Oarsome - rowers win eight world golds

Four rowers became double world champions to bring eight gold medals back to Newark.

The two pairings — brothers Graham and Nigel Price and Dawn Zalas and Lou Elkington — powered to success at the annual World Rowing Masters Championships.

They were joined by Nigel Wallis, of Newark, and Mark Mortimore, of Fernwood, as Newark Rowing Club boasted six competitors among 4,700 entrants from 860 clubs worldwide.

The championships were held in picturesque Bled in Slovenia, where a packed schedule saw more than 900 races over four days of competition in sculls, pairs, fours and eights for men, women and mixed crews.

Masters rowing is for those aged 27 and over with races held in age-groups and over courses used for major senior championships.

The only difference to prestigious events like the Olympic Games is that races are held over 1,000 metres rather than 2,000.

Despite light rain, conditions were good on the water with little wind as the Newark rowers took part in double (two oars per rower) and coxless pair (one oar per rower) finals.

The Price brothers — Nigel, a life member of the Newark club, and Graham, of Norwell — won their Masters E2x (55-60 years) double final by a tight margin. They also claimed gold in the lower-age D category to add to previous success at the championships.

Zalas and Elkington triumphed in the women’s double final (WD2x) and in the pair final (WD2-). Wallis and Mortimore came sixth in their pair final (M2-).

Rowing club president Chris Bates said: “It is the pinnacle for masters rowers. Everyone at the club sends their congratulations and is very proud of their success.”

The championships marked the end of the masters regatta season. Rowers at Newark are now preparing for the head racing season, which gets under way this month.