Rowers impress at World Championships

Six NSWIS rowers collected medals at the 2015 World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria over the weekend, highlighted by two silver medals.

Jack Hargreaves and Nicholas Wheatley came closest to gold as they collected silver in the U23 men’s pair, clocking 6:26.790 to finish just over one second behind winners Romania, who started strong and kept their lead until the line.

Fellow NSWIS athletes Leah Saunders and Georgie Gotch also won silver, claiming the medal alongside compatriots Rowena Meredith and Tessa Carty in the U23 women’s quad scull. Eventual winners Poland led from start to finish however the Australians were able to fend off attacks from France and the USA to hold on to silver.

Rounding out the medals were NSWIS athletes Alexander Purnell and Rob Black, who claimed bronze in U23 men’s quad scull. Along with William Mure and Christopher Hayes, the Australians were on track for silver before getting their oars slightly caught in the water during the final 500m, which allowed the New Zealand crew to power into second behind gold medallists Canada.

In other results, Louis Snelson and Sam Hardy finished fifth as part of the U23 men’s coxed four and Tom Schramko finished 10th overall in the U23 men’s double scull with Luke Letcher.