Golden Girls Score Rowing Success

Two rowers have scored medal success at the recent Australian Youth Olympic Festival. Anastasia Chitty and Maxie Scheske brought back an impressive haul of 5 medals between whilst representing Team GB in the prestigious rowing event.

Their medal wins represent a great success for the University Women’s Boat Club and both girls have expressed pride at their antipodean adventures.

Rowing success can draw big crowds

Chitty, who studies at Pembroke, bagged a medal in each of the three classifications in which she competed. Understandably she was ‘especially pleased with the Gold in the four’. Chitty also lavished praise on the ‘phenomenal athletes’ she had competed against, with the Australian teams singled out for special praise.

Scheske, of Magdalen, won a silver and bronze and spoke of finding it ‘really exciting to be on the international podium’ for the first time.

Both Chitty and Scheske acknowledge that balancing work and the commitments of high-level rowing can be a struggle. Scheske attributed her success in part to training in Oxford with the Blues, ‘training in such a great atmosphere no doubt helps me to train better’.

Chitty spoke of her delight at qualifying for the event explaining how she had excelled in trials held by GB, ‘the squad was selected on raw speed as well as future potential; to be deemed as having future potential was particularly exciting!’

Both girls hope to make the most of their potential in the future with Scheske, whose medals came in the Eight and Quadruple Skull, stated ‘It would be amazing to one day compete at the real Olympics’.

Is there one of these in Chitty and Scheske’s future?

Chitty also expressed a desire to represent GB at senior level, but also has her eyes firmly fixed on the 2015 Women’s Boat Race.

This will be the first televised race and will take place on the same day as the men’s race. Chitty is determined to take part – ‘this would be a fantastic event to be involved in and having complete parity with men represents a hugely exciting opportunity for women’s sport’.

The drive and ambition shown by both Chitty and Scheske suggest a bright future for both Oxford and GB Women’s rowing.