STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club members Franklin Hamilton and Imogen North impressed representing Great Britain Universities by taking two medals apiece in the European University Sports Association Regatta (EUSA).
The pair had qualified through the British Universities and Colleges Sport Regatta in May, North winning two golds and a silver racing for University of Nottingham and Hamilton collecting gold and two bronze medals racing for Reading University
At the EUSA event in Subotica, Serbia, Hamilton, racing in the men’s lightweight quad and lightweight double, and North, in the women’s lightweight quad and lightweight doubles, booked their places in the A finals by beating tough competition in the heats on Friday.
The weather for Sunday morning’s weather brought challenging racing conditions but Franklin and his partner raced a close final winning a silver medal in the double, just missing out on the gold by two seconds to the University of Vienna.
North’s quad crew then won a silver medal in another tightly contested race, behind a very strong crew from the University of Amsterdam.
Conditions gradually became more challenging with gusts of high wind but Franklin and his quad crew went on to win gold, beating top crews from Poland and Germany amongst others.
For the women’s lightweight doubles final, waves were breaking over the riggers but North and her partner battled through to win their second silver medal in the competition.
It was a feat made all the more impressive because they are both first-year students at their respective universities.
