GB Rowing Team opens 2012 racing account this weekend
Winter training is over and the GB Rowing Team travels to Belgrade this week to open its racing account for the Olympic season.
The 57-strong team (23 women and 34 men) will race in the opening of three 2011 World Cups from May 4-6th.
Since their training camp in Italy some final tweaks have been made to the crews who will race for Britain in a team which Performance Director David Tanner described as our 鈥渕ost ambitious yet to take to the water鈥.
Devon鈥檚 Marcus Bateman, world double scull silver medalist in 2010, has been named to join Hexham鈥檚 Matt Wells, Somerset鈥檚 Stephen Rowbotham and Charles Cousins of Cambridge in the men鈥檚 quad in Serbia.
Londoner Tom Solesbury was due to race in a second single scull for GB in an event already featuring Northern Ireland鈥檚 Alan Campbell, three times a world medalist, but has withdrawn with illness.
搁别补诲颈苍驳鈥檚 Sam Townsend and Devon鈥檚 Bill Lucas had earlier been selected into the men鈥檚 double scull 鈥 although Townsend鈥檚 fianc茅e, Natasha Page, is recovering from illness over the winter and is battling back to full fitness. She is the Belgrade reserve.
鈥淚t is a different dynamic being in a double than in a quad鈥, said Lucas. 鈥淲e know each other very well and it鈥檚 been working. The big one was getting into the year 2012. Now the Olympics is really on the door step.鈥
In Italy, Olympic Champion Tom James was named in the men鈥檚 four alongside his Beijing gold medal crew-mates Andrew Triggs Hodge of Yorkshire and Gloucestershire鈥檚 Pete Reed as well as reigning World Champion Alex Gregory. The new combination will be stroked by Hodge in Belgrade.
鈥淭he World Cups are stepping stones but they are very significant stepping stones鈥, said Hodge. 鈥淭here will be a lot of tactics and it will be hard to know what each nation is doing and what their objectives or targets are. It is the same game every year but the prize at the end of this year is the big one, the Olympics.鈥
Alex Partridge, now Henley-based but originally from Hampshire, underlined his desire to race in the men鈥檚 eight whilst on training camp in Italy and has joined that crew which is stroked by newcomer and Londoner Constantine Louloudis.
The eight also features Beijing silver medalists Ric Egington and Matt Langridge, both from the North West, and is coxed by world silver medalist Phelan Hill from Essex. The crew also contains four other 2011 world silver medalists in Surrey鈥檚 Greg Searle and Moe Sbihi as well as Kent鈥檚 Tom Ransley and James Foad of Southampton.
World U23 medallists George Nash of Guildford and Will Satch of Henley are the leading GB men鈥檚 pair entry but Somerset鈥檚 Cameron Nichol will race in the second men鈥檚 pair with Durham鈥檚 Nathaniel Reilly O鈥橠onnell after Dan Ritchie was forced to withdraw with injury.
Scot Katherine Grainger and Staffordshire鈥檚 Anna Watkins remain the headline act in the open women鈥檚 squad, racing the double in Belgrade 鈥 an event in which they have twice been World Champions.
Frances Houghton, the 2010 World Champion, returns this season to the women鈥檚 quad and races with Gloucester鈥檚 Beth Rodford, Londoner Mel Wilson and Welsh rower Victoria Thornley.
Annabel Vernon, Olympic silver medal winner with Houghton in Beijing has been withdrawn from the women鈥檚 single as she continues to fight for fitness after injury.
Thornley, who was identified into the sport by the lottery-funded Sporting Giants programme and progressed through the Siemens and lottery-backed GB Rowing Team Start programme was unaware of rowing until 2007.
鈥淎ll I knew in 2007 was Steve Redgrave鈥檚 name. It鈥檚 quite strange how one advert in the paper led to my life changing. I watched the Beijing Olympics while I was on a Start training camp and it was amazing and I think at that point it hit home how far off that standard I was and how much work I had to do.
鈥淚t was always the aim but I knew it was going to be hard and it turns out there are only two of us (Thornley and Helen Glover who races in Belgrade in the women鈥檚 pair) from however many thousands they tested that have made it this far.
鈥淲hen I was younger I loved horses and loved show jumping and always thought in my dreams I would go to the Olympics on a horse because it is the best thing you could ever do. So it鈥檚 quite funny now that I might be going in a rowing boat.
鈥淏ut I never really thought it鈥檚 something I could aspire to do until I found rowing.鈥
Cornwall鈥檚 Glover will be amongst the favourites to win the world cup in Belgrade with former World U23 Champion and fellow 鈥淪tart鈥 rower Heather Stanning, from Lossiemouth and a Captain in the Army.
The GB Rowing Team women鈥檚 eight will race with two new names on board this weekend in Belgrade after injury ruled out both Louisa Reeve and Polly Swann.
Westminster-born former world junior women鈥檚 four medalist Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Barnstaple-born but Scotland-based Vicki Meyer-Lake step up to the crew which will be looking to create a good start to their Olympic season. The crew will be stroked by Lindsey Maguire and coxed by Caroline O鈥機onnor and features several of the rowers who won bronze at the 2011 World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.
There are no changes to the previously announced personnel in the lightweight men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 crews 鈥 which provide a strong section of the GB Rowing Team squad.
Olympic champions Zac Purchase, of Tewkesbury but now based in Marlow, and Mark Hunter, from London, will race the lightweight men鈥檚 double.
鈥淚t is exciting to be back in the double full time. We will just use the world cup season as a platform to build up to the Games. The world cup season is about seeing where you are and what you鈥檝e got to improve on so you are totally informed in what you need to do. It鈥檚 about continual improvement鈥, said Hunter.
Coleraine brothers Peter and Richard Chambers, at bow and the three-seat respectively, feature in the lightweight men鈥檚 four 鈥 a boat in which GB were world champions in 2010 and bronze medalists in 2011. This crew is stroked by Welshman Chris Bartley, with Maidenhead鈥檚 Rob Williams in the two-seat.
罢别别蝉蝉颈诲别鈥檚 Kat Copeland makes her senior world cup debut after a stunning 2011 season in which she was crowned World U23 Champion the women鈥檚 single. She races in Belgrade with London鈥檚 2009 and 2011 World bronze medalist Sophie Hosking.
Stoke Mandeville鈥檚 Mike Mottram, an emerging U23, has been added to the GB Rowing Team line-ups for Belgrade. He is given the chance to experience the senior world cup scene with a place in the lightweight men鈥檚 single scull.
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SAMSUNG WORLD ROWING CUP I
Belgrade, Serbia, 4-6 May, 2012
GB ROWING TEAM CREWS LIST
(See home-towns, clubs and dates of birth in list below. Named here in crews bow to stroke unless indicated. (Coach in brackets).
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Helen Glover/Heather Stanning
(Robin Williams)
Eight
Jo Cook/Olivia Carnegie Brown/ Olivia Whitlam/Vicki Meyer-Lake/Jess Eddie/Emily Taylor/Katie Greves/Lindsey Maguire/Caroline O鈥機onnor (cox)
(Nick Strange)
Single scull
Rachel Gamble Flint
(Jane Hall)
Double scull
Anna Watkins/Katherine Grainger
(Paul Thompson)
Quadruple scull
Beth Rodford/Melanie Wilson/Frances Houghton/Victoria Thornley
(Ade Roberts)
MEN
Pair 鈥 two boats
George Nash/Will Satch
(Paul Stannard & Christian Felkel)
Nathaniel Reilly O鈥橠onnell/Cameron Nichol
(Paul Stannard)
Four
Tom James/Alex Gregory/Peter Reed/Andrew Triggs Hodge
(Jurgen Grobler)
Eight
James Foad/Alex Partridge/Ric Egington/Tom Ransley/Moe Sbihi/Greg Searle/Matt Langridge/Constantine Louloudis/Phelan Hill (cox)
(John West & Christian Felkel)
Single scull 鈥 two boats
Alan Campbell
(Bill Barry)
Tom Solesbury
(Mark Banks)
Double scull
Bill Lucas/Sam Townsend
(Mark Earnshaw)
Quadruple scull
Matt Wells/Stephen Rowbotham /Charles Cousins/Marcus Bateman
(Mark Banks)
LIGHTWEIGHTS
WOMEN
Single scull
Kathryn Twyman
(Paul Reedy)
Double scull 鈥 two boats
Sophie Hosking/Kat Copeland
(Paul Reedy)
Imogen Walsh/Andrea Dennis
(Paul Reedy)
MEN
Pair
Paul Mattick/Adam Freeman-Pask
(Rob Morgan)
Four
Peter Chambers/Rob Williams/Richard Chambers/Chris Bartley
(Rob Morgan)
Single
Mike Mottram
Double scull
Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter
(Darren Whiter)
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HOME TOWN LISTS
WOMEN
PAIR
Helen Glover Minerva Bath Penzance 17/06/86
Heather Stanning Army RC Lossiemouth 26/01/85
Coach: Robin Williams
Eight
Jo Cook Leander Club Sunbury-on-Thames 22/03/84
Olivia Carnegie-Brown Oxford Brookes Univ BC Oxford 28/03/1991
Olivia Whitlam Agecroft RC Warrington 16/09/85
Vicki Meyer-Lake Leander Club Premnay 18/03/1988
Jessica Eddie Univ of London BC Durham 07/10/84
Emily Taylor Leander Club Lincoln 28/06/87
Katie Greves Leander Club Oxford 02/09/82
Lindsey Maguire Wallingford RC Edinburgh 15/01/82
Caroline O’Connor (cox) Oxford Brookes Univ BC Ealing, London 25/04/83
Coach: Nick Strange
Single Scull
Rachel Gamble-Flint Leander Club Darlington 13/09/91
Coach: Jane Hall
Double Scull
Anna Watkins Leander Club Leek, Staffs. 13/02/83
Katherine Grainger St Andrew BC Aberdeen 12/11/75
Coach: Paul Thompson
Quadruple Scull
Beth Rodford Gloucester RC Gloucester 28/12/82
Melanie Wilson Imperial College BC London 25/06/84
Frances Houghton Leander Club Oxford 19/09/80
Victoria Thornley Leander Club Wrexham 30/11/87
Coach: Ade Roberts
MEN
Pair (Boat 1)
George Nash Molesey BC Guildford 02/10/89
Will Satch Leander Club Henley-on-Thames 09/06/89
Coaches: Christian Felkel & Paul Stannard
Pair (Boat 2)
Nathaniel Reilly O鈥橠onnell Uni of London BC Durham 13/04/88
Cameron Nichol Molesey BC Glastonbury 26/06/87
Four
Tom James Molesey BC Wrexham 11/03/84
Alex Gregory Leander Club Wormington 11/03/84
Pete Reed Leander Club Nailsworth, Glos 27/07/81
Andrew Triggs Hodge Molesey BC Hebden, N. Yorks 03/03/79
Coach: J眉rgen Grobler
Eight
James Foad Molesey BC Southampton 20/03/87
Alex Partridge Leander Club Alton, Hants 25/01/81
Richard Egington Leander Club Knutsford 26/02/79
Tom Ransley York City RC Cambridge 06/09/85
Mohamed Sbihi Molesey BC Surbiton 27/03/88
Greg Searle Molesey BC Marlow 20/03/72
Matthew Langridge Leander Club Northwich 20/05/83
Constantine Louloudis Leander Club London 15/09/91
Cox 鈥 Phelan Hill Leander Bedford 21/07/79
Coaches: John West & Christian Felkel
Single Scull
Alan Campbell Tideway Scullers School Coleraine 09/05/83
Coach: Bill Barry
Double Scull
Bill Lucas London RC Kingswear 13/09/87
Sam Townsend Reading Univ BC Reading 26/11/85
Coach: Mark Earnshaw
Quadruple Scull
Matthew Wells Leander Club Hexham, Northumberland 19/04/79
Stephen Rowbotham Leander Club Winscombe, Somerset 11/11/81
Charles Cousins Reading Univ BC Willingham, Cambs 13/12/88
Marcus Bateman Leander Club Torquay 16/09/1982
Coach: Mark Banks
LIGHTWEIGHTS
WOMEN
Single Scull
Kathryn Twyman Wallingford RC Oxford 29/03/87
Coach: Paul Reedy
Double Scull (Boat 1)
Sophie Hosking London RC Wimbledon 25/01/86
Katherine Copeland Tees RC Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees 01/12/90
Coach: Paul Reedy
Double Scull (Boat 2)
Imogen Walsh London RC Inverness 17/01/84
Andrea Dennis Imperial College BC Oxford 03/01/82
Coach: Paul Reedy
MEN
Pair
Paul Mattick Leander Club Frome, Somerset 25/04/78
Adam Freeman-Pask Imperial College BC Windsor 19/06/85
Coaches: Rob Morgan & Darren Whiter
Four
Peter Chambers Oxford Brookes Univ BC Coleraine 14/03/90
Rob Williams London RC Maidenhead 21/01/85
Richard Chambers Leander Club Coleraine 10/06/85
Chris Bartley Leander Club Chester 02/02/84
Coach: Rob Morgan
Single
Mike Mottram Leander Club Stoke Mandeville 08/06/1990
Double Scull
Zac Purchase Marlow RC Tewkesbury 02/05/86
Mark Hunter Leander Club Romford, Essex 01/07/78
Coach: Darren Whiter
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TIMETABLE OF RACING
Friday 4 May
Heats and repechages 09.00 鈥 18.30
Saturday 5 May
Quarter-finals, semi-finals:
09.00 鈥 16.30
FINALS (International classes only)
17.00 鈥 18.00
Sunday 6 May
09.20 鈥 10.30
B Finals 鈥 (Olympic classes)
FINALS 鈥 (Olympic classes)
The dates and venues for the other two world cups are:
SAMSUNG ROWING WORLD CUP II
Lucerne, Switzerland, 24-26 May
SAMSUNG ROWING WORLD CUP III
Munich, Germany, 15-17, June
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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about this event please contact:
Caroline Searle on (01225) 443998 or e-mail us on [email protected]
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and Twitter: @gbrowingteam
Pictures available for media editorial use via: [email protected]
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