With a subdued entry of only 15 crews, the Stonor may be short on crews, but certainly isn’t lacking in talent. In the mix are Olympic medalists, almost Olympic medalists, domestic prodigies and overseas unknowns. Several of these crews have the potential to win, and with a blend of openweight and lightweight competitors, the draw will decide the fate of many of these scullers.
G. M. Brayshaw & J. M. Leyden (Leander Club)
Georgina and Jess have both spent plenty of time working closely with GB, with Georgina having been selected for the double sculls for the 2019 World Cup II alongside Ruth Siddorn. Jess, meanwhile, first made headlines back in 2013 when she became the first-ever British woman to claim a single scull World Championship title. She followed her junior gold with a win in the doubles at the World Under23 Championships in 2016. Though perhaps not the favourites to win, they’re a dangerous duo for any of their competitors to come up against.
E. E. Craig & I. D. Grant (University of London and Cambridge)
Emily and Imogen are both household names to those that follow lightweight rowing in the UK, with Emily first establishing her prowess in 2019, becoming World Champion in the Lightweight quads, whilst Imogen rose to fame after winning two consecutive Boat Races as a Cambridge blue, having learned to row at Cambridge. This pairing went into the Olympic Regatta as one of the strongest British boats, losing out on a medal by an agonising 0.01 seconds. However, this double – despite being a lightweight crew – are the domestic favourites, and without doubt, have the pedigree to win.
M.F. Arlett & S.E.H. Budgett (Edinburgh University and The Tideway Scullers’ School)
Saskia was one-half of the Women’s Double, which narrowly missed out on a spot in Tokyo at the FOQR (the other half, Holly Nixon, races in Leander’s Remenham crew). Maddie forms part of the core lightweight contingent at Caversham, claiming bronze in the light single at the 2019 World Championships. This pair then is stacked with talent, but whether they’ll manage to topple the favourites remains to be seen.
M. M. Fili & J. A. Forbes (Craftsbury Green Racing Project, USA)
A crew formed of two athletes who narrowly missed out on selection for the women’s quad at the Toyko Olympics, this crew is another to watch closely as the regatta unfolds. Forbes won in the double at the USRowing Nationals and represented the US at the Pan American Games in the single in 2019. Her partner, Fili, won the single at the USRowing Nationals this year. It’s always challenging to judge relative speeds with no solid marker against the domestic crews, but I’d expect this crew to put the cat amongst the pigeons.
L. Osterkamp & L. Kampmann (Deutscher Ruder Club Hannover von 1884, Germany)
One of the few German crews entered at this year’s regatta; this duo has an A-final finish from World Cup III under their belts. I doubt they have the speed to keep up with Emily and Imogen, but at least three races should be guaranteed.
C.R. Greves & J.J. Eddie (Wallingford Rowing Club and London Rowing Club)
Perhaps the crew with the richest history, this potent pairing of Jess Eddie and Katie Greves. Between them, they’ve accumulated six Olympic A-finals, two Olympic silver medals, six wins in the Remenham Challenge Cup, and a victory in the Princess Grace. They have the pedigree, but I’m not sure they can match the raw speed of some of the crews fresh off the International circuit.
Conclusions & Predictions:
My pick for the win here is Emily and Imogen. Not only are they the sensible choice with the available data, but the opportunity for a redemption tale after Tokyo is all the motivation this crew needs to pull off something special. However, the two other current GB crews may also contend, while the Olympic experience of Jess and Katie may give them an edge if a favourable draw comes their way.
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