Success for GB in European Championships

DRAGON BOAT RACING

PERSHORE Phoenix Dragon Boat Club, which includes members from Stratford, were celebrating after members returned from the European Nations Championships with a remarkable 15 medals.

Linda Morris, from Pershore, and Worcester father and daughter Andrew and Emily Forrest all took bronze medals in the Premier team event in Rome.

Matthew Spink, 18, from Rubery, took three gold and three bronze in the Under-24s team and Michael Dacombe, from Solihull, finished with one silver and five in the Under-18s.

Team GB included 170 paddlers for the five-day event at the beautiful Laghetto Dell’Eur, otherwise known as ‘Parco Centrale del Lago’.

The teams raced against boats from: Italy, France, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovak Republic, Cyprus, Serbia, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Moldova and Ireland.

New members are welcome to the club which practices at Arden Sailing Club, Defford every Sunday morning from 9.30am and Wednesday evenings from 7pm.

The Phoenix race team competes in the BDA (British Dragonboat Association) National League and their next league meeting takes place on Saturday in Nottingham from Trent Bridge.

For more details, e-mail phoenixdragonboat@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 07591 290055, or 07885 636604.