The Oarsport Junior Sculling Regatta is once again returning to the prestigious Dorney Lake, home of the 2012 Olympics on the 6th of May 2024. This year, the Open Junior Singles event has seen thirteen entrants from thirteen separate clubs.
Leander Club
Leander Club has established itself as one of the most successful rowing clubs in the world, with over 100 Olympic Golds being won by Leander rowers. Most often famed for their gap-year and senior programs, their juniors are not to be overlooked. However, Leander’s representative on Monday, Meredith, is yet to find himself dripping in the success of the boat club. A recent transfer to the club, he stroked the quad that qualified for the Fawley Challenge Cup at last year’s Henley Royal, albeit only until Tuesday. With similar middle-level success at National Schools’, Meredith came 8th in the B final of the Championship quads. However, these results are no indication of the way he moves a small boat, which we will only find out on Monday.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway Scullers School are another club that boasts a huge wealth of experience winning national events and having international representatives. Their entry for this event, Indy Regan, has been amassing sculling experience, and wins, since longer than many junior rowers have been racing. Starting strong by winning the British Rowing Junior Championships at 13, to winning Pairs Head his J17 year in the double, GB France medalists, if you can row there he’s been there. Doubtless Tideway are in a strong position for Monday’s race.
Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club
Hereford Cathedral School have had tremendous success in recent years with their junior sculling programme. Jack Watts (and his watts) played a large role in this as part of their quad in the Fawley Challenge Cup last year, where they lost on the Friday by 2 lengths to the eventual winners: Leander Club. Watts will look to continue on Hereford’s outstanding recent form as he eyes a medal at the Junior Sculling Regatta.
Predictions
It looks like the top spot will likely be between Tideway Sculler’s Regan or Hereford Cathedral’s Watts, as they both come from previous success and look to make their last year on the junior circuit a big one. However, the single scull is a boat class never to be underestimated, just one athlete faced with what feels like miles and miles of water. Rowing will never truly be any man’s (or woman’s) game in the single scull, where mindset and mentality often prevail over physical strength and technical ability. All things given we’re definitely in for some exciting racing.
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