Final Trials Winners Crowned and 2025 Performances Recognised

The men’s and women’s final senior & U23 GB Rowing Team squad trials took place this weekend at the National Training Centre, Caversham, joined by the PR1 Men’s Para rowing athletes.

With racing in pairs and doubles, across time trials, semi finals and into finals, it was an action-packed weekend of exciting racing.

George Bourne and Douwe de Graaf took the win in the Men’s Pair A final ahead of Jake Wincomb & Harry Geffen, with Miles Beeson & Archie Drummond in third.

Douwe said: “Today is huge. These are our teammates. We know how good they are, and there’s also always a bit of rivalry so it’s nice to win it, but, kudos to everyone else, for some great racing in some pretty tough conditions!”

George said: “Every trial really counts and we’re just pleased that we could put down a marker for ourselves today, and start to look forward to the racing season! Last year we came in pretty late because we were both at Cambridge. So now being here, going through the whole process gives us even more excitement now to be racing. and competing with the rest of the squad.”

Eleanor Brinkhoff and Megan Slabbert crossed the finish line first in the Women’s A final, second went to Sarah Marshall & Heidi Long with Holly Youd & Katherine George in third.

Speaking after the race, Eleanor said: “We obviously raced the pair last year internationally, and so it’s been really exciting to get back together and to come out on top today.” Megan added: “We struggled at April trials last year and so to win the semis and win the final today, it just means a lot and it sums up a whole year of work for us.”

Tobias Schrōder and Cedol Dafydd were victorious in the men’s double sculls final with James Cartwright & Jamie Gare in second and Ed Fuller & Matt Long in third.

Cedol said: “This has been a really fun project with Tobias. I’m so happy to get back to back wins at April trials and to do it today with Tobias was epic. This is the most intense testing we do in the year. You are racing your teammates, you’re at your home base, there’s other members coming in to try and beat you. And we also have to prove why we’re in the team. But it’s a great weekend and now we can enjoy racing as a team, not against the team!”

Tobias added: “It’s been an intense block building into this because it’s just one step along the way of getting selected and racing all of your teammates and friends is really hard. Everyone wants to do well, and everyone’s really good, so it’s pretty savage, so we’re pleased to get it done! It’s been a long time since I came on top at a trial. I won in November 2017, which was a shock at the time. And along the way, it has felt like I might never get back up there – so to win today is amazing!

The women’s double sculls final was won by Olympic Champions Lauren Henry & Imogen Grant, with Lola Anderson & Becky Wilde in second and Rebekah Court & Ellie Dash in third.

Lauren said: “It’s always good to come and get the win at April trials. It’s been really fun this year doing this with Imogen. I’ve absolutely loved it. She’s taught me everything she knows about double sculling. She is the queen of the double and I feel fortunate to have had one of the World’s best technical scullers sat in front of me! We’ve had a blast together and it’s been really fun!”

Imogen added: “Rowing is so much fun and it feels like the momentum is building, not just in the country, but within our squad as well. Racing is so much fun and racing in a boat that feels great is an absolute bonus. So I’m stoked to have taken the win with Lauren today. It’s been a really positive weekend from the women’s squad, PBs on the Ergo, good performances on the water. I think there’s going to be a lot of competition for seats, which means there’s going to be some really fast boats when we get to international racing!”

For the first time, GB’s Para Men’s PR1 single scullers also took part in April trials. Paralympic, World and European Champion Benjamin Pritchard took the win ahead of Scotland’s Jake Woods. After the race Benjamin said: “Jake has worked hard over the winter and I think that’s a massive PB for him. He really pushed me all the way to the line, so it’s great to have domestic talent that can push you the same as your international counterparts. This is the first time we’ve been included in the final April trials and it’s great, because you do get that kind of massive regatta feeling. You have bow numbers, you have launch times, you have everything that you’d have at an international regatta. So it’s another opportunity to practice something before we go racing.”

After the racing, presentations were made to celebrate the success of the squad over the 2025 season. BOA Athlete of the Year trophies were presented to the inspirational athletes who best promote the Team GB values of Pride, Unity, Responsibility and Respect.

The BOA Female Olympic Athlete of the Year was Stockport’s Sarah McKay. 2025 was Sarah’s first season with the GB Rowing Team, where, with no previous international experience, she became a European Champion and a World Championships Silver medallist. She was hailed as a consummate team player, always empathetic, always cheerful, always supportive and always encouraging of her team mates to reach the highest levels of performance and be all they can be.

The BOA Male Olympic Athlete of the Year was Callum Dixon. Callum, from Tower Hamlets London, embodies pride in representing his nation on the world stage, carries a deep sense of responsibility to his teammates and the sport, and consistently shows respect for both competitors and the rowing community. He also shows unity with his role as Men’s Squad athlete representative where he helps to build a culture where collective strength matters as much as individual achievement.

The Paralympic Athlete of the year for 2025 was Benjamin Pritchard. Benjamin was recognised for his relentless pursuit of performance, his ability to push physical boundaries and his leadership as a role model with the rowing community where he is an outstanding ambassador for Paralympic sport. In 2025, Benjamin’s victory in Shanghai completed his list of accolades to become the reigning European, World and Paralympic Champion. He was also awarded World Rowing Para crew of the year. His discipline, resilience and self belief are an inspiration to other athletes, an example to his young daughter and a source of great pride in Wales where he became the first rower, and only 3rd ever Paralympian in the award’s 71 year history to be named winner of BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

Finally, the Mark Lees Development Athletes of the Year trophies were presented to Poppy Baker and Harry Geffen. Poppy, who developed her sculling at the Performance Development Academy in Nottingham while studying at Nottingham University, was recognised for being part of the U23 Women’s quadruple sculls crew who won a dominant gold medal at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Poznan, Poland.

Harry, just returned to Caversham from his recent Boat Race campaign with Oxford University was recognised for his exceptional performances across four years as an U23 where he became the first GB athlete to win four successive U23 gold medals in all 3 sweep boat classes (two in the men’s eight, one in the men’s pair and one in the men’s four). Harry was also the youngest GB team member at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai where he made his senior debut racing in the men’s pair.