Rowing: Full steam ahead for McBrierty

EDINBURGH rower Callum McBrierty is on track for his goal of winning August's World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic after helping Britain see off Europe's best teams in the Munich Junior International.

The 17-year-old George Watson's pupil won a gold medal in the coxless four and a bronze in the coxed eights.

"In the four we beat three German crews, as well as crews from Spain, the Czech Republic and a Russian crew," said McBrierty.

"Our main rivals are the Germans and it was close between first and second places, something like 0.4 seconds. Then there was a good drop off after that of six or seven seconds between second and third."

Munich provided a perfect mid-season gauge for McBrierty and the British teams as they prepare for the World Junior Championships. Britain has a strong track record in the event and won last year's coxless fours event; the victorious team included Lochwinnoch's Andrew Holmes, a then George Watson's pupil.

"Munich is effectively the mid-season regatta which all the European countries send a bunch of boats to, to see how they compare," said McBrierty who has been supported this season by the East of Scotland Institute of Sport, part of sportscotland's institute network.

"Our top four is looking very good this year and the weekend showed that at the moment we are ahead of the German teams. When it comes to World Championships we are going to be racing that crew that we managed to beat."