WINNING three gold medals in eight days of international competition has earned Hereford Rowing Club's young sculler Rebecca Young this year's Hereford Times Ted Woodriffe Trophy.

The award, which comprises a cup and a cash prize, was introduced by the Hereford Times to mark the retirement of the late sports editor Ted Woodriffe and is given to a promising young sports person to further their ambitions.

Rebecca struck gold in the junior-18 single sculls at the Great Britain Championships at Strathclyde in Scotland and immediately headed off for Cork in Southern Ireland to represent England in the Home International Series.

She then underlined her tremendous potential in the sport by earning two more gold medals in the junior-18 women's single sculls and the coxless fours.

But 17-year-old Rebecca, a second year student at Hereford Sixth Form College where she is studying sports science, is no stranger to success after six years in the sport.

Under the coaching auspices of former Commonwealth bronze medallist Rose Davey, Rebecca also previously won the junior-15 title at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham in 2001.

And last autumn, Rebecca, a member of the ARA GB junior squad, showed that her skills are not confined to outdoor rowing when she won silver in the junior-18 lightweight section at the National Indoor Championships.

She will receive the Hereford Times award in conjunction with Herefordshire Sports Council's awards evening next Wednesday