Leander New s The Leander Club Newslette r Winter 2008 In this issue: Page 6 m o England Cricket Team at Leander c . s e g a m i - t r o p s r e t n i . w w w r e i r r u p S r e t e P © Leander Olympic Champions - Mark Hunter, Steve Williams and Peter Reed. Page 9 Beijing triumph Leander Olympians Return Even by Leander standards, 2008 has been exceptional. While our Olympians were achieving a record medal haul in Beijing, our development squad has dominated the domestic season. Looking back at Beijing, the numbers speak for themselves. Of the forty-three members of the British Olympic rowing team, fifteen were from Leander Club. All fifteen of us made the finals and thirteen came home with medals – three Bronze, seven Silver and three Gold. The dominant manner in which Mark Hunter stroked the lightweight double to gold was sheer class. Everyone at Leander took huge pleasure in seeing Mark triumph in Page 10 Beijing, after years of struggling to find the right doubles partner. It could not have What brought you to Leande r? happened to a better or more deserving man who has set a real example and given great service to the club. We are all thrilled to congratulate him and very pleased for his family. Continued on page 2. Leander Club www. leander. co.uk Olympic success It was another nail-biter in the coxless there was an element of disappointment Bronze medal women’s eight, she fours (once again, apologies for any but Anna had done incredibly well to bounced back and was selected for the heart-attacks!) but sweet relief for Peter overcome serious injury just to get to then-unqualified pair. Qualifying that Reed, Jürgen Grobler and myself to win Beijing, let alone to be up there fighting boat at the last opportunity before Beijing, gold after a turbulent season, wrought it out for the medals. Lou then exceeded all expectations to with injuries. This completed a British In the men’s doubles, Steve Rowbotham make the Olympic final and will take a lot hat-trick in the Olympic coxless fours and and Matt Wells won bronze (Britain’s first of confidence from her Beijing experience. it is a source of great pride for the club Olympic men’s sculling medal for over 30 Lou was coached by Rob Morgan who, that of the twelve gold medals awarded years). Both are continuing into the next himself at his first Olympics, is another for this event in Sydney, Athens and Olympiad, when they will be a great great success story, showing how Beijing, ten have come back to Leander. all-Leander prospect for 2012. Leander is developing its coaches as There was a distinct pink glow to the Katie Greves, stroking the women’s eight well as its athletes. Olympic men’s eight, containing six and Lou Reeve in the pair were both It was a fantastic Olympic regatta for Leander athletes - Alex Partridge, Tom outside the medals but did themselves both GB and Leander Club. This was Stallard, Ric Egington, Josh West, Matt and the club proud in very tough Britain’s most successful Olympic rowing Langridge and Colin Smith – plus Mark situations. The eight was hit by illness and for 100 years and Leander Club, with Banks as half of the coaching team. raced the final with two reserves, but still strong representation in all of the six Nowadays, for any one club to have so performed well. Lou was the only medal-winning boats, once again much representation in the eight is Olympian who had to qualify for Beijing stepped up and did the country proud. exceptional, but to top that by winning twice. Having lost her place in the 2007 the silver medal in the blue ribbon event is sensational. All but Tom Stallard (now working for the McLaren F1 team) are likely to be back for another tour of Olympic duty and that is a fantastic experience base to have going forward to London. Debbie Flood won silver in the women’s quad. That the girls were so obviously disappointed shows what an exceptional crew they were, with the highest m o c . expectations of themselves. I’m sure s e g a m everyone at the club understood and i - t r o p s shared their disappointment but at the r e t n i . same time we are very proud of Debbie w w w r e and everything that she does. i r r u p S r It was bronze for Anna Bebington at the e t e P end of an epic finish in the women’s © doubles, a ‘postage stamp finish’ with GB Olympic men’s eight, containing six Leander athletes - Alex Partridge (bow), 0.3 seconds separating the first three Tom Stallard (2), Ric Egington (4), Josh West (5), Matt Langridge (7) and boats. Inevitably, after such a tight finish Colin Smith (stroke)– plus Mark Banks as half of the coaching team. Page 2 The Leander Club Newsletter Winter 2008 Leander Club The domestic season Our development squad consistently just held on for a courageous victory. produced outstanding results. The first Coached by Brian Armstrong and Livinia was at the Head of the River Race where Cowell-Sherriff, the crew of Dave Jones, the defence of our six-year winning run Tom Clarke, Dave Bell, Kevin Harry, Ollie was not made easier by losing sixteen Partridge, Will Satch, Al Webb, Ray Poulter senior internationals on Olympic duties. and Chrisy Fox (cox) really came of age All clubs lost their Beijing prospects, but that day. inevitably Leander was by far the most After Henley, Leander dominated the severely depleted. However our National Championships, winning all the development squad kept the flag flying men’s open events and two other and it is a measure of the success of the events besides. Leander was also well club’s development programme that, in represented at the World, Under-23 and spite of everything, Leander not only European Championships. Charlie Burkitt Ian Lawson Leander’s Vice-Captain and retained the Head of the River but also took another step closer to the senior winner of the Diamound Sculls. finished third and ninth. national team by winning an Under-23 After the Head the momentum continued Myers, Jo Cook, Rachel Loveridge and Lou bronze medal, while Rachel Loveridge, and there were multiple wins at Ghent, Rowbotham made up half of the eight Jo Cook and Vicky Myers all won silver Wallingford, Metropolitan and Marlow, all which won the Remenham Challenge Cup at the European Championships. pointing to a strong Henley Royal Regatta. and Jane Hall stroked the women’s quad What a season it’s been for Leander Club! Once again the club was without our to victory in the Princess Grace. After years It has been a huge honour and privilege to Olympians, with fifteen of us away on of dedication it was wonderful to see Ian be Captain in one of our most successful training camps, but nonetheless Leander Lawson, coached by Geoff Baker, fulfil his years ever. These superb results bear was still able to boat a large entry at the dream of winning the Diamond Sculls. witness to the excellent system we have Regatta, with ten full and five composite Our Ladies Plate crew won in great style. here at Leander. Our outstanding facilities crews. The crew (Ric Francis, Colin Williamson, and exceptional coaching team are the It was an impressive demonstration of our Henry Palmer, Nick Clark, Pete Randolph, envy of all clubs, both here and strength that we entered Leander eights in Josh Davidson, plus veterans Clive worldwide. We are delighted to welcome each of the Grand, Ladies and Thames, all Kennedy-Burn and Dan Marett and cox to the coaching team Rob Dauncey with a real chance of winning. It was also Zoe de Toledo) handled the pressure (High Performance) and Livinia fantastic to see our ‘Sporting Giants’ – of being favourites very well. Their Cowell-Sherriff (Freshers) and we wish complete beginners this year - qualifying outstanding young coach, Ben Lewis, has them both very well. All this is only made for one of just sixteen places in the now coached winning Leander eights in possible by the exceptional support of Britannia Cup and making their Henley successive seasons. Ben has now moved our entire membership and of debut. Much credit goes to their coach Ted to the USA to further his coaching Invesco-Perpetual. With this support, Bainbridge for guiding them up a very experience. We wish him every success Leander can go from strength to steep learning curve. In all there were five there, though he will be much missed. strength. London 2012 provides a wins for Leander and, for the absent Our young Thames Cup crew were fantastic opportunity to show the Olympians (avidly following via mobile certainly not favourites, having been world just what we can do. phones) the sense of pride and inspiration beaten by the strong Tideway Scullers was the perfect antidote to being unable eight each time they had raced. In the Steve Williams MBE to compete at Henley ourselves. Vicky final, they produced a searing start and Captain The Leander Club Newsletter Winter 2008 Page 3 Leander Club www. leander. co.uk Rough water ahead! Having served on the Committee since pleasurable and relatively 2000, including two years as Hon straightforward (especially now Treasurer and as Chairman since 2007, that our Ordinary membership I am fortunate to have been involved criteria have been clarified and during exciting and successful times.