Squads

Molesey Success at GB National Team Assessments

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Category: National team

On Sunday 17th April on a flat calm Dorney Lake, venue for the 2012 Olympic Rowing, the Finals of the GB National Team Assessments took place. The last race of the day was the blue riband event and the bank was well lined with spectators and rowers who had finished. The standard of this final was outstanding with world medallists abound and 4 Olympic Champions- 3 of them from Molesey; Greg, Hodge and TJ. Hodge was with his regular partner Peter Reed of Leander, TJ with Alex Gregory, also of Leander. Greg has been paired with Molesey's Cam Nichol and Mo and James, the MBC regulars, were also in the field. Langridge and Ritchie of Leander made up the only full Leander pair while the youngsters on the block were Stan Louloudis of Oxford and Molesey's George Nash, currently on loan to Cambridge. 6 Molesey athletes (7 if you include George!) made up the field of 12.

The race was, as expected, an absolute cracker. It was TJ and Gregory that showed ahead by 500m and they had stretched out to half a length by half way but couldn't quite break clear. Hodge and Reed and rampaged through to win with an awesome display of power in the last 500m, TJ and Gregory finishing second with Greg and Cam showing their Time Trial win was no flash in the pan coming in 3rd. Louloudis and Nash closely behind in 4th and Mo and James a few feet back in 5th. A superb race and day for MBC and British rowing!

In the B final of the Pairs, Tom Ransley finished 2nd while Molesey's Fred Gill and Brookes' Matt Tarrant put together their best race of the weekend to finish a very good 3rd place ahead of Wilkinson and Burton of Leander who had been in the squad for the last 2 years. Unfortunately Ben Smith and Dan Ouseley had to withdraw on Saturday due to Ouseley having an illness; a shocking piece of luck after such a good winter's training and so much hard work. Smithy went on to race in the 1x and finished a creditable 2nd in the C final, having been 6th after 500m.

Henry Pelly had a superb result in the 1x Time Trial, finishing 6th but something wasn't right in the semi and when it emerged he couldnt get out of the boat and his feet had turned white the doctors and coach realised something was wrong. Henry was then withdrawn due to illness; the stomach bug he had a few days previosuly had got the better of him. Again an awful bit of luck which we hope will not count against him.

Josh Tonnar had a very useful learning experience over the weekend- a good time trial, a not-so-good-semi and then a much better D Final which saw him learn from the semi and focus on his own rowing, which saw him win the final race. Karen Bennett finished 2nd in the B Final, placing her as the 2nd ranked U23 Pair which is a promising result for the rest of the season.

It was great to so many MBC supporters on the bank- we will be back there next at Wallingford Regatta on the May Bank holiday weekend.

For a review of the semi finals on Saturday, read the article here.

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