A “super-fit” 14-year-old has smashed a British rowing record - on the bank of the Thames.

Putney teenager Tim Livingstone broke his age group’s record for distance travelled on a rowing machine in four minutes last month.

Just three days earlier Tim had beaten the previous record of 1227m at Putney Leisure Centre so arrived at Wandsworth’s Barn Elms boat house full of confidence.

He said: “After I got off the machine it took a few hours for it to finally sink in that I was actually the British record holder.

“Obviously on the machine the going was tough, but I had in mind the distance I needed to beat and it wasn't too hard keeping my split lower than the record with a noisy crowd screaming behind me all the way.”

Tim was watched by proud dad Mark, his “amazing coaches” Carol Cornell and Steve O'Conor and friends and boat house members.

Mr Livingstone said: “He’s super fit and you put someone like that on a rowing machine and they just go on and on.”

The Tiffin School pupil, who recently won the London Youth Games indoor rowing and 800m (athletics) for Wandsworth and is currently 10th in the UK for 1500m, recorded a distance of 1249m.

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