World champion visits Evesham
Posted on September 23, 2011 | Filed under Rowing
World champion rower, Alex Gregory, returned to Evesham Rowing Club as guest of honour at the club’s Junior Awards evening. The former-Prince Henry’s High School pupil, who is the stroke of the men’s coxless four, talked about his rowing career to date before handed out cups and prizes to the club’s junior award winners. Last month Alex and his crew mates, Tom James, Ric Eggington and Matt Langridge, won gold in the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia, capping off a season that has seen them win every race they have entered. Alex talked to the audience of 70 junior rowers and their parents of his battles with illness and injury that delayed his rise to the top of the GB rowing team. At Evesham Alex was coached by Keith Rafter and Dave Perry, who still coach at the club, and by Mark Earnshaw, a former history teacher at Prince Henry’s, who is now a GB rowing coach.
Alex was first selected for GB in 2004 when he competed in the World Rowing U23 Championships in Poland where he finished 11th in the quad. He also competed at the World U23 Championships in 2005 when he was 4th in the double, and in, 2006, came 8th in the single. He has been a full member of the GB squad since 2006 when he graduated from Reading University. As ‘spare man’ for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Alex sat in a number of boats during training, while other athletes were ill or recovering from injury, and discovered his talent as a sweep oarsman.
In 2009 he won the pair (with Pete Reed) at GB Rowing Senior Trials and in the 2009 World Cup series he won two golds and a bronze in the four. This was followed by victory in the 2009 World Championships against the hotly-tipped Australian crew which contained the legendary Drew Ginn.
Bitter disappointment followed in 2010 when the crew came fourth in the World Championships in New Zealand. The success of 2011 has helped to erase that unexpected defeat. Now all eyes are focused on London 2012.
Evesham Rowing Club was delighted to welcome Alex back and wishes him and the GB squad every success for 2012.
Junior Award winners:
Boys’ crew of the year: J16 squad – Alex Russell, Zac Leavesley, Jack Towers, James Waterhouse, Rupert Malein – and cox, J14 Alex Bartram.
Girls’ crew of the year: Women’s Henley crew – Laura Attwood, Hayley Pawlowski, Emily Waters, Aimee Rutherford.
Junior of the Year: Alex Russell
Coxswain of the Year: Alex Bartram. Highly commended: Katie Griffiths
Captain’s Award (for dedication to the sport and the club): Will Coldicutt
WJ16-18 Rower of the Year: Aimee Rutherford
WJ16-18 Most Improved Rower: Laura Attwood
J16-18 Rower of the Year: Alex Russell
J16-18 Most Improved Rower: Zac Leavesley
WJ15 Rower of the Year: Jasmine Bradley
WJ15 Most Improved Rower: Emily Stranks
J15 Rower of the Year: Liam Tustin
J15 Most Improved Rower: Patrick Sullivan
WJ14 Rower of the Year: Flo Pickles
WJ14 Most Improved Rower: Lauren Caddy
J14 Rower of the Year: James Mackins
J14 Most Improved Rowers: Toby Edwards & Alex Staite
J11-13 Rower of the Year: Chris Gregg
J11-13 Most Improved Rowers: Alex Lacey & Emily Pearson
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