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The five male competitors in the 2024 Wingfield Sculls line up under the control of umpire Greg Searle. Pictured here from Middlesex to Surrey, left to right, are Rui Xu (London Rowing Club), Callum Dixon (Twickenham Rowing Club), Josh Lyon (London Rowing Club), Graeme Thomas (Agecroft Rowing Club) and Ben Parsonage (Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club).
30 October 2024
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch on trial by testosterone.
Off the start, it was Lyon in front followed by Thomas, Parsonage, Dixon and then Xu. However, Dixon soon took the lead and reached Chiswick Bridge (pictured) in 3min 06 sec. Left to right here are Dixon (1st), Lyon (4th), Thomas (2nd) and Parsonage (3rd). Xu (5th) is out of shot.Although an experienced Tideway sculler, Xu mostly stayed close to the Middlesex shore until well past Chiswick Bridge and was far down on the rest of the field for some time.Between Chiswick and Barnes Bridges, the order was still, left to right, Lyon (4th), Dixon (1st), Thomas (2nd) and Parsonage (3rd). Xu (5th) is out of shot.One minute after the previous picture was taken, Lyon passed Parsonage and took his third place.Approaching Barnes Bridge, Xu, who had fallen over a length behind off the start, began to challenge Parsonage for fourth place. Left to right here are Xu, Parsonage, Lyon, Thomas and Dixon.Xu (foreground left) closes in on Parsonage (foreground right).Leader Dixon reached Barnes Bridge in 6min 54sec. He was followed by Thomas, Lyon, Xu (now in fourth place) and Parsonage.Low in fat, big in muscle: Rui Xu (pronounced something like “Rooee See”).Passing the Bandstand on Dukes Meadows, Chiswick. Left to right: Parsonage, Xu, Lyon, Thomas and Dixon.Between Chiswick Pier (pictured) and Chiswick Eyot, Xu (middle right) overtook Lyon (middle left) to take third place.Near St Paul’s School, Graeme Thomas takes evasive action. Despite his creditable finish position, Thomas seemed out of form.At Hammersmith Bridge, the order was Dixon, Thomas, Xu, Lyon and Parsonage. Dixon reached the bridge in 16min 11sec.In Fulham Reach, it is Dixon (1st), Thomas (2nd), Xu (3rd), Lyon (4th) and Parsonage (5th). Dixon passed the Mile Post at 19min 56sec.The competitors’ steerers follow behind the umpire.The leader, Dixon, reaches Fulham Football Ground while the others follow in his wake.Pictured at the finish is Dixon (1st, 23mins 46sec), Thomas (2nd) and Lyon (4th). Out of shot are Xu (3rd) and Parsonage (5th).Josh Lyon recovers.Ben Parsonage with his trainer, Peter Haining (left). Haining was Wingfields Champion four times (1994, 1995, 1996, 2000), he competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and was World Lightweight Single Sculling Champion, 1993 – 1995. He was the first to complete the Wingfields over the Championship Course in under twenty minutes.Callum Dixon, the new Champion of the Thames, with Team Dixon.The London RC boys, Rui Xu and Josh Lyon.The Long Room at London RC, ready for the prize giving. Changing the course to finish at the accessible Putney Embankment (as opposed to the inaccessible Tideway Scullers’ Chiswick boathouse) coupled with holding the event on a Sunday (not a weekday as has been traditional) produced a much greater turnout of spectators and supporters. While the tides may not allow this direction every year, the change was regarded as a success by all concerned.The women’s prize (left) and the men’s prize (right). Winners have a choice of scarf or tie. First time winners get a medal and year bar to go on their medal ribbon and second time and subsequent winners get a year bar to go on their existing medal ribbon.Wingfield’s Secretary, Sam Meijer (2019 Champion), has continued the enthusiasm of his predecessor, Wade Hall-Craggs, for preserving and adding to the Wingfield’s paper archive.
Sir David Wootton (left) presents Callum with the Wingfield Silver Sculls. The two-metre-tall Twickenham RC member has been rowing since 2019 and is training for the 2028 Olympics.
Left to right: Sir David Wootton, Imogen Grant, Callum Dixon and Sam Meijer.
The official written race reports follow tomorrow.
Hear The Boat Sing 
Great report, thanks Tim. Congratulations Callum. Josh, OB, there’s always next year to keep chasing Dad’s record as another Old Bedfordian.
John Beresford.