91桃色鈥檚 Indoor Championships (BRIC), sponsored by Visit Sarasota County, returns to the Lee Valley VeloPark on Saturday, 10 December, bringing together some of the best elite and recreational rowers in the country for a day of great racing.

A number of our successful Olympians will be at the iconic velodrome in Stratford to impress the coaches as they begin training for Tokyo 2020, including Rio 2016 gold medallists Matt Gotrel, Will Satch and Mohamed Sbihi, as well as Karen Bennett, silver medallist in the women鈥檚 eight, plus many more Olympic, World and European medallists.

Our Olympic rowers will also be there to meet spectators and competitors, to talk about their experiences in Rio and for those all-important medal selfies.

Competitors at BRIC15 (credit: Simon Way)

GB rowers at BRIC15 (credit: Simon Way)

Club rowers will also descend on East London to test themselves against the clock and each other in a 500m, 2km or 4km relay.

It鈥檚 not just on the rowing machines where the action will take place, with plenty on offer for spectators in the venue.

DJ trio the will be playing an exclusive live set at the event as they hope their music will help to inspire those racing to achieve a personal best at BRIC. Internationally renowned producers and musicians, Luke Hayes, Rhys Buckley and Fran Cosgrave, have played Tomorrowland Brazil, Creamfields, Amnesia Ibiza, and at gigs across Asia, India, Russia, Europe and the USA. They have collaborated with DJs such as Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1) and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and their latest track 鈥楥af茅 del Mar 2016鈥� has over 2,7 million Spotify plays. In addition to the Futuristic Polar Bears there will also be a Red Bull DJ down at BRIC to keep the tunes flowing throughout the day.

Futuristic Polar Bears

Red Bull at BRIC15 (credit: Naomi Baker)

Around the velodrome鈥檚 concourse, competitors and spectators will be able to visit our partner stands, including , , and , who host the at the Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota-Bradenton. There will also be plenty of food and drink on offer as well to keep you fuelled over the course of this action packed day.

The huge interactive video screens on the track centre will bring the racing to life, making BRIC a fantastic spectator experience for only 拢6 for adults in advance or 拢10 on the door, and free for under 16s. Visit for more information and to book your place in the velodrome. Tickets are limited so buying spectator tickets in advance is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

The racing takes place between 9am and 5pm on Saturday, 10 December, with GB rowers taking on the indoor rowing machine between 1pm and 2pm and at 4pm.

Athlete meet and greets will be taking place between 1pm and 4pm, subject to race schedules.

The Futuristic Polar Bears are expected to play between 1pm and 2pm and 3:45pm and 5pm. Please note, all timings are subject to change.

The post Biggest ever 91桃色 Indoor Championships pulls into the Lee Valley VeloPark next weekend appeared first on 91桃色.

The men found the form that had made them World Champions for the past three years as they produced a phenomenal performance to dominate their final from the first stroke to the last.

That came just minutes after the women鈥檚 eight had produced what is fast becoming a trademark charge through the field in the second half of the race to go from last to second, claiming silver in a thrilling photo-finish.

It was another moment of rowing history on the Lagoa, being the first Olympic medal won by a British women鈥檚 eight, and helped to ensure that GB finished top of the Rio 2016 rowing medal table with three golds and two silvers.

Andrew T Hodge and Pete Reed both became triple Olympic Champions with their success in the men鈥檚 eight, while Matt Langridge completed his set of Olympic medals after silver in 2008 and bronze in 2012.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud to have been in such a crew,鈥� said Hodge. 鈥淭he eight is a wholly team event and we worked for each other.鈥�

Reed added: 鈥淚鈥檓 just thinking about how grateful I am to our coach and to the crew. They are just the most amazing bunch of guys and that was a big, big race.鈥�

Jurgen Grobler, the Chief Coach for Open-weight Men who has now led 12 GB crews to Olympic gold, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just fantastic what the guys did. They matched the coxless four and it鈥檚 been a wonderful day. It鈥檚 wonderful for 91桃色, it鈥檚 wonderful for our sport.

鈥淚n the last four years we have developed winning athletes, medal athletes, podium athletes. We knew we had a good bunch of guys to win the eight as well and I feel so good for them, there is a good mix between older and younger ones.鈥�

The men's eight from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

It may have been a first Olympic medal for a women鈥檚 eight but it was a third silver for Frances Houghton who, like Katherine Grainger, was appearing at a record fifth Olympic Games for a British female rower.

鈥淭his fifth Olympics has been really great,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e really tried to make sure we鈥檝e had a good time. Even before the race we sat around and we were laughing and joking together.

鈥淪port can be so much pressure but at the same time, sport is supposed to be fun and a great experience. It鈥檚 something you do that you enjoy and you pursue because you like to be challenged.鈥�

Jess Eddie, fifth with the eight in both 2008 and 2012, dedicated the success to the British women rowers who had been part of the programme during the past two decades.

鈥淲e鈥檝e worked so hard to get here and it鈥檚 not just us, we did that for every single woman who has rowed in the eight for the past 20 years – you know who you are, you helped us get over this line.鈥�

Sir David Tanner, Team GB Leader for Rowing, said: 鈥淲ith three outstanding golds and two superb silvers, our 26 rowing medallists have done TeamGB proud at these Olympics. 26 rowers will be returning home having achieved their dreams here in Rio. To be top of the rowing medal table for the third successive Olympics is something to be truly proud of.

“Well done to our rowers and the outstanding Coaching and Team Support staff, not only out here in Rio but those at home who backed us all the way.鈥�

Click on the expanded boxes below for full race reports, reaction and results.

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Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis laid down a strong marker in their opening Olympic men’s four heat here at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in Brazil.聽 They built on an early lead to win in 5:55.59 and move into Wednesday鈥檚 semi-finals.

鈥淚 feel like a pressure valve has been released鈥�, said Gregory聽 It鈥檚 been a lot of waiting but it was good to get the job done鈥�.

Nash added: 鈥淚t was good to get that one under our belts and out of the way鈥�.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning experienced a much tighter affair, coming through a stiff Danish challenge to win their opening heat of the 2016 Olympic regatta in 7:05.05.
The Olympic, World and European Champions saw the danger in the final 250m and needed a powerful flourish at the end to secure the win.

Stanning said:聽 鈥淭he important thing today was to get into the semi-finals and we did that.聽 It definitely wasn鈥檛 a bad row but it wasn鈥檛 an exceptional row either鈥�.

Glover added:聽 鈥淥n time and on margin that was a tough race but we have experienced having to dig deeper in other races and in training鈥�.

The GB women鈥檚 eight paced their heat to perfection to break through a New Zealand lead in the final 500m to win and take a place in Sunday鈥檚 final.聽 The win was revenge for their defeat to the Kiwis at the season鈥檚 final world cup.

GB鈥檚 men followed up with a commanding performance to win their eights heat in 5:34.23 to move straight through to Sunday鈥檚 final.

鈥淲e have put in a lot of hard work over the past two months and I think it鈥檚 beginning to show鈥�, said Pete Reed.

鈥淭hey are all very, very good crews here. The final is going to be an incredible race鈥�, added Paul Bennett.

Will Fletcher and Richard Chambers secured their semi-final slot with second place in their lightweight men鈥檚 double heat behind South Africa.

Chambers talked on behalf of the crew whilst his crew-mate Will Fletcher was called to anti-doping. 鈥淭oday was good but not good enough. I know we can do better. We didn鈥檛 settle as well into our rhythm as we have been doing in training.聽 It was probably just the excitement of an opening heat at the Olympic Games鈥�.

Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor did not get the result they wanted today as they were fifth in their heat and now race a repechage of the lightweight women鈥檚 double scull.
Taylor said: 鈥淚 guess the disappointing thing is that we haven鈥檛 shown what we can do.聽 We need to deconstruct what we have just done and put it all back together again for tomorrow鈥檚 repechage鈥�.

Earlier the GB men鈥檚 quadruple scull warmed GB hearts as they overcame recent bad luck to reach the Olympic final, taking second place in their repechage. As Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Peter Lambert crossed the line there was probably a bit of Graeme Thomas – the man who had to go home ill聽 – with them as they became the first GB crew to reach a final here in Brazil.

鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been the ideal preparation but I鈥檓 very happy for the three guys behind me in the stroke seat as well as for Charles (Cousins) and Graeme (Thomas) who helped get us here鈥�. said Lambert.

John Collins and Jonny Walton were also in much better racing fettle today as they powered into the semis of the open men鈥檚 double scull with a win in a tensely-contested repechage.

For further information about this report please contact the GB Rowing Team press officer, Caroline Searle, via comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk OR the phone numbers in the contact box below.

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Alan Campbell will launch Great Britain鈥檚 Olympic rowing campaign this Saturday on Rio鈥檚 Estadio de Lagoa at 09.00 Brazilian time (13.00 BST) when he faces opposition from Belarus, Korea, Zimbabwe and Indonesia for a place in Tuesday鈥檚 quarter-finals of the open men鈥檚 single scull.

The 2012 bronze medal open men鈥檚 single sculler, from Coleraine and coached by John West, will lead off a British contingent of 12 boats and 47 rowers in action at these Games at a lake which Team GB Rowing Leader, Sir David Tanner, has described as 鈥渙ne of the iconic venues of the Games鈥�.

Saturday morning鈥檚 race-card includes the men鈥檚 pair of Alan Sinclair, from Inverness, and Henley鈥檚 Stewart Innes, the European silver medal winners (14.40 BST). They have drawn the Dutch crew of Roel Braas and Mitchel Steenman, also multiple medal winners this season, in their opening heat. 聽聽A top three finish from the six starters will see them into Tuesday鈥檚 semi-finals.

鈥淭he guys are excited about racing at their first Games and are fired up because of the support back home鈥�, said their coach Rob Dauncey.

2012 Olympic women鈥檚 eight finalist Vicky Thornley, from Wrexham, and five-times Olympian and Glasgow鈥檚 defending Olympic champion Katherine Grainger, have a tough opener in the open women鈥檚 double scull in which they need a top three placing to progress.

They are drawn to race alongside Lithuania鈥檚 2013 World Champions Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite in a heat also featuring 2015 World bronze medallists, Germany (15.00 BST).

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very tasty heat and the women are looking forward to testing themselves鈥�, said coach Paul Thompson.

Leicester鈥檚 Jonny Walton and Twickenham鈥檚 John Collins will kick off their debut Olympics in a heat of the open men鈥檚 double scull, which features current World bronze medallists New Zealand and 2014 silver medallists, Italy (15.30 BST).聽 A top three finish for the duo, coached by Mark Banks, will see them safely into Tuesday鈥檚 semi-finals.

Coleraine鈥檚 Peter Chambers and Chester鈥檚 Chris Bartley both took silver in the lightweight men鈥檚 four in London and return to this boat class in Rio where they race with Olympic first-timers Mark Aldred, from Birmingham and Maidenhead鈥檚 Jono Clegg.

In Saturday鈥檚 opening heat (16.10 BST) the quartet, who finished the world cup season on a strong note, with world cup bronze in Poland, have drawn 2014 World Champions and 2015 World silver medallists, Denmark. 聽They also race the Germans whom they beat into fifth place in the final in Poland.聽 聽Three crews go through to semi-finals.

鈥業t will be interesting to see how we run off against the Danes in the opening heat because they are one of the top crews in the world. It will put everyone鈥檚 minds at rest to see where we stand鈥�, said coach Hamish Burrell.

Jack Beaumont from Maidenhead has flown out to join the GB men鈥檚 quadruple scull crew in the past few days because of illness to Graeme Thomas.聽 Beaumont, Reading鈥檚 Sam Townsend, Glasgow鈥檚 Angus Groom, who learnt to row in Guildford, and Henley鈥檚 Peter Lambert will close out GB鈥檚 first day of racing.

鈥淎ustralia and Poland are the seeded crews, so it will be a good test鈥�, said coach Paul Stannard of their opening heat (16.40 BST) from which two crews progress to Wednesday鈥檚 final and the others to a repechage which provides those crews with a second chance on Monday.

SUNDAY

Sunday鈥檚 start-list will see the men鈥檚 four, women鈥檚 pair and the two lightweight double scull crews in action in their respective opening heats.

Gloucestershire鈥檚 defending Olympic Champion Alex Gregory, Surbiton鈥檚 Moe Sbihi, George Nash, from Guildford, and Londoner Constantine Louloudis start unbeaten this season in the men鈥檚 four. They line up with South Africa, France and Greece in heat three (16.20 BST).

Three crews from each heat will progress to the men鈥檚 four semi-finals on Wednesday.聽 Britain have been Olympic champions in this event at every Games since Sydney 2000.

鈥淥verall the draws are good but there is no easy opposition at Olympic Games level.聽 We are here to compete and to show how we can perform.聽 We have prepared well and we are now looking forward to it鈥�, said coach Jurgen Grobler who is coaching at his 11th Olympic Games.

Helen Glover, from Penzance, and Lossiemouth鈥檚 Heather Stanning will race a women鈥檚 pair heat which includes Denmark and Germany who are both world cup finalists this season (14.10 BST).

Robin Williams, coach to the Olympic, World and European Champion duo, said: 鈥淭he draw has turned out evenly balanced with the seeded crews missing each other but we have crews in our heats who can race, and race well, so we will be giving them the proper respect鈥�. Three crews progress from this heat.

Tees rower Kat Copeland, like Glover and Stanning, is a defending Olympic Champion. With Putney鈥檚 Charlotte Taylor, Copeland won World silver a year ago.

The duo missed the latter part of this season鈥檚 world cup racing because of injury but have come through well from two recent good training camps.

Only two crews progress to semi-finals from their heat (14.40 BST). Coach Paul Reedy said:聽 鈥淲e are racing crews that are ranked quite highly so it will be a good first test and we are raring to go鈥�.

Richard Chambers, the elder of the Chambers siblings and a London 2012 lightweight men鈥檚 four medallist, races this Games with Games debutant Will Fletcher from Chester-le-Street in the lightweight men鈥檚 double scull.

In a somewhat ironic twist the combination, coached by Darren Whiter, are drawn in their heat (15.50 BST) alongside John Thompson and John Smith who were half of South African lightweight four who so narrowly pipped GB to gold in London four years ago.聽 The top two crews go on to the semi-finals with the remainder to the repechages.

MONDAY

Britain鈥檚 two eights open their Games on Monday with heats starting at 10.30 local time (14.30 in the UK).

The聽men have drawn Holland, Italy and New Zealand.聽 Germany, the Olympic Champions, are in the other heat.聽 聽Scott Durant (Lancaster), Tom Ransley (Ashford), Andrew T Hodge (Hebden), Matt Gotrel (Chipping Campden), Pete Reed (Nailsworth), Paul Bennett (Leeds), Matt Langridge (Northwich), Will Satch (Henley) and Londoner Phelan Hill feature in this line-up.

Christian Felkel, who coaches the eight with Jurgen Grobler, said:聽 鈥淚t was expected that the Germans would be in the other heat because of the seedings. The Dutch, of course, won in Lucerne at the world cup so that will be interesting but we are not worried and we can鈥檛 wait to get going鈥�.

The GB European Champion women鈥檚 eight are drawn with Canada and New Zealand.

James Harris, coach of the European Champion women鈥檚 eight with Paul Thompson, said:聽 鈥淭he seeding meant that we would always face New Zealand in the heats. We鈥檝e traded results with them this season and the Canadians, of course, are the World bronze medallists from last year聽so it鈥檚 going to be a good three-boat fight鈥�.聽 Only one crew can progress directly to the final, the other two will have a second chance via the repechage.

Katie Greves (Oxford), Melanie Wilson (London) Frances Houghton (Oxford), Polly Swann (Edinburgh), Jess Eddie (Durham), Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Reading), Karen Bennett (Edinburgh), Zoe Lee (Richmond) and cox Zoe de Toledo (London) will race at 10.40 Brazilian time (14.40 in the UK) with the men in action 20 minutes later.

Click here for a full guide to the Games

The post Ready and raring to go in Rio appeared first on 91桃色.

Scott Durant, Tom Ransley, Andrew T Hodge, Matt Gotrel, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Matt Langridge, Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill are named for Rio today. This crew pressed the German Olympic Champions all the way to the line before narrowly taking silver at last month鈥檚 world cup in Poland.

Hodge and Reed have twice won Olympic gold in the men鈥檚 four. Ransley, Langridge and Hill were men鈥檚 eight bronze medallists in London, while Satch won bronze in the men鈥檚 pair.

Gotrel, a former international sailor who swapped to rowing at University, Bennett and Durant will be making their Olympic debuts.聽 All three have been in either World gold medal winning crews or on the World podium in other boat classes.

In all three men鈥檚 eight World finals, the main opposition has come from Germany. 聽However, the Dutch, third at last year鈥檚 World Championships and winners at the Lucerne World Cup, will also prove strong contenders in Rio this summer.

Nathaniel Reilly O鈥橠onnell and Mat Tarrant will provide cover for the Olympic open-weight men鈥檚 sweep squad.聽 The duo have been World Champions themselves in the eight since London.

Team GB also announced today that Vicki Meyer-Laker will be the reserve for the open-weight women鈥檚 squad.聽 That brings the total of rowers to 47 and completes the selection for the sport – click on the expander box below to see the full squad.

The squad will now be focussing on a month of hard training in European-based camps before travelling on to Rio.

Mark England, Team GB鈥檚 Chef de Mission, said: 鈥淕B has had powerful success in the men鈥檚 eight since London 2012 and we are delighted to welcome this crew into Team GB today.鈥�

Sir David Tanner, 91桃色 Performance Director and Team GB Rowing Team Leader, said: 聽鈥淭he GB men鈥檚 eight showed strong form at the season鈥檚 world cup finale, taking a superb silver and putting the Olympic Champions, Germany, under pressure. We are taking one of our strongest open men鈥檚 sweep squads to the Games in Rio and the men鈥檚 eight is one of our headline crews.”

The men’s eight (who may have been watching Star Wars on training camp by the looks of things) hope the force will be with them when the Olympic rowing regatta starts in 36 days time.

Matt Langridge said: “It’s great to be officially selected in the eight, I’m very confident that this group of guys have what it takes to win in Rio and, with Jurgen’s programme, we’ll be in the best possible shape come Rio聽– the force is strong with that one.”

Scott Durant said:聽鈥淚t feels great to be selected but now the real work begins. In my experience there is no such thing as luck.鈥�

Andrew T Hodge said: 鈥淒o. Or do not.聽 There is no ‘try’. Rio, here we come, finally.”

Will Satch said: “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”

Phelan Hill said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real honour to be selected to represent for Team GB at the Olympics. The circle is now complete.聽When I competed at London, I was but the learner now I am the master.鈥�

Paul Bennett said: 鈥淣ow witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station!”

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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.

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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.

鈥淭here are some very big calls to come in the next few weeks and I try not to think about it,鈥� said Paul Bennett, World Champion in the men鈥檚 eight, of this week鈥檚 GB Rowing Team Olympic-season trials.

鈥淓veryone here does the same training, we have all worked hard to support each other but some people will not make it.聽 That鈥檚 horrible to think about so I try not to think about it.鈥�

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, 91桃色鈥檚 Performance Director, said: 鈥淭his is the event when we test the rowers under pressure in pairs and singles to see who has got what it takes to win.聽 The tension is never greater than in Olympic year.鈥�

Bennett will be racing with Matt Gotrel in a 鈥渟tacked鈥� men鈥檚 pair field.聽 GB has won the men鈥檚 eight at the World Championships three times since 2013 and 12 of the rowers involved in those wins will be on Tuesday鈥檚 start line in the men鈥檚 pair.

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

Gregory said:聽 鈥淚 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鈥檚 going to be tough to protect that record.

鈥淲e 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.鈥�

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:聽 鈥淚 feel pretty good. We鈥檝e 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鈥檒l do well at the Trials.

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

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鈥檚 pair event. The duo hold the Olympic, World and European titles although Jess Eddie and Polly Swann 鈥� the latter a World Champion with Glover in 2013 鈥� could run them close as they did in 2014.

Singular 鈥渟ingle鈥� and women鈥檚 sweep battles in store

Perhaps more intriguing could be the battle for top honours in the open men鈥檚 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.聽 He won eight titles consecutively from 2005-2012 before Cousins took over the mantle.

Campbell said:聽 鈥淔or 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鈥檓 having to race and push myself very hard to come up to the standard required to get into this Olympic team.鈥�

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

Collins said:聽 鈥淭he trials feel very early. In a way, it鈥檚 another box to be ticked but it is the biggest box of all. It鈥檚 so important. When the time comes to perform, you have to do the business. You have to step up when it really matters, that鈥檚 something you can鈥檛 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聽week as she is recovering from a minor niggle, leaving Vicky Thornley the favourite to win the open women鈥檚 single.

Thornley聽said:聽 鈥淚t 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 鈥渟weep鈥� group seeking seats in the Rio-qualified women鈥檚 eight.

She will race with Olivia Carnegie Brown, who came into the national squad through GB Rowing Team Start 鈥� 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:聽 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to get through the Trials, if I鈥檓 at the Europeans and Olympics afterwards that would be great. I鈥檓 not thinking about anything else at the moment. Getting selected is the most important thing and I鈥檒l think about Rio if and when it comes.

“I鈥檝e changed from sculling to sweep, so it鈥檚 a really big challenge but it鈥檚 exciting. It鈥檚 going to be very close at the Trials.鈥�

The women鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 getting more out of everybody.”

Eddie also summed up the mood in the squad when she said recently:聽 鈥淭he focus right now is purely on selection, that is the big thing weighing on people鈥檚 minds.聽 It鈥檚 pretty intense but it鈥檚 in our own hands.聽 If we鈥檙e good enough we鈥檒l be in the boat, if we鈥檙e not we鈥檒l, miss out.鈥�

Seriously heavy competition for the lightweight titles

Last season鈥檚 finals session was marked by a sizzling finale to the lightweight women鈥檚 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鈥檚 squad when she said:聽 鈥淓veryone 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.

鈥淚 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鈥檚 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鈥�.

This聽week鈥檚 trials will feature both a single and a pairs event for the lightweight men as selection is honed down to the two Olympic boats 鈥� 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聽week鈥檚 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:聽 鈥淭his is it, the final test to show our winter鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t is pretty stressful. We are all mates and we are about to race against each other for a place at the Olympics.鈥�

Kirkwood said:聽 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to it, there should be some good, fierce racing. I鈥檓 hoping to defend my title in the single. No doubt it will be very tough but I will give it my best shot.鈥�

In the pairs event Joel Cassells聽–聽from the same town, Coleraine, as 2012 Olympic medallists Alan Campbell, Peter and Richard Chambers 鈥� 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鈥檚 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.

路 The GB Rowing Team is supported by the Lottery through UK Sport and has Science in Sport as a supplier.聽 SAS Analytics is the Official Analytics Partner of 91桃色 and the GB Rowing Team. Follow Britain鈥檚 rowers on the Road to Rio via Twitter 鈥� @GBRowingTeam 鈥� and at www.facebook.com/GBRowingTeam.

===========================================

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:聽 @GBRowingTeam and on Facebook:聽 www.facebook.com/gbrowingteam

===========================================

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)*聽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)聽MED – withdrawn

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

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

路聽聽聽聽聽 The GB Rowing Team is supported by the Lottery through UK Sport and has Science in Sport as a supplier.聽 SAS Analytics is the Official Analytics Partner of 91桃色 and the GB Rowing Team. Follow Britain鈥檚 rowers on the Road to Rio via Twitter 鈥� @GBRowingTeam 鈥� and at www.facebook.com/GBRowingTeam.

The post Some “big calls” to come at Trials appeared first on 91桃色.

115 rowers are set to go to the start line of next week鈥檚 Olympic-season GB Rowing Team trials with just 48 Rio places on offer later this summer and earlier seats to be won at the European Championships.

The announcement of the crews for the European Championships will take place on April 6.

Sir David Tanner, 91桃色鈥檚 Performance Director said: 鈥淭his is the event when we test the rowers under pressure in pairs and singles to see who has got what it takes to win.聽 The tension is never greater than in Olympic year.鈥�

The field for next week鈥檚 (Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23) men鈥檚 pair event will be headed by names like Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash, Will Satch, Pete Reed, Andrew T Hodge and Constantine Louloudis who are all Olympic medallists, three of them Olympic Champions.

Gregory and Sbihi are tipped to take a hat-trick of titles since 2014 and, for Sbihi, victory would mean a fourth consecutive victory at this event.

World men鈥檚 eight Champions Paul Bennett and Matt Gotrel will also have eyes on the prize of a top seat for 2016.

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

Singular 鈥渟ingle鈥� and women鈥檚 sweep battles in store

Perhaps more intriguing could be the battle for top honours in the open men鈥檚 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.

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.聽 He won eight titles consecutively from 2005-2012 before Cousins took over the mantle.

2013 and 2014 World quadruple scull medallists Pete Lambert, Sam Townsend, Graeme Thomas as well as Groom鈥檚 erstwhile World U23 medal team-mate Jack Beaumont, who is back on track after last summer鈥檚 serious injury, and 2015 double-scullers Jonny Walton and John Collins are also in the mix.

At these trials only 2012 Olympic gold medallist Andrew T Hodge, racing next week in the men鈥檚 pair with reigning World pairs silver medallist Matt Langridge, can equal the 10 titles won to date by Katherine Grainger who sits out next week as she is recovering from a minor niggle, leaving Vicky Thornley the favourite to win the open women鈥檚 single.

Frances Houghton, a 2008 Olympic silver medallist and previous, multiple winner of these trials in the single, has swapped into a competitive 鈥渟weep鈥� group seeking seats in the Rio-qualified women鈥檚 eight.

This includes, amongst other contenders, Olympians Eddie and Swann, Katie Greves, Louisa Reeve and Melanie Wilson as well as Donna Etiebet, Ro Bradbury, Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Zoe Lee.

Eddie summed up the mood in the squad when she said recently:聽 鈥淭he focus right now is purely on selection, that is the big thing weighing on people鈥檚 minds.聽 It鈥檚 pretty intense but it鈥檚 in our own hands.聽 If we鈥檙e good enough we鈥檒l be in the boat, if we鈥檙e not we鈥檒l, miss out.鈥�

Seriously heavy competition for the lightweight titles

Last season鈥檚 finals session was marked by a sizzling finale to the lightweight women鈥檚 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.

Next week鈥檚 trials will feature both a single and a pairs event for the lightweight men as selection is honed down to the two Olympic boats 鈥� the light four and double.

Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher won World silver in the double last September.聽 Fletcher remains a strong contender for next week鈥檚 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.

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

This will be a small but tight event with Peter Chambers, Mark Aldred, Chris Bartley, Jonno Clegg and Sam Scrimgeour all with senior medal experience racing against relative newcomers like Jamie Copus and Sam Mottram.

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

==================================================

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

Finals – 10.00 – 12.30 Wednesday 23 March

All times of racing are subject to the weather and members of the media who are attending the event should check with the press officer on 07831 755351 or comms@gbrowingteam.org.uk before travelling to the event, particularly if there are high winds.

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

ENTRY LIST

(As at Thursday 17 March)

* denotes U23

OPEN

MEN

SINGLE

Tom Barras (Leander Club/Staines/07.01.94)*

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

Bowside

Chris Boddy (Leander Club/Thornaby-on-Tees/16.11.87)

Cameron Buchan (Leander Club/Dunipace/03.12.92)

Timothy Clarke (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/07.04.91)

Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.90)

Rory Gibbs (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lane End/03.04.94)*

Michael Glover (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Burnham/03.06.95)*

Matt Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.89)

Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)

Luke Moon (Molesey BC/Deal/25.03.93)

George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/02.10.89)

Tom Ransley (Leander Club/Ashford/06.09.85)

Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth/27.07.81)

James Rudkin (Newcastle Univ BC/Northampton/07.07.94)*

Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.88)

Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.85)

Barnaby Stentiford (Leander Club/Ippleden/06.02.91)

Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.90)

William Warr (Leander Club/Tunbridge Wells/12.03.92)

Strokeside

Matthew Aldridge (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Christchurch/11.03.96)*

Paul Bennett (Univ of London BC/Leeds/16.12.88)

Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Withiel/13.05.95)*

Phil Congdon (Leander Club/Bury St Edmunds/06.06.89)

Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.88)

Thomas Ford (Leander Club/Holmes Chapel/03.10.92)

Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.84)

Chris Heywood (Molesey BC/Ascot/29.05.94)*

Andrew T Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden/03.03.79)

Stewart Innes (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/20.05.91)

Constantine Louloudis (Oxford Univ BC/London/15.09.91)

Callum McBrierty (Leander Club/Edinburgh/13.08.92)

Lewis McCue (Robert Gordon Uni/Aberdeen/26.12.94)*

Adam Neill (Leander Club/Peterborough/29.05.90)

Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.88)

George Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/09.03.92)

Matt Rossiter (Leander Club/Newbury/25.09.89)

Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.89)

OPEN

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)

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

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Glasgow/12.11.75) (injured)

Lucinda Gooderham (Leander Club/Garboldisham/09.06.84)

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)

PAIR

Bowside

Karen Bennett (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.02.89)

Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.88)

Beth Bryan (Tees RC/Stockton-on-Tees/23.04.93)

Jess Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.84)

Fiona Gammond (Leander Club/Bicester/19.10.92)

Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.86)

Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)

Frances Houghton (Univ of London Tyrian Club/Oxford/19.09.80)

Caragh McMurtry (Southampton Coalporters/Southampton/22.08.91)

Vicki Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.88)

Strokeside

Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Henley-on-Thames/28.03.91)

Rebecca Chin (Agecroft RC/Deganwy/11.12.91)

Donna Etiebet (Imperial College BC/London/29.04.86)

Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond/15.12.85)

Holly Norton (Leander Club/Johannesburg, SA/01.01.93)

Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.84)

Heather Stanning (Army RC/Lossiemouth/26.01.85)

Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/05.06.88)

Melanie Wilson (Imperial College BC/London/25.06.84)

Jo Wratten (Tees RC/Middlesbrough/23.03.92)

LIGHTWEIGHT

MEN

SINGLE

Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.85) (injured)

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

Bowside

Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Wrexham/02.02.84)

Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ/Coleraine/14.03.90)

Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Kirriemuir/28.01.88)

Charles Waite-Roberts (Leander Club/Basingstoke/06.11.92)

Strokeside

Mark Aldred (London RC/Birmingham/18/04.87)

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

Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.89)

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)

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 post European and Olympic seats to seek at Trials appeared first on 91桃色.

After a gruelling winter of training, Nash and his team-mates have their last big chance to impress selectors in race conditions when the Olympic Trials take place at the national training centre in Caversham from March 21-23.

Nash has been through that process before in 2012 when, as a 22-year-old, his mature Trials performance secured a place in the men鈥檚 pair with Will Satch 鈥� a decision that paid dividends when the rookies won a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

He is in a stronger position now, having won world titles in the men鈥檚 eight in 2013 and 2015 plus men鈥檚 four gold in 2014, but is not taking his place at Rio for granted.

鈥淭he attitude that I take to training and competition is very much forward looking,鈥� said Nash.

鈥淚 try to ignore any past success and sort of recreate the feeling I had when I first came into the team.

鈥淚 like to feel like the underdog rather than the guy who has to be beaten. I still like to feel like I am proving myself.

Alex Gregory, Moe Sbihi, George Nash and Andrew Triggs-Hodge won men's four gold at the 2014 World Championships. 漏Peter Spurrier/Intersport Images

George Nash was in the men's eight that won a third successive World Championships gold in 2015. 漏Peter Spurrier/Intersport Images

鈥淚 am kind of a less risky option this time round. I came into the squad just a year before the last Olympics and the coaches had no idea how I would perform under pressure.

鈥淚鈥檝e had three-and-a-half years to prove myself this time round and am more of a known quantity but I still have to justify my position.

鈥淏ecause there is so much on the line in Olympic year, the internal competition during training has been fierce. It makes you realise that you have to live up to the standard of everyone else around you.鈥�

Double Olympic champion Pete Reed, a crew-mate of Nash in last year鈥檚 triumphant men鈥檚 eight, believes this is the strongest men鈥檚 sweep squad he has ever seen.

And Nash agrees, saying: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a really good winter of training and the overall level has stepped on massively across the whole team.

鈥淩acing in training has been very close, which just reaffirms the quality of the guys.鈥�

The GB Rowing Team is supported by the and has as a supplier. is the Official Analytics Partner of 91桃色 and the GB Rowing Team. Follow Britain鈥檚 rowers on the Road to Rio via Twitter 鈥� 鈥� and at .

The post FEATURE: George Nash still looking to prove himself as Olympic Trials draw closer appeared first on 91桃色.