Rowing: Jenny strikes gold
Jenny Spencer took the gold medal in the National Rowing Championships at Strathclyde Park, near Glasgow, winning the J15 sculling final by a length-and-a-half.
Jenny, 15, from Sudbury Rowing Club, showed her class in the heat, shrugging off the effects of an overnight drive to Scotland.
Her first race at Strathclyde was scheduled for just after 9am on the Friday, and victory was vital if she was to avoid another race in the repechage.
After her customary zigzag start, which brought contacts with a couple of buoys, Jenny found a strong and long rhythm, which left her competitors trailing and saw her comfortably into Sunday's final.
For a change she had a clean start in this, but a sculler from Durham, in the next lane, got off to a flyer, and was five seconds up after 500 metres.
This was maintained at 1,000 metres, but in the second half of the race Jenny showed great character and determination.
By the 1,500-metre mark she was level, and in the last 500 metres her boat speed was significantly faster, clinching a comfortable victory in 8min 41secs.
At the GB trials, at the Nottingham National Water Sports Centre, two weeks earlier, Jenny found herself up against older and more experienced scullers.
She did not make the team for the European and World Championships next month, but gained valuable experience.
Paul Hamblett also competed at Strathclyde in the lightweight single sculls, reaching the semi-finals via the repechage.
Having finished second in his heat, he then took third place in the repechage. Fifth place in the semi-final was a creditable performance on his championship debut.
Sudbury's annual regatta will be at Friars Meadow on Saturday, Augsut 5, with dragon boat racing the following day.
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Weather for Sudbury
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
