Tom returns to grab gold glory

ROWING: Tom James added another gold medal to his collection after claiming glory at the World Cup regatta in Germany.

The former Chester King’s School pupil, 27, returned from injury to help Great Britain’s men’s fours crew to victory at the season’s opening event in Munich.

James, a gold medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, joined Alex Gregory, Richard Egington and Matt Langridge in demolishing Greece and France, two of the three countries who defeated them at the World Championships last November.

The GB quartet came home comfortably, posting a time of five minutes and 52.74 seconds to leave them almost three seconds ahead of the second-placed Greek crew.

Chester was further represented in Germany by single-scull rower Vicky Thornley, 23, a former Bishop Heber High School and Abbey Gate College pupil, and Farndon’s Chris Bartley, 26, a former King’s School student.

Olympic hopeful Bartley claimed a bronze in the lightweight men’s fours final, while Thornley failed to make the final after finishing fifth in the semis.