- Graham Benton
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 asMatthew Pinsent (who won in 2003),James Cracknell (second in 2003), andJamie 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 [ [http://www.worldrowing.com/display/modules/news/dspNews.php?newid=324052 World Rowing - Official Website - News ] ] and 2007, and on each occasion faster than Matthew Pinsent's winning time in 2003.In addition, he became the first GB rower since Sir Steve Redgrave to win the Men's Open event at the World Indoor Rowing Championships in 2006. He had previously won the 30-39 Event in 2004 and 2005.
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 [ [http://www.sport.reading.ac.uk/whatsNewBenton.asp SportsPark - What’s New - Indoor Rowing World Champion ] ] .
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 [ [http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/result.php?race=portsmouth2002 Concept2 Rowing Machines | ] ] , 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 [ [http://www.concept2.co.uk/wirc/team_grahambenton.php Concept2 Rowing Machines | Question and Answer Session with Graham Benton ] ] , 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 . This is the fastest time ever recorded by a Briton in competition and a mere 0.2 seconds away from Sir Matthew Pinsent's British Record 5:42.3.References
External links
* [http://www.concept2.co.uk/wirc/team_grahambenton.php Concept2 interview]
* [http://www.worldrowing.com/display/modules/news/dspNews.php?newid=324052 World Rowing article]
* [http://www.sport.reading.ac.uk/whatsNewBenton.asp Indoor Rowing World Champion]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
