The weekend of racing showed again why Scottish sport should not be taken lightly. As Glasgow is hosting the second major sports competition in recent years this summer, it’s clear that the SSA is striving to put Scotland on the sporting map. Racing commenced from J14 through to J18 in a multitude of boats, with enough talent to make people notice.
OJ 14
The J14 categories are often short of numbers. However, despite being a straight final, it was lovely to see a 6 lane race take place for the doubles. Driving away with the gold was Hamilton Grammar School with Aberdeen Schools RA A in second and Glasgow taking the bronze medal position. Despite it being the only time we’ll be hearing from Hamilton Grammar School in the review, it’s the first of many for the latter two.
The other category for the J14’s was the 4x+. They raced 1000m which, I can assure you is a lot easier to say than it is to do. We saw once again a straight final, with the numbers reduced to four from the doubles. This meant it was a fight not to be the one going home without a medal. George Watson’s College BC took home first place in this event, followed by Aberdeen Schools A and Stirling RC, leaving Aberdeen Schools B crew without a medal.
OJ 15
The J15 doubles were the first event with a heat. With Loch Lomond RC and Aberdeen Schools winning their respective heats it was no surprise who was fighting over the top spot. The final took place on the same day and by the end it was Loch Lomond RC who just beat Aberdeen Schools to the top spot putting them in second and leaving George Watson’s Col BC to take third.
Similar to the J14’s, the J15’s competed in their coxed quads. Unlike the J15 2x however, this was a straight final. While George Watson’s Col BC took third and Aberdeen Schools B took second it would be no surprise if Aberdeen Schools A squeezed into pole position, however it was actually Aberdeen Schools C who took the title as the best J15 coxed quad in Scotland.
OJ 16
Despite only covering one J16 category, it’s still one of the most challenging age groups of them all. However, this didn’t put off Clydesdale ARC. They showed their dominance by having both of their entered boats stealing spot one and two leaving the remaining three boats scrambling for second. It was George Watson’s Col BC A who took this accolade.
Junior Championship Boats
While there was an absence of 1x for the junior male championship category, the doubles certainly didn’t disappoint. While Clydesdale ARC, once again placed twice neither their A or B crew could pip the Glaswegian’s to pole position.
Alongside the first coxless event we also saw our first sweep oar event. The OJ 4x and the OJ 4+ had only one crew place who hasn’t already been mentioned. This was in the Championship fours, where St. Andrew BC took third. They were beaten by two incredibly strong crews both from Aberdeen with it’s A crew taking the gold, while it’s B crew placed second. Despite being dominant in the fours, Aberdeen Schools were not present in this final. With their absence it was Clydesdale ARC who deservedly won gold, leaving Glasgow Academy and George Watson’s Col BC taking second and third respectively.
Overview
Despite the lack of numbers, this years Scottish Championships showcased crews who had both finesse and strength, combining this with the beautiful multi-lane course at Strathclyde made it a weekend to remember. Despite there being clear driving forces, wins from Loch Lomond RC and Hamilton Grammar School showed that the Scottish rowing scene is extremely competitive.
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