WORLD UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE head of British rowing heaped praise on the Wallingford duo who won a gold medal at the World Under 23 Championships in Austria.

Brianna Stubbs and Eleanor Piggott, won the women’s lightweight doubles sculls in Linz, Austria.

Sir David Tanner, Britain’s director of rowing, said: “They put in a very mature final. They made their moves when they needed to and kept an eye on the scrimmage all around them.”

The pair were fierce singles rivals earlier this year, and, since being put together in a lightweight double, have gone from strength to strength, finishing fourth, as seniors, in the World Cup at Eton.

In Austria, all six of the eventual finalists had posted times within three seconds of each other in the semi-finals – and Romania were considered the main threat for gold.

The British crew took an early lead, but there were still five boats in a pack at the 1000-metre halfway point. Germany and New Zealand then began to feature, but the Wallingford duo held them off to take the gold.

Fiona Gammond, from Headington, and Yasmin Tredell from Oxford Brookes, were in the women’s eight which exceeded expectations by taking the silver medal as runners-up to the United States.

Tanner said: “They have showed a grit and aggression here that we have not seen before and that allowed them to challenge the USA so strongly.”

Joel Cassells, from Oxford Brookes, was in the men’s lightweight four, who went for it hard from the start and led to 1700 metres before Italy overhauled them.

FOUR Headington School girls will be in Lucerne this weekend, representing GB in the 12-nation Coupe de la Jeunesse Regatta.

In a team event, Helena Lang, Hannah Tomlinson, Charlotte Cobb and coxswain Sasha Adwani are involved, while Chris Hermes, of Headington, is in the coaching ranks.