2015 Great Britain Trials

The third 2015 GB Rowing Assessment took place on Saturday, a test which will prove the last long-distance Trial before final assessments over 2km in April.

With the second Assessment in December cancelled, increased pressure was placed on some athletes to demonstrate their worth for a GB vest and break into the national team. The BNY Mellon Boat Races were well represented with both current and former athletes competing for places at this year’s Senior and U23 World Championships.

The combination of Pete Reed (Oxford 2004, 2005) and Constantine Louloudis (Oxford 2011, 2013, 2014, President 2015) placed 2nd in the Men’s Pair. Both current world champions, Reed and Louloudis were fighting in a league of their own at the head of the field against the Gregory-Sbihi combination representing Leander and Molesey, missing out on the overall win by 5 seconds.

Tom Ransley (Cambridge 2008, 2009) placed 4th and Karl Hudspith 12th (Oxford 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). Current Cambridge undergraduates and CUBC squad members Felix Newman and Piers Kasas finished 20th overall.

In the Women’s Single, Zoe Lee (Oxford 2008) was the leading Boat Race athlete in 15th. Two current students who will hope to lock horns in the Newton Women’s Boat Race this year, Melissa Wilson (Cambridge 2013, 2014) and Ruth Siddorn (Oxford), finished 23rd and 31st respectively. William Warr (Cambridge) finished 21st in the Men’s Single.

Eleanor Piggott and Brianna Stubbs (stern pair for Oxford 2011, 2010) finished 3rd and 6th in the Lightweight Women’s Single, and will look to build upon their 6th place finish in the Lightweight Women’s Quad at the 2014 World Championships in this summer in France.

CUBC Cox Ian Middleton (Cambridge 2014) attended the trials with the hope of being selected for his third World Championship event and second at U23 level.