Silver star George takes a medal with men’s eight crew
CHELTENHAM rower Tom George was part of the men’s eight crew which won a silver medal at the European Championships in Plovdiv. Bulgaria.
The men’s eight, comprising of Tom Ford, James Rudkin, George, Mohamed Sbihi, Jacob Dawson, Ollie Wynnegriffith, Mat Tarrant, Josh Bugajski and cox Henry Fieldman showed they had learnt lessons from yesterday’s repechage, finishing less than a second behind the German crew to take silver.
Bugajski said: “That was tough, it was a really fast race. It’s a shame not to come away with the win but we’ve learned a lot this weekend and know we have a lot of speed and potential left for the rest of the season.”
A medallist at junior and Under-23 level, George, 24, made his senior international debut at the 2017 World Cup in Lucerne.
Princeton University student George learnt to row at Radley College, and was first selected to represent Great Britain in 2012, when he won a fine bronze medal in the men’s eight at the World Junior Championships.
He went on to earn a spot on the Under-23 team in 2014, 2015 and 2016; his best result was an impressive silver medal in the men’s four at the 2016 World Under-23 Championships in Rotterdam.
George made his senior debut in the men’s eight at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne and went on to finish fifth in
the men’s pair with Tom Jeffery at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-bradenton.
Sisters and former Hartpury students Mathilda and Charlotte Hodgkinsbyrne were fifth in the A final of the women’s lightweight quad alongside Jess Leyden and Melissa Wilson.
Charlotte learned to row at Hartpury College and Gloucester RC while Mathilda started her career at Hereford Rowing Club and is part of the GB Rowing Team Start programme at Reading having previously been at Hartpury and gained valuable senior experience during 2016.