Poznan, Poland - 22nd – 25th July 2004 

34 Competing Nations

British womens' mettle brings medals for GB after morning racing

 The GB U 23 and junior teams showed today that they would not be outdone by their senior counterparts, after Abi Cattle won a bronze medal in the K1 1000m and Shuna Braithwaite and Tara Nutt won silver in the JWK2 1000m

Both races were absorbing....neither boats were lying in 5th or 6th place at the half way point.

However, as we have come to expect, the girls dug in and worked their way back into the mix at the end. Abi was always in the pack chasing the Polish racer, Mikolajczyk, and with 250m had broken the Hungarian who was in 4th place and reeled in Fabiana Sgroi at the finish to win her well- deserved medal.

With the K2 girls it was a case of better and better. Again, lying in the middle of the pack at the half way point, the girls drove onward....and with 100m to go it looked like a 4th place but the GB girls never slackened. A great drive for the line saw them overtake the French and then the nabbed the Russians on the line for the silver medal.. At the end Tara Nutt said ' I thought we were going to fall in with 100 to go, but we felt strong and drove for home.

Paul Wycherley raced well to finish in 7th place in the BK1 1000m in a very strong field. While Ben Brown and Tom Daniels also came 8th in their BK2 race. All athletes achieved a personal best.The Mens K4 race was last race of the day. All the boys were fired up after the earlier successes of the girls and were keen to do well. On paper they were 9th fastest and looking to take some scalps. The first 750ms gave close racing for all 9 boats and at the end only 3 seconds covered the first 7 boats. The GB boys pushed all the way to the line to come in 7th place in a time of 2:59.3. Top effort!

The best GB results at a European & Junior Champs .......EVER. 

JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS