With the European Championships taking place next week in Brandenburg, Germany, British Rowing has updated its team-list.

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, winner of the U23 GB Trials recently, joins the entries for the event from 6-8 May as a racing spare in the open women’s single scull. She will also be reserve for the women’s quadruple scull.

Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher have been withdrawn from the light men’s double scull.  They are now fully back in training after Chambers’ hand injury but the decision has been taken to miss the Europeans and focus on the world cup in Lucerne.

GB’s main squad was announced three weeks ago, signalling an intention to be ambitious at the Europeans as part of aiming high in Rio – now 100 days away.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning were announced in the women’s pair in which they are the reigning Olympic, World and European Champions.

Glover said:  “It’s always fantastic to be selected to represent Great Britain, and never more so than in Olympic year. The European Championships are our first opportunity to test our early season speed against international competition.”

And one of the strongest open men’s sweep* rowing squads in the world has been deployed across the men’s eight and four as well as a new-look men’s pair for the event which takes place in Brandenburg Germany from May 6-8.

Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said: “We are clearly ambitious to do well in Rio and will race and then review the Europeans combinations announced today. We will also enter six crews for the Varese World Cup regatta in ten days’ time.”

Double Olympic men’s four champions Pete Reed and Andrew T Hodge have been selected into the men’s eight in a line-up which includes Scott Durant and 2012 men’s eight medallist Matt Langridge alongside multiple World Champions Paul Bennett, Matt Gotrel, Tom Ransley, stroke Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill. Ransley, Satch and Hill are also 2012 medallists.

Alex Gregory, 2012 gold medallist in the four, returns to that boat and races with his Trials winning partner, Mohamed Sbihi, plus George Nash and stroke Constantine Louloudis. The quartet are all reigning World Champions in the men’s eight.

Gregory said:  “Everything we do aims towards the Olympics and now finally we are starting to form the crews that will make up the Olympic team. With the European Championships as the first test, I can’t wait to get the 2016 racing season underway. It’s a privilege to race for our country and the feeling of pride and excitement never diminishes.”

Having laid down a strong marker with a top four finish at the recent GB Trials Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes are named as the men’s pair.

Relative rookie Angus Groom has forced his way into the open men’s quadruple scull* in the absence of the injured Charles Cousins, to join 2013 and 2014 World medallists Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas and Peter Lambert.

Lambert said:  “I am extremely happy with my selection for the Europeans. This regatta is an exciting start to our Olympic season. The men’s quad at the Europeans is an extremely high competition. Out of the eight crews that qualified last year for the Olympics, seven of them are European countries. We are looking forward to it.”

2012 bronze medallist Alan Campbell, whose Trials’ win showed that he is back on form, races the single scull and Jonny Walton and John Collins, contest the double scull – they qualified that boat for Rio at last year’s World Championships.

Four-times Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger is named in the open women’s double scull with Trials winner Vicky Thornley in a reprise of their 2015 partnership which finished its debut season with a place in the World final.

Like Grainger, Frances Houghton, will race a fifth Olympic Games if selected later this summer for Rio.  She has switched from sculling to sweep rowing and has won a seat in the women’s eight that came so close to winning a medal at last year’s World Championships.

Grainger said:  “The idea of ever competing at the Olympic Games was once just a dream and so it was incredible when I made the team in 2000. Now 16 years on and looking to my fifth Games I still have the same excitement I did back then, it’s the most amazing event to be part of and that doesn’t change whether it’s the first time or the fifth.”

Houghton said:  “I feel almost overwhelmed to be selected for the European Championships in the women’s eight. It is the first major step conquered on the way to fulfilling my dream of competing in my fifth Olympic Games.

It has at times seemed like an insurmountable mountain to climb, and now it is just sinking in that all the hard work and deep belief in the darkest of times of illness and injury has paid off”.

Olympians Jess Eddie, Katie Greves and Melanie Wilson as well as 2013 World pair champion Polly Swann, back after a year out with injury, will be joined in the line-up by Zoe Lee, Karen Bennett, Olivia Carnegie-Brown, and cox Zoe de Toledo.

The women’s quadruple scull will be Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden, Tina Stiller and Rosamund Bradbury. They raced recently at the world cup in Varese as the campaign begins to qualify this boat for Rio.

World silver medallists Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor will once more race the lightweight women’s double scull having taken the top two spots at the Trials from a strongly contested lightweight sculling group. Imogen Walsh, therefore, races the single in which she won World silver in 2015.

Further post-Trials testing was needed to establish the crews for the light men’s sweep boats.  2012 silver medallists Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley have made the cut and will be joined by Mark Aldred and Jono Clegg, both now experienced internationals.  Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells are GB’s choice in the pair. They won World gold last year.

Jamie Kirkwood, a World finalist last year, takes up the GB slot in the lightweight men’s single once more.

*Sweep = one rower, one oar *Scull = one rower, two sculls

The post Some tweaks have been made to the Europeans team appeared first on British Rowing.

“There are some very big calls to come in the next few weeks and I try not to think about it,” said Paul Bennett, World Champion in the men’s eight, of this week’s GB Rowing Team Olympic-season trials.

“Everyone here does the same training, we have all worked hard to support each other but some people will not make it.  That’s horrible to think about so I try not to think about it.”

With 115 rowers in action and only 48 Rio seats available later this year and European Championships places at stake in early May, these Trials will be demanding.

17 Olympic medallists and 10 World Champions will be amongst those racing tomorrow and Wednesday.

Sir David Tanner, British Rowing’s Performance Director, said: “This is the event when we test the rowers under pressure in pairs and singles to see who has got what it takes to win.  The tension is never greater than in Olympic year.”

Bennett will be racing with Matt Gotrel in a “stacked” men’s pair field.  GB has won the men’s eight at the World Championships three times since 2013 and 12 of the rowers involved in those wins will be on Tuesday’s start line in the men’s pair.

Olympic Champion Alex Gregory and Mohamed Sbihi are tipped to take a hat-trick of titles since 2014 and victory for Sbihi would be his fourth consecutive win at this event.

Gregory said:  “I would definitely like to keep hold of the title but the racing has got closer and closer over the years and the standard has increased. It’s going to be tough to protect that record.

“We know there or thereabouts where we are in the squad but, from our point of view as athletes, this week can be make or break and the pressure is on.”

Other top pairings include double Olympic Champion Pete Reed and 2012 bronze medallist Constantine Louloudis as well as George Nash and Will Satch who were bronze medallists in the pair at the 2012 Games.

Louloudis said:  “I feel pretty good. We’ve just been on a good training camp and I think the whole team is well prepared but Pete and I have been going pretty well in our pair and I think we’ll do well at the Trials.

“We are conscious, coming into the Trials, that it is more individual now. We are all assessing our own chances looking ahead to selection.”

Double Olympic Champion Andrew T Hodge and Matt Langridge could also be a pair to watch. World silver medallist Langridge is more used to racing with James Foad, who is out recovering from back surgery, whilst Hodge is on the way back after illness.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning are stand-out favourites to win the women’s pair event. The duo hold the Olympic, World and European titles although Jess Eddie and Polly Swann – the latter a World Champion with Glover in 2013 – could run them close as they did in 2014.

Singular “single” and women’s sweep battles in store

Perhaps more intriguing could be the battle for top honours in the open men’s single scull.

Angus Groom won the December assessment. The young Scot is making his mark after joining the senior squad from the ranks of the U23 World medallists. John Collins, from the 2015 double scull, has also been in good form in recent training.

With Charles Cousins absent through injury, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Alan Campbell should feel he has a chance to extend his remarkable trials record to nine overall wins.  He won eight titles consecutively from 2005-2012 before Cousins took over the mantle.

Campbell said:  “For myself, this would be my fourth Olympics and I would say every one has been tougher than before. This is definitely the toughest group I have been in and I’m having to race and push myself very hard to come up to the standard required to get into this Olympic team.”

2013 and 2014 World quadruple scull medallists Pete Lambert, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas as well as Groom’s erstwhile World U23 medal team-mate Jack Beaumont, who is back on track after last summer’s serious injury, and 2015 double-sculler Jonny Walton are also in the mix and the whole group has everything to play for.

Collins said:  “The trials feel very early. In a way, it’s another box to be ticked but it is the biggest box of all. It’s so important. When the time comes to perform, you have to do the business. You have to step up when it really matters, that’s something you can’t assess on a day-to-day basis.”

At these trials only 2012 Olympic gold medallist Andrew T Hodge can equal the 10 titles won to date by Katherine Grainger, who sits out this week as she is recovering from a minor niggle, leaving Vicky Thornley the favourite to win the open women’s single.

Thornley said:  “It will be good to get racing again. Trials are always a bit nerve-wracking but I am looking forward to getting out there.”

Frances Houghton, a 2008 Olympic silver medallist and multiple winner of these trials in the single, has swapped into a competitive “sweep” group seeking seats in the Rio-qualified women’s eight.

She will race with Olivia Carnegie Brown, who came into the national squad through GB Rowing Team Start – a talent identification and fast-track development programme which identified up to 33% of all London 2012 medallists and provided 49% of the team at those Games.

Houghton said:  “I’m just trying to get through the Trials, if I’m at the Europeans and Olympics afterwards that would be great. I’m not thinking about anything else at the moment. Getting selected is the most important thing and I’ll think about Rio if and when it comes.

“I’ve changed from sculling to sweep, so it’s a really big challenge but it’s exciting. It’s going to be very close at the Trials.”

The women’s sweep field includes, amongst other contenders, Olympian Eddie and former World Champion Polly Swann, Louisa Reeve and Ro Bradbury, Melanie Wilson and Karen Bennett as well as Donna Etiebet and Vicki Meyer-Laker. Zoe Lee has today been withdrawn on medical grounds, which means that her pairs partner Katie Greves now transfers to the single.

Etiebet said: “It’s exciting. There are lots of pairs, much more than last year, which makes the competition that much fiercer but ultimately that is really good for the sweep crew, it’s getting more out of everybody.”

Eddie also summed up the mood in the squad when she said recently:  “The focus right now is purely on selection, that is the big thing weighing on people’s minds.  It’s pretty intense but it’s in our own hands.  If we’re good enough we’ll be in the boat, if we’re not we’ll, miss out.”

Seriously heavy competition for the lightweight titles

Last season’s finals session was marked by a sizzling finale to the lightweight women’s single scull when Olympic Champion Kat Copeland was eased out in a three-boat photo-finish by Imogen Walsh and, then rookie, Charlotte Taylor.

Taylor and Copeland went on to race in the lightweight double for GB in the ensuing season and won World silver in Aiguebelette, France, and Walsh won World silver in the single.

Outside of this triumvirate a new wave of talented lightweights continues to emerge including previous World U23 medallists Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott.

Stubbs talked of the strength in depth of the lightweight women’s squad when she said:  “Everyone knows roughly how well everyone else is doing in training but you just have to leave that behind you when you sit on the start line.

“I have so much respect for everyone I train with, I see how hard they have all been working and the standard of the group is probably the best and deepest of any lightweight women’s squad in the world. Seven of us won silver medals at the last World Championships and it is a privilege to be part of that. All I can do is my best on the day and see where that puts me”.

This week’s trials will feature both a single and a pairs event for the lightweight men as selection is honed down to the two Olympic boats – the light four and double.

Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher won World silver in the double last September. Fletcher remains a strong contender for this week’s light single title alongside twice previous winner Jamie Kirkwood and Zak Lee-Green but Chambers has a hand injury which will keep him on the sidelines.

Fletcher said:  “This is it, the final test to show our winter’s work and to prove ourselves. There are only a handful of seats in the Olympic boats and you want to make sure you are in one.

“It is pretty stressful. We are all mates and we are about to race against each other for a place at the Olympics.”

Kirkwood said:  “I’m looking forward to it, there should be some good, fierce racing. I’m hoping to defend my title in the single. No doubt it will be very tough but I will give it my best shot.”

In the pairs event Joel Cassells – from the same town, Coleraine, as 2012 Olympic medallists Alan Campbell, Peter and Richard Chambers – will seek to impress in his continuing rise from recent student rowing days.

He races with Peter Chambers in what looks likely to be a small but tight event with World lightweight men’s pair Champions Sam Scrimgeour and Jonno Clegg as well as previous World medallists Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley racing against relative newcomers like Jamie Copus, Sam Mottram and Charles Waite Roberts.

Four coxes are also amongst those attending the invitation-only event. They are Phelan Hill, Henry Fieldman, Zoe de Toledo and Matilda Horn.

· The GB Rowing Team is supported by the Lottery through UK Sport and has Science in Sport as a supplier.  SAS Analytics is the Official Analytics Partner of British Rowing and the GB Rowing Team. Follow Britain’s rowers on the Road to Rio via Twitter – @GBRowingTeam – and at www.facebook.com/GBRowingTeam.

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RACING TIMETABLE

Racing will take place as follows:

Time-trials (heats) – 09.45 – 11.00 on Tuesday 22 March

Semi-finals – 15.00 – 16.25 on Tuesday 22 March (first A/B semi at 15.22)

Finals – 10.00 – 12.00 Wednesday 23 March

All times of racing are subject to the weather and members of the media should check with the press officer on 07831 755351 before travelling to the event, particularly if there are high winds.

Any updates to schedules will be posted on twitter:  @GBRowingTeam and on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam

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ENTRY LIST

(As at Monday 21 March) Pairs listed from bow to stroke,

* denotes U23

OPEN

MEN

Single

Tom Barras (Leander Club/Staines/07.01.94)* MED – withdrawn

Jack Beaumont (Leander Club/Maidenhead/21.11.93)

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School/Coleraine/09.05.83)

Frazier Christie (Leander Club/Bath/11.01.93)

John Collins (Leander Club/Whitton/24.01.89)

Angus Groom (Leander Club/Glasgow/16.06.92)

Peter Lambert (Leander Club/Maidenhead/03.12.86)

Rowan Law (Leander Club/Nottingham/01.12.96)*

Harry Leask (Leander Club/Edinburgh/16.10.95)*

Nick Middleton (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/12.08.88)

George Stewart (Molesey BC/Esher/14.04.95)*

Jon Stimpson (Nottingham RC/Gex, France/18.07.90)

Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC/Preston/08.11.88)

Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.85)

Sam Twine (Reading Univ BC/Tavistock/06.01.94)*

Jonny Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.90)

Pair

Chris Boddy (Leander Club/Thornaby-on-Tees/16.11.87)/Thomas Ford (Leander Club/Holmes Chapel/03.10.92)

Timothy Clarke (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/07.04.91)/Phil Congdon (Leander Club/Bury St Edmunds/06.06.89)

Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.90)/Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh/13.08.92)

Rory Gibbs (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lane End/03.04.94)*/Matthew Aldridge (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Christchurch/11.03.96)*

Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)/Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)

Michael Glover (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Burnham/03.06.95)* /Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Withiel/13.05.95)*

Matt Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)/Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)

Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)/Andrew T Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden/03.03.79)

Luke Moon (Molesey BC/Deal/25.03.93)/Chris Heywood (Molesey BC/Ascot/29.05.94)*

George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/02.10.89)/Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)

Adam Neill (Leander Club/Peterborough/29.05.90)/Cameron Buchan (Leander Club/Dunipace/03.12.92)

Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Ashford/06.09.85)/Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88)

Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth/27.07.81)/Constantine Louloudis (Oxford Univ BC/London/15.09.91)

Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)/Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)

George Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/09.03.92)/Barnaby Stentiford (Leander Club/Ippleden/06.02.91)

James Rudkin (Newcastle Univ BC/Northampton/07.07.94)*/Lewis McCue (Robert Gordon Uni/Aberdeen/26.12.94)*

Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.85)/Stewart Innes (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/20.05.91)

William Warr (Leander Club/Tunbridge Wells/12.03.92)/Matt Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/25.09.89)

WOMEN

Single

Emily Carmichael (Leander Club/Cheltenham/29.05.92)

Sam Courty (Reading RC/Alnwick/07.01.93)

Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Guiseley/27.02.80) MED – withdrawn

Georgia Francis (Imperial College BC/Newbury/18.08.94)*

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Glasgow/12.11.75) (injured) MED  – withdrawn

Lucinda Gooderham (Leander Club/Garboldisham/09.06.84)

Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)

Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading Univ BC/Hereford/01.10.94)*

Jessica Leyden (Leander Club/Todmorden/22.02.95)

Holly Nixon (Leander Club/Enniskillen/07.12.93

Tina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.87)

Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.87)

Melissa Wilson (Cambridge Univ BC/Edinburgh/10.06.93) MED – withdrawn.

Pair

Karen Bennett (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.02.89)/ Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)

Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)/Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)

Beth Bryan (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/23.04.93)/Jo Wratten (Tees RC/Middlesbrough/23.03.92)

Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Deganwy/11.12.91)/Caragh McMurtry (Southampton Coalporters/Southampton/22.08.91)

Jess Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)/Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.06.88)

Fiona Gammond (Leander Club/Bicester/19.10.92)/Holly Norton (Leander Club/Johannesburg, SA/01.01.93)

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.86)/ Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)

Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond/15.12.85) MED – Withdrawn

Frances Houghton (Univ of London Tyrian Club/Oxford/19.09.80)/Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Henley-on-Thames/28.03.91)

Vicki Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)/Donna Etiebet (Imperial College BC/London/29.04.86)

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

Single

Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85) (injured) MED – Withdrawn

Will Fletcher (Leander Club/Chester-le-Street/24.12.89)

John Hale (Imperial College BC/Cambridge/28.02.88)

Jonathan Jackson (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/02.06.95)*

Jamie Kirkwood (Leander Club/Newcastle/30.08.89)

Zak Lee-Green (Agecroft RC/Cardiff/06.02.91)

Samuel Mottram (Leander Club/Stoke Mandeville/14.11.94)*

Sam Tuck (Molesey BC/Peterborough/26.07.93)

Pair

Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Wrexham/02.02.84)/Mark Aldred (London RC/Birmingham/18/04.87)

Joel Cassells (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/15.06.94)*/Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ/Coleraine/14.03.90)

Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir/28.01.88)/Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)

Charles Waite-Roberts (Leander Club/Basingstoke/06.11.92)/Jamie Copus (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/30.01.93)

WOMEN

Single

Maddie Arlett (Edinburgh Univ BC/Selkirk/07.06.94)*

Kat Copeland (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/01.12.90)

Emily Craig (Univ of London BC/Mark Cross/30.11.92)

Gemma Hall (Wallingford RC/Wargrave/10.04.92) MED – withdrawn

Robyn Hart-Winks (Edinburgh Univ BC/Kirriemuir/07.10.93)

Ellie Lewis (Agecroft RC/Marlow/14.04.94)

Eleanor Piggott (Wallingford RC/Bedford/16.05.91)

Fran Rawlins (Leander Club/Uckfield/08.07.86)

Brianna Stubbs (Wallingford RC/Poole/13.07.91)

Charlotte Taylor (Putney Town RC/Bedford/14.08.85)

Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.84)

COXES

MEN

Henry Fieldman (Molesey BC/Barnes/25.11.88)

Phelan Hill (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.79)

WOMEN

Zoe De Toledo (Leander Club/London/17.07.87)

Matilda Horn (Univ of London BC/Windsor/16.

·      The GB Rowing Team is supported by the Lottery through UK Sport and has Science in Sport as a supplier.  SAS Analytics is the Official Analytics Partner of British Rowing and the GB Rowing Team. Follow Britain’s rowers on the Road to Rio via Twitter – @GBRowingTeam – and at www.facebook.com/GBRowingTeam.

The post Some “big calls” to come at Trials appeared first on British Rowing.

28 rowers in nine boat classes have won medals this week and all 47 rowers reached the Olympic finals in front of record crowds at Eton-Dorney.

‘We have had a fabulous campaign,” said GB Rowing Team Performance Director David Tanner. “To get four golds, two silvers and three bronzes is something special for a modern Olympic regatta.

“I’m proud too of our 13 A-finalist boats but the thrill has been our medals. Every boat has fought so hard. I give absolute credit to our rowers, our coaching staff and team support. We are a team and we work as a team. Together we have been so strong and so much stronger than any other nation, which is a source of great pride and pleasure.”

After a week in which GB had already won gold in the women’s double scull and pair, silver in the lightweight men’s four and three bronzes from the men’s single scull, men’s pair and men’s eight, the men’s four – of Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James, Peter Reed and Alex Gregory – set this morning’s race programme alight with a towering performance against arch-rivals Australia to take gold with the USA in third.

“We have just executed a masterpiece”, said Hodge. “It took us four years to perfect that.”

Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking added a fairytale second gold in the lightweight women’s double scull. Copeland seemed shell-shocked at their success, beating the World Champions from Greece in the process.

“I tried to treat it like any other race at Dorney, as though it was the Trials or something,” said Copeland. “It was only when we crossed the line that I realised it was actually the Olympic Games.”

Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase’s defence of their title was at first stalled by a seat malfunction which caused the race to be re-started and then by a Danish crew who proved too hot to handle on the day.

Leading in the final 500m, Hunter and Purchase’s grip on the title only faded in the final 50m.

Hunter said: “Losing our Olympic title hurts incredibly. We have had such great support here from the crowd and the best support team in the world. We feel we let everyone down today by not winning. We gave everything we could. We raced as we wanted to, these guys (the Danes) were just quicker than us today.”

The British squad has added to its already rich history at these Games. A GB men’s quadruple scull reached the final for the first time; Britain won a men’s single scull medal for the first time since 1928; the GB women won their first Olympic gold – and then added two more; the men’s four made it four successive golds; and GB topped the medal table for the sport for the second successive Games.

Young rowers like Copeland, Will Satch, George Nash, Mohamed Sbihi, James Foad, Tom Ransley, Constantine Louloudis and others were amongst the medallists, showing that the sport has a strong base going forward to Rio.

The crowds attending the rowing created an electric atmosphere and the British rowers responded in a remarkable way to the their support.

“We will never live this moment again,” said Katherine Grainger after winning gold at the fourth attempt. “It is so, so special.”

Watkins added: “It felt like the crowd were in front of you and around you and behind you. It was like racing in a stadium. It was addictive and exciting.”

Triggs Hodge said: “Everyone has contributed to our success – every single person here as well as our families, our friends, our support teams.”

Tanner added: “We could not, of course, have achieved what we have done without the significant support we receive from the lottery and from our sponsors.”

EDITORS’ NOTES

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to transform British lives through the power of the Olympic values and the success of Team GB. The BOA’s role is to prepare the ‘Best of British’ athletes for, and lead them at, the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games.

The BOA delivers extensive support services to Britain’s Olympic athletes and their National Governing Bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values and brand in the UK. The BOA receives no funding from the lottery or government, has no political interests and is completely dependent upon fundraising income to achieve its mission. The BOA is the strong, independent voice for British Olympic Sport.

Team GB website: www.teamgb.com
Team GB Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamGB
Team GB Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamGB

British Rowing is the governing body for all rowing within the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.

The GB Rowing Team trains, prepares and selects crews to represent Great Britain in international competitions at junior, U23 and senior level, from Under 16s to World Cups, World Championships the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

The GB Rowing Team has a proud history as one of GB’s most successful Olympic sports producing World and Olympic Champions from across the UK.

GB Rowing Team website: /gb-rowing-team
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The post London 2012 Day 8: Best Olympic regatta of all time for GB appeared first on British Rowing.

“It shows the depth of our squad, the quality of our coaching and support team and I am very, very proud of this squad.

“Equally, we are grateful to the lottery for the funding we receive for the squad and to our backers across the four-year period”.

British Rowing is the governing body for all rowing within the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.

The GB Rowing Team trains, prepares and selects crews to represent Great Britain in international competitions at junior, U23 and senior level, from Under 16s to World Cups, World Championships the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

The GB Rowing Team has a proud history as one of GB’s most successful Olympic sports producing World and Olympic Champions from across the UK.

GB Rowing Team website: /gb-rowing-team
GB Rowing Team Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
GB Rowing Team Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam

The post London 2012 Day 7: GB has 47 rowers in the top six in the world appeared first on British Rowing.

Grainger and Watkins, who recorded an Olympic best time of 6:44.33, are now through to the final on Friday and the men’s four of Andrew Triggs Hodge, Tom James, Peter Reed and Alex Gregory will race a semi-final on Thursday.

“Part of me thought it would be good to see how fast we could go today and we certainly have more but the final is the big one,” said Grainger. “No-one will remember on Friday who won the heat. It’s a new job to do.”

Watkins added: “Today was a wonderful bonus and a fantastic confidence boost that we are on absolutely on track.”

The Team GB men’s eight were winners of a sparkling repechage in which the home combination produced a strong first half and then controlled the race to win in 5:26.85. Their final is on Wednesday.

The women’s quadruple scull of Beth Rodford, Melanie Wilson, Frances Houghton and Debbie Flood hauled themselves back from sixth place at halfway to qualify for Wednesday’s final in third place, with only four progressing.

GB Rowing Team Performance Director David Tanner said: “We’ve had an excellent day today with the men’s four and the women’s double showing their standard in winning their heats and the men’s eight and women’s quad both qualifying for their A finals through the repechage.

“With all the heats completed we have placed ourselves in a strong position to step through the next rounds and gain more A final places in the next few days”.

Tomorrow’s race programme sees semi-finals for the men’s double scull and lightweight men’s four whilst the women’s eight will race a repechage in which four places for the final will be up for grabs.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ROWERS?

Tomorrow’s race programme starts at 09.30. The Team GB women’s eight, stroked by Vicky Thornley and coxed by Caroline O’Connor, will be the first in action for the home side at 10.50 in their repechage from which the top four progress to Thursday’s final.

Alan Campbell races his quarter-final of the men’s single scull at 11.10. A top-three finish would see him through to the semis on Wednesday.

Sam Townsend and Bill Lucas reached their semi of the men’s double, starting at 12.30 tomorrow, with a storming second place behind the New Zealanders who are World Champions in a very fast heat on Saturday.

Brothers Richard and Peter Chambers plus Chris Bartley and Rob Williams will feature in Team GB’s final race of the day at 12.40. They won their lightweight men’s four heat in style earlier in the programme and have avoided some of their big rivals – China, Denmark and South Africa – in tomorrow’s semis.

The post London 2012 Day 3: Grainger and Watkins set Olympic best appeared first on British Rowing.

Theirs was one of four heat victories from eight starts for the Team GB rowers today – enough to prompt Team GB rowing leader David Tanner to describe it as ” an exciting start” but cautioning that it would get “tougher from here”.

Glover was also keeping her feet on the ground whilst praising the crowd of 30,000. “The atmosphere is fantastic, the noise was amazing. For us, though, it was a standard row without the fireworks you might expect in a final.”

Stanning concurred: “We felt we had a relaxed row and now it’s all about the final. That’s the race we came here for.”

The lightweight men’s four of Peter and Richard Chambers plus Rob Williams and Chris Bartley were strong performers in their heat to win in 5:49.29 from Australia’s reigning world champions.

Britain’s other two victories came from the newcomer men’s pair of Will Satch and George Nash, who produced a poised first race at such a major event, and Alan Campbell, who looked in fine form in the men’s single scull.

Campbell moves to a quarter-final whilst the lightweight four and men’s pair move to semi-finals – all on Tuesday.

Sam Townsend and Bill Lucas were delighted with their performance in taking second place behind New Zealand who set an Olympic best time in the men’s double scull.

Cox Phelan Hill says “there is definitely more to come” from the British men’s eight who closed back up on eventual winners Germany in the second half of their heat today before taking second place and moving into the repechage on Monday.

The GB men’s quad are through to a semi-final with a comfortable second place today and Debbie Flood was clear that there were still options for the women’s quad who were fourth in their heat.

“We know we have the speed,” she said. “We just need to do a few things better to pick it up.” They also race a repechage on Monday.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE ROWERS?

A further three boats will race opening heats on the second day – the women’s eight, lightweight men’s and women’s double scull.

In the lightweight men’s double scull Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter begin the defence of their Beijing crown, having had a roller-coaster season so far.

“We’ve had a good few weeks at training camp and we feel we are in a good place”, said Hunter recently.

Sophie Hosking and Kat Copeland contest the lightweight women’s double scull. Neither has raced at a Games before but Hosking has experience in the same event for the past three years at World Championship level, including two bronze medals in 2009 and 2011. Copeland was world U23 lightweight single scull champion last year and won the GB Senior Team Trials in that event.

The women’s eight finished the world cup season on a high after winning bronze in Munich. Cox Caroline O’Connor, Natasha Page, Louisa Reeve, Jess Eddie, Katie Greves, Annie Vernon and Olivia Whitlam are all Beijing Olympians – albeit not all in the women’s eight – whilst Lindsey Maguire and Vicky Thornley are World senior medallists.

Meanwhile the women’s double scull, featuring world champions Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins, and the men’s four – with world champion Alex Gregory and three Beijing gold medallists Andrew Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed and Tom James on board – will race for the first time on Monday.

The post London 2012 Day 1: Glover and Stanning set Olympic best time at Eton-Dorney appeared first on British Rowing.

“Our recent training camps have gone well. We managed to escape the not-so-nice bits of the British summer and that was a big plus with great water conditions, particularly at our tuning camps in Southern Europe.

“I am sure that this is the best team that we have brought to a Games and I am confident that we will deliver on the water.”

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning will be first to the start line for Team GB in the women’s pair in the session starting at 09.30 on Saturday. Glover, a former PE teacher from Cornwall, and Stanning, an Army Captain from Lossiemouth, have been world silver medallists in each of the past two years.

Twice Olympic silver medallists Frances Houghton, racing at her fourth Games, and Debbie Flood, contesting her third Games, feature in the women’s quad in the same session alongside relative newcomer Melanie Wilson and 2010 World Champion, Beth Rodford.

The British team will contest a further six heats in that opening session.

1992 Olympic gold medallist Greg Searle has already confessed that he will have a lump in his throat when he races the opening heat of the men’s eight in a multi-talented crew including cox Phelan Hill, Constantine Louloudis at stroke, Olympic silver medallists Matthew Langridge, Ric Egington and Alex Partridge as well as world silver medallists James Foad, Tom Ransley and Mohamed Sbihi.

“It’s a privilege to row with such a talented crew”, said Searle. “It will feel different to 20 years ago but it will also be the same. I wanted to win then and we are ambitious to do the same here”.

Sbihi added: “I feel like we have definitely improved since the last world cup and I feel we are in a good place going into the Games. But it’s a very strong field, to be honest, anyone can make a final and anyone can make a medal.

“So I think it’s all about us effectively. I’m not really fussed about what the Germans or the Americans of the Canadians or others have done. It’s about what we have done and I trust in what we have done.”

Britain’s lightweight men’s four features the Chambers brothers, Peter and Richard, from Coleraine in Northern Ireland. They are the first set of brothers to race in the same crew since the Searles’ win in Barcelona with cox Garry Herbert.

The brothers are joined in the lightweight men’s four at Eton-Dorney by Rob Williams, who completed a PhD in crystallography just a month ago, and Welshman Chris Bartley, a talented photographer and rowing coach. This crew won the season’s final world cup but know they will face stiff opposition, particularly from China, in this fiercely competitive event.

Richard, the elder of the two brothers, said: “We’ve had a good couple of camps and we’ve worked hard. We know that ours is a very competitive event and that even at semi-final stage we’ll see some real knuckledusters of races.”

All three men’s sculling boats will be in action on the opening day. Alan Campbell makes a trio of Coleraine connections when he races the men’s single scull. Campbell has been on the world cup and World Championships podium several times since making the final in Beijing.

Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend, both graduates of a GB Rowing Team “Start” talent identification and development system, are the new-look British double scull this season. The Devon-Reading combination are looking to improve on their world cup performances here.

“We have had two really good training camps in the past six weeks,” said Lucas. “The work camp in the mountains went really well and then we did some speed work in Portugal. We’ve made some technical progress.”

Townsend will marry team-mate Natasha Page, who races in the women’s eight at the Games, later next month.

Stephen Rowbotham and Matt Wells, Beijing double scull bronze medallists, race in 2012 in the men’s quad. They are joined by Olympic debutant Charles Cousins and Tom Solesbury who rowed in a pair in Beijing.

The final crew in action on opening day will be the men’s pair of Will Satch and George Nash. The talented duo, both former youth medallists, made an impact in their debut senior season this year and will look to upset the pre-existing form book here.

A further three boats will race opening heats on the second day – the women’s eight, lightweight women’s and men’s double scull. The latter will be raced by defending Beijing winners Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter.

Meantime, the women’s double scull, featuring world champions Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins, and the men’s four with world champion Alex Gregory and three Beijing gold medallists Andrew Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed and Tom James on board will race for the first time on Monday.

Watkins said today that the GB team were looking forward to racing, were enjoying the Olympic set-up and felt quite relaxed: “We have a very good set up within our own team and it’s a very familiar environment, we are keeping ourselves to ourselves.”

Grainger added: “For us it’s just a case of fulfilling our potential, which is what you want to do in an Olympic race, to be the fastest crew in the world. It’s more about going as fast as we possibly can – the actual result we don’t focus on because that will take care of itself. It’s more about how we race.”

Tom James, from the men’s four, said: “We’ve made some good changes to how we row and I think we learnt from our mistakes [at the last world cup] in Munich.”

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Crews listed Bow to Stroke followed by
(Club, Home Town, Date of Birth)

OPEN WOMEN

Pair
Helen Glover (Minerva Bath, Penzance, 17/06/86)
Heather Stanning (Army RC, Lossiemouth, 26/01/85)
Coach: Robin Williams

Eight
Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft RC, Warrington, 16/09/85)
Louisa Reeve (Leander Club, London, 17/05/84)
Jessica Eddie (Univ of London BC, Durham, 07/10/84)
Lindsey Maguire (Wallingford RC, Edinburgh, 15/01/82)
Natasha Page (Gloucester RC, Hartpury, 30/04/85)
Annabel Vernon (Leander Club, Wadebridge, 01/09/82)
Katie Greves (Leander Club, Oxford, 02/09/82)
Victoria Thornley (Leander Club, Wrexham, 30/11/87)
Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes Univ BC, Ealing, London, 25/04/83)
Coach: Nick Strange

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
Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC, London, 25/06/84)
Debbie Flood (Leander Club, Guiseley, W. Yorks, 27/02/80)
Frances Houghton (Leander Club, Oxford, 19/09/80)
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC, Gloucester, 28/12/82)
Coach: Ade Roberts

Spares
Jo Cook (Leander Club, Sunbury-on-Thames, 22/03/84)
Emily Taylor (Leander Club, Lincoln, 28/06/87)

OPEN MEN

Pair
George Nash (Molesey BC, Guildford, 02/10/89)
Will Satch (Leander Club, Henley-on-Thames, 09/06/89)
Coaches: Christian Felkel & John West

Four
Alex Gregory (Leander Club, Wormington, 11/03/84)
Pete Reed (Leander Club, Nailsworth, Glos, 27/07/81)
Tom James (Molesey BC, Wrexham, 11/03/84)
Andrew Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC, Hebden, N. Yorks, 03/03/79)
Coach: Jürgen Grobler

Eight
Alex Partridge (Leander Club, Alton, Hants, 25/01/81)
James Foad (Molesey BC, Southampton, 20/03/87)
Tom Ransley (York City RC, Cambridge, 06/09/85)
Richard Egington (Leander Club, Knutsford, 26/02/79)
Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC, Surbiton, 27/03/88)
Greg Searle (Molesey BC, Marlow, 20/03/72)
Matt Langridge (Leander Club, Northwich, 20/05/83)
Constantine Louloudis (Leander Club, London, 15/09/91)
Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club, Bedford, 21/07/79)
Coaches: Christian Felkel & John West

Single Scull
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School, Coleraine, 09/05/83)
Coach: Bill Barry

Double Scull
Bill Lucas (London RC, Kingswear, Devon, 13/09/87)
Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC, Reading, 26/11/85)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Quadruple Scull
Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club, Winscombe, Somerset, 11/11/81)
Charles Cousins (Reading Univ BC, Willingham, Cambs, 13/12/88)
Tom Solesbury (Leander Club, Petts Wood, Kent, 23/09/90)
Matthew Wells (Leander Club, Hexham, Northumberland, 19/04/79)
Coach: Mark Banks

Spares
Marcus Bateman (Leander Club, Torquay, 16/09/82)
Cameron Nichol (Molesey BC, London, 26/06/87)

LIGHTWEIGHT WOMEN

Double Scull
Sophie Hosking (London RC, Wimbledon, 25/01/86)
Katherine Copeland (Tees RC. Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees, 01/12/90)
Coach: Paul Reedy

LIGHTWEIGHT MEN

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

Double Scull

Zac Purchase (Marlow RC, Tewkesbury, 02/05/86)
Mark Hunter (Leander Club, Romford, Essex, 01/07/78)
Coach: Darren Whiter

Spare
Adam Freeman-Pask (Imperial College BC, Windsor, 19/6/85)

TEAM SUPPORT
David Tanner: Team Leader
Maurice Hayes: Equipment Manager
Ann Redgrave: Doctor
John Tetley: Boatman
Mark Edgar: Physio / Head of Rowing Medical Service
Caroline Searle: Press Officer
Sally Brown: Physio
Maggie Netto: Asst. Team Leader *
Liz Arnold: Physio
Jo Bates: Administrator *
Karen Burn: Physio *
Mark Homer: Sports Scientist
Craig Williams: Sports Scientist
Chris Shambrook: Psychologist *
Alistair Patterson: Performance Analyst *

* Non-Accredited Team Support

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CONTACT DETAILS

For interview requests with Team GB rowers and performance personnel contact Press Officer Caroline Searle on 07714 078658 or 07831 755351 or email caroline@matchtight.co.uk.

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EDITORS’ NOTES

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to transform British lives through the power of the Olympic values and the success of Team GB. The BOA’s role is to prepare the ‘Best of British’ athletes for, and lead them at, the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games.

The BOA delivers extensive support services to Britain’s Olympic athletes and their National Governing Bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values and brand in the UK. The BOA receives no funding from the lottery or government, has no political interests and is completely dependent upon fundraising income to achieve its mission. The BOA is the strong, independent voice for British Olympic Sport.

Team GB website: www.teamgb.com
Team GB Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamGB
Team GB Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamGB

British Rowing is the governing body for all rowing within the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.

The GB Rowing Team trains, prepares and selects crews to represent Great Britain in international competitions at junior, U23 and senior level, from Under 16s to World Cups, World Championships the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
The GB Rowing Team has a proud history as one of GB’s most successful Olympic sports producing World and Olympic Champions from across the UK.

GB Rowing Team website: /gb-rowing-team
GB Rowing Team Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gbrowingteam
GB Rowing Team Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam

The post London 2012 Olympic preview: Tanner says GB rowers are in great shape appeared first on British Rowing.