Nunn's hunger reignited as Windsor rower targets LA 2028 after World silver success

Windsor’s Sam Nunn has made the long, hard climb back to the top of his sport, winning silver with the Great Britain men’s eight crew at the World Championships in Shanghai, just months after contemplating stepping away from the sport for good.

After being omitted from Team GB’s squad for last summer’s Olympics in Paris, Nunn admits there was a period when he ‘felt sorry for himself’ and was prepared to turn his back on international rowing.

However, with the support of his employers, British Gas in Windsor, he’s forced his way back into the GB selectors’ thoughts off the back of a hard training block and is now back winning European and World level races with the men’s eight crew.

The A final in Shanghai was a thrilling - if tense - affair which took place in hot, humid conditions.

The British crew of Will Stewart, Archie Drummond, David Bewicke-Copley, Fergus Woolnough, Miles Beeson, Sam Nunn, Matt Aldridge, Matt Rowe and Windsor based cox Will Denegri did their best to chase down a strong Dutch team as they finished in second, just 0.17 seconds ahead of the Americans.

Reflecting on the experience Nunn said: “Shanghai was one of the most unique and challenging places that I have ever had to race at, we were dealing with extreme heat, humidity, major time zone shifts as well as a totally new cultural environment.

“We knew going in that the Dutch were a world-class crew and featured several returning Olympians from Paris. But the Americans were a relatively new crew who we didn’t know much about. We knew it was always going to come down to very small margins. And in the Final, it was exactly that.

“We were holding some overlap with the Dutch right to the end, and at the same time defending off a huge push from the US. We managed to get our boat over the line just 0.17s ahead of them!!! To come away with silver is something I’m proud of, but as a crew we also know gold is in reach and that makes us hungry for more.

“We’ve got a great mix of experienced guys and younger guys coming through, I think that makes for a strong dynamic among the team. This silver shows that we’re already competitive with the best in the world, but we also know there’s still more to come, I am confident that as a group we will use this result to push us on over the next few seasons. I’m confident that if we keep developing and improving the way we are, we can be right in the mix for medals in LA, 2028.”

Nunn now has his sights firmly set on being part of the British team for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and believes he’s rowing with greater ‘hunger and perspective’ following last summer’s disappointment and the work he’s put in to get back to the pinnacle of his sport.

He said: “Of course, missing out on Paris was tough, for a moment I guess I was feeling sorry for myself and had my tail between my legs. I thought stepping away was the right move for me at the time. I needed to reset, to focus on work, and to get some perspective outside of rowing. British Gas were brilliant in supporting me through that period, and I’m hugely grateful. But I realised there was still a spark there, and I missed being part of a crew and testing myself against the best in the world. Coming back hasn’t been easy – world class sport never is – but the break gave me a fresh appreciation for what a privilege it is to represent GB. Now I feel like I’m rowing with both hunger and perspective.”

He feels the men’s eight crew - which featured several athletes making their World Championships debut - have bonded well over the season having also had success at the European Championships and World Rowing Cup event in Varese.

“Yes, Will and I both have Windsor connections, he grew up here, went to The Windsor Boys School, which is a nice link. But really the whole eight have formed a close bond this year. When you’re working so closely together and all pushing yourselves day in and day out, you build a tight group.

“We trust each other, and we push and challenge each other too. We know we need this if we’re going to succeed on the biggest stage in LA. For now, we just need to keep building and to arrive at whatever race comes next as the best version of ourselves. If we do that, I am sure we can be competitive for medals.”