Graham Benton
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In 2004 Graham Benton become the first "non-rower" to win the men's open event at the British Indoor Rowing Championships, an event dominated until that time by Olympic water rowers such as Matthew Pinsent (who won in 2003), James Cracknell (second in 2003), and Jamie Schroeder (who won in 2002).
Graham has since gone on to win the Men's Open event at the British Indoor Rowing Championships in 2005, 2006 [1] and 2007, and on each occasion faster than Matthew Pinsent's winning time in 2003.
Graham began as purely a gym rower, hence being the first "non-rower" to win at the British Championship, but has since taken up water rowing in the hope of making the Olympics[2].
His potential in the sport of indoor rowing was noticed as early as his first race in Portsmouth in 2002 where he pulled a 2000m time of 6:03.9 [3], only narrowly losing to future MAD Team team-mate, Nik Fleming. Graham commented to Concept2 in those early days his ambition to reduce his 2000m time to 5minutes 50seconds [4], which he has since surpassed by quite some margin becoming one of the fastest ergers in the world with his 5:42.5 2000m time clocked at the 2007 British Indoor Rowing Championships.
[edit] References
- ^ World Rowing - Official Website - News
- ^ SportsPark - What’s New - Indoor Rowing World Champion
- ^ Concept2 Rowing Machines |
- ^ Concept2 Rowing Machines | Question and Answer Session with Graham Benton
