Graham Benton

Last updated

Graham Benton
Personal information
Nickname(s)Big G
Erg Daddy
NationalityBritish
Bornc. 1973
Years active2002-present
Height200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Sport
CountryUnited Kingdom
Sport Indoor rowing
Weight classHeavyweight
TeamMAD Team IRC
Coached byEddie Fletcher
Achievements and titles
World finals6x
National finals15x
Personal best5:42.5 for 2000m

Graham Benton is a British indoor rower. [1] [2] He has won the British Rowing Indoor Championships 15 times and the World Indoor Rowing Championships six. [3] [4] While Benton is primarily an indoor rower, he did row on the water, representing England and competing at several Henley Royal Regattas. [5]

Contents

Athletic career

Benton competed in his first indoor rowing competition at age 29. [5] In 2004, Graham Benton became the first non-water rower to win the men's open heavyweight event at the British Indoor Rowing Championships at 5:53.5. [6] [7] He went on to win this title again in 2005 (5:46.9), [8] 2006 (5:46.7), [9] 2007, 2008, [10] 2010 (5:50.8), [11] 2011 (5:46), [12] 2012, [5] [13] [14] [15] 2013 (5:52.4), [16] 2014 (5:52.4), [17] 2015 (5:55:6), [18] 2016 (5:55), [19] 2017 (5:55.7), [20] 2018 [21] [2] and 2023 [22] Benton also won the 30-39 year heavyweight class World Indoor Rowing Championships in 2004 (5:51.40), [23] 2005 (5:53.60), [24] [25] and 2006 (5:46.40) [26] [27] and in the 40-49 heavyweight class in 2016 (5:48.3), [28] [4] [29] 2017 (5:48), [30] and 2018 (5:54). [31] [2] [32] [33]

In 2012, he set a new British record in the 35-39 heavyweight men's class at the British Indoor Rowing Championships (5:50.1), a title previously held by Sir Steve Redgrave since 1998. [5] In 2014, he held the British outright record at 5:42.5 and in 2017, he had the fastest time in the men's heavyweight open 2000m at the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships. [34] [17] He was a Henley Royal Regatta finalist in outdoor rowing in 2007, 2008, and 2012. [2] [5] He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Concept2 in 2010.[ citation needed ]

Benton is coached by Eddie Fletcher and was previously part of the ARA World Class Start Program. He currently rows for MAD Team IRC, [26] [15] [4] and has previously rowed for Tideway Scullers School, Taurus and Reading University Boat Club.

Personal life

Benton works as an Account Manager for BMC Software. [1] He was formerly an "elite-level" cricket bowler and is an alumnus of King's School, Chester. [35] [26] [5] He is from Wrexham originally and now lives in Southsea, Hampshire.

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