Matt Wells marked his retirement from international rowing with a charity regatta in the place where his career started, on the River Tyne. Crowds turned out to see Olympians including GB medallists Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking.
The Olympic bronze medallist from Hexham, Matt Wells, is organising a regatta and family fun day, to raise funds for his new charity to help talented young rowers. Ten of his Team GB team mates are taking part, including the gold medallists Kat Copeland from Teesside, and her partner Sophie Hosking.
Crowds turned out in the rain on Teesside to welcome home gold medallist Kat Copeland.
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Kat Copeland greets crowds from the balcony of the Tees Rowing Club in Stockton, where she trains. Hundreds turned out in the rain to wave from the riverbank below. Kat won an Olympic gold medal in the lightweight double sculls at London 2012.
Olympic gold medallist Kat Copeland arrived in a gold-plated Bentley at her rowing club in Stockton, as crowds turned out to a homecoming in her honour. She said how proud she was to be there.
Ten Olympic rowers, including the gold medallists Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking, will compete in a charity regatta in Hexham on Saturday. The fun day is being organised by one of their GB teammates, Matt Wells. The money raised will go towards his foundation, set up to help talented young rowers.
Teesside's Olympic gold medallist Kat Copeland will be the guest of honour at a homecoming party in Stockton tonight.
The 21-year-old and her rowing partner Sophie Hosking took the gold in the Women's lightweight double sculls at London 2012.
The celebration for Kat is being held at Tees Rowing Club, where she trains. Members of the public are invited to the riverbank between the Princess of Wales Bridge and the Infinity Bridge.
Kat is expected to show off her gold medal from the balcony of the rowing clubhouse, overlooking the riverbank, at 6:30pm.
Royal Mail has issued a statement after Kat Copeland's gold post box in Ingleby Barwick was vandalised:
– Morag Turnbull, Royal Mail spokesperson“We are extremely disappointed that someone has chosen to vandalise the gold post box painted to recognise the gold medal winning achievement of Katherine Copeland. We have teams around the UK which look after and maintain our 115,000 post boxes and we will repair the damage to this box in the next few hours.”
A post box which had been painted gold in recognition of a Teesside rower's Olympic medal success has been vandalised.
The box on Apsley Way, in Stockton was painted on Sunday morning after Kat Copeland and her rowing partner Sophie Hosking won gold in the Women's lightweight quadruple sculls at London 2012.
However the box was vandalised and has had to be repainted by Royal Mail.
A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: “We were made aware of the Olympic gold post box having been vandalised by a member of the public.
"Two girls aged 11 and 15 from outside of the area are believed to be responsible and arrangements are being made by police to speak with them.”
