Leask rows full circle as he lands his first senior medal at spiritual home
Harry Leask grew up rowing on the waters of Strathclyde Country Park but even he couldn’t have imagined winning his first senior medal back where it all began.
The 22-year-old powerhouse had only a week to prepare for the European Rowing Championship in Glasgow after stepping in to the men’s double sculls following Angus Groom’s withdrawal through illness.
An opportunity to return to his spiritual home was a chance Leask was never going to pass up and rowing alongside Jack Beaumont, the result couldn’t have been more emphatic.
After comfortably progressing to the final, the Edinburgh rower helped power his boat to a stunning bronze medal, something which seemed almost impossible seven days ago.
Winning your first medal on the senior circuit is going to be special anywhere but for Leask, going full circle and achieving his dream on home water has given the rower a huge boost.
He said: “I jumped into the boat last minute and we’ve had about a week in the boat together.
“But we still came in with the ambition and desire to win it and it’s quite nice to have pulled that off but I’m so proud with the way we did it.
“Ending up with the bronze medal is pretty impressive for a week in the boat and I’m very happy.
“I’ve been racing here as a kid and it’s where it all began so it’s great to be back and winning a bronze medal at the European Championship is really special.
“It’s absolutely great for
confidence. It shows not just what good form I’m in but Jack as well.
“Hopefully when I jump back into the single I’ll be able to put the same performance down.”
Team-mate Beaumont was very complimentary of his stand-in crewmate and sees great potential in the young Scot.
He said: “Harry’s a brilliant athlete and he showed that by finishing second at the British trials this year.
“He’s such an awesome guy and such a talent to have in British rowing.”
Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Katie Shortman produced a personal best as she qualified for the synchronised swimming solo routine final.
The teenager scored an impressive 84.2000 at the Scotstoun Leisure Centre to finish ninth in qualifying and ensure she’d be coming back for a shot at a medal against the continent’s best.
And fresh from her final qualification yesterday, Shortman joined her teammates in the combination free routine as Great Britain
finished in a respectable seventh place.
Greta Hampson, who was part of the 12-strong team, said: “A lot of the competitors here are role models for us.
“We saw them on TV when we were younger and now we are up against them. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be like them one day’. Now it’s unreal.
“We are the youngest here, we are all 15 to 17, a lot younger than the others, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to fight for our place. We went for it.”
Meanwhile in the gymnastics, Britain’s Kelly Simm finished eighth in the individual uneven bars final with a score of 14.066.
There was no joy for compatriot Georgia-mae Fenton in the floor as she scored 12.6333 and finished in eighth place. l SSE are proud sponsors of Scotland’s home of live entertainment and sport – The SSE Hydro – and SSE customers can get up to 48 hour advance ticketing, lounge upgrades and exclusive competitions and experiences. ssereward.com