Image Credit: Benedict Tufnell/British Rowing
With both a male and female double entered into this year’s 2025 U19 World Rowing Championships, these two entries are heavily stacked with some of the best of the best that GB sculling has to offer. After last year’s silver medal success in the women’s double, there are big shoes to fill, but I am sure that those selected to represent this season are ready to aim above and beyond.
Women’s Double
Catherine Gardener, Hartpury University and College Boat Club (J18)
When it came to selection, there was no doubt in my mind that the incredibly talented Katie Gardener would earn herself another GB vest. Since the beginning of trials at Early IDs, Gardener cleared the field with an astounding 30-second lead, setting an impressive margin. Though a difficult feat, she continued to increase this, again dominating at the April Trials Regatta. Though an Olympic legacy, she has cleared herself a path in her own right to the top of female sculling. Being selected for the single this year at both the Munich International Regatta and the Holland Bekker, her silver and gold, respectively, are astounding evidence of her prowess on the international scene. However, she is not just an incredible single sculler; her technical efficiency transfers into crew boats effectively. Just last season, she beat the Dutch lightweight double to triumph in the Aspirational double at Henley Women’s Regatta. Alongside her victory in the junior singles this year, this makes her a two-time purple box winner. With this U19 World Rowing Championships being her second, after she secured a silver medal last year in the quad, I am sure her desire to rise to the top of the podium will manifest itself into a determined, powerful boat and should rattle the rest of her competitors.
Emily Nicholas, Sir William Perkins School Boat Club (J18)
Like her doubles partner, Nicholas is a fellow returnee to the U19 World Rowing Championships stage. Last year in St Catharines, she earned herself a silver medal in the junior four, proving just how incredibly experienced Nicholas is as an athlete. After moving from sweep to sculling this season, her standings at the top of the female junior rowing scene did not falter. Finding herself in the top five at the February Long Distance trials and promoting herself to top four at the April Regatta, Nicholas has rightfully earned her seat in this boat, as she did when she was selected for the gold medal-winning quad at the Munich International Regatta earlier this year. Boasting an impressive domestic season to match her trialling success, Nicholas played a crucial role in the success of the Sir William Perkins‘ School quad. They reached the semifinals of Henley Women’s Regatta, where they faced off with the eventual winners of the event, before making it to the Friday and quarterfinals of The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup. With all these impressive feats to her name, Nicholas is an asset to this double. I am confident that both she and Gardener will make waves in Trakai, as a seriously fearsome pairing.
Men’s Double
Max Fullman, Wycliffe College Boat Club, (J17)
Hailing from the prestigious Wycliffe College programme, Fullman has been a well-known name for many years. He took to the scene as a J16, placing third at the 2024 National Schools’ Regatta in the open single, competing against one of the most stacked entries to date. Moving into this season, nothing was stopping Fullman in the GB Trials process. Winning the long-distance trials at Boston at both Early IDs and February, his clean sweep in the single was only thwarted by his still respectable second at the April Regatta. Despite this being his first U19 World Rowing Championships, Fullman is very experienced in racing for GBR. This is evident by his silver medal from his double at Coupe de la Jeunesse last year. He is well associated with this boat style and is one of the most proficient, demonstrating this alongside his club partner at the Henley Royal Regatta qualifiers this year. Though missing out on a place at the Regatta, these two were the fastest non-qualifiers of The Double Sculls Challenge Cup, an incredible result for two J17 scullers. Despite being the youngest member of his crew, Max Fullman is not deficient in racing experience or prowess and will surely use this to his advantage.
Joe McCarthy, Tideway Sculler School (J18)
Though relatively new on the U19 triallist scene, Joe McCarthy proudly earned his spot in this crew. Starting in the top 20 male scullers at Early IDs, he came on leaps and bounds heading into the summer racing season. Moving up into the top ten at the February Long Distance Trial, he continued to prove his ability to power a crew boat, driving himself and his double into fourth the following day. Since then, the rest has been history, earning selection for his first GB vest at the Munich International Regatta this past May. Crew boats are where McCarthy thrives, with his home club of Tideway Scullers having produced one of the quickest schoolboy quads of the season; they secured a silver medal at the treacherous National Schools’ Regatta and a second-place finish in the B-final of the Metropolitan Regatta. Yet despite all this, I believe their most significant event this season was Henley Royal Regatta. After facing and defeating many crews, they reached the Saturday of The Fawley Challenge Cup, facing off against the eventual winners of the event. Though losing out on a place in the final, McCarthy and his crew only let a 1 ¼ length margin get between them and their competitors. This proves that McCarthy has practised fighting until the end, which will benefit his double with Fullman greatly.
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