1981 was remarkable year for women in rowing in the UK. Sue Brown was the first woman to cox the Boat Race (but she also coxed the GB women’s four in 1980 and 1981), women rowed at Henley for the first time, and Beryl Mitchell won Britain’s first women’s medal at the World Championships.
For the GB women’s rowing sweep squad, though, 1981 marked the start of a downturn after the high energy leadership of Dan Topolski’s years in 1979 and 1980.
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Sue at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. (Photo © Don Somner.)
Sue McNuff reached the final of the double sculls in 1981 with Astrid Ayling, her best result in her five international appearances.
Today she’s a familiar face to the latest generation of young oarswomen as the Entries Secretary at Henley Women’s Regatta. She was also one of British Rowing’s first World Class Start coaches, and ‘found’ multiple World and Olympic medallist Moe Sbihi.
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