Karen Bennett matures as trials winner and Glasgow rowing ambassador

Karen Bennett and Rebecca Shorten won the GB Rowing Trials on Sunday, beating nearest rivals, Anastasia Chitty and Rebecca Girling by just over a second over 2,000m. Yesterday Bennett, who won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, was revealed as rowing ambassador for the Glasgow 2018 European Championships being held in August. Bennett is in good company and joins other ambassadors, swimmer Ross Murdoch, gymnast Max Whitlock and golfers Carly Booth and Paul Lawrie. The European Championship rowing events are being held at Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire. For the first time aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon will be held in one place, Glasgow, with the athletics being held simultaneously in Berlin. Bennett told WEROW, “I feel really privileged to have been asked, being at Glasgow and Strathclyde Park which is where I learned how to row. I had my first ever outing there and I have fallen in numerous times, so the place does hold a special place in my heart. It’s nice to be back ten years later having won a silver medal at the Olympics, going out to race on a world stage, and pretty amazing to be coming full circle back to where it all began.”

Rebecca Shorten and Glasgow 2018 ambassador, Karen Bennett at GB Rowing Trials

Bennett is maturing into a senior athlete within the GB women’s rowing team, now in the second year of its Olympic cycle, and appears well suited to the role. Following the Rio Olympics, many of the senior women retired including seven of her Rio eight. This left not only a vacuum within the squad but perhaps, more importantly, a vacuum of role models for aspiring athletes. “Last year was weird for me as I was relatively new in the squad and was surrounded by women who had won Olympic medals and were incredible athletes. Then they all left to do their own thing and I was seen as the oldest athlete when in fact I was still really just finding my feet. I don’t really see myself as outspoken or a leader as such but I think that I can lead by example. So I just get on with my training, I follow instructions and I hope that if I do that others with follow. There were many new girls last year and it will take them time to find their feet, but we are all working together to make it a really special squad and really resilient.”

Karen Bennett and Rebecca Shorten on the start at GB Rowing Trials 2018