Holly Nixon Archives - 91��ɫ

Record-breaking weekend of racing at Senior Champs 2016

91��ɫ — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 16:51:03 +0000

Bennett was part of a Leander Club crew, along with reigning World Champions Fiona Gammond and Holly Norton, that claimed gold in a well-contested women’s eight competition on Sunday.

“That was a really nice way to start the season,” said Bennett. “It was great fun racing with the girls, they are all up-and-coming rowers and really talented.”

Leander also won the men’s eight title in a new regatta record as they got the better of an experienced Oxford Brookes University crew featuring Olympic champion Scott Durant and fellow Rio 2016 rowers Peter Chambers and Mat Tarrant.

Holly Nixon and Jess Leyden, World Senior and U23 Champions respectively, teamed up with Lucy Burgess and Emily Carmichael to claim a clear-water victory in the women’s quadruple scull.

And their club colleagues at Leander recorded a one-two in the men’s competition, with gold going to the lightweight quad of Ed Fisher, Charles Waite-Roberts, Jonathan Jackson and Samuel Mottram.

The first day of competition saw a 26-year-old record fall as an Isis A crew featuring Ollie Cook took full advantage of the weekend’s tail-winds to win a cracking men’s four final in a new regatta-best time of 6:03.17.

Cook was one of three reigning World Champions to claim gold on Saturday, with Wallingford RC’s Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott continuing their successful partnership by dominating the women’s double competition.

Leander Club’s Nick Middleton and Tom Barras did likewise in the men’s double, while Cambridge University Women’s BC’s A crew of Myriam Goudet, Alice White, Lucy Pike and Melissa Wilson claimed the women’s four title in impressive fashion.

Four aspiring GB para-rowers competed in an open arms-trunk single scull, with Scott Jones (Gloucester Hartpury), Sophie Brown (Sudbury RC) and Ekow Otoo (Marlow RC) winning gold in their respective classifications.

Paralympics legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson presented the medals and said: “The inclusive nature of these Championships is really important and great to see. I wish more sports would do it.”

This year’s Championships – sponsored by Visit Sarasota County, hosts of the 2017 World Senior Championships – were the first to include prizes for non-high performance programme clubs and universities. Tideway Scullers School, Lea RC, Kingston RC and Thames RC were among the clubs to take home shields.

More than 1,000 rowers from 100 clubs – 19 of which were composites – raced during a busy and competitive weekend.

Jim Harlow, Chairman of the Regatta, said: “It has been a hugely successful weekend at the 91��ɫ Senior Championships. We have seen lots of close racing over the course of the weekend, with crews really pushing each other to bring out their best. It is testament to the dedication and hard work that every rower and coach puts in; it’s great to see.

“I would like to personally thank all the outstanding volunteers, without which this event would not be possible. I’m already looking forward to next year!”

Go to to see the results in full and click on the expander boxes below for reports and reaction from the weekend, plus a roll of honour.

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Olympic superstars to race at Senior Championships

91��ɫ — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 19:52:27 +0000

A host of reigning World Champions, at both senior and U23 level, will also be representing their clubs when the two-day competition is staged at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont.

“I love racing at the British Championships”, Scott Durant, Olympic champion

The last time Durant raced, he was part of the Team GB men’s eight that stormed to gold in memorable style on the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Two months later, and at the end of a week when the Rio 2016 heroes were celebrated in Manchester and London, he will line up in an Oxford Brookes University eight looking to retain the British title they won last year.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend, I love racing at the British Championships and it should be good fun as always,” said Durant.

“It’s always good to get back into an Oxford Brookes boat and race with the students coming through. Brookes played such a huge part in my rowing development – I was there for six years between leaving school and joining the GB Rowing Team, and I owe so much of my rowing success to them.

“It should be a good competition. There are a lot of guys coming into the GB team who will be racing for the likes of Leander this weekend, so it will be tough but we are hoping to retain our title.”

Also representing Oxford Brookes are double Olympian Peter Chambers, twice World Champion Mat Tarrant, who was a men’s heavyweight spare in Rio, and Joel Cassells, a European Champion and World bronze-medallist in the lightweight men’s pair this year.

Sam Scrimgeour, Cassells’ partner in the boat for both of those races and the lightweight men’s spare at the Olympic Games, races for Imperial College BC this weekend.

The men's eight from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Bennett’s last competitive outing was with the GB women’s eight that won a historic silver medal in Rio. She returns to action as part of a strong Leander Club squad looking to once again secure the Victor Ludorum accolade for top performing club.

“I’m excited to kick-start the season at the British Championships,” said GB Rowing Team Start graduate Bennett, who will compete in a women’s eight field that has attracted an impressive 31 crew entries.

“It’s great to see so many women getting involved and racing. The eight is a very fast but fun boat because you can share all the moments with eight other people.

“It will be the first time I’ve raced since my Olympic final and the scenery will be a bit different but I’m really looking forward to it.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to represent my club. They’ve given me a lot of help over the years so when I was offered the chance to race for them this weekend I couldn’t turn it down.

“It will be tough after the post-Rio break I’ve had but I’m going to go out there and give it my best shot.”

Other rowers with senior GB experience include Becca Chin, Caragh McMurtry, Jamie Copus, Zak Lee-Green and Nick Middleton, who won both the double scull and quadruple scull titles at last year’s British Championships.

There will be plenty of potential Tokyo 2020 stars for rowing fans to look out for this weekend, including several who shone at this year’s combined Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships in Rotterdam.

“It’s fantastic to see such a strong and diverse line-up”, Jim Harlow, Regatta Chairman.

Ollie Cook (University of London BC) and Callum McBrierty (Leander), powered to gold alongside cox Henry Fieldman in the senior men’s coxed pair, while three of the women’s four that won in Rotterdam – Fiona Gammond, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton – will race in Leander colours this weekend.

Lightweight women’s quadruple scull World Champion Emily Craig will represent University of London BC, while Ellie Piggott and Brianna Stubbs – her team-mates in Rotterdam – will race for Wallingford RC.

All six of GB’s reigning U23 World Champions will be in action – Jess Leyden (Leander) and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading RC) were emphatic winners of women’s double scull gold, while Hugo Coussens (Durham University BC), Ollie Varley (Newcastle University BC), Matthew Curtis and Gavin Horsburgh (both Edinburgh University BC) took the lightweight men’s quadruple scull title in fine style.

Eleven other U23 medallists and eight World Junior medallists will also take their place among the 1,004 rowers from 100 clubs – 19 of which are composites – who have signed up for this weekend’s championships.

Jim Harlow, Chairman of the Regatta added: “It’s fantastic to see such a strong and diverse line-up at this year’s Senior Championships. It is testament to the strength and depth of senior rowing across the UK. Rowing is one of those rare sports where club rowers have the chance to compete alongside GB rowers including returning Olympic champions. After so many inspiring performances on the Lagoa in Rio it is set to be a hotly contested championship.”

Races will take place in nine categories – men’s and women’s double sculls, men’s and women’s fours, men’s and women’s quadruple sculls, men’s and women’s eights, and mixed para-rowing.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 9am on both days and conclude around 4.30pm on Saturday and 4.10pm on Sunday. This year’s championships are the first-ever to include prizes for non-high performance programme clubs and universities.

For more information about the 91��ɫ Senior Championships, visit .

SCHEDULE FOR A FINALS (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Saturday

15:30 – men’s double scull

15:48 – women’s double scull

16:06 – men’s four

16:24 – women’s four

Sunday

13:40 – para-rowing

15:06 – women’s eight

15:24 – men’s quadruple scull

15:42 – women’s quadruple scull

16:00 – men’s eight

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Treble triumph as GB top Senior World Champs medal table

91��ɫ — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 13:29:54 +0000

Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty and cox Henry Fieldman successfully defended GB’s title in the men coxed pair with a storming victory, while the lightweight women’s quadruple scull of Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig, Imogen Walsh and Ellie Piggott powered away from Germany to upgrade on last year’s silver medal.

The women’s four of Fiona Gammond, Donna Etiebet, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton also went one better than the silver won by GB in 2015 as they recorded an emphatic clear-water victory, while Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour were edged into bronze-medal position during a thrilling lightweight men’s pair final.

Sir David Tanner, 91��ɫ’s Performance Director and Overall Team Leader in Rotterdam, said: “We have had a really good day for our senior boats, with three golds and a bronze medal improving on the good results from last year’s World Championships.

“Our rowers have sent out a strong message for next season and beyond – well done.”

Ellie Piggott, Imogen Walsh, Emily Craig and Brianna Stubbs © Peter Spurrier/Intersport Images

McBrierty said: “If we had to define our perfect race, we almost had it down to a tee today. We were relentless with every stroke.”

Walsh, who repeated her 2011 success in the lightweight quad, added: “I have so much trust and respect for these girls and I never doubted we could do it. This is a fitting end to what has been a really fun and exciting project.”

Norton said: “It’s great to be on the podium with these girls, representing this programme and the next generation of rowers coming through.”

Callum McBrierty, Henry Fieldman and Ollie Cook

Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells

The four medals continued a successful week for Britain at the combined World Championships and added to the two gold, three silver and one bronze won by the U23s in their competition.

An action-packed regatta concludes on Sunday with the finals of the Junior World Championships – click here to see how three more GB crews made progress through their semi-finals on Saturday afternoon.

Click on the expander boxes below for full race reports, reaction and results from the Senior World Championships finals

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Defending champions make winning start to Senior Worlds

91��ɫ — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 17:13:27 +0000

Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour made light of the choppy conditions to continue their unbeaten record in the lightweight men’s pair with a composed display.

The men’s coxed pair of Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty and cox Henry Fieldman – a gold-medallist in the boat last year – also looked strong as they won their heat by clear water.

They progress to Thursday’s semi-finals, while the women’s four of Fiona Gammond, Donna Etiebet, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton booked their place in Saturday’s finals with an impressive win.

Callum McBrierty and Ollie Cook

Henry Fieldman

The lightweight women’s quadruple scull of Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig, Imogen Walsh and Ellie Piggott – all World silver-medallists in 2015 – also laid down a marker by winning their preliminary race in fine style.

Gemma Hall, in the lightweight women’s single, and the lightweight men’s quad of Charles Waite-Roberts, Jamie Copus, Jamie Kirkwood and Zak Lee-Green will look to progress through the repechages on Tuesday morning.

The U23 World Championships continue either side of those races, with single scullers Tom Barras and Sam Mottram competing in the open and lightweight quarter-finals respectively first thing.

The women's four

The lightweight women's quad

The afternoon session sees six GB crews racing in semi-finals – the women’s double, men’s quad, lightweight men’s quad, men’s four, lightweight men’s four and men’s eight.

They will be looking to join the four crews who have already progressed to the U23 finals – the lightweight women’s quad, women’s four, women’s eight and men’s coxed four.

More than 100 GB rowers are competing on the Willem-Alexander Baan rowing course this week as Rotterdam hosts the combined Senior, U23 and Junior World Rowing Championships. The juniors start their racing on Wednesday.

Click on the expander boxes below for reports, reaction and results from this afternoon’s racing.

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Women’s four and lightweight men’s quad added to Worlds team

91��ɫ — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 11:48:04 +0000

Fiona Gammond, Donna Etiebet, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton will make up the women’s four, while Jamie Kirkwood, Charles Waite-Roberts, Jamie Copus and Zak Lee-Green will contest the lightweight men’s quadruple scull.

Their selections take the number of GB rowers competing on the Willem-Alexander Baan course from 21-28 August up to 113 rowers, with the World U23 and World Junior Championships taking place at the same time.

Norton was in the women’s four that won silver at last year’s World Championships in Aiguebelette, France. Etiebet and Nixon both have senior experience, in the women’s eight and quadruple scull respectively, while Gammond – a double World U23 silver-medallist in the eight – will make her senior debut.

Waite-Roberts is also making the step up having won two World U23 silver medals in 2013 and 2014. Copus and Lee-Green narrowly missed out on a medal in the quad in Aiguebelette last year, while the experienced Kirkwood will be competing at his fourth successive World Championships.

They will join three other senior boats in Rotterdam. Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour will be looking to defend their lightweight men’s pair title; Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty and cox Henry Fieldman go in the men’s coxed pair; and Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig, Imogen Walsh and Ellie Piggott will contest the lightweight women’s quad.

Injury has forced a change to the GB women’s quadruple scull for the World U23 Championships, with Ruth Siddorn being replaced by Flo Pickles. She will be line up alongside Lucy Burgess, Georgia Francis and Kyra Edwards.

Reginald Mitchell has also been forced to pull out of the World Junior squad. Matthew Rowe has moved into the men’s coxed four, while Alexander Wythe – part of the GB Juniors team that won the Coupe de la Jeunesse last month – has been called into the men’s pair.

Click here to see the World U23 team announcement and here for the World Juniors team.

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GB rowers among the winners at Henley Royal Regatta

91��ɫ — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:05:50 +0000

It was a particularly notable occasion for Jack Beaumont, who claimed a fifth successive Henley title when he teamed up with Leander and international colleague Nick Middleton to win the Doubles Sculls Challenge Cup.

“I couldn’t be happier with how that race went,” said Beaumont after Sunday’s four-and-a-half length win over Gasper Fistravec and Dani Fridman in Sunday’s final.

“We knew we would get a run for our money, but we also knew we could win this. We feel great as a pair and I love rowing alongside my teammate Nick.

“We train on this stretch of the river every single day so to win this cup makes the early mornings and tough training sessions worth it.”

Taking the plaudits in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup were the young GB quartet of Melissa Wilson, Jess Leyden, Holly Nixon and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne.

Racing as Reading RC and Leander Club, the women’s quad held off a determined challenge from AZS Warszawa & Wisca Grudziadz of Poland – the reigning World U23 Champions – to win by one length.

“That was really good,” said Hodgkins-Byrne, who became the first Reading RC member to win at Henley since 1935. “It was my third time at Henley and the previous two visits were quite stressful but I really enjoyed this one.”

The lightweight GB quad of Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig, Imogen Walsh and Ellie Piggott – racing as Wallingford RC and London RC – were beaten by the Schuylkill Navy High Performance Center from the United States in the heats.

Both GB development eights reached their respective finals, with the men’s crew – racing as Nautilus RC – pushing the Dutch Olympic eight all the way in an excellent Grand Challenge Cup final, only losing by three-quarters of a length.

It proved a tougher task for the women’s eight in the Remenham Challenge Cup final as GB – racing as a Leander and Tees RC composite – were beaten by four and three-quarter lengths by Princeton Training Centre from the US.

Ollie Cook and Callum McBrierty, racing as University of London BC and Leander, were edged out by French pair Benoit Demey and Edouard Jonville in the semi-finals of the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup.

The Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University composite men’s quad of Zak Lee-Green, Charlie Waite-Roberts, Jamie Copus and Jamie Kirkwood – all GB lightweight internationals – also narrowly missed out on a place in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup final as they were beaten by California RC.

The GB development men’s four of James Johnston, Tom George, James Rudkin and Lewis McCue – racing as Newcastle University and Robert Gordon University – also reached the semi-finals of the Stewards’ Challenge Cup, where they lost by a length to eventual overall winners Hollandia Roeiclub of the Netherlands.

You can watch highlights of the finals day below:

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“Real buzz” as GB rowers head to Henley

91��ɫ — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 06:55:34 +0000

Among the record number of entrants for the 2016 regatta are Jack Beaumont and Nick Middleton, who will be racing in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup under the Leander Club banner.

They will be looking to continue the impressive form they have shown on the international stage this season, where they reached the final at the World Cups in Varese and Lucerne.

Beaumont, from Maidenhead, also won silver as a last-minute sub with the men’s quadruple scull in Lucerne and was victorious in the men’s single scull B final at the Poznan World Cup. He is bidding for a fifth successive Henley title this year.

“Being a local lad I have grown up around Henley Royal Regatta – I used to go and watch every year with my family,” he said.

“I love the traditions and the head-to-head racing. It’s also the only race where all of my friends and family can come and watch which makes it extra special.

“To win at Henley for a fifth successive year would be fantastic.”

Contesting the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup are Ollie Cook and Callum McBrierty, fresh from their World Cup victory in the men’s coxed pair with Henry Fieldman in Poznan. McBrierty also helped the GB men’s four claim a dramatic gold at the Lucerne World Cup after subbing in for the ill Constantine Louloudis.

The Queen Mother Challenge Cup for the men’s quadruple sculls features the Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University composite of Jamie Kirkwood, Jamie Copus, Charlie Waite-Roberts and Zak Lee-Green.

All four are experienced lightweight internationals, as are Imogen Walsh, Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig and Ellie Piggott who will race as Wallingford RC and London RC in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup. Each crew member won a silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Aiguebelette – Walsh in the lightweight single and the others with Ruth Walczak in the lightweight quad.

Also contesting the Princess Grace are the open-weight GB quartet of Jess Leyden, Melissa Wilson, Holly Nixon and Mathilda Hodgkins-Bryne.

“Henley time is so exciting, there’s a real buzz around the town and I love it,” said Leyden, who was part of the winning Princess Grace crew in 2015.

“I can’t wait to race there in front of the crowds. The women’s quad event looks really strong this year and I’ll do all I can to try and defend the title.”

Tina Stiller – who rowed alongside Leyden and Nixon in the GB women’s quad that narrowly missed out on Olympic qualification this summer – will race in the women’s single scull event, the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.

Beth Bryan, Becca Chin, Caragh McMurtry, Donna Etiebet, Jo Wratton, Holly Norton, Fiona Gammond and Katherine Douglas make up the Leander and Tees RC composite women’s eight that will contest the Remenham Challenge Cup. All have GB experience, either at senior or U23 level, and will be coxed by Erin Wysocki-Jones.

Henley will also offer potential World U23 and World Junior rowers another chance to impress the GB selectors ahead of this year’s Championships in Amsterdam.

And there will be more GB Rowing Team interest in the historic regatta on Thursday when the ParalympicsGB rowing squad for Rio 2016 is announced at Henley.

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Six more GB crews through to European finals

91��ɫ — Sat, 07 May 2016 12:52:36 +0000

Their perfectly-paced race on Brandenburg’s breezy Beetzee made them one of six GB Rowing Team crews to make tomorrow’s finals and join the seven crews that had already qualified from yesterday’s racing.

Innes said: “We had a good start and then the middle bit got a bit bouncy but we came through it well – job done and we’re looking forward to the final”.

John Collins and Jonny Walton came through strongly in the second half of their open men’s double semi today to take a third place and move through in a strong field.

Collins said: “We looked at both semi-finals and thought we had the toughest one but we know we have to race the best at some point. We had quite a strong first half in yesterday’s heats but needed to be a bit calmer in these conditions and I felt we pitched it a lot better today”.

Imogen Walsh

Jamie Kirkwood

Jonny Walton and John Collins

Both GB open quads went through – the men in second place and the women in third in their repechages. As an inexperienced crew the women did well in the worsening wind and the men were closing on Estonia, who won, in the closing stages.

Jamie Kirkwood grabbed third in a dramatically close finish to his lightweight men’s single semi and Imogen Walsh was second in her repechage to book a place tomorrow.

Meanwhile, It was a difficult day for two 2012 medallists. Olympic champion Kat Copeland and her partner Charlotte Taylor missed out on a finals spot coming fourth in their light double semi. Alan Campbell looked out of sorts and finished fifth in his open men’s single.

Conversely fourth place was a significant achievement for 21 year-old emerging talent Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne in the open women’s single at her first regatta at this level in this boat.

End of the Rio Road for W4x. Copyright Intersport Images

The men's quad

The 2016 GB men’s four of Alex Gregory, George Nash, Mohamed Sbihi and Constantine Louloudis, after an eye-catching heats win, are amongst the seven already-qualified crews. Despite their comfortable qualification all four feel there is more to be done.

Gregory said: “For me it feels like it’s been a long winter of training. There has been a lot riding on trials and getting selected. So, to finally get a run-out competitively in the heats here was exciting. It felt great.

“But we have a few things to adjust in our race place and we are looking forward to putting them right tomorrow. The conditions here are not easy so it’s a test of boatmanship was well as our first international races as a crew”.

Sbihi added: “Looking ahead to the final, we are not looking at who we are racing but how we are going to improve from yesterday”.

The men’s eight were pleased with their heats win ahead of Poland but are not resting on their laurels.

Scott Durant said: “We obviously want to win tomorrow but this is the first regatta of the season, so it’s about building on what we have done so far and working towards the goal of Rio. It’s all part of the learning curve”.

The lightweight men’s four also impressed in qualifying yesterday and Peter Chambers said: “It’s been going well for us over the last few weeks, we’ve got our act together and have been moving the four along nicely. We’ve been setting a good high standard and hopefully we can show that tomorrow”.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning will kick off the Olympic boat class action tomorrow for GB as favourites to win the women’s pair after a blistering heat. They race at 09.18 UK time in a finals session which has been brought forward by one hour due to predicted strengthening wind conditions later in the day. The session starts at 07.00 with the B finals. A Finals start at 08.33 and finish at 12.33.

Follow live updates on Twitter – @GBRowingTeam.

GB ROWERS TO RACE EURO FINALS WEARING BLACK RIBBONS

In tomorrow’s European Championships finals, members of the GB Rowing Team will race wearing black ribbons on their vests in memory of the late Ron Needs who sadly died a few days ago.

Ron had been a GB coach since the 1970s, coaching many medal boats and he continued to work with the team until a couple of years ago.

He coached the current GB women’s pair coach Robin Williams to a lightweight world medal in the 1970s and coached alongside current GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner in his days as an international coach.

Ron also coached the first GB crew to win a world gold since the 1940s when they won lightweight eight won in Amsterdam in 1977.

Katherine Grainger said: “Ron was my first GB Rowing coach and remained a wise counsel and friend to me for 20 years. His passion for rowing was infectious and his knowledge and understanding of the sport immense”.

For reaction to this report and interview requests on the day please contact the GB Rowing Team press office on site: comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk or 07831 755351 or 07765 071683.

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Rowers ready for ‘world-class’ European test

91��ɫ — Wed, 04 May 2016 14:31:23 +0000

That is the view of many of the 47-strong GB Rowing Team as they flew out on Wednesday for their first major test of a massive season.

The women’s pair of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning was one of six GB crews to win gold at last year’s European Championships in Poznan, Poland.

“It is a title we need to go and defend as it kicks off a big season with the Olympics at the end of it,” said Stanning.

“Within our event we tend to think our competition will come from outside of Europe but we need to be aware that there could be nations who pop their heads up.

“There are also people who have yet to qualify for the Olympics so they will be really race-ready and that is nice for us too.”

Also looking to defend their title this weekend is the lightweight women’s double scull of Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor.

“I’m really excited to be back in the double with Charlie,” said Olympic champion Copeland. “She has an amazing head on her shoulders, she knows how to get a lot out of me and she has a really good approach to training and racing in general.

“I think it is going to be really tough at the Europeans, given how much the field stepped up for the Worlds last year, but we’re good as well.”

Alex Gregory returns to the boat in which he won Olympic gold at London 2012 after being named in a men’s four along with Moe Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis.

“Finally we are in the racing season and I’m really looking forward to getting out there in Germany and testing what we can do,” said Gregory.

“It’s an early indicator of potentially what could happen later on in the year at the Olympics and I’m itching to get going.”

The women’s eight finished last season as Europe’s leading crew after placing just outside the medals at the World Championships and will be looking to put down a marker in Brandenburg.

“The Europeans will be a big test,” said Jess Eddie, one of five members of last season’s crew to be selected for the Europeans.

“There are some crews there who haven’t qualified for Rio yet so they will be preparing for the qualification regatta and will be on tip-top form.

“But by the time we got to the World Championships last year we were the fastest European crew so we have to put ourselves out there to win this race. We have the quality and skill to do that.”

Polly Swann returns from injury to join Eddie in the eight along with Katie Greves, Melanie Wilson, Frances Houghton, Olivia Carnegie-Brown, Karen Bennett, Zoe Lee and cox Zoe de Toledo.

In the men’s eight are Matt Gotrel, Scott Durant, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Andrew T Hodge Tom Ransley, Matt Langridge, Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill.

It will be a first international competition since the 2014 World Championships for double Olympic champion Hodge, who missed last season through illness.

“It’s been an 18-month winter for me but summer is definitely on the horizon and it feels really good,” he said.

“I go into this project in a similar mind-set to when I first came into the GB team, particularly with having a year off. I’ve got a great opportunity and I’m on a voyage of discovery, I have everything to look forward to and nothing to fear.

“Our goal is definitely Rio and we are building towards that but we will certainly be challenging in Germany and we want to hit the ground running.”

Crew-mate Reed, who won Olympic men’s four gold with Hodge in 2008 and 2012, added: “I’m really excited. The crew is immense, just really strong guys. I look down the boat from cox all the way to bow and there is no weakness there.”

Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes will be looking to build on their impressive showing at the GB Olympic-season Trials when they contest the men’s pair.

Vicky Thornley and Katherine Grainger won women’s double scull bronze at last year’s European Championships and head into this year’s event confident they are improving all the time.

“This winter has been about moving on physically and technically, both individually and in the crew boats, which I think we have done and done well,” said Thornley.

“We want to keep improving all the way up to the final of the Olympics, so we are working every day towards that.

“We’re in a tough event and there are a lot of really good crews, so we have to make sure we put ourselves in the best position. I am confident we can do that, starting with a good performance at the Europeans.”

London 2012 bronze-medallist Alan Campbell is also expecting a “very good challenge” as he starts his tenth successive year in the GB men’s single scull.

“I’ve seen the entry list and pretty much everyone you would expect is there, it’s a really strong field,” he said.

“Ondrej Synek is there, he’s a three-times World Champion now, and what Croatia’s Damir Martin did in winning the World Cup in Varese last month was pretty exceptional.

“There are also a lot of new guys coming through and some people who are still looking to qualify for Rio, so they will really be on their game. It will be a very good standard and a very good challenge.”

John Collins and Jonny Walton will once again race in the men’s double, while hoping it will be third time lucky are the men’s quad who have won silver and bronze at the past two European Championships.

“It would be really nice to finally become a European Champion,” said Graeme Thomas, who will race alongside Angus Groom, Sam Townsend and Peter Lambert.

“The championships will be a real indicator as to what the standard will be at the Olympic Games. Seven of the eight qualified boats for Rio are European so that really shows the depth.

“It’s a big challenge but we are really excited at the prospect of putting down a good performance at the start of the season.”

Also looking to make a strong start to 2016 are the lightweight men’s four of Chris Bartley, Mark Aldred, Jono Clegg and Peter Chambers, who finished ninth at last year’s World Championships.

“We’ve raced together and know what doesn’t work, so hopefully we can find out what does work and put in a good performance at the Euros,” said Clegg.

“The Europeans is a big competition in itself, so to be going there to represent your country is a real privilege and honour. In our event the World Champions from Switzerland will be there, so we have a truly world-class stage to go and perform on.”

For the women’s quad of Tina Stiller, Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden and Rosamund Bradbury, the Europeans provide more race experience as they prepare for the final Olympic qualification regatta later this month.

They finished fourth in the recent Varese World Cup and Nixon said: “This weekend is going to give us more of a glimpse of what could turn up at the Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne.

“I think things are going well so far. Having more time in the crew is always a positive and we are making the most of that time together.

“I’m just really happy to be here. I feel really lucky each day I get to go out with the girls. I am learning so much from them.”

Defending champion Imogen Walsh and Jamie Kirkwood will contest the lightweight single sculls, while reigning World Champions Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour go in the lightweight men’s pair. Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne is a racing spare in the women’s single.

The European Championships will take place from May 6-8. The current racing schedule is (all times in BST):

Friday: Heats 9.30-12.50; repechages 15.00-15.40.
Saturday: Repechages and semi-finals 9.30-11.45; C Finals 11.50-12.15.
Sunday: B Finals 8.00-9.10; A Finals 9.33-13.33.

Live coverage and highlights will be on BBC2 from 13.00-14.00 on Sunday, May 8.

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European selections point to aiming high at Rio Olympics

91��ɫ — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 09:35:57 +0000

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.

It is the first major step conquered on the way to fulfilling my dream of competing in my fifth Olympic Games – Frances Houghton

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.

It’s a privilege to race for our country and the feeling of pride and excitement never diminishes – Alex Gregory

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.

Richard Chambers is on his way back after a recent hand injury and will race the lightweight men’s double, if fully fit, with Will Fletcher. Just like Olympic Champion Copeland and Taylor, they won World silver last year in their debut season together.

Further post-Trials testing was needed to establish the crews for the lightweight 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.

91��ɫ will also race six crews at the Varese World Cup from April 15-17, including the women’s quadruple scull, announced in the European squad today as Holly Nixon, Jess Leyden, Tina Stiller and Rosamund Bradbury as the campaign begins to qualify this boat for Rio.

Click the expander ‘Crew List’ box below to see the squad in full.

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

RACING TIMETABLE – 2016 European Championships, Brandenburg, Germany

Friday 6 May – all heats a.m.; some repechages p.m.
Saturday 7 May – All further repechages and semi-finals.
Sunday 8 May – All finals (09.33 – 13.33 UK Time).

GB ROWING TEAM MEDALISTS – 2015 European Championships, Poznan, Poland

Gold:

Women’s pair – Helen Glover, Heather Stanning.
Men’s pair – James Foad, Matt Langridge.
Men’s four – Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley, Scott Durant.
Lightweight women’s single scull – Imogen Walsh.
Lightweight women’s double scull – Charlotte Taylor, Kat Copeland.
Lightweight men’s pair – Joel Cassells, Peter Chambers.

Silver:

Men’s eight – Matt Gotrel, Stewart Innes, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Moe Sbihi, Alex Gregory, George Nash, Will Satch, Phelan Hill (cox).
Lightweight men’s double scull – Richard Chambers, Will Fletcher.

Bronze:

Women’s double scull – Vicky Thornley, Katherine Grainger.
Men’s quadruple scull – Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas, Peter Lambert.

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