GB DECEMBER TRIALS

Boston, Lincolnshire

17 December 2005

The 5000 metre course at Boston has a reputation for biting cold winds in the winter, and this weekend's trials were no exception. The stiff north-easterly breeze cut across the Fens and caused choppy conditions for athletes as they attempted to catch the selectors' eye. Most were trialling in single sculls, but the heavyweight sweep oarsmen were allowed to compete in pairs, having already had one sculling assessment in November.

A bout of wrist tendinitis for Leander's Pete Reed put him out of contention this weekend, leaving pairs partner Steve Williams on the bank. Reed wasn't the only Leander athlete coping with injuries - Alex Partridge has an ongoing knee problem and Rebecca Romero is having treatment for a back strain. After several athletes reporting the usual bout of winter ailments that left just 23 of our squad taking part in Boston.

With Reed and Williams out of the competition the way was left clear for Tom Stallard and Josh West - both members of this year's GB eight - to record the fastest time in the men's pairs, beating Kieran West and Tom James of CUBC into second place. Toby Garbett, making a return to international rowing after a year off, came fourth overall with his partner, Tom Solesbury of Molesey. They were just 0.4 sec faster than Rick Egington and Matt Langridge, who is attempting to switch to sweep after stroking last year's quad scull to a first-ever World Cup medal for a GB crew in this boat class.

In the men's singles Ian Lawson, the GB single sculler at the Athens Olympics, crossed the line exactly two seconds faster than Steve Rowbotham, who sculled with Langridge in the 2005 GB quad. In third place was Andy Hodge of Molesey - the only member of the world champion GB men's four to race this weekend.

The top six places in the women's singles were shared by those athletes who had competed all year in the GB quad, double and single, with Katharine Grainger of St Andrew taking first place, almost five seconds clear of the rest of the field. Debbie Flood was in third place, less than four seconds behind Frances Houghton of UL, while the same margin separated her from fourth placed Annie Vernon of Thames.

The unstoppable Mark Hunter took another first place in the lightweight men's singles, to add to the first places he has recorded at the Scullers Head and the British indoor Championships within the last four weeks! In second place was the Under-23 world champion and senior world silver medallist, Zac Purchase of Marlow.

In the women's lightweight singles Jane Hall, who sculled in the winning women's quad last month at the Fours Head, had to settle for fourth place. Jo Hammond and Antonia van Deventer, two more members of the winning Leander quad last month, were on the injury list this weekend.

Trials are by no means over for many potential members of next season's GB squad, as many of them have further seat racing at Dorney over the next two weeks, with only one day off for Christmas Day itself!

Report by Leander Press Officer Robert Treharne Jones

Full r esults for Leander crews as follows

Full results can be found on the Boston Rowing Club website

Men's heavyweight pairs

Non-Leander athletes in italics

Men's heavyweight singles

Women's heavyweight singles

Men's lightweight singles

Women's lightweight singles

ENDS