THREE of the Great Britain Rowing Team’s para-rowing World medal crews will be in action at the Gavirate International from April 22-24.

The three-day event in Italy is a traditional season-opener for para-rowers and, according to lead coach Tom Dyson, will offer a chance to ‘open the lungs and race for real for the first time in 2016’.

He said: “We will see how our winter’s training has gone and get a chance to measure up against some top opposition.”

Maidenhead resident Tom Aggar will contest the arms-only single scull events (ASM1x and ASW1x).

Aggar, 2008 Paralympic Champion and four times World Champion, will race on all three days in the arms-shoulders men’s single scull (ASM1x). His World Championships silver medal in 2015 came from a significantly competitive field.

The nation’s leading para-rowers will race again internationally at the World Cup in Poznan, Poland in June.

Between times they will race in various combinations at domestic regattas in the UK.

JUST a few months ago Maidenhead rower Jack Beaumont wondered if he would ever compete again having sustained a serious back injury in a training accident.

On Sunday, following a remarkable and resilient recovery, he and Nick Middleton were in the men’s double scull World Cup final in Varese, Italy.

The pair were in a tightly bunched pack behind leaders and race favourites, the World Champion siblings Martin and Valent Sinkovic from Croatia.

Whilst they strived to stay with the leading race pace, the Croatians held onto and then extended their lead to take gold with Poland and Switzerland taking silver and bronze respectively. The Great Britain double were sixth overall, fading a little in the final 500m.

In the B-final, Windsor resident Oliver Cook and Callum McBrierty came through to Argentina in the final 500m to take third in a race won by Serbia.