Racing in the Coastal mixed double sculls (CMix2x), the Scottish crew of Sam Scrimgeour (Glasgow RC) and Laura McKenzie (Glasgow University BC) put in a strong initial performance to qualify for the ‘last eight’. They then went on to beat Portugal in the quarter final, and Spain in the semi-final, before losing out to Lithuania by just 0.92 seconds in the final. Scrimgeour and McKenzie also won silver in the CMix2x at last year’s World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.

Also earning himself a trip to the podium was Tom Walker from Christchurch RC, who took bronze in the Under 19 Men’s solos (CJM1x). Having qualified for the last eight, he beat Portugal in the quarter final but then lost narrowly in the semi final to the 2023 World and European Champion Under 19 from Italy. Tom then snatched the bronze in Final B, finishing 1.46 seconds ahead of Austria.

GB鈥檚 other four entries all made it through to the ‘last eight’ and on to their semi finals and then Final B races, placing fourth after battling for bronze. These were Jerry Owen of Fishguard and Goodwick Jemima RC and Clare Jamison from Christchurch RC in the Coastal men’s solos (CM1x) and Coastal women’s solos (CW1x), and the under 19s Natasha Phillips (Wycliffe College BC) in the Coastal under 19 women’s solos (CJW1x) and Leah Saunders (Evesham RC) and Sol Chamberlain-Hyde (Lymington ARC) in the Coastal under 19 mixed double sulls (CJMix2x).

In the endurance events at the Coastal Championships taking place at the same time for club crews, Charles Cousins, representing Mumbles RC, won the Club CMix2x with Austrian sculler Katharina Lobnig. A good number of other UK competitors took part including several crews from Jersey RC and Runcorn RC.

The post Sam Scrimgeour and Laura McKenzie snatch silver at European Beach Sprint Championships appeared first on 91桃色.

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鈥檚 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.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to this weekend, I love racing at the British Championships and it should be good fun as always,鈥� said Durant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 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 鈥� 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.

鈥淚t 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.鈥�

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

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

The men's eight from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Bennett鈥檚 last competitive outing was with the GB women鈥檚 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.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to kick-start the season at the British Championships,鈥� said GB Rowing Team Start graduate Bennett, who will compete in a women鈥檚 eight field that has attracted an impressive 31 crew entries.

鈥淚t’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.

鈥淚t will be the first time I’ve raced since my Olympic final and the scenery will be a bit different but I鈥檓 really looking forward to it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t will be tough after the post-Rio break I鈥檝e had but I鈥檓 going to go out there and give it my best shot.鈥�

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鈥檚 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鈥檚 combined Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships in Rotterdam.

鈥淚t鈥檚 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鈥檚 coxed pair, while three of the women鈥檚 four that won in Rotterdam 鈥� Fiona Gammond, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton 鈥� will race in Leander colours this weekend.

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

All six of GB鈥檚 reigning U23 World Champions will be in action 鈥� Jess Leyden (Leander) and Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne (Reading RC) were emphatic winners of women鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 鈥� 19 of which are composites 鈥� who have signed up for this weekend鈥檚 championships.

Jim Harlow, Chairman of the Regatta added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to see such a strong and diverse line-up at this year鈥檚 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.鈥�

Races will take place in nine categories 鈥� men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 double sculls, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 fours, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 quadruple sculls, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 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鈥檚 championships are the first-ever to include prizes for non-high performance programme clubs and universities.

For more information about the 91桃色 Senior Championships, visit .

SCHEDULE FOR A FINALS (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Saturday

15:30 鈥� men鈥檚 double scull

15:48 鈥� women鈥檚 double scull

16:06 鈥� men鈥檚 four

16:24 鈥� women鈥檚 four

Sunday

13:40 鈥� para-rowing

15:06 鈥� women鈥檚 eight

15:24 鈥� men鈥檚 quadruple scull

15:42 鈥� women鈥檚 quadruple scull

16:00 鈥� men鈥檚 eight

The post Olympic superstars to race at Senior Championships appeared first on 91桃色.

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

The women鈥檚 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鈥檚 pair final.

Sir David Tanner, 91桃色鈥檚 Performance Director and Overall Team Leader in Rotterdam, said: 鈥淲e 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鈥檚 World Championships.

鈥淥ur rowers have sent out a strong message for next season and beyond 鈥� well done.鈥�

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

McBrierty said: 鈥淚f we had to define our perfect race, we almost had it down to a tee today. We were relentless with every stroke.鈥�

Walsh, who repeated her 2011 success in the lightweight quad, added: 鈥淚 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.鈥�

Norton said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be on the podium with these girls, representing this programme and the next generation of rowers coming through.鈥�

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

The post Treble triumph as GB top Senior World Champs medal table appeared first on 91桃色.

Cox Henry Fieldman stayed on course for a second successive gold medal after he, Ollie Cook and Callum McBrierty surged through the field to take first place on the line.

As in Monday鈥檚 heats, GB concentrated on their own race as the crews around stormed out into early leads. The United States and Ukraine were well clear at 500m, with the Brits a narrow sixth at that stage.

Settling into a powerful rhythm, they pushed past the Italians and reeled in the tiring Ukranians to sit second with 500m to go. They wanted the win, though, and continued to pound away, eventually overhauling the Americans in the last few strokes.

Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour edge clear of Denmark

The lightweight men鈥檚 pair of Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour extended their unbeaten record to 11 races but had to work hard to hold off a determined challenge from Denmark.

Emil Espensen and Jens Vilhelmsen had finished runners-up to the British pair at both the European Championships and the Poznan World Cup this year, and the two crews were once again the class of the field.

There was very little to choose between them throughout the race but Cassells and Scrimgeour had their noses in front and were able to respond to any challenge the Danes made.

Both senior pairs are coached by Christian Felkel, who 鈥� along with Jurgen Grobler 鈥� coached the men鈥檚 eight to Olympic gold in Rio earlier this month.

Gemma Hall is making her senior debut at these World Championships and had achieved her main target of the week by reaching the semi-finals of a hotly-contested lightweight women鈥檚 single scull competition.

She was in touch with the top three at the 500m mark but a battle for third spot between Russia鈥檚 Anastasiia Ianina and Katherine Sauks of Canada took them away from the Brit.

Hall was also passed by Belgium鈥檚 Eveline Peleman in the last 250m but gained more valuable senior racing experience and will race in the B final on Saturday.

Day five had began with the repechages for the Junior World Championships, featuring two GB boats.

The men鈥檚 coxed four of Matthew Rowe, Alex Green, Seb Newman, Bertie Woodward-Fisher and cox George Cozens were off the race pace in Wednesday鈥檚 heats but got off to an excellent start today to put themselves right in the mix for one of the two A final places available.

They were second with 800m gone but Serbia were able to push through and, along with Australia, moved clear. GB had given their all and faded in the last 500m, crossing the line in fifth.

Only two crews progressed in the women鈥檚 pair repechage as well and those places were secured early on as Denmark and Germany surged clear.

The British pair of Hope Cessford and Lauren Irwin rowed well, at times matching the pace of the leading crews, but were unable to make up ground and came home in fourth.

The post Well-earned wins keep senior title defences on track appeared first on 91桃色.

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

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

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

Callum McBrierty and Ollie Cook

Henry Fieldman

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

Gemma Hall, in the lightweight women鈥檚 single, and the lightweight men鈥檚 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 鈥� the women鈥檚 double, men鈥檚 quad, lightweight men鈥檚 quad, men鈥檚 four, lightweight men鈥檚 four and men鈥檚 eight.

They will be looking to join the four crews who have already progressed to the U23 finals 鈥� the lightweight women鈥檚 quad, women鈥檚 four, women鈥檚 eight and men鈥檚 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.

The post Defending champions make winning start to Senior Worlds appeared first on 91桃色.

Fiona Gammond, Donna Etiebet, Holly Nixon and Holly Norton will make up the women鈥檚 four, while Jamie Kirkwood, Charles Waite-Roberts, Jamie Copus and Zak Lee-Green will contest the lightweight men鈥檚 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鈥檚 four that won silver at last year鈥檚 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France. Etiebet and Nixon both have senior experience, in the women鈥檚 eight and quadruple scull respectively, while Gammond 鈥� a double World U23 silver-medallist in the eight 鈥� 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鈥檚 pair title; Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty and cox Henry Fieldman go in the men鈥檚 coxed pair; and Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig, Imogen Walsh and Ellie Piggott will contest the lightweight women鈥檚 quad.

Injury has forced a change to the GB women鈥檚 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.聽Matthew Rowe has moved into聽the men’s coxed four,聽while Alexander Wythe – part of the GB Juniors team that won the Coupe de la Jeunesse last month –聽has been called聽into the men’s pair.

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

The post Women’s four and lightweight men’s quad added to Worlds team appeared first on 91桃色.

Four other medallists from the 2015 championships in Aiguebelette, France, will also compete in this year鈥檚 edition for non-Olympic boats, which is taking place alongside the World U23 and Junior Championships from 21-28 August.

That means more than 100 GB rowers will be competing on the Willem-Alexander Baan course in what is effectively the first major international event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, coming just eight days after the Rio regatta concludes.

91桃色 Performance Director Sir David Tanner, who will be Overall Team Leader in Rotterdam, said: 鈥淭hese three, senior boats will want to lay down a marker for the Tokyo Olympic cycle and have a great opportunity to impress.

鈥淲e are still assessing the standard of two possible additional boats for the Worlds,聽a women’s four and lightweight men’s quad, and will decide on those later this week.鈥�

Cassells and Scrimgeour, the latter the lightweight men鈥檚 spare for Team GB in Rio, will be looking to continue their excellent unbeaten partnership in the lightweight men鈥檚 pair.

The Coleraine/Kirriemuir combination were crowned as World Champions in their first regatta together last year and have continued that impressive form during 2016, winning the European Championships title and World Cup gold in Lucerne and Poznan.

鈥淚 am chuffed to be selected again with Sam to defend our title in the pair, we are very excited to get to Rotterdam and start racing,鈥� said Cassells.

鈥淲e’ve strived to continue this season where we left off in聽Aiguebelette and winning that European title and being unbeaten since we first raced together is special. Of course that puts a target on our backs and adds to the expectation but we relish the challenge.

鈥淏eing part of a highly-competitive lightweight and women鈥檚 squad this year has pushed us both on both physically and mentally. It gives us great confidence when we’re punching up with the likes of our brilliant women’s pair that we’re in a good position to begin racing again.鈥�

Ollie Cook, Callum McBrierty and cox Henry Fieldman won World Cup gold in Poznan

Imogen Walsh

The lightweight women's quad that won silver in 2015

Fieldman guided Nathaniel Reilly-O鈥橠onnell and Mat Tarrant to the coxed pair World title in Aiguebelette last year. This time he will be joined in the boat by Ollie Cook and Callum McBrierty, the trio having won gold at the Poznan World Cup last month.

鈥淎fter a successful debut in Poznan, we have been making substantial leaps forward in our rhythm and technical ability and cannot wait to start out assault on the World Championships in Rotterdam,鈥� said Fieldman, who also won a silver medal at the Worlds in 2014.

鈥淭he GB coxed pair is now on five wins in a row and we are looking to continue that trend through the upcoming regatta.鈥�

McBrierty, who also helped the men鈥檚 four to gold at the Lucerne World Cup as a replacement for the ill Constantine Louloudis, said: 鈥淚’m tremendously proud to be selected in the coxed pair for the World Championships.

鈥淢yself, Ollie and Henry are looking forward to putting a marker down at Rotterdam. Having had a great camp in Varese with the Olympic squad, we can’t wait to show our strength at the end of August. There’s plenty more work to do before the event but I鈥檓 relishing the opportunity.鈥�

All four members of the lightweight women鈥檚 quadruple scull won silver medals at last year鈥檚 World Championships. Brianna Stubbs, Emily Craig and Ellie Piggott return to the boat, while Imogen Walsh moves across from the lightweight single.

“I’m really excited to race in the lightweight quad again this year,鈥� said Piggott, who will be competing at her third successive World Championships.

鈥淎s individuals we have a lot of experience in this event and from our first session together you could feel that the crew had a real buzz to it.

鈥淲e’ve shown good speed in training so far but, with four weeks still to go until Rotterdam, I’m looking forward to adding to that and seeing what we can deliver at the World Championships.鈥�

The finals for the senior World Championships will take place on Saturday, 27 August, a day after the U23s and 24 hours before the Juniors.

The World Junior squad can be found here. The World U23 squad will be announced later this week.

The post Champs return to defend World titles in Rotterdam appeared first on 91桃色.

Every crew from every nation had to dig deep in the strong cross-winds which meant winning came ugly rather than with finesse.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won the women鈥檚 pair to defend successfully their European title by some margin while the new-look 2016 men鈥檚 four of Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis controlled the conditions better than the opposition as well as having the power to take victory by just over a length.

Sbihi said:聽 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 need to call for a big push at the end. We had the length at the end.聽 They were tough conditions. Every time we got some boat-speed the wind hit us but you have to deal with the conditions on the day鈥�.

Gregory said:聽 鈥淚t was very hard to do what we normally try to in training but it was a real test of our boatmanship. I am really pleased with the start we have made and I am excited to find out what we can do from here鈥�.

Constantine Louloudis, George Nash, Moe Sbihi and Alex Gregory

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning crowned European Champions earlier this month.

Glover said:聽 鈥淭here were waves coming over my back at the start but racing here has up-skilled us.聽 We may have cross-wind conditions in Rio so it was good to race in them鈥�.

Stanning added:聽 鈥淲e may be an experienced crew but we鈥檙e not experienced in these conditions.聽 So we had to concentrate鈥�.

The GB鈥檚 women鈥檚 eight added a fabulous third gold when they smashed through the Dutch leaders with about 10m to go.

鈥淭he speed with which we were able to come through at the end was the special bit.聽 We have a lot of speed in this boat鈥�, said Olympian Katie Greves who is clearly excited about this crew.

鈥淓veryone did their job and stayed calm even though we were a length down鈥�, said Zoe Lee, the stroke of boat. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to row with these women鈥�.

Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour

Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes

Sir David Tanner,聽 GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said:聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a day of mixed fortunes for the team with some exceptional performances especially our four golds.

鈥淐onditions have bordered on the extreme and have bene a tough challenge for all nations but we are an outdoor sport and have to accept that. It鈥檚 now onto Lucerne for the World Cup in late May where we will hope for calmer water鈥�.

Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes added silver to the GB tally of four golds, two silvers and a bronze, in the men鈥檚 pair. They beat the Dutch who should have been their main opposition only to lose out on gold to Hungary who surged through at the end.聽 鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed鈥�, said Innes afterwards. 鈥淲e came here to win鈥�.

Sinclair added:聽 鈥淭hose were tough conditions.聽 I still think we have our best rowing to come鈥�.

Chris Bartley, Mark Aldred, Jono Clegg and Peter Chambers were beaten to gold only by the reigning World Champions Switzerland in the light men鈥檚 four.聽 Their silver came in a time of 6:47.73 and was a big step on from their ninth place at last year鈥檚 World Championships.

Bartley said:聽 鈥淎fter last year we are pretty pleased with that start鈥�.聽 Aldred added:聽 鈥淲e have worked hard and made a lot of improvements over the winter鈥�.

Chris Bartley, Jono Clegg, Peter Chambers and Mark Aldred

The men's eight

The men鈥檚 eight, a new line-up in 2016, took bronze in the last race of the day in a race won by Germany with Russia taking silver.

鈥淭hat was an exciting race.聽 In terms of eights racing that鈥檚 about as exciting as it can get with several crews having had the lead at various times鈥�, said World Champion Paul Bennett afterwards.

In the opening race of the day GB鈥檚 Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells were emphatic winners of lightweight men鈥檚 pair gold, in one of the sport鈥檚 International Class events.聽 They got out to an early lead and went on to seal victory with style.聽 The victory meant a European title to add to Scrimgeour鈥檚 2015 World gold and a successful title defence for Casseslls.

GB had 13 crews in today鈥檚 finals and took four golds, two silvers and a bronze. The next big event for the GB Rowing Team will be the world cup in Lucerne from May 27-29.

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

Click on the expander boxes below for more information.

The post Four gold European haul in bouncy Brandenburg appeared first on 91桃色.

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

Glover said:聽 “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.鈥�

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

Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said: 鈥淲e 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鈥� time.鈥�

Double Olympic men鈥檚 four champions Pete Reed and Andrew T Hodge have been selected into the men鈥檚 eight in a line-up which includes Scott Durant and 2012 men鈥檚 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鈥檚 eight.

Gregory said:聽 鈥淓verything 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聽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.鈥�

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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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:聽 鈥淚 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.鈥�

2012 bronze medallist Alan Campbell, whose Trials鈥� 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鈥檚 World Championships.

Four-times Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger is named in the open women鈥檚 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.聽 She has switched from sculling to sweep rowing and has won a seat in the women鈥檚 eight that came so close to winning a medal at last year鈥檚 World Championships.

Grainger said:聽 鈥淭he 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.鈥�

Houghton said:聽 “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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 sweep boats.聽 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.聽 Sam Scrimgeour and Joel Cassells are GB鈥檚 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鈥檚 single once more.

91桃色 will also race six crews at the Varese World Cup from April 15-17, including the women鈥檚 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 鈥� 2016 European Championships, Brandenburg, Germany

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

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

Gold:

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

Silver:

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

Bronze:

• Women鈥檚 double scull 鈥� Vicky Thornley, Katherine Grainger.
• Men鈥檚 quadruple scull 鈥� Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas, Peter Lambert.

The post European selections point to aiming high at Rio Olympics appeared first on 91桃色.

Lightweights Charlotte Taylor, Will Fletcher, Sam Scrimgeour and Jono Clegg all recorded maiden victories at the event with impressive performances in Wednesday鈥檚 finals at Caversham.

The races were packed with quality and depth, giving selectors plenty to ponder ahead of the European Championships team announcement in April 鈥� and, of course, this summer鈥檚 Olympics in Brazil.

Alan Campbell 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Alex Gregory and Moe Sbihi 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had an exceptional set of Trials which is suitable for an Olympic year.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had some great racing and it was good to see the standard of our Olympians stepping up with some top-level performances.

Sam Scrimgeour and Jono Clegg celebrate 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Will Fletcher celebrates 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

鈥淲e still have some questions as we move towards our crew formation. We have good information from these Trials as we start putting together our boats for the European Championships in May and then, later in the year, for the Olympics.鈥�

See below for full race reports, quotes and results.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

Vicky Thornley 漏聽Peter Spurrier / Intersport Images

The post Multiple wins and maiden victories as “exceptional” Trials conclude appeared first on 91桃色.