Men’s Fixture Report vs. Cambridge
OBUBC came out on top with both men’s eights in the first of Cambridge’s official Boat Races media fixture. Both crews raced their respective Blue Boat and Goldie counterparts over two pieces – from Putney to the Eyot, then restarting again at the Eyot, and finishing at the University Finish Post by Chiswick Bridge. With a stronger Cambridge Blue Boat than last season, and the 2016 Temple-winning Brookes lineup as the weekend’s sparring partner, one would expect some fiercely competitive racing. In the first piece, Brookes took an early lead out the blocks from the Middlesex station, by Harrods saw Cambridge taking the lead by 3 seats. In their rhythm, Brookes took the lead back round the
Brookes’ GB Summer – REPORT
Following in the footsteps of our medalling Olympians, OBUBC’s athletes had a very successful summer on the international circuit, representing at three different international events. At the U23 Worlds in Rotterdam, Ben Reeves achieved a bronze medal in the LM4-, to add to his other bronze in the same event last year. The men’s 4+ of Harry Brightmore (cox), Rory Gibbs, Matthew Aldridge and Michael Glover had a very strong regatta, winning their repechage strongly, but ended up a length behind the medals in an extremely tight field. At the Senior World Championships (also in Rotterdam), Joel Cassells came away with a fantastic bronze medal in the LM2-, considering the short amount of preparation time once his crewmate, Olympic spare
Olympic Success for Brookes athletes
‘Super Saturday’ strikes again, with Brookes athletes Scott Durant and Olivia Carnegie-Brown winning a gold and silver medal, in the men’s 8+ and women’s 8+ respectively. These final, emphatic medals brought Britain to the top of the Olympic rowing table, with 3 gold and 2 silver medals. The women’s 8+ pulled strongly through the field to claim silver – GB Rowing’s first ever Olympic medal in this event. The men’s 8+, with Scott Durant crossing the line first in the bow seat, brought home the Olympic gold for the first time since Sydney 2000. This caps off a phenomenal series of World Championships for the men, with GB winning every World Championship
OBUBC’s International summer
This summer, BROOKES|Rowing has a total of 18 athletes representing Great Britain on the international stage. With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games officially begun and the Olympic Regatta well underway, GB saw five Brookes rowers performing strongly in the initial rounds. Scott Durant (in the M8+) and Olivia Carnegie-Brown (in the W8+) both came through their respective heats in a winning position – with the men’s 8+ leading from the front, and the women’s 8+ commanding the second half, both to qualify direct to their finals. Richard Chambers led his LM2x heat to halfway, well ahead of the rest of the field to qualify for the A/B semis. Brother Peter
WHR Report & HRR Qualifiers
Every cloud has a silver lining, and that was certainly the case this year with Henley Women’s Regatta. Having won Senior 8’s last year, expectations were high for the repeat, and for the new depth in the squad to emulate the win in the Academic 8’s category. In the semi finals of both Academic and Senior 8’s, Brookes wowed the spectators by producing the most entertaining semis of the regatta – a local derby in Academic 8’s against Oxford, and a full-on boxing match against Princeton, USA in Senior 8’s. To be on the wrong side of two canvas-losses, while hugely frustrating, certainly fuels the fire for next season’s summer projects – for the
Men’s Fixture Report vs. Oxford
At 12pm on 21st February, Oxford Brookes University raced Oxford University in an official fixture for the Cancer Research UK Boat Races. Not to be outdone, the women’s squad raced Oxford’s Lightweight Women in some friendly pieces back home in Wallingford, and had a successful day with both boats. In the fixture against Isis, Brookes’ 2nd VIII got out to an early lead, holding 2/3 length advantage round the Fulham bend. After much close racing and many clashes, Isis capitalised and won the piece finishing at Chiswick Eyot by one length. However, due to an injury, the second piece was not rowed out. For a blow-by-blow report of the 1st VIII’s fixture with the Oxford Blue Boat, you
Squad Fixture Report vs. Cambridge
For the first time since 1994, the Boat Club raced an official OxBridge fixture for the Cancer Research UK Boat Races, against Cambridge’s respective men & women’s squads CUBC and CUWBC. Racing took place on the Tideway course in the form of two pieces splitting the Boat Race in half. The men raced from Putney to Chiswick Eyot, and then on to the finish, while the ladies stopped at Hammersmith, and restarted at Eyot. The men’s 2nd VIII dispatched Goldie handily, winning by 3 and 5 lengths in the respective pieces, while the battle between the 1st VIII and Cambridge’s Blue Boat was a more interesting affair. After a minute, Brookes’
Jamie Copus selected for Senior Worlds
Brookes athlete Jamie Copus has been called up to the senior British Rowing team for the upcoming World Championships in Aiguebelette. The regatta will be held from the 20th of August through the 6th of September with coverage online (worldrowing.com) and on the BBC. Jamie – from Abingdon School – started at Brookes in 2013 prior to his first U23 appearance, a 10th place performance in the LM2x. He has since won the Temple Challenge Cup with Brookes in 2014, and is a two-time world silver medallist (at the U23 World Championships in 2014 and 2015). He will be racing the Lightweight 4x for his senior team debut. Jamie will join a team including Brookes alumni Scott
Brookes win Red Bull Outrow 2015
Winners for the 2nd year running
14 Brookes athletes selected for EUSA
Brookes has had 14 Athletes named in the 2015 EUSA team
