University rowers aiming to build on medal wins

The university’s boat club is now aiming to buy a fleet of new boats to build on the club’s success.

Five athletes from the University of St Andrews boat club took part in the British rowing offshore and beach sprints championships last weekend in Exmouth.

Harriet White and Jodie Cameron took silver in the women’s double sculls in the Offshore Championships – a race held over 6km in open water.

Callum Clarke and Sam Winton competed in the men’s double sculls finishing in eighth position and Ryan Glymond took fourth place in the qualifying event for the men’s singles, finishing seventh in the final.

In the beach sprints championships, mixed double Jodie Cameron and Ryan Glymond qualified for the quarter-finals then took silver in the final.

Jodie also took first place in the women’s single time trial, qualifying her for the knockout stages, taking gold in the final with a three-second lead in a sprint finish.

Ryan Glymond and Sam Winton competed in the men’s single event, finishing fifth and 14th respectively.

On the back of her performance, Jodie was invited by the GB selection panel to their testing day following the championships where she won every race and finished the testing matrix with the fastest time.

She may now be invited to attend the GB training camp in August to join a development squad which aims to compete at the 2022 world championships in Wales.

The university has invested heavily in establishing the coastal rowing programme by ordering equipment including two coxed quadruple sculls, two single sculls and one double scull for coastal rowing which will all be stored and used at the East Sands in St Andrews, close to the town facility.

University director of rowing, Alan Sinclair, a former GB rowing Olympian, said: “Scottish rowing recognises both the enthusiasm and ambition the university has to become the centre of excellence for the UK and as such has donated £5000 to further expand on the fleet of boats, due to arrive in September.

“I believe this new, exciting and more accessible discipline in rowing will attract more students to the sport.

“After winning a gold and two silver medals at the championships, St Andrews was the most successful club of the recent competition, claiming more sprints medals than any other club.

“This is a fantastic achievement for our club and shows incredible potential for the years to come."

Founded in 1962, the university’s rowing club has seen incredible development the past few years, increasing not only its membership but its standing within the Scottish and British rowing communities.

Competitive success in competitions and regattas throughout the UK has followed over the past few years with it expected to grow under the guidance of Sinclair who was appointed to the role recently.

He is a four-time international medallist and an Olympic finalist at Rio 2016.