British Squad Members Retire from International Rowing

Louis Attrill, Cath Bishop and Alex Beever from the British rowing squad have all announced their retirement from international rowing an ARA press release revealed last week.

Attrill – who started rowing when he went to Imperial college in 1993, was a member of the Olympic gold medal winning men’s eight crew from Sydney. This year, the crew was overall World Cup winner in their boat class, but had to settle for fifth place at the FISA World Rowing Championships in Lucerne.

30 year old Bishop was world silver medallist in the British coxless pair in 1998 with partner Dot Blackie. She rowed in the pair with Olympic quad silver medallist Katherine Grainger during the 2001 season. The two took bronze at the Seville Zurich Rowing World Cup, and Gold in Vienna. The two also doubled up into the eight at the FISA World Rowing Championships, but only finished fifth in the pair and sixth in the eight.

Beever was a member of the women’s eight who came sixth at this year’s World Championships. 

But British rowers are not only announcing retirements; Simon Dennis – Attrill’s crewmate in the Olympic gold winning eight has decided to take a year out from international rowing and will miss the 2002 season.

In addition, Olympic coxless four champion Tim Foster, who missed the 2001 World Championships in Lucerne had surgery on his troublesome right knee on 27 September. He was given the go ahead to resume training last week and is now back in the gym and on the ergometer.