Joel Cassells

Rower // Lightweight Men's Squad
Date of Birth: 15th Jun 1994 (29 years old)
Club: Oxford Brookes University BC
Height: 181.00
Hometown: Coleraine

Joel Cassells profile image

Joel Cassells made his mark on the senior stage during his relatively short international career, winning gold at the World and European Championships.

Cassells has ambitions to follow in the footsteps of fellow Coleraine rowers Richard Chambers, Peter Chambers and Alan Campbell by competing on the Olympic stage. He won European Championships gold in both 2015 and 2016, as well as World Championships gold in 2016 – all in the lightweight men’s pair.

Cassells continued his partnership with Sam Scrimgeour throughout the 2017 season, winning silver and bronze medals in the World Cup series, before finishing fourth at the World Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton.

He announced his retirement from international rowing in April 2017, returning to row for Oxford Brookes University BC.

 

Joel has won medals at the World and European Championships during the past two seasons

On The Water

2016

European Champion Lightweight Men's Pair

World Bronze Medallist Lightweight Men's Pair

2015

World and European Champion Lightweight Men's Pair

World U23 Silver Medallist Lightweight Men's Quadruple Scull

2013 & 2014

World U23 Silver Medallist Lightweight Men's Four

 

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour continued their lightweight men’s pair partnership in 2016, winning a hat trick of gold medals at the European Championships in Brandenburg and the World Cups in Lucerne and Poznan. Scrimgeour then went to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as the lightweight men’s spare before flying back to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, to resume his partnership with Cassells at the World Rowing Championships. After winning their heat and semi-final, the duo were edged into third place in a thrilling three-way battle in the final and had to settle for bronze.

They had previously recorded an impressive victory at the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette at the end of a breakthrough 2015 season for Cassells. He had started the year by teaming up with Peter Chambers to take the European title in Poznan, setting a new championship record in the process.

In between those European and World golds, he was part of the lightweight men’s four that finished fourth at the World Cup in Varese before switching to the lightweight men’s quad scull for the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, where he won a silver medal.

That was his third successive silver medal at the World U23 Championships, having been part of the lightweight men’s four in both 2013 and 2014.

He also represented Team GB at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, winning bronze medals in both the men’s pairs and men’s eights.

Domestically, he helped with university’s boat club to victory in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2014.

Steven Parsonage, Joel Cassells, Samuel Mottram and Jamie Copus won lightweight men's quad silver at the 2015 World U23 Championships in Plovdiv

GB Competitive Record

World Rowing Championships
2017 4th LM2-
2016 LM2-
2015 LM2-
World Rowing Championships:
2017
4th
LM2-
World Rowing Championships:
2016
LM2-
World Rowing Championships:
2015
LM2-
European Rowing Championships
2017 5th LM2-
2016 LM2-
2015 LM2-
European Rowing Championships:
2017
5th
LM2-
European Rowing Championships:
2016
LM2-
European Rowing Championships:
2015
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas
2017 Lucerne 4th LM2-
2017 Poznan LM2-
2017 Belgrade LM2-
2016 Poznan LM2-
2016 Lucerne LM2-
2015 Varese 4th LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2017 Lucerne
4th
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2017
Poznan
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2017 Belgrade
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Poznan
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Lucerne
LM2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Varese
4th
LM4-
World Rowing U23 Championships
2015 LM4x
2014 LM4-
2013 LM4-
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2015
LM4x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2014
LM4-
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2013
LM4-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials
2016 2nd LM2-
2015 12th LM1x
2014 9th LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2016
2nd
LM2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2015
12th
LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2014
9th
LM1x

More info...

Club: Oxford Brookes University BC
Boat: Lightweight Men’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Henry Bailhache-Webb
Learnt to Row: Bann Rowing Club
Original Club(s): Bann Rowing Club
Original Coach(es): Seamus Reynolds

Beyond the Boat

It was Cassells’ mother who got him into rowing when she took him to Bann Rowing Club after “getting fed up of me lounging around the house doing nothing”. Before then, he had played rugby for two years.

He is currently studying law and politics at Oxford Brookes University and describes himself as “a politics bore”.

His best friend in the GB Rowing Team is fellow Coleraine rower Peter Chambers. He describes compatriots Peter, Richard Chambers and Alan Campbell as an inspiration and “heroes of the town”.

His favourite TV programme is Suits and he can also recite every line in Hot Fuzz, having watched it so many times. He also enjoys any books by Jeremy Clarkson.

Cassells is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth Current Address Hometown
Ballymoney Oxford Coleraine
Place of Birth:
Ballymoney
Current Address:
Oxford
Hometown:
Coleraine
Date of Birth Weight Height
17th June 1994 72kg 181cm
Date of Birth:
17th June 1994
Weight:
72kg
Height:
181cm
Education
Millburn Primary School, Coleraine Academical Institution, Oxford Brookes University
Education:
Millburn Primary School, Coleraine Academical Institution, Oxford Brookes University