It was familiar surroundings for Wiggins with the 2017 British Rowing Indoor Championships being staged at the Lee Valley VeloPark, the London 2012 Olympic Games velodrome, with Wiggins aiming to do the 2000m indoor rowing race in close to six minutes. But a falter, when Wiggins misheard a signal, early in the race saw Wiggins finish in 6:22.5, placing 21^st in the open men’s category.

Wiggins, however, attracted a sell-out audience at the championships which attracted more than 2000 competitors. The event had age categories starting at 11 years old and going up to 94. Race distances varied between 500m to 4000m and for young rowers, some races lasted a set amount of time ranging from two to eight minutes. Para-rowing events were also on the programme as well as relays amongst the 72 races.

The top five places in the open men’s category all went to members of the British rowing team. The overall winner was Adam Neill. Neill joined the British Rowing senior men’s team this past year at age 27 and rowed as part of the men’s eight. He clocked 05:48.2 at the indoor champs. Ranking second at 05:53.0, Thomas Jeffery is also a newcomer on the national team. This year he competed internationally in three sweep events: the men’s pair, four and eight. In third place, Matthew Rossiter finished in a time of 0:53.3. Rossiter won bronze in the men’s four at the 2017 World Rowing Championships. Callum McBrierty, the 2016 World Champion in the coxed men’s pair, finished fourth in a time of 05:57.0. Thomas Barras, the new revelation in the men’s single sculls who claimed bronze at the 2017 World Rowing Championships, recorded 05:57.0.

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In the open women’s 2000m race, Kaila Engelsman clocked the fastest time at 07:01.6, far ahead of second-placed Jessica Day at 07:13.6 and third-placed Emma Dean at 07:16.8. The open lightweight women’s 2000m race went to Meghann Jackson who finished first in 07:16.4, one minute ahead of Kay-Leigh Richardson who finished second with 08:17.1.

Jamie Copus and Sam Mottram, both on the British rowing team, claimed the two top spots in a time of 06:15.9 and 06:16.8 respectively In the open lightweight men’s 2000m race. Barney Price from City of Cambridge Rowing Club came in third at 06:29.4. Copus is a two-time World Under-23 silver medallist in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls and Mottram was one of the teammates who won silver with him in 2015.

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Four British indoor rowing records were broken this year. One in the masters men 80-84 age category over the 2000m distance with Mike Hurley from Willpower Fitness Club clocking 07:39.0 and breaking the previous record set in 2015 at 07:43.9. Hurley is also the British record holder over the 500m distance in the 80-89 age category. One was set in the masters women 60-64 age category, also over 2000m. Sarah Springman from Leander Club broke the record she had set a few months ago by nearly three seconds, setting the new time at 07:33.7. And Mark Roberson did 500m in 1:17.7 for 50-55 year old men. In the para-rowing PR3 2000m men, Sean Gaffney went 6:34.3 to get the record.

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Jeannine Gmelin (SUI)

Bradley Wiggins sparks sell-out British Rowing Indoor Championships

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