Wallingford’s Under 23 world champions Brianna Stubbs and Eleanor Piggott staked their claim for senior international call-ups when both finished in the top six at the Great Britain trials at Cav-ersham.
After taking the top spot in the lightweight double scull at the Under-23 World Cham-pionships, Stubbs and Pig-gott were invited to train on a full-time basis with the national squad.
The women’s lightweight field at the trials was certainly a tough one – including Kat Copeland, 2012 Olympic champion, who went on to claim top position.
The Wallingford RC girls set a high standard in the opening time trial, with Piggott posting the fourth fastest time, and Stubbs hot on her heels in fifth.
The semi-final – the first of the side-by-side races of the day – saw both girls clinch spots in the A final of the lightweight event.
Due to worsening weather conditions, the selectors decided to run the finals on the same day, as opposed to the next day as originally scheduled.
The duo held their own in the tough headwind, and Piggott finished fourth, and Stubbs sixth – a fantastic achievement, with both sho-wing their ability to make the step-up from under 23 to senior international level.
Stubbs said: “I’m really pleased to have delivered a performance that keeps me in the hunt for selection this summer.
“It is especially sweet, given that my winter training was heavily disrupted by illness.
“It was a very challenging day of racing, and I feel like I rose to the challenge. Getting a place in the A final was a great result.”
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