City students just oarsome for Team GB!
ROWING
NEWCASTLE University Boat Club rowers pushed the boat out to win four medals for Great Britain at the FISU World University Rowing Championship.
The campus was represented by five rowers at the event in Shanghai, China - and three of them returned home with one silver and three golds.
Natasha Harris-White raced in both the women’s eight and the coxless four, cruising to the gold in both disciplines.
James Robson was part of the the men’s eight crew, helping Team GB dominate the races and win the final in style.
He said: “We had some good racing in challenging conditions against tough opposition which makes the medal so rewarding
“I am very proud to have represented Newcastle on the international stage and it was a perfect way to finish my time at university by leaving a world champion.”
Frances Russell and her partner from Oxford were placed second in both their heat and repechage of the women’s pair’s event.
Having qualified for the A final they stepped up and returned home with a silver medal.
Russell said: “Competing at FISU was an incredible experience and I was very fortunate to have had an amazing team-mate to race with.
“Our final race was one of the best I have ever been in.
“It was so close and to come out with a silver medal and beat the Italians was a great way to end this year’s season.”
Fiona Chestnutt and her partner in the lightweight women’s double kicked off their campaign with a fourth-place finish in the heat and followed this by winning the repechage.
However, they ultimately finished sixth in a tough final.
Nicole Lamb had been selected in the single scull and was third n the opening heat.
After winning the repechage, a close-fought final resulted in a fourth place finish.
The three-day-competition attracted 397 student athletes to the Shanghai Water Sport Centre.
This was the 15th edition of the FISU World University Rowing Championship - and the first time in the championship’s history it had taken place outside Europe.