing Club
At the British Rowing Indoor Championships, Ellie Dash won both the U23 2000m event and the 500m. Her sub-seven-minute time in the 2000m placed her among the GB Rowing Team athletes competing in the women’s open event. These results highlight her strength on the erg, but a win in the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta and placing as the fourth-fastest U23 at the first assessment show that she can translate this strength on the erg to speed on the water.
De Montfort University/Leicester Rowing Club
Having learnt to row only a couple of years ago, Lizzie Webster, a former triathlete, has been progressing at an impressive rate. At BUCS Regatta in 2023, she dominated the beginner women’s events, winning in the single and the double and placing second in the quad. At the 2024 regatta, she moved up to the intermediate single event, in which she placed second in the B-final. Now in her third season of rowing, she competed at the first assessment and was the tenth-fastest U23. Being relatively new to rowing, if she continues to improve with this trajectory, she will certainly be one to watch.
Prediction
As the premier university for sculling, I expect most of the top spots to be occupied by Reading University athletes. Zara Povey will be looking to retain her top ranking from the first assessment, but with Ellie Cooke and Finnola Stratton competing this time, she should watch her flank. Besides Reading, I would expect Olivia Cheesmur to rank highly.
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