A TEENAGER who was left disappointed by a cancelled rowing event took the opportunity of a gap in his schedule to set a new World Record.

Jake Birch, aged 14, set a new record of 15,361 metres rowed in an hour on a Concept2 Dynamic Indoor Rower, beating the previous record of 14,669 metres.

Earlier this year Birch and his sculling partner, Henry Fraser, were gold medallists at trials to represent the West Midlands at the National Inter-Regionals in their age category to be held in Peterborough last month.

After training hard the pair were left disappointed to hear the day before that the incoming storm Hannah caused the national event to be cancelled.

That night the Weobley High School student was looking on the internet at rowing records and spotted the World Record for his age category on the Concept2 Dynamic Indoor Rower, which is used at Hereford Rowing Club.

Birch is very grateful that the Hereford Rowing Club's fundraising group 'Friends of the Wye' have purchased a Concept2 Dynamic Indoor Rowing machine.

The rowing machine is different to that found in a gym as it is fixed, so has the feel of being in a boat.

Birch has been a regular fixture on the more traditional rowing machines at the Point 4 Gym starting before school at 6.30am.

Thinking that the previous record was within his capabilities Birch set about setting a new mark the next day beating it by almost 700 metres.

He had only used this very different style of rowing machine for 10 minutes before he started the 60-minute challenge.

The youngster is already in training for his next big target on Dorney Lake which will see him compete in the National Schools event in a quad scull boat.

Hereford Rowing Club are holding a regatta on June 1 and 2 on the River Wye. The event will see competitors travel to Hereford from across the region.