ST NEOTS Rowing Club members Bethany Astell and Philippa Neill will be going for gold when they represent Great Britain in the women’s junior eight at the World Rowing Junior Championships in August.

ST NEOTS Rowing Club members Bethany Astell and Philippa Neill will be going for gold when they represent Great Britain in the women’s junior eight at the World Rowing Junior Championships in August.

It will be the sixth time in seven years that St Neots have contributed members to the national team – more than any other club in the country.

The two came through a gruelling trial process which began in October 2009, including sprint and long-distance trials and regular ergometer tests.

Astell, who has spent much of this season injured, has already represented GB at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, but will make the step up to World Championship level.

After finishing second in the first coxless pairs race at the final trials, the two rowers were paired with each other rower in turn, and aggregate timings compiled. The rankings revealed Astell as the top bow-sider, and Neill the top stroke-sider. They then underwent further trials in the coxless fours, before being announced in the junior eight, where they will join up again with some of the crew with which they won the Henley Women’s Regatta and raced at the Munich Junior International Regatta.

? THE St Neots Rowing Club Regatta will take place on July 24 and 25. The Hunts Post will sponsor three main events on the Saturday, which last year saw more than 270 races over the 1000m course during the day. The Sunday will be another full day of action, with races held over 500m, with entries invited in open, women, juniors, masters and categories in sculling and rowing.

To find out more about the regatta, and how to enter, visit www.stneotsrc.co.uk