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4 Juniors Selected for GB Teams |
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Friday, 20 July 2007 |
 Maidenhead Rowing Clubs High Performance juniors competed at GB junior final trials, held over two 4-day sessions at Nottingham. The first 4 day session was for girls, the second 4-day session for boys. The end goal was to test each athlete out in small boat moving skills, moving into crew boats and then being seat raced against the leading athletes in the country.
All Maidenhead athletes performed well and the Club is very pleased to announce that 3 athletes (Ally Brooks, Katy Lion and Sophie Delaney) were selected to represent GB in Varese Italy on 3rd & 4th August whilst Phil Clapp achieved the highest accolade at junior level being selected to represent GB at the Junior World Championships in China.
This result is a culmination of several years training in the winter and summer months. The Club is grateful to all the members who provide valuable support at the club, special mention should be made to a number of coaches that have been involved in helping these athletes achieve this excellent result. Coaches including Simon Ramskill, Derek Cook, Sean Kerns, Tom Jost and Billy Brooks are to be congratulated on the support and guidance given. Tom Jost was selected to coach a single sculler from Henley at the Junior Worlds in China and Billy Brooks was selected to coach at the Coupe de le Jeunesse in Italy.
On day 1 of trials, each athlete had to compete in small boats to achieve an initial ranking in sculling or rowing. On the sculling side racing over 2000m, Maidenhead athletes finished as follows:
At the girls trials Brooks won the sculling trial over 2k, Delaney finished in 5th place, Lion finished in 7th place and Ancora finished in 15th place. All scullers who finshed below 15th position were sent home. The next few days saw these Maidenhead female athletes compete in doubles, pairs and fours to demonstrate their crew moving skills. Brooks switched to rowing to compete for a rowing seat at the Worlds. She raced well in the pairs matrix and moved from a starting position of 8th on stroke side winning through to 4th position. In a head to head with the 3rd rank person Brooks was given a result of losing by 1.2secs. This was key as the selectors were only looking to send 3 stroke siders to the Worlds.
Lion progressed through the doubles matrix to win this and move up into selection for the Coupe double. Delaney also did well in the doubles matrix and moved further up the rankings to win a seat in the Coupe quad sculling boat. Ancora was suffering with a cold and although she should have been capable of moving up into the top seven scullers she never quite performed as we know she can so she finished just outside crew boat selections.
At the boys trials using the same format everyone having to compete in small boats on day 1 over 2000m. Phil Clapp still recovering from his historic win at Henley Royal Regatta had to settle for 3rd place in the sculling trial. Ertan Hazine switched to rowing and was invited to participate in the pairs race-offs where he progressed well, but finished just outside the Coupe team places. Phil Clapp progressed through to be selected for the Junior Worlds in a quad to race in China on August 11th and 12th.
Billy Brooks
Captain Juniors |
