News

Posted: August 21, 2016

A record nine Scots will compete in what British Rowing terms a “talented squad packed with medal-winning experience” at this week’s Under 23 World Rowing Championships, Rotterdam (21-28 August).

Amongst the Scots are Gavin Horsburgh and Maddie Arlett who both competed for GB in last year’s World Championships.

A year ago Horsburgh (18), from Lochwinnoch, won a historic first ever gold in the under 18s quad scull along with Glasgow’s Josh Armstrong.  Horsburgh has since moved up to the Under 23 level and this time will compete in the lightweight quad.  

“I’m ecstatic being select for the Worlds,” said Horsburgh.  “The jump from junior to Under 23 is big, as I had been told by many people, and to make that jump and be in the team is something special to me.

“It shows that all my hard work throughout the year has gone towards something.”

The increased number of Scots progressing to the GB level reflects the investment targeted at the Under 23 age group.

Scottish Rowing works in partnership with the sportscotland institute of sport on a high performance model that supports under 23 athletes to develop them for British Rowing’s senior programme.  The institute currently supports nine rowing athletes.

Horsburgh describes his last two months’ training camp with the British team as an ‘eat, sleep, row, repeat’ existence.  But he’s revelling in the experience and has become a better athlete as a result.

“We have been down south now for almost two months and the training volume has increased so much to the point where we are doing three long sessions a day,” he continued.

“Being on the GB training programme is really quite something.  But I’ve stepped up to the mark and I’m challenging myself to see how much I’m able to push myself.  It’s showing me that I can pass what I thought were old boundaries and exceed what I expect I can do.”

Whilst Horsburgh began rowing aged 14 years at his local Castle Semple Rowing Club, Selkirk 22 year old Maddie Arlett did not get involved in the sport until she began her degree at the University of Edinburgh.  And it almost happened by accident.

“I knew coming out of school that I wanted to do something to a very high level but didn’t know what it was,” said Arlett, who finished fourth in the Under 23 lightweight women’s quad in last year’s Worlds.

“I had played football and hockey at school and also did martial arts but I was never top level.  So I decided to randomly select rowing and see where that would take me.”

Luckily she landed on her feet, joining the University of Edinburgh rowing programme almost at the start of what would later become Scotland’s first GB Rowing Team accredited High Performance Programme.  Arlett’s progress has been startling, especially over the past year.

“I’m in a much better place this year than I was a year ago going into the Worlds,” she continued.

“Last year I was completely new to sculling and lightweight rowing and it was the  first year I had trialled for GB, so I was new to it all.  

“I actually hated sculling when I was learning and felt I was rubbish at it, so to go to the Worlds was a huge step up for me that came about by constant commitment to every single session.

“Having that extra year of experience makes a big difference and this boat feels a lot better than last year’s.

“We’ve gone about everything this year in a much better way and we have developed it from scratch.

“So I really want to go and attack the world championships this year.”

That’s the kind of attitude British Rowing’s Performance Director, Sir David Tanner expects from the Under 23 team as one Olympic cycle ends and another begins in The Netherlands this month.

“This is a key year for our Under 23s as we look towards the Tokyo Olympic cycle,” he said.

“Our rowers have the chance to impress at the Championships and stake a claim to a step on the Olympic ladder for 2020.”

One of the many benefits of a record number of Scottish rowers selected for Team GB at the Rio Games, and the record number of medals they went on to win, is the confidence that gives up and coming Scots, in particular those at under 23 level who are part of university rowing programmes that Scottish Rowing-supports.

Arlett will soon be joined at the University of Edinburgh by Horsburgh who begins a four year degree at Edinburgh next month.

In another sign of confidence in the Scottish system, Colin Williamson, Head of Rowing at the University of Edinburgh, has been appointed to coach the lightweight men's quadruple scull and the men's coxed four at the Under 23 World Championships.

“The Rio Games showed us what it is attainable,” said Horsburgh.  “The fact that there were so many Scots on the team, and so many Scots medalling, is phenomenal for Scottish rowing.

“It’s really inspiring and it shows that it’s within our grasp.  

“The main goal is to make the 2020 Games but as this is just the first step into Under 23s I just want to impress now.

“I put down a performance at junior level, I just want to show I can do it at Under 23s which should put me in good stead for having eyes on me from the GB selectors.”

Said Scottish Rowing’s Director of Performance Operations, Lee Boucher:  "Following hot on the heels of a best ever performance for Scottish rowers at the Rio 2016 Olympics, I am delighted that there will be a record contingent of Scots competing as part of the GB Rowing Team at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships this year.

"The impact of Scottish Rowing's investment in the Under 23 pathway in Scotland has been significant, not least at the University of Edinburgh who have provided five athletes to the Under 23 team this year.

"We look forward to following the progress of all our rowers in Rotterdam and we wish the GB Rowing Team all the very best for a successful Championships."

Scots competing in the GB Rowing Team at the 2016 World Championships, Rotterdam (21-28 August)
Senior

Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh) Coxed pair
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness) Quad scull
Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir) Pair

Under 23s

Gavin Horsburgh (Edinburgh University/Lochwinnoch) – Quad scull
Graham Ord (Edinburgh University/Hamilton) - Pair
Calum Irvine (Edinburgh University/Aviemore) - Eight
Maddie Arlett - (Edinburgh University/Selkirk) – Quad Scull
Lewis McCue (Robert Gordon University/Aberdeen) - Four
Harry Leask (Leander Club/Edinburgh) – Quad scull
Rowan McKellar (Broxbourne RC/Glasgow) - Four
Matt Curtis (Edinburgh University/Durham) - Quad scull
Robert Hurn (Leander Club/Glasgow) – Eight

Under 18s

India Somerside (Glasgow Schools RC/Glasgow) Four
Alex Rankin (Glasgow Schools RC/Drymen) Four
Josh Armstrong (Glasgow Schools RC/Glasgow/Glasgow) Quad scull