Helen Preston at the World Rowing Junior Championships

The GB Rowing Team opened its 2009 World Junior Championships campaign in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France on Wednesday 5 August and Durham ARC’s Helen Preston was rowing as part of the GB women’s quad. The quad missed direct qualification on the first day but won their repechage to progress to the semi finals.  In the semi final they finished fourth, with only the first three crews going through to the A Final. 

GB Junior Rowing Team Manager John Layng said: "This was an exciting performance from the junior women’s quadruple scull who put in a feisty performance and gave it their all despite not qualifying for the A Final". They went on to finish fourth in the B Final which gave them an overall finishing place of 10th.

To qualify to row for GB Helen has come through a rigorous selection procedure which began in November 2008. Her parents, who have given her tremendous support, have transported her hundreds of miles to trials, regattas and training sessions.

This year Helen has also been part of the Women’s Junior 4x which won the Bea Landridge Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta.  At Wallingford Regatta she won the Women’s Elite 4x- and Women’s Elite 2x.  She also competed at Munich Junior Regatta as part of the Junior GB squad and at Durham Regatta she won the Women’s Elite 4x- with Club members Nathalie Burgess, Tracy Henderson and Maddy McCarthy.

Last year she was part of the GB WJ4x which won Gold and Silver at the Coupe in Ireland.
The North was well represented at the World Junior Championships; in addition to Helen three more juniors from the North were selected including Thomas Edwards from Durham School (who is an ex Durham ARC member).   

Home Countries Regatta 

One week after winning a silver medal at the National Championships in the WJ2- Maddy McCarthy went one better and won Gold in the WJ18 8+ at the Home Countries International Regatta where she had been selected to row for England. 

Report from Durham Amateur Rowing Club