HENLEY Royal Regatta winner Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank is looking to emulate GB's Olympic medal winning stars in Canada next week, when the Ross Rowing Club graduate races at the combined World Championships.

The August 18-25 regatta in St Catherines will see racing for medals in non-Olympic class senior events, U23s and U19s, with former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil Violet looking to better the silver she won in the junior girls' coxless four on the Paris Olympic lake last year.

Having made a clean sweep of all the top UK titles in the girls' quadruple sculls with her Wycliffe crew in 2024, this time she'll be racing with two blades in the U19 girls' double sculls with Molesey Boat Club's Olivia Cheesmur.

And she'll be returning to North America later in the year after winning a place at top rowing university Washington in Seattle, the home of 'The Boys in the Boat', whose legendary exploits winning the 8s at the 1936 Olympics have been turned into a hit film, directed by George Clooney.

A full-strength squad of 84 athletes and 27 support staff have been selected to represent GB in Canada.

Pete Sheppard, chief coach for the GB Olympic Pathway, said: “Inspired by the recent Olympic Team results in Paris many will be representing GB for the first time and will be taking the opportunity to demonstrate their potential to be future Olympians. “

Two Hartpury rowers have also made the team, National Schools single sculls champion Elliot Donovan-Davies, 18, from South Wales who has remarkably been selected to race in the U23 quadruple scull.

Catherine Gardner, daughter of Athens Olympian Pete Gardner, also races in the U19 girls’ quadruple scull, while Violet’s Wycliffe crew mate and former Hereford Cathedral pupil Natasha Phillips goes in the girls’ four.

Meanwhile, Hartpury’s George Coates, who began rowing downriver at Monmouth RC, helped the Wales junior men's quadruple scull race to Home Countries Regatta glory at Strathclyde Park in Glasgow.

George Coates, left, with the winning Wales junior men's quad scull
George Coates, left, with the winning Wales junior men's quad scull.photo: Snapper Ron (Snapper Ron)

Having suffered a boat malfunction in the 2k race when a close second in the closing stages, they launched out for the 500m sprint determined to make amends.

And teamed with Hereford Cathedral's Archie Farquharson, King's Worcester's Josh Laverack and Tideway Scullers' Indiana Regan, he powered to victory by 1/2L from England, 3/4L from Ireland and 2L from Scotland.