Student wins silver medal at the Rowing World Championships

Thursday 13 September 2007
By Naomi Weston

An Imperial College London medical student has won a silver medal at The World Rowing Championships in Munich. The event took place between 26 August and 2 September 2007.

Fifth year medic Mathilde Pauls is part of the Great Britain women’s lightweight quad four, which fought off competition from China and the USA but was beaten by Australia in a close finish. The successful team consisted of Mathilde, Sophie Hosking, Laura Greenhalgh and Jane Hall.

Mathilde, who started rowing in 2001, is currently training for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. "I am taking a year and a half out of my studies to focus on training. I am also working part time to help me earn some extra money," she explained.

Mathilde is the under 23 World Champion after winning gold in Amsterdam in 2005 in the lightweight double. In addition she won a bronze medal at the Eton Rowing World Cup in 2005 in the lightweight single.

Her heavy training programme includes two to three sessions a day, which are mainly sessions in the boat but also include ‘land-training’ sessions on the rowing machine and using weights. She trains at the Putney Boat House and also at the Redgrave and Pinsent rowing lake in Reading.

The next competition is the European Championships being held in Poland in three weeks time. Mathilde is entering the women’s lightweight double race. She commented: "I am fairly hopeful for a medal, we have been training hard and we have a strong crew."

Mathilde faces more trials for the Olympics at the end of this year and into the spring. "In March there are trials where I will find out if I have made it to Beijing which will be very exciting," she said.

Mathilde is part of the Rowing Scholarship Program that was introduced by Imperial five years ago. It provides students with some financial backing of up to £5,000. It is awarded each year to students who can demonstrate potential and who have aspirations to reach national squad level.

Simon Cox, head of rowing at Sport Imperial is delighted with Mathilde’s success. He said: "I am delighted that the support provided by Imperial has helped Mathilde to achieve at such a high level. We are able to support her as a part of the Rowing Scholarship scheme as well as providing her with enough time and flexibility in her medical studies to allow her to train without having to leave her course." He added: "The Boat Club is very proud of her achievements."

Great Britain collected a total of 11 medals at the Championships over the two days of finals including three gold, two silver and six bronze, placing them at the top of this year’s table. It was also Great Britain which took the overall team trophy.