Although missing Olympian Imogen Grant who had contracted COVID post Boat Race, CUBC sent a strong contingent to the GB Rowing 2k trials. Headlined by Ollie Wynne Griffith and Tom George, the winners of the long-distance trials in Boston, Blues Bronya Sykes (President), Sarah Portsmouth, Luca Ferraro, Ollie Parish and Matt Edge (Lightweight Men’s President) took on the best that GB had to offer.
Time Trial sent the three pairs through to the A/B Semi Finals, but Edge was unfortunately forced to retire from the weekend after the Time Trial due to illness. He will return later in the season for further U23 crew formation.
Wynne-Griffith and George won their semi-final and topped the times, whilst the Sykes-Portsmouth and Ferraro-Parish pairs were on the wrong side of the progression and were relegated to the B-Final.
The Finals saw a great performance by Wynne-Griffith and George, leading for most of the race but being pipped at the line by a half-canvas. They have been selected, along with Men’s Chief Coach Rob Baker to race at the World Rowing Cup 1 regatta in Belgrade, Serbia.
Sykes and Portsmouth placed 3rd in the B-Final, with Portsmouth placed the 5th fastest U23 athlete overall. Ferraro and Parish placed 6th in the B-Final, finishing as 2nd place U23 pair. Portsmouth, Ferraro, and Parish will return to GB Trials in July along with Goldie’s Reef Boericke, to trial for the GB team for the World Rowing Under U23 Championship.
All images provided by @allmarkone