THE King’s Ely J16 girls exceeded all expectations at the Henley Women’s Regatta in Henley-on-Thames on Sunday (14) by making it to the semi-finals in the prestigious world-renowned event.
The coxless quad, comprising Lucy Clift, Phoebe Bradbury, Isle of Ely’s Libby Milne and guest Emma Nealis, knocked out 11 of the 15 crews from schools across the UK in the time trials to compete in the semis, narrowly missing out on racing in the finals after losing to Eton.
The regatta is held on the River Thames every year and is described by British Rowing as “one of the highlights of the regattas season for women rowers across the globe.” Unlike most regattas, two boats row against each other one-on-one due to the river’s narrow width.
King’s Ely’s rowing coach Liam Smith said: “Women rowers all over the world aspire to compete in the Henley Women’s Regatta, so for the crew to make it to the semis is a fantastic achievement.
“Due to the weather, the conditions were not easy and my thanks go to all of the girls and their families for their support in helping them in and out of the river.”
He added: “We are really pleased with the school’s rowing successes this season and look forward to announcing some exciting new developments over the coming weeks.”