BEIJING 2008: Indoor champion to Olympic medallist

3:10am Monday 25th August 2008

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RICHARD Sinnott has spoken of the pride being felt at Warrington Rowing Club for former member Richard Egington after his Olympic silver medal success in Beijing this week.

Egington has acknowledged that his opportunity to succeed in China stems from what he learned in his early days with the Mersey-based club near Kingsway Bridge.

Sinnott, the club’s founder in 1986 and current chairman, was Egington’s first coach when he turned up with a friend in search of a sport to challenge his powerful frame.

“Everyone at the club is very proud of him and I’m very proud to have been his first coach,” said Sinnott.

“When he first turned up he was very raw. I think he was looking for a sport as he realised he was a powerful lad and wanted to test himself in one avenue or another.

“He’s always had immense talent and initially we started to notice him on the indoor rowing machines because he was achieving things on them that were ludicrous.

“Richard entered the first ever English Indoor Rowing Championships as a junior and won it overall with the fastest time of the day.

“And even in those early days, the national coaches came to Warrington especially to have a look at him.

“He was 15 or 16 when he started and so he was three years behind on technique, which was a bit of a shame because he was never really given a chance to shine as a junior.

“But he did have one or two head-turning results, though, even on the water.”

Sinnott coached Egington for more than three years before he moved to Henley and joined the Leander club.

“The way the sport is geared, it would have been impossible for him to have done what he has done while living in the north,” said Sinnott.

“You have to go to where the centre of the sport is, and it’s in the Thames Valley.

“I think the most important thing for athletes is to develop their full potential and if that means they’ve got to move away, so be it.

“He’s still very proud of his roots and he never fails to mention Warrington whenever he can.

“He’s always been very helpful with us.

“When we took boys down to compete in Henley recently he spent the afternoon with them, took us back to his house and made them all tea. He is very proud to be a Warringtonian.”

And Sinnott feels Egington’s success speaks volumes for the system in place at Warrington Rowing Club and that the Olympian is an inspiration to others.

He said: “It’s such a great thing for kids to aim at.

“If one guy’s done it from here, why not someone else?

“I’ve always seen it as important that you develop people as much as possible.

“Their development is the most important thing and you’ve got to give them the pathways to do it.”

Sinnott revealed that another rower at the club, 18-year-old Olivia Oakes, is showing Olympic potential having represented Great Britain in the World Junior Rowing Championships last month but, just as Egington did, she will be moving on soon.

He said: “Olivia is going to university in London, which will be fantastic for her, and hopefully she will carry on and she might have a sniff at London 2012.

“She may possibly be a bit too young, but wouldn’t it be great to have two from the club at the Olympics.”

* Anyone who would like to know more about Warrington Rowing Club is welcome to turn up at the clubhouse near to Kingsway Bridge on Sundays at 10.30am.