Tom gives oar-inspiring display (From York Press)

Tom gives oar-inspiring display

12:22pm Saturday 17th April 2010 in

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RISING York City Rowing Club star Tom Ransley shone in Olympic company at the Great Britain team senior pairs trials.

The 24-year-old teamed up with Beijing men’s coxless four gold medallist Tom James and came third in the trials at Hazewinkel, in Belgium.

The duo, who clocked a time of six minutes and 48 seconds, led for the first 500 metres of the two-kilometre race.

However, they eventually finished seven seconds behind Andy Triggs-Hodge and Pete Reed, who both rowed in the coxless fours with James in Beijing in 2008.

Lottery-funded athlete Ransley still competes under the banner of York City Rowing Club despite being based in London to row full-time for the Great Britain squad.

The Ashford-born rower was a member of the 2007 York crew that won the Britannia Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.

After graduating from the University of York, he went on to Cambridge and competed in the University Boat Race in 2008 and 2009.

Ransley recently won the Head of the River Race on the Thames in London, joining forces with fellow GB squad members Triggs-Hodge and James to see off the challenge of some 400 other crews.

In the international sphere, the former GB Under-23s ace was part of the men’s eight that finished fifth in the 2009 World Championships in Poznan.

He also won a bronze medal during the World Cup series in Banyoles and Munich the same year.