On Friday 23rd March 1,750 young people (aged 11 to 18) gathered from all over the country at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in North London to take part in the sixth annual National Junior Indoor Rowing Championship - organised by the charity London Youth Rowing (LYR).

With 80 rowing machines in action simultaneously as teams competed fiercely for medals, and with four giant screens tracking their progress, it was a day full of noise, excitement and sporting triumph.

Rowing Olympic medallists and members of the crews for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race attended to cheer the young athletes on and present medals.

The highlight races of the day were the exceptionally demanding boys' and girls' relays. The boys' race was won by Abingdon School, with Mossbourne Rowing Academy (a new initiative from LYR) a close second. The girl's race was won by Lea Rowing Club. The prize for this race was to follow the actual Boat Race a few weeks later, in a launch. Although the Lea RC girls won the deciding toss of a coin, they sportingly allowed the Abingdon boys to take up this rare privilege, as they were due to be at a training camp on the day of the race.

Overall, over one million metres were rowed by the talented and enthusiastic young athletes who attended. Whether or not they went home with medals, all of them enjoyed a day to remember, put their all into their races, and earned the right to be extremely proud of their achievements.

For the full results please see the London Youth Rowing website.