Seb makes big splash with GB win and British gold

YOUNG Wye rower Sebastian Lee has been making waves at international and national level this summer holiday.

Firstly the Monmouth RC member helped his GB U16 quadruple scull beat France in the annual Anglo-French match.

Then just a week later, after a training camp in Monmouth, he and Shiplake College schoolmate James Weeks stormed to the U16 pairs title at the British Rowing Championships.

Having taken silver with Shiplake at May's National Schools' Regatta on the London 2012 Olympic lake, his quad scull turned the table on gold medallists Windsor Boys in the GB U16 trials race to win selection for the 44th Anglo-French match in Gravelines, northern France.

And following his dad Simon – who swam for GB – to international honours, they then won their 2000m race from France by clear water in the fastest time of the regatta.

GB won 10 of the 14 races to win the match outright, plus all three cups on offer.

Returning home to Whitebrook having sculled all season, he then swapped two blades for one on the Wye with James in a pair at Monmouth Rowing Club, where Simon coached them.

They only had five days together before launching out at the British Rowing Championships at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre, and had a scare when Simon's Landrover broke down and couldn’t transport the boat.

Thankfully, Monmouthshire Landrover came to their rescue lending them a Disco 4 to get the boat there, where they made an immediate statement in the 16-boat opening time-trial, coming home 7.1 seconds clear of nearest rivals Aberdeen Schools.

They then won their six-boat 2km semi-final by more than 2L from second-placed Wallingford to qualify for the medal race.

And the duo then came from feet down to the Walton pair at half-way to storm home nearly a length up for gold in 7 minutes 13.06 seconds, with Barn Elms another 2L back in bronze pipping Aberdeen by 0.03 seconds.