Great Britain’s rowers showcased their power and resilience on the world stage by winning three medals on Saturday at the 2025 World Rowing Championships, taking the national tally to seven with more still to come on the final day.
The highlight was the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four’s golden triumph, as Paralympic champions Frankie Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Ed Fuller, Josh O’Brien and newly selected cox Tom Bryce extended their remarkable unbeaten streak, claiming their 14th consecutive world title. The British crew flew off the start and never looked back, crossing the line almost seven seconds clear of China and Germany.
Ed Fuller praised the behind-the-scenes team for their vital role: “We had a few very hot days when we arrived, and it calmed down a bit, but it’s picked up again in the last few days. So a massive thank you to all the support staff at British Rowing… I don’t think it would be possible to achieve what we just did without their help.”
Frankie Allen admitted the weight of expectation never fades: “Although we’re unbeaten the nerves stay the same on the start line. I think the more you win, the more you have a target on your back. So it pushes us to keep going as fast as we can and push the limits as well. It has also been exciting to get back racing. This was our first race together since Paris!”
For Giedre Rakauskaite, the victory was personal as well as collective: “This means so much because I now have a record as the PR3 woman with the most World Championship golds. I’ve got six World golds and two Paralympic ones – so I’m so proud of that – it’s a big one for me!”
Silver for the Men’s Eight
The Men’s eight delivered a silver medal in a thrilling race that had to be restarted due to technical issues. The young GB crew of Will Stewart, Archie Drummond, David Bewicke-Copley, Fergus Woolnough, Miles Beeson, Sam Nunn, Matt Aldridge, Matt Rowe and cox Will Denegri showed remarkable composure, pushing through in the closing stages to take second behind the Netherlands and ahead of the USA.
Matt Rowe reflected: “I was impressed with how we were completely not fazed by it and kept focus. We go through situations in training all the time while we try to shake ourselves, and throw ourselves off and I think we did that today too.”
Archie Drummond admitted the silver exceeded expectations: “I think the guys did a really, really good job at committing to the race plan. I think we’d be lying if we said that we were dreaming of getting a silver medal. But it’s important to remember these feelings, use it as motivation for training and next season.”
Matt Aldridge highlighted the grit of the crew: “We put up a good fight… The Americans wouldn’t let us have it our own way, but we put up a really good fight to come through. We could have rolled over. It’s a young crew with not much international experience so I’m really happy for these guys and looking forward to what happens next.”
Bronze for the Women’s Eight
Great Britain’s Women’s eight capped the day with a superb bronze medal. The crew of Eleanor Brinkhoff, Juliette Perry, Amelia Standing, Martha Birtles, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Heidi Long, Megan Slabbert and cox Jack Tottem fought hard to secure their place on the podium.
Eleanor Brinkhoff said: “I think we’d be lying if we said we weren’t going for the gold. I think you have to shoot for the stars! But to come away with a medal at the World Championships, particularly as it’s the first for so many of us, it’s just amazing.”
Martha Birtles added: “I think it’s testament to how strong this programme is and how we often say we’re standing on the shoulders of giants in the GB Rowing Team. To come in at a first time senior World Championship with our eyes on the gold, it just shows how hungry we are. This is an amazing result, and we’ll celebrate this. It’s great to come away with something shiny!”
Juliette Perry praised the resilience of the squad: “We felt confident that we could stick with the pack and keep going. I feel like we pushed all the way and gave it the best result that we could today. It’s been a tough regatta. Half our crew have doubled up and they’ve done an amazing job balancing the two boats. We’ve had amazing help from our reserves and all the support staff to manage that. To medal at World Championships, I’m beyond excited.”
Eyes on More Glory
With Lauren Henry set to contest the Women’s Single Sculls final and Sam Murray & Annie Caddick lining up in the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls final, Great Britain has the chance to add even more medals to its already impressive tally.
Fans can follow the action live on WorldRowing.com and on the GB Rowing Team Instagram channel.
Seven medals secured. More within reach. Great Britain’s rowers have once again proven their place among the elite of world sport, combining determination, teamwork, and pride to bring glory to the nation.
