Tall tale of town’s 2012 hopeful

5:18pm Tuesday 15th July 2008

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MATTHEW Jump made a sporting bet that could take him to the Olympics.

The Northwich rower took a chance last year that has landed him the opportunity to compete at London 2012 – in a canoe.

I’m too short to be a rower, so here I am

Canoeist Matthew Jump

“I know it sounds weird but I reckon I’ve got my head around it now,” he said.

The 23-year-old is modest, for last week he was crowned champion at the British Canoe Union’s (BCU) Flatwater Sprint Regatta where he teamed up with former Polish international Radek Sikorski to top the timesheets in the Men’s C2 Class over 500m and 1,000m.

How he got there is a remarkable tale.

“I was on the Internet looking for some rowing results,” he said.

“I saw an ad that simply read ‘Are you 6ft 3ins?’ so I clicked on it and filled in the questionnaire.”

UK Sport was behind the survey under the auspices of their Sporting Giants scheme – a programme launched to find athletes that could represent Great Britain in handball, rowing or volleyball.

A test day led to Jump learning he had been wasting his time in a rowing boat.

“I wasn’t tall enough to make it as a rower apparently,” he said.

“It was a strange thing to hear because I knew I was good.”

He was one of 35 men who did not reach the height criteria for rowing, but demonstrated the necessary upper body power and strength to earn a trial in a canoe.

Two 10-day camps plus weekend training before the turn of the year saw Jump selected as one of the top six.

“It was a big panic as I thought I had been rubbish during the tests yet they kept asking me to come back because my physical results were so good,” he said.

So good that the BCU offered him a three-month trial on their World Class Programme.

A full time scheme based at Nottingham’s National Water Sport Centre meant he had to quit his job as an apprentice technician for Fords.

“People ask me if it was a big decision,” he said.

“But really it wasn’t – I was being given the chance to follow a path that could mean I compete in the Olympic Games.”

He grinned when the Guardian pointed out he has come this far after taking part in a random survey.

“I’ve never thought about it like that,” he said.

“That’s pretty scary isn’t it?!”

His performance in the national regatta has earned him a nine-month extension to his contract – a period that takes him up to next year’s World Championships.

“Our win last week caused a bit of commotion,” he said.

“But I want to go faster. This is my job now and the pressure to perform is immense.”

And what of rowing?

Jump admits he does not miss his former love too much.

“I haven’t had time to miss it,” he laughed.

“I’m just looking ahead now.”