University of Bath students among the medals as South West rowers enjoy Olympic Pathway Regatta success
Athletes from the British Rowing GB Performance Development Academy (PDA) based at the University of Bath topped the medal table when Olympic rowing hopefuls from across the country contested the Olympic Pathway Regatta.
The National Watersports Centre in Nottingham hosted the competition, which provides athletes from all five regional Academies with valuable competitive racing experience against their closest rivals before regatta season begins for the summer.
South West GB Performance Development Athletes, the majority of whom are students at the University, made up a third of the total medallists across the five PDAs. This led to them taking home the Victor Ludorum Trophy, a rowing blade they were able to paint with their regional colours.
Gold went to Civil Engineering student and Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholar Ella Fullman in the U21 Women’s Single Sculls age group category. In the men’s racing, Minerva Bath BC rower Josh Knight won gold in the Open Single Sculls.
Will Stradling and Archie Norton took home silver in the Men’s Single Sculls for the U23 and U21 age categories respectively. Bronze medals went to Luka Halozan Bayley (Open), Jack Norton (U23) and Gyr Balmer (U21), while Beatrice Hughes also placed third in the U21 Women’s Single Sculls.
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Performance Development Coach Thomas Selby said: “I’m incredibly proud of our South West GB Performance Development Academy athletes for securing the Victor Ludorum, demonstrating real strength across the board. Standout golds from Ella Fullman and Josh Knight highlight the Academy’s incredible track record of developing future Olympians. It’s great to see the region thriving.”
The GB Performance Development Academies are one of Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sport talent identification programmes. The South West Academy has consistently proved its ability to turn individuals with no rowing experience into Olympians, with an alumni list that includes double Olympic Champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, and, most recently, Paris 2024 bronze medallist Becky Wilde.
At this year’s GB Rowing Team Trials, four of the eight winning triallists belonged to PDAs. South West athletes also dominated last year’s British Rowing Club Championships, taking home gold in the Men’s and Women’s Beginner Double Sculls as well as the Women’s Championship Double Sculls.
GB PDAs recruit individuals between the ages of 14 and 22 with no prior experience to become Olympic rowers. The guideline minimum height for those applying for testing is above 5ft 8in (176cm) for females and 6ft (185cm) for males.
The South West GB Performance Development Academy operates out of Bath and Bristol and is always on the lookout for athletes with no prior rowing experience to recruit and develop into Olympians. Click here to find out how to apply for trials.
