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A view outside the Palatine Centre

Alumni success in 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai

2 October 2025
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Black and white silhouette - four athletes rowing

Congratulations to alumni George Bourne and Lauren Irwin on their medals at the World Rowing Championships, held at Shanghai’s Dianshan Lake from the 21–28 September.

Over 700 athletes from 56 nations competed at the World Championships across 23 boat classes. This was the first major test of the new Olympic cycle on the road to the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

George Bourne (Social Sciences, Van Mildert College, 2017-2020)

George won a gold medal in the Men’s Fours on Friday 26 September.

He was part of the British crew that won the silver medal in the quadruple sculls event at the 2022 World Rowing Championships held in Račice, Czech Republic.

Lauren Irwin (Sport and Exercise Science, College of St Hild and St Bede, 2016-2019)

North-East born Lauren won a bronze medal in the Women’s Eights event in Saturday 27 September. The team finished behind the teams from the Netherlands and Romania.

She won an Olympic bronze medal in the same event in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

We are looking forward to welcoming Lauren back to Durham in October to officially open the landing stage of the Hild Bede Boat Club.

Rowing at Durham

Durham University Rowing Club is part of our world-class student experience. The Club consistently delivers competitive performances at university, national and international levels. Training is provided by our elite coaches to allow students to grow as an individual and part of a team.

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