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Graham Benton

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Graham Benton
Personal information
Nickname(s)Big G
Erg Daddy
NationalityBritish
Bornc. 1973
Years active2002-present
Height200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Sport
CountryUnited Kingdom
SportIndoor rowing
Weight classHeavyweight
TeamMAD Team IRC
Coached byEddie Fletcher
Achievements and titles
World finals6x
National finals15x
Personal best5:42.5 for 2000m

Graham Benton is a British indoor rower.[1][2] He has won the British Rowing Indoor Championships 15 times and the World Indoor Rowing Championships six.[3][4] While Benton is primarily an indoor rower, he did row on the water, representing England and competing at several Henley Royal Regattas.[5]

Athletic career

[edit]

Benton competed in his first indoor rowing competition at age 29.[5] In 2004, Graham Benton became the first non-water rower to win the men's open heavyweight event at the British Indoor Rowing Championships at 5:53.5.[6][7] He went on to win this title again in 2005 (5:46.9),[8] 2006 (5:46.7),[9] 2007, 2008,[10] 2010 (5:50.8),[11] 2011 (5:46),[12] 2012,[5][13][14][15] 2013 (5:52.4),[16] 2014 (5:52.4),[17] 2015 (5:55:6),[18] 2016 (5:55),[19] 2017 (5:55.7),[20] 2018[21][2] and 2023 [22] Benton also won the 30-39 year heavyweight class World Indoor Rowing Championships in 2004 (5:51.40),[23] 2005 (5:53.60),[24][25] and 2006 (5:46.40)[26][27] and in the 40-49 heavyweight class in 2016 (5:48.3),[28][4][29] 2017 (5:48),[30] and 2018 (5:54).[31][2][32][33]

In 2012, he set a new British record in the 35-39 heavyweight men's class at the British Indoor Rowing Championships (5:50.1), a title previously held by Sir Steve Redgrave since 1998.[5] In 2014, he held the British outright record at 5:42.5 and in 2017, he had the fastest time in the men's heavyweight open 2000m at the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships.[34][17] He was a Henley Royal Regatta finalist in outdoor rowing in 2007, 2008, and 2012.[2][5] He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Concept2 in 2010.[citation needed]

Benton is coached by Eddie Fletcher and was previously part of the ARA World Class Start Program. He currently rows for MAD Team IRC,[26][15][4] and has previously rowed for Tideway Scullers School, Taurus and Reading University Boat Club.

Personal life

[edit]

Benton works as an Account Manager for BMC Software.[1] He was formerly an "elite-level" cricket bowler and is an alumnus of King's School, Chester.[35][26][5] He is from Wrexham originally and now lives in Southsea, Hampshire.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Spotlight on: Graham Benton, World Rowing Indoor Champion". Bloomberg Square Mile Virtual Club. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Veterans Head: Bradley Wiggins makes his Tideway rowing debut". We Row. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Mizuno British Rowing Indoor Championships 2019". Sports on Spec. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "FITNESS MATTERS INDOOR ROWING AMBASSADORS". Fitness Matters. 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "BENTON'S DEVOTED INDOOR ROWING DRIVE". World Rowing. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ^ "British success at the World Indoor Rowing Championships". We Row. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Indoor success for county rowing stars". Worcester News. 27 November 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  8. ^ "British Indoor Champs 2005". The Rowing Service. 20 November 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. ^ "British Indoor Rowing Championships 2006". The Rowing Service. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Rowing: Weighell makes top 10 in London". Wales Online. 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Event A1 - Men Open Hwt" (PDF). Row2k. 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  12. ^ "3,000 BRITS GO INDOOR FOR ROWING". World Rowing. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Indoor rowing records smashed at the 2012 BIRC". British Rowing. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  14. ^ Waddle, Harry (28 March 2012). "Rowing success for University Boat Club". University of Nottingham. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Steve Redgrave's Last Indoor Rowing Record Is Broken". Male XTRA. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Records tumble at British Indoor Champs". British Rowing. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  17. ^ a b "[07/01/2014] EL INGLÉS GRAHAM BENTON INSTAURA UN NUEVO RÉCORD DEL MUNDO EN 40-49 AÑOS" (in Spanish). Vermont. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  18. ^ "British Rowing Indoor Championships" (PDF). British Rowing. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  19. ^ "CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS". Indoor Champs Results. n.d. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  20. ^ "British Rowing Indoor Championships" (PDF). British Rowing. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  21. ^ "Sat, 11:11 - Race 109 - M40 2000 meter". Regatta Time-Team. 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Masters 50-54 Open 2000m". British Indoor Rowing. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Results of Event: Master Men". CRASH-B. 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  24. ^ Bray, Melissa (13 November 2006). "Three in a row for Benton at the British Champs". World Rowing. Archived from the original on 28 June 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Results of Event: Master Men (30-39, Heavyweight)". CRASH-B. 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  26. ^ a b c Bordeau, Topher (2006). "Quick catches". Rowing News. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Results of Event: Open Men". CRASH-B. 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  28. ^ "35 YEARS OF INDOOR ROWING AT CRASH-BS". World Rowing. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  29. ^ Rosenbladt, Oli (29 February 2016). "CRASH-B 2016: 35 Years of the Burn". Row2k. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  30. ^ "World Champion". Termaxx. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  31. ^ "ERG SPRINTS RECORDS". ERG Springs. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  32. ^ "2018 2000m RowErg Rankings". Concept2. 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Graham Benton's World Rowing Indoor Championship review". British Rowing. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Rowing: Stroke of genius by Benton". Wales Onlineaccess-date=2022-05-15. 2017.
  35. ^ "Notable Alumni". The King's School, Chester. n.d. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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