Oxford Brookes Boat Club athletes to represent Team GB at Paris Olympics

Eight members of Oxford Brookes University Boat Club (OBUBC) have been selected to represent Team GB at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

The University’s boat club will make up the entire crew for the Men’s Coxless Four (M4-) event, and four members of the Men’s Eight (W8+), to compete on the world stage at the pinnacle of the sport.

Rowers Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson make up the Men’s Coxless Four, and Rory Gibbs, Morgan Bolding and Tom Digby will row in the eight, with Harry Brightmore selected as their coxswain.

The eight squad members, all Oxford Brookes alumni, join an illustrious list of 12 former students from the University who have rowed at previous Olympic Games. 

The Team GB squad of 42, made up of 23 women and 19 men, includes 21 brand new and 21 returning Olympians. The squad features Team GB double Olympic champion Helen Glover and silver medallist Tom Barras. All eight OBUBC members will be making their Olympic debuts. 

Richard Spratley, who has been Director of Rowing at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club for 30 years, said: “Our boat club members being selected for the Olympic Games fills us with immense pride. They have demonstrated that they are elite, world-class rowing athletes and have now earned the honour of representing Team GB. I have no doubt they will make their families, their country, and OBUBC very proud. Along with the entire country, we will be avidly supporting them this summer. 

“Oxford Brookes has a very proud history when it comes to rowing, with 12 of our former athletes also having earned Olympic honours, as well as being the most successful university at the world famous Henley Royal Regatta since 1993, with 36 overall wins. 

“However, we are passionate about giving the opportunity for all standards of rowers to enjoy the sport and to compete. We run a fantastic ‘Learn to Row’ programme here at OBUBC, which means that total beginners can get in a boat, and learn and enjoy the sport.”

Louise Kingsley, British Rowing Director of Performance, who will be Rowing Team Leader in Paris, said: “This Olympic cycle has come with a few challenges along the way, but the athletes, support staff and coaches have really pulled together to create a fantastic atmosphere, culture and training environment that has lead to impressive results on the water.

"We qualified nine boats at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and added a tenth most recently at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. Now we have selected a very strong team of athletes with a good mix of returning and first-time Olympians who I know are relishing the opportunity to go out there and write a unique chapter in the legacy of the GB Rowing Team.”
 

From left to right: Freddie Davidson, Matt Aldridge, David Ambler, Oli Wilkes, who make up the Men’s Coxless Four (M4-) team. Image credited to Team GB. 

From left to right: Rory Gibbs (second from left), Morgan Bolding (third from left), Harry Brightmore (centre), and Tom Digby (third from right)



Brilliant Brookes make waves in pre-selection competitions

In addition to OBUBC athletes who have achieved Olympic selection, current Oxford Brookes students and OBUBC members have enjoyed huge success recently, paving the way for their own future Olympics selection. 

The boat club enjoyed a hugely successful Koninklijke-Holland Beker regatta on 1 and 2 June in Amsterdam, coming away with eight medals.

On 1 June, Brookes Men’s and Women’s Coxless Four boats were recognised as Dutch National Champions after seeing off competition from Dutch national and German development boats, and two Women’s Eights scooped silver and bronze medals.

The form continued into 2 June with Men’s and Women’s Coxless Fours again taking home gold medals, followed by the Women’s 1st and 2nd Eight boats both beating the Dutch team to go on to claim gold and silver. At the same time, the Women’s 1st Eight boat wrote themselves into Brookes history with their fastest ever 2,000m time. 

The weekend was then completed with the Men’s 1st Eight’s spectacular victory over the Dutch Olympic team, beating them by 0.25 seconds, while registering the second fastest time a Brookes boat has ever achieved over 2,000m. 

Last month, Brookes rowers also put on a medal table-topping display at the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) regatta in Nottingham between 4 and 6 May.

The team collected 20 medals across the three days, with ten golds, eight silver and two bronze. This included success for both Men’s and Women’s Eights, Coxed and Coxless Fours, and Novice ‘Beginner’ Coxed Four crews, and also the Men’s Single Sculls and Lightweight Pair.



Oxford Brookes Boat Club Men’s 1st Eight, after becoming Dutch National Champions at the Koninklijke-Holland Beker regatta in Amsterdam. Image credited to Stijn Kuiper.

Oxford Brookes Boat Club Women’s 1st Eight after they won gold in their event in Amsterdam, breaking the 2,000m record in the process. Image credited to Stijn Kuiper.