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Christchurch Rowing Club’s Matt Aldridge wins bronze with Team GB men’s four at Paris Olympics




BURTON’S Matt Aldridge and the Team GB men’s four rowing team recovered from a poor start to take bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this morning (Thursday).

Christchurch Rowing Club’s Aldridge and crewmates Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, and Freddie Davidson made it three medals from three races in the morning’s rowing events for Great Britain.

The British quartet suffered a poor start but swept past Italy 800 metres from home into third place, finishing comfortably in third.

Matt Aldridge (second from left) with his men's four teammates in the heats in Paris (photo: British Rowing)
Matt Aldridge (second from left) with his men's four teammates in the heats in Paris (photo: British Rowing)

That left the USA closely jostling with New Zealand for first, with the former prevailing towards the sprint finish.

Britain also won silver in the women’s four and bronze in the in the women's doubles sculls, bringing its total to four rowing medals in Paris, already one more than the team managed at Tokyo 2020.

Aldridge, who grew up in Burton, and his men’s four crew went unbeaten throughout 2023, but after a tricky spell over the last 12 months, the crew will be delighted to medal.

Aldridge is from Burton
Aldridge is from Burton

Aldridge’s time on the senior GB Rowing Team has not always been easy. In 2022, he tested positive for Covid the day before the start of the World Rowing Championships and had to watch his crewmates claim the title from his hotel room.

After fighting back in 2023, he was re-selected to the men’s four, and the crew retained their world championship title, finishing the season unbeaten.

The 28-year-old is still strongly connected to Christchurch Rowing Club, where he began his journey under his father and coach Steve’s tutelage.



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