LOCAL pair Teddy Gannon and James Gibson won three medals between them at the maiden British Rowing Virtual Championships.

Woking High School pupil Gannon, competing for Guildford Rowing Club, won the Year 9 boys’ four-minute section with 1,222m.

In third place, with 1,165m, was James Gibson of Gordon’s School at West End.

Gibson turned out for Gordon’s School Boat Club – and several of his team-mates secured top-10 finishes in their categories.

Director of Sport at Gordon’s, Jamie Harrison, said despite not being able to take to the water because of the pandemic, students had kept up their training regime at home: “Staff and the students were creative in continuing to teach and learn from home and have persevered throughout.

Neither group wanted the hard work training for events and sports to go to waste so by working together they have managed to continue and build on the work done before lockdown.”

Teddy Gannon was also victorious in the Year 9 boys’ 500m class, finishing one second ahead of runner-up Oscar Lile from the Hollowell Scullers club, Northamptonshire.

Gannon won his heats in both sections.

The two-day championships saw around 1,000 rowers from 30 countries take part, from home, in real-time races which were streamed on YouTube.

Gannon’s father Mike said: “We bought Ted an indoor rowing machine pre-lockdown, and he put it to good use.”