News

Posted June 6, 2017

Glasgow rower Josh Armstrong has made the huge step up from the Great Britain junior team last season straight into the British senior team competing in the second World Cup of the year in Poznan this month (16-18 June).

Nineteen-year-old Armstrong, who became Junior World Champion in 2015, moved up to the under 23 age group this season, but so impressive was his form at the GB Rowing Team trials in April, he has now leap-frogged right into the senior squad.

“To be going to one of the World Cups in my first year as an under 23 athlete is absolutely amazing, far exceeding my expectations of what would be possible this year,” said a delighted Armstrong, who will compete in the single scull in Poland.

“It shows that the hard work and the training is paying off and I’m really excited to race against the pinnacle of rowers in the sport.”
A former pupil of the Glasgow Academy, Armstrong’s rowing benefitted as a result of joining the University of Edinburgh rowing programme in September.

Even before April’s selection trials in Caversham he could tell the winter’s training had made him faster on the indoor rowing ergometer and increased the weight he was lifting during strength and conditioning sessions.

Those gains have translated to more speed on the water. Now he is looking forward to the opportunity of testing himself against the world’s best rowers.

“It was after the final trials at Caversham I was told about the possibility of competing in the World Cup - I think they saw some potential there,” continued Armstrong, who is supported by Scottish Rowing, the sportscotland institute of sport and Winning Students.

“My ergometer performances have moved on and along with the coaching from Colin Williamson (University of Edinburgh Head of Rowing), I have managed to improve technically as well which has allowed me to get faster on the water.

“Going into the World Cup I’m looking to put together three good days worth of racing.  If I’m able to do the best that I can on each day then I’ll be happy.

“Whatever the outcome, it will show the baseline of where I’m currently at so we can see what work needs to be done ahead of the summer and the next three years.”

Three other Scots will join Armstrong in the team for the second World Cup.  Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh) steps out of the men’s four and into the eight.

Sam Scrimgeour (Molesey BC/Kirriemuir) will again team up in the lightweight men's pair with Northern Ireland’s Joel Cassells, whilst Katherine Douglas (Leander Club/Edinburgh) competes in the women’s eight.

Karen Bennett (Leander Club/Edinburgh) will not race at the World Cup in the women’s pair following an injury to her partner, Holly Norton.

Great Britain squad for World Rowing Cup 2

Men’s squad

Pair
Thomas Jeffery (Club: Leander Club/Hometown: Plymouth)
Sam Arnot (Leander Club/Chester)
Coaches: Rob Dauncey/Christian Felkel

Four
Matt Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury)
Moe Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton)
Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ. BC/Shepperton)
Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames)
Coach: Jürgen Grobler

Eight
Lance Tredell (Cambridge Univ. BC/Altrincham)
Tim Clarke (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames)
Jacob Dawson (Leander Club/Plymouth)
Adam Neill (Leander Club/Peterborough)
Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Ashford, Kent)
Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh)
James Rudkin (Newcastle Univ. BC/Litchborough)
Tom Ford (Leander Club/Holmes Chapel)
Henry Fieldman (cox) (Leander Club/London)
Coaches: Rob Dauncey/Christian Felkel

Single scull
GBR1 – Tom Barras (Leander Club/Staines)
GBR2 – Josh Armstrong (Edinburgh Univ. BC/Glasgow)
Coach: Paul Stannard

Double scull
Nick Middleton (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames)
Frazier Christie (Bath Univ. BC/Bath)
Coach: Hamish Burrell

Quadruple scull
GBR1
Jack Beaumont (Leander Club/Maidenhead)
Jonny Walton (Leander Club/Leicester)
John Collins (Leander Club/Twickenham)
Peter Lambert (Leander Club/Maidenhead)
Coach: Paul Stannard

GBR2
Ed Fisher (Leander Club/Nottingham)
Jamie Copus (Oxford Brookes Univ. BC/Watlington)
Zak Lee-Green (Agecroft RC/Cardiff)
Sam Mottram (Leander Club/Stoke Mandeville)
Coach: Dan Moore

Lightweight men’s double scull
Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ. BC/Coleraine)
Will Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street)
Coach: Hamish Burrell

Lightweight men’s pair
Joel Cassells (Oxford Brookes Univ. BC/Coleraine)
Sam Scrimgeour (Molesey BC/Kirriemuir)
Coaches: Rob Dauncey/Christian Felkel

Women’s squad

Pair
Anastasia Chitty (Leander Club/Oxford)
Rebecca Girling (Molesey/Fareham)
Coach: James Harris

Eight
Annie Withers (Oxford Brookes Univ. BC/Kingston)
Sara Parfett (Univ. of London BC/Rochester)
Caragh McMurtry (Coalporters ARC/Southampton)
Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Deganwy)
Jo Wratten (Leander Club/Middlesbrough)
Rebecca Shorten (Imperial College BC/Belfast)
Fiona Gammond (Leander Club/Bicester)
Katherine Douglas (Leander Club/Edinburgh)
Matilda Horn (cox) (Univ. of London BC/Windsor)
Coach: James Harris

Single scull
GBR1 – Vicky Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham)
GBR2 – Alice Baatz (Agecroft RC/Winchester)
Coach: Paul Reedy

Double scull
Georgia Francis (Imperial College/Newbury)
Emily Carmichael (Leander Club/Cheltenham)
Coach: Paul Reedy

Quadruple scull
Beth Bryan (Leander Club/Stockton-on-Tees)
Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading RC/Hereford)
Jess Leyden (Leander Club/Todmorden)
Holly Nixon (Leander Club/Enniskillen)
Coach: Paul Thompson

Lightweight double scull
GBR1
Katherine Copeland (Leander Club/Ingleby Barwick)
Emily Craig (Univ. of London BC/Mark Cross)

GBR2
Ellie Piggott (Wallingford RC/Bedford)
Gemma Hall (Wallingford RC/Wargrave)
Coach: Daren Whiter

Para-rowing squad

PR2 mixed double scull
Lauren Rowles (Marlow RC/Bromsgrove)
Laurence Whiteley (Tees RC/Northallerton)
Coach: Tom Dyson