Gold & Bronze at Nat Champs 2006

Posted on July 18, 2006 | Filed under Rowing

Evesham Rowing Club struck gold at the National Rowing Championships of Great Britain last weekend with a superb win for the junior 15 double of Rory Sullivan and Oliver Staite. There was bronze too for the Evesham junior 14 boys coxed quad.

Sullivan and Staite, rowing in the Laufen Bathrooms double scull, won their gold medal in a tough final that saw several of the country’s top boys’ crews vying for a place on the winner’s podium. The event was rowed over a 2km course on the lake at Strathclyde Country Park near Glasgow. The boys had cruised through the semi-final on Friday, winning with a length to spare over crews from Maidenhead, Warrington, Claire’s Court and Marlow.

Sunday’s final pitted the Evesham boys against a strong crew from Maidstone Invicta who had won gold at the Nationals Schools Regatta in May and must have come to Scotland with high hopes for a repeat victory. It was not to be.

Conditions for the race were near perfect. The water was fairly calm with a slight tailwind that barely ruffled the surface of the lake. Despite the intense heat the boys kept their cool and followed the race plan, devised by their coach Neil Staite, to the letter. A rocket-like start ensured that they went straight into the lead, completing the first 500 metres of the race in an extremely fast 1.38 minutes. With Maidstone Invicta pressurising them all the way down the course the Evesham boys knew they had to stay ahead. With 600 metres to go they pushed for home and then gave another extra spurt in the last 350 metres crossing the line around half a length in front of the Kent crew. Maidenhead who had also pushed for a place at the front had to be content with bronze. The boys had rowed the 2km course in a time of 7.09, just a second off the Championship record.

For coach Neil Staite, who is also Oli’s father, the triumph brought back happy memories of rowing at Strathclyde. Twenty years ago this month Neil won a rowing gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in a coxless men’s four.

Rowing is certainly in Oli Staite’s blood, and not just because his father is a former GB rower. Neil’s step-grandfather was Monty Collins, former ERC chairman and Oli’s mother, Laura, is descended from a Mr Fletcher who, in 1863 rowed in a race from Glover’s Island (at the rugby club) to Abbey Park. It was this race that kick-started Evesham Rowing Club into existence.

There was a medal too for the junior 14 coxed quad of Ben Farrar, Jon Farrar, Tom Noble and Rob Barnett (cox Jack Lazenby). The boys’ coaches, Arran Odell and Gary Noble, had assessed the opposition at the National Schools Regatta earlier this year and realised that the crew would be pushing it to come first. The aim was to win a medal and to improve on the fourth place they achieved at Nat Schools. They came second in their semi-final which put them straight through to the final on Sunday.

There was a dramatic fight to the line between crews from Tideway Scullers and George Watsons College. The George Watsons crew had won gold at Nat Schools but a fantastic row by the Tideway crew pushed the Scottish crew into second place right on the line. Meanwhile the Evesham boys were battling it out for bronze against the crew from Marlow that had beaten them into fourth place at Nat Schools. The Evesham boys held on and put on a push in the last 500 metres that put them across the line four seconds ahead of the Marlow boys - a well-deserved bronze medal was theirs.

At junior 16 the coxless quad of Tom Walker, James Crumpton, Will Tew and Josh Pendry provided the crowd with a tense finish to their race. Gold and silver places were snapped up by Marlow and Windsor Boys. But there was a real tussle for bronze with the Evesham boys putting on a tremendous spurt in the last 500 metres to catch up their rivals, a composite crew from Claire’s Court School and Marlow Boat Club. The crew raced neck and neck to the line with the finish being decided by a photo which put the Evesham boys into fourth place, just 0.45 seconds behind. While they were disappointed the Evesham crew has reason to be optimistic for next year - three of the boys in the boat are still 15 and were racing up a year. If they enter this event next year they have every chance of a medal.

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