A CITY college pupil has set a new British rowing record.

Lawrence Hagger, second year pupil at Winchester College, achieved a distance of 15,662 meters in a 60-minute session and now holds the British record in the 13-14 years age range.

Lawrence is part of the Year 10 rowing squad, which is a very competitive group within Winchester College Boat Club.

He and his teammates have not been able to attend external events and races due to the pandemic, so competing on the rowing machine has been one of the few ways to test themselves against the rest of the rowing world.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Lawrence Hagger. Picture by WRH Photography.

Lawrence chose the 60-minute record himself as a goal he wanted to pursue, and his coach, Nathan Williams, says he is a very self-motivated young man.

He said: “To row 15,662m without stopping is hard for a senior athlete let alone a junior. To cover this distance in 60 minutes is an impressive display of mental and physical fortitude.

"We look forward to seeing Lawrence develop as an athlete.”