A STROKE of luck ensured a Herefordshire rower followed in her sister's footsteps by claiming a gold medal at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships.
Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne was part of a Great Britain team that stormed to victory in the women's quadruples at Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Last September, she came away with a silver medal in the women's sculls at the Rotterdam Championships, while her older sister Mathilda won gold in the double sculls.
However, the younger sibling only ended up competing in the quadruples due to Kyra Edwards being withdrawn for medical reasons.
But the change in personnel didn't affect Great Britain, with Hodgkins-Byrne teaming up with Anna Thornton, Saskia Budgett and Lucy Glover to lead from the start and win by a length ahead of Australia.
“It’s just incredible, I woke up this morning expecting to go for a paddle in the eight and I just can’t quite believe I’ve won a gold medal in the quad. I love sculling and it’s fantastic racing with these girls.”
Mathilda has made the step up from Under-23 level and is currently training for the World Rowing Championships, which take place in Florida in September.
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