Great Britain Wins Five Medals at 2026 World Rowing Cup I

Great Britain concluded the opening event of the 2026 World Rowing Cup season in Seville, Spain, by securing a total of five medals [1]. The team’s performance across the regatta placed them third in the overall medal standings and second in the World Rowing Cup points table [1].

Key takeaways

• Great Britain earned two gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal during the competition [1].
• The Men’s Four and Women’s Single Sculls crews both secured gold medal finishes [1].
• The Women’s Quadruple Sculls and Men’s Eight crews both claimed silver medals [1].
• The Women’s Eight crew rounded out the team's podium finishes by taking bronze [1].
• The team competed with 13 crews in total, including eight athletes making their senior-level debuts for Great Britain [2].

Gold medal performances in Seville

The Men’s Four, consisting of reigning World Champions Dan Graham, James Robson, Douwe de Graaf, and George Bourne, maintained a dominant pace throughout their final [1]. After establishing a one-second lead at the 500m mark, the crew extended their advantage to finish more than five seconds ahead of the second-place French team [1].

In the Women’s Single Sculls, Lauren Henry secured a narrow victory in a highly competitive A-Final [1]. Despite trailing Lithuania’s Olympic bronze medallist Viktorija Senkute at the 1000m mark, Henry utilized a strong mid-race pace and a final sprint to win by 0.14 seconds in a photofinish [1].

Silver and bronze success

The Women’s Quadruple Sculls crew—comprising Sarah McKay, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson, and Finn Stratton—engaged in a tight race against Germany [1]. Despite a significant mid-race push that brought them level with the German boat, the British crew ultimately finished with the silver medal [1]. The Men’s Eight, featuring Matt Aldridge, Fergus Woolnough, Gabriel Obholzer, Sam Nunn, David Bewicke-Copley, Harry Geffen, Miles Beeson, Archie Drummond, and cox Tom Bryce, also earned silver [1]. The crew recovered from a fast start by Germany to finish ahead of Romania and behind the Netherlands [1]. The Women’s Eight, steered by cox Jack Tottem, completed the medal haul by taking bronze behind Australia and the Netherlands [1].

Why it matters

Interim Director of Performance Tom Dyson described the five-medal haul from seven A-Finals as a strong foundation for the remainder of the season [1]. While the gold medal performances provided a clear highlight, the coaching staff noted that the team’s ability to challenge high-quality opposition in the Quad and Eight categories indicates a competitive depth [1]. Athletes expressed that the regatta served as a vital learning opportunity, with several crews identifying specific areas for technical improvement as they look ahead to future competitions [1].