A CROWTHORNE teenager and her sporting partner have become national champions.

Holly Cookson, 13 and Portia Threlfall, 14, triumphed in the WJ 14 double sculls at the Junior British Championships recently.

The event – at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham – offered a new omnium style of competition for Junior 14 competitors with side-by-side racing over a 500m sprint alongside skills-based tests for both doubles and single competitors.

Forty-five doubles took part in the Women’s J14 double competition from all around the country – and even from Gibraltar.

Threlfall and Cookson – who are members of Reading Rowing Club – put on an awesome display in some very windy conditions which proved quite testing for some teams when standing in their boats performing 360 degree turns.

Alison Threlfall, Portia’s mum, said: “My husband, Mike, and I and Holly’s parents, Linda and Tim, are very proud of Portia and Holly’s gold medal win as they train hard and are very committed to the sport.

“None of this would be possible without their amazing coach, Andy Ciecierski, and all the rest of the team coaches and members at Reading Rowing Club. They should all get a special mention, and as Andy would say, ‘Go Reading’.”