TOM Ford, a former Grange School student, celebrated a victory on his senior debut for Great Britain during the first World Cup of the season.

The 24-year-old was part of a men’s eight that started a new Olympic cycle as they had ended the previous one – in first place – at the end of an exhibition race in Serbia on Saturday.

Their reward is to have the pick of the lanes for the final on Sunday.

 

 

Ford, a member at Leander Club since graduating from Newcastle University, stroked a crew that included Tom Ransley – a champion along with Northwich-born Matthew Langridge in the same boat at Rio last summer.

They took the lead shortly after 500m in Belgrade, where conditions were cold and windy, and never looked back.

Poland took second ahead of Russia to leave the Netherlands, bronze medallists in Brazil although with a new-look crew for 2017, trailing in fourth.

That same quartet of boats returns to the water tomorrow at 12.45pm UK time.

Want to follow Tom Ford in action tomorrow? Here’s what you need to know:

Timetable

World Rowing Cup I

Sunday, May 7

Men’s eight A-final 1248

 

Television schedule

Sunday, May 7

BBC Red Button and online 1000-1300

BBC2 (highlights) 1600-1730

Organisers World Rowing also provides live audio commentary, plus video streaming of the A-finals, at worldrowing.com