Super Sprint Sunday delivers a World Record-breaking day of racing
Vár Guriardóttir Hansen leads the way, setting a new World Record in Birmingham
Credit: AllmarkOne
The curtain closes on spine-tingling Super Sprint Sunday. Day two of the British Rowing Indoor Championships was nothing short of exhilarating ecstasy as the finest sprinters from across the British Isles lined up alongside the rest of the world.
Vár Guriardóttir Hansen stole the honours with her demolition job in the Women’s 1-minute. Her distance of 366m broke her own World Record set earlier this year, reinforcing her position as the fastest female sprinter in the world. If there was any more evidence required to build this case, it came in the rest of the day’s action. Wins in the 250m, 100m, and yesterday’s triumph in the 500m solidify her status as the Queen of the British Rowing Indoor Championships 2025.
Speaking after her golden day, the World Record holder said, “To go sub 15s in the 100m with a race start is really big for me, it’s a big racing PB.
“The 1 minute is actually a tie from a piece last weekend, but this time was a race start, and the erg moved, so I think I can move the world record a little bit more. I’m really proud; it’s been a big year. I just started rowing again a year ago, and the progress has been crazy. I’m looking forward to the 1 minute again at Worlds and BRIC again!”
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If Hansen wears the crown, then joining her in the Royal Court of women’s sprinting is Johanna Av Steinum. The Faroe Islands athlete won the Masters 1 Women’s 1 minute, 250m, and 100m across the day.
Every Queen must have a King, but across Super Sprint Sunday, many laid claims to this title. In the Open 1000m, Swedish sprinter Anders Edquist clung on for dear life as Freddie Stuart launched an almighty attack in the last 20 strokes of the race. However, the Newcastle University graduate would settle for second place behind the Swede, who only bought a rowing machine last year.
The greatest claim of the day came from Loïc Schalbetter. Step forward, the Swiss prince. The World Record holder in the 100m orchestrated one of his best days on the erg, winning the Open 250m and his signature speciality, the 100m.
Schalbetter stormed the 250m. In a time of 33.6s, he beat 500m and 1000m World Record holder Phil Clapp by 0.2s, while Frazer Brent was third, in 34s.
The 100m felt like a homecoming, his crescendo after a statement season. Schalbetter was the only man under the 13s barrier, but a magnificent seven went under 15s, as many of the field expected.
The Masters 1 Open 250m was even more dramatic. David Rackstraw and Josh Flood were locked in combat throughout their grudge match, and at the finish line, the two were inseparable, both clocking 35.5s. When it came to the 100m, no one would touch Rackstraw, finishing in just 14 seconds to take the gold medal.
The Masters were imperious throughout the day, dogfighting with each other across the distances. The Masters 2 Open 1 minute was won by Philip Lowery of The Diamonds Over Sixties Erging Group in a phenomenal field. Lowery won by just one metre against one of the greats, the Norwegian Ole Kristian Karlsen.
“I missed BRIC last year because I was ill, and to beat Ole is some achievement; he’s a machine. I’m a sprinter. 500m is too long. I have the World Record for the 100m, so this was a lovely distance for me, but goodness me, it felt too long as well!”
Lowery also won the Masters 2 Open 100m, beating triple World Record holder Tim Clarke in the process.
Crowds also got to witness the great Elizabeth Gilmore doing what she does best. The American, who would not be out of place on indoor rowing’s Mount Rushmore, opened the day with a win in the Women’s 1000m, to go with her Masters 40-49 Women’s 2000m and 500m title won 24 hours earlier.
This year, Super Sprint Sunday hosted the relay events. As time ticked down to these awesome displays of strength and strategy, there was an electric atmosphere buzzing around the arena that had witnessed so much greatness already.
The beacons were lit, and the indoor rowing gods assembled some of earth’s mightiest indoor rowing heroes. Talks of records echoed around the race floor, especially as Erg Power Series, last year’s winners who famously beat the GB Rowing Team, returned. Hungry to beat their own record from 12 months ago. The team of Gilmore, Tereza Horejsova, Anna Kuoppala, and Rachel Fisher were imperious as they dominated the women’s event, going back-to-back in the event. How many wins are required for a dynasty? Perhaps we’ll be asking that question next year.
From stroke one, the Open 4000m was only going to one team. The four fastest men in the 250m earlier in the day, Schalbetter, Clapp, Brent, and Weaver, led from start to finish. At the end, their team, Torque Is Cheap, were only eight seconds of the British Championship record that dates back to 2018.
Reflecting on the Relay win and his mesmerising win in the 100m, Schalbetter said, “I’m most proud of the 100m because it’s so close to my PB and World Record. I did 12.7s, and my best is 12.5. Normally, the race system takes a lot in terms of time, and because the 100m is so short, the fact that I was able to get so close to my PB is really promising, and I’m very happy.
“The relay is the cool part of the sport. It can be a little bit lonely as most people just train at home, and it’s you versus the machine. To be able to work in a team setting makes it more fun. I’’ be here at BRIC every year.”
Earlier in the day, Gilmore teamed up with Fisher, Brent, and Chris Scott to form the unstoppable Tug Hard II: Tug Harder relay team. Last year, Agecroft RC set a new Championship record, but this year’s all-star team clocked 11:23.9, going nearly 10 seconds quicker over the 4000m effort.
Fisher and Gilmore were back in action for The Chase. The two teamed up to win the Female Pair category.
While waiting for her relay gold medal, Rachel Fisher said, “Tereza and Anna are seasoned relay athletes, so Elizabeth and I are very lucky that while we bring our own credentials to the race, we’re lucky to have the two of them advising us with the transitions where we know you can win or lose a lot of time.
“It was fantastic. We were really disappointed that we didn’t get to challenge the GB Rowing Team again, that would have been the icing on the cake of BRIC 2025, I think. We had some really good competition fielded, and we also had last year’s time to aim for, which we didn’t quite hit, but a pretty respectable performance, I think, by all of us.
“The Chase was really messy, and I was lucky to have a great partner. We certainly lacked Anna and Tereza’s experience on the transitions!”
In The Chase, the challenge is to stay ahead of a pace boat that gradually speeds up every 20 seconds for 6 minutes. If the boat catches you, you’re out of the race, and your result will be based on your distance covered.
In the Open Adaptive Chase, Damon Cripps shone bright. This was a recurring theme across every one of his races today, after the Worcester RC athlete was fourth in yesterday’s IAR7 Open 2000m.
Cripps clocked 15.7s to win the Adaptive Open 100m while Invictus Games athlete Stacey Denyer won both the Adaptive Women’s 100m and 250m. Alongside her silver and gold medals from yesterday’s PR3 Women’s 2000m and 1 minute, respectively, it’s been a weekend to remember for the Team Oarsome rower.
Once again, the juniors were indomitable. Molesey BC had a frecious start to the day, winning both the Junior 1 Girls and Open 1000m. Evelyn Duncombe and Lucas Fleming were the stars of the show, with Molesey BC also winning the silver medal in the Girls’ event in the form of Maddie Moffatt. the energy continued right to the end of of proceedings as they were first and second in the Boys 8 minute Relay.
Fleming would be in action in the shortest event of the day. He would have to settle for silver in the 100m behind Maidstone Invicta RC’s Thomas Brearley, who won in 16.5s.
The fastest juniors inevitably came in the Junior 2 100m events. Vár Dánjalsdóttir Í Húsinum, representing KÍF Kappróður, went 18.2s in the Girls’ event while Michael Graham won the Open equivalent. His time, 14.5s, would have placed him seventh in the Open event. Chapeau.
The Kings School Worcester BC ‘Navy’ won the Mixed Relay, while Faroe Island rowers from Eysturoy, part of a phenomenal contingent from the Nordic region, won the Girls event.
Sunday’s racing ended the EXR Invitational. The event brought the EXR world to life on the big screen, welcoming competitors from around the world. Hundreds participated in Qualifiers, earning the right to be invited to the finals at BRIC.
Athletes raced over 5000m, and it was Olympic bronze medallist Holly Dunford who won the Women’s event, while World Rowing Indoor Champion Ward Lemmelijn dominated the Open event. Both athletes will return home with the top prize of £1000 from Birmingham.
We already looking forward to returing to the NEC for the 2026 British Rowing Indoor Championships. Entries are now open!
