Last weekend saw eight of the squad (including cox Esther Momcilovic) head to Boston, Lincolnshire (not Massachusetts!) for the first stage of GB Trials. After a sleepy Saturday morning minibus trip with a trailer full of single sculls, they arrived bright and early at the Princess Royal Sports Arena ready for their 2k erg tests. The aircraft hanger-sized sports hall could have been an intimidating venue to do a 2k, especially with so many people looking on, but everyone stayed focussed and rose to the challenge. With six PBs and some overall very competitive times, it was satisfying to see that the training programme is paying off.
Sunday saw the group back in Boston again, this time for a 5k time trial on the water . With its long straight river and distinct lack of scenery, Boston was like a home from home for people used to rowing in Ely! Remembering Annie Vernon’s advice from last year of “don’t forget to take the one corner, and don’t fall in doing roll ups on the start”, the CUWBC athletes pulled out all the stops and again put in some competitive performances despite being self-identified sweep rowers.
Altogether, it was a very exciting, if exhausting, weekend and it was great to have so many of the squad competing against rowers from across the country. With the Fuller’s Head of the River Fours taking place in just under a fortnight, the GB Trials athletes are now setting their single sculls aside and getting back into sweep crews.
CUWBC alumnae Lizzie Polgreen (Lwt ’09, Blondie ’10, Blue Boat ’11) and Fran Rawlins (Lwt ’07 & ’08) placed 2nd and 3rd in the Lightweight sculling trial.
Full results from the 5k sculling time trial for the Openweight women can be found here and for the Lightweight women here.