Rowing: Scots in medals at European Championships

THERE were three medals for the Scots involved in the Great Britain rowing team at the European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Helen Glover, left, and Polly Swann of Great Britain celebrate after winning the European womens pair title. Picture: Getty

The world champion duo of Edinburgh’s Polly Swann and Helen Glover added the European title in the women’s pair with a record-breaking time of seven minutes 3.62 seconds, beating second-placed Romania by seven seconds.

“You are always nervous at the beginning of the season,” Swann said. “It’s good to get a win under our belts.”

Glover, who is also Olympic champion in this event, added: “I think we got off to a normal start for us but the others probably went out harder than normal and paid a bit for it later.”

Forfar’s Sam Scrimgeour took silver in the men’s lightweight pairs along with Jonathan Clegg, behind Switzerland, while Glaswegian Imogen Walsh took bronze in a new lightweight double sculls partnership with Olympic champion Kat Copeland. Walsh said: “I think that’s a good start. I’m not elated about it but I’m not devastated either.”

Alan Sinclair from Inverness finished fourth in the coxless pairs and Victoria Meyer-Laker from Premney in Aberdeenshire was in the quadruple sculls crew that finished fifth.

The GB men’s four also claimed gold after the quartet of Andrew Triggs Hodge, George Nash, Mohamed Sbihi and Alex Gregory led from start to finish. Britain topped the medals table with two gold, four silver and two bronze.

In the Scottish Championships at Strathclyde Park, Edinburgh University won the men’s eight title to continue a successful season, while Lewis McCue from Robert Gordon University clinched the single sculls title.