Toughest Challenge Since Athens

Great Britain’s rowers are ready to face their toughest challenge since the Athens Olympic Games, according to Performance Director David Tanner, as they prepare to compete from this Sunday onwards (20-27 August) in the World Rowing Championships, sponsored by Siemens, at Dorney Lake, Eton.

Today the rowers undertook their first full day of training on the course which will host the event, and the 2012 Olympic rowing regatta, after four and a half weeks of training at altitude and at finishing camps in Italy and France, backed by lottery funding through UK Sport.

"Competing at a home-based major event takes a special kind of resolve", said Tanner today. "This will be good practice for the years to come, especially for our younger rowers.
Whilst the squad is excited about the prospect of home crowds it is determined
to focus on the job in hand. We remain confident that we can win at least three medals and it remains to be seen of which colour".

Britain’s main medal hopes include the men’s four and women’s quadruple scull,
both sponsored by Camelot and both defending titles they won in Gifu, Japan, last September.

Steve Williams, already an Olympic gold medallist and world champion and who
races in the bow seat of the men’s four with Alex Partridge in the three seat, Peter Reed at no. 2 and Andy Hodge at stroke:

"For us this will be like a small Olympics. There will be big crowds and it’s important to us that we perform well".

Katherine Grainger, recently awarded the MBE for services to rowing and a double
Olympic silver medallist as well as defending world champion in the quadruple scull added:
"This year is very special to all of us. We all want to do our very best at Eton". Grainger will stroke the women’s quad with Debbie Flood at bow, Sarah Winckless at no.2 and Frances Houghton in the three-seat.

Other British crews, though, have also been attracting a focus already this season on the world cup circuit. They include some Siemens-sponsored line-ups: Alan Campbell in the men’s single; Anna Bebington and Annie Vernon in the women’s double scull; Matt Wells
and Stephen Rowbotham in the men’s double scull. Each will have aspirations of at least making the final and, once there, any one might make it onto the podium.

In addition the women’s eight and the lightweight men’s double scull of James Lindsay-Fynn and Mark Hunter along with the lightweight men’s four will all be in the hunt for final-day slots.

The men’s eight was recently re-organised and now has Tom Stallard at stroke. Alison Knowles strokes the equivalent women’s crew.

One surprise package could also be Tom James and Colin Smith in the men’s
pair. The duo spent most of the early part of this year fighting each other in
the Cambridge and Oxford Boat Race crews respectively but have now combined
in an outfit which showed a good turn of speed in Lucerne at the world cup finals last month where they reached the final and took an outstanding silver medal behind the world champions Nathan Tweddle and George Bridgewater whom they led for the first half of the race.

James was previously in the men’s eight, and won a world bronze in 2003, but
both he and Smith, who was GB’s single sculler in Gifu last year, took a break this year for exams.

In the lightweight women’s double, Jane Hall, a former world champion, has returned to the squad after protracted illness and has reached two finals with Helen Casey at world cup regattas this season.

GB Rowing had a tough choice in the non-Olympic lightweight single scull category. They chose the youth of Zac Purchase, just turned 20, rather than the maturity of Tim Male.

Male now features in the lightweight men’s quadruple scull – one of the final boats to be selected alongside the women’s equivalent which includes 2005 World U23 single scull champion Hester Goodsell and 2006 World U23 lightweight single scull silver medallist, Sophie Hosking.

Of the adaptive crews – the term used for elite rowers with a disability – the mixed coxed four won gold in Gifu last year and are, therefore, defending world champions. With two rowers selected again they will be strong contenders for the title at Eton though the event will look different as the race distance has been halved to 1000m.

This is the first time that we have selected a women’s single in the "arms only" category and this gives Helene Raynsford the chance to win her first Great Britain vest. Raynsford has already competed for GB in women’s wheelchair basketball.

"The GB Rowing squad we have announced for the first Championships on "home water" for two decades, has good strength in depth and is a blend of youth and experience", said Tanner. "More and more nations are developing good and well-funded rowing programmes. The emergence of China and New Zealand are good examples.

"The World Championships come at a very important stage of our build-up to the main focus on the four year campaign, the Olympic Games in Beijing in two years’ time", he added.

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FULL GB SQUAD LIST FOR ETON
AUGUST 20-27TH

Eight
Vicki Etiebet (Auriol Kensington)/Natasha Page (Reading Uni)/
Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers)/ Carla Ashford (Thames RC)/
Beth Rodford (Thames RC)/Elise Laverick (Thames RC)/
Katie Greves (Uni of London)/Alison Knowles (Thames RC)/
Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes)

Coaches: Ron Needs/Gary Stubbs

Double scull

Annie Vernon (Thames RC)/Anna Bebington (Leander)
Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas

Quadruple scull

Debbie Flood (Leander)/Sarah Winckless (Walbrook)/
Frances Houghton (Uni of London)/Katherine Grainger
(St Andrew)
Coach: Paul Thompson

Racing spares
Pair
Baz Moffat (Thames RC)/Jess Eddie (Uni of London)

MEN

Pair

Colin Smith (Oxford Uni)/Tom James (Cambridge Uni)
Coach: Rusty Williams

Four

Steve Williams (Leander)/Peter Reed
(Leander)/Alex Partridge (Leander)/Andy Hodge (Molesey)
Coach: Jurgen Grobler

Coxed four

Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey)/Marcus Bateman (Reading Uni)/
Tom Parker (OUBC)/Hugo Lee (Oxford Brookes)/Seb Pearce
(cox) (OUBC)

Coach: Richard Tinkler

Eight

Toby Garbett (Leander)/Tom Solesbury (Molesey)/Jonno Devlin
(Oxford Brookes)/Richard Egington (Leander)/Josh West (Leander)/
Kieran West (CUBC)/Matt Langridge (Leander)/Tom Stallard (Leander)
Acer Nethercott (cox) (OUBC)

Coach: Steve Gunn

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers)
Coach: Bill Barry

Double scull

Matthew Wells (Uni of London)/Stephen Rowbotham (Leander)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Men’s Reserves
James Orme (Leander)/
Alex Gregory (Reading Univ BC)
Charlie Palmer (CUBC)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Jane Hall (Leander)/Helen Casey (Wallingford)
Coach: Rob Dauncey

Quadruple scull
Laura Ralston (Rob Roy)/Lindsay Dick (Glasgow)/
Sophie Hosking (Durham Uni)/Hester Goodsell (Rob Roy)

Coach: John Keogh

Racing spare
Single scull
Antonia van Deventer (Leander)

MEN

Pair
Chris Bartley (Notts Uni)/Richard Chambers (Oxford Brookes)

Four

Matt Beechey (Leander)/Daniel Harte (London)/Paul Mattick
(Wallingford)/James Clarke (Durham Uni)
Coach: Mark Banks

Single scull

Zac Purchase
Coach: Darren Whiter

Double scull

James Lindsay-Fynn (London)/Mark Hunter (Leander)
Coach: Robin Williams

Quadruple scull
Tim Male (Tideway Scullers)/Alasdair Leighton-
Crawford (Tideway Scullers)/Ross Hunter (Leander)/
Dave Currie (Leander)

Coach: Rob Morgan

ADAPTIVE BOATS

Mixed legs/trunk/arms coxed four

Naomi Riches (Marlow RC)/Vicki Hansford (Guildford RC/Alastair Mckean (Herne Bay ARC)/ Alan Crowther (Nottingham Boat Club)/Alan Sherman (Thames Tradesman RC)

Coach: Chad King

Women’s arms only single scull

Helene Raynsford (Guildford RC)

Coach: Simon Goodey (Royal Docks RC)

Men’s arms only single scull

Shaun Sewell (Royal Docks RC)

Coach: Simon Goodey

Mixed trunk and arms double scull

Karen Cromie (Royal Docks BC)/James Roberts (Rebecca)

Coach: Chad King

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GB ROWING SQUADS = HOME TOWNS LIST

BRITISH ROWING SQUADS

NAME D.O.B/PLACEofBIRTH/HOMETOWN/LIVING/ROWING CLUB

Carla Ashford 13.03.79/Northallerton,
N.Yorks/Masham,N.Yorks/Brentford/Thames RC
Chris Bartley 02.02.84/Farndon, Cheshire/Nottingham/Notts Uni
Marcus Bateman 16.09.82/Bermuda/Torquay/Henley on Thames/Reading Uni
Anna Bebington 13.02.83/Leek, Staffs/Leek/Crowthorne, Berks/Leander
Matt Beechey 03.04.77/Worcester/Worcester/Henley on Thames/Leander
Nick Brodie 06.08.96/Oxford/Oxford/Oxford/OUBC
Alan Campbell 05.09.83/Coleraine/Coleraine/Mortlake/Tideway Scullers
Helen Casey 06.02.74/Stockport/Oxford/Oxford/Wallingford
Richard Chambers 10.06.85/??/??/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
James Clarke 13.12.84/London/London/Durham/Durham Uni
Karen Cromie 24.09.79/Banbridge, N.Ireland/Ballinamallard, Cty Fermanagh/??/Royal Docks BC
Alan Crowther 29.07.65/??/Derby/Derby/Nottingham BC
Dave Currie 10.01.82/Glamorgan/??/Henley/Leander
Ryan Davies 16.02.85/??/Henley on Thames/Oxford Brookes
Jonno Devlin 17.03.76/South Africa/Oxford/Putney/Oxford Brookes
Lindsay Dick 27.07.71/Strathaven/??/??Glasgow RC
Katie-George Dunlevy 26.11.81/??/Maidenhead/Maidenehead RC
Jess Eddie 07.10.84/Durham/Durham/Chiswick/Uni of London
Richard Egington 26.02.79/Knutsford/n/a/Henley on Thames/Leander
Robin Ejsmond-Frey 14.03.86/London/Hammersmith/Oxford/OUBC
Nick English 11.05.78/Coventry/Whitley Bay/Nottingham/Notts&Union
Vicki Etiebet 12.08.79/Ottowa, Canada/London/London/Auriol Kensington
Simon Fieldhouse 04.09.76/??/??/Thames Ditton/Molesey
Debbie Flood 27.02.80/Harrogate/Leeds/Henley on Thames/Leander
Toby Garbett 14.11.76/Chertsey, Sy/West Byfleet/Ascot, Berks/Leander
Hester Goodsell 27.06.84/London/London/Cambridge/Rob Roy
Katherine Grainger MBE 11.12.75/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Bisham, Bucks/St Andrew
Alex Gregory 11.03.84/??/Wormington/Reading/Reading Uni
Katie Greves 02.09.82/London/Oxford/Mortlake/Uni of London
Jane Hall 20.10.73/Kingston-upon-Thames/Surbiton/Caversham/Leander
Joanna Hammond 28.1.80/Leamington Spa/Leamington/Cambridge/Leander
Vicki Hansford 31.10.79/Lewisham/Fleet/Fleet/Guildford RC
Daniel Harte 12.12.75n/a/n/a/Putney/London
Mike Hennessy 24.12.76/London/Deptford/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Rob Hollis 14.02.84/Wendover/Monmouth/Cowley/Oxford Brookes
Sophie Hosking??/??/??/Durham Uni
Frances Houghton 19.09.80/Oxford/Oxford/Putney/Uni of London
Natasha Howard 03.09.80/Harare, Zimbabwe/West Runton/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Mark Hunter 01.07.78/Forest Gate, London/Romford/Cadmore End,Bucks/Leander
Ross Hunter 13.07.81/??/??/Cadmore End, Bucks/Leander
Tom James 03.11.84/Cardiff/Wrexham/Cambridge/CUBC
Simon Jones 08.06.78n/a/n/a/Cropwell Butler/Leander
Alison Knowles 27.03.82/Bournemouth/Bournemouth/Putney, London/Thames
Matthew Langridge 20.05.83/Northwich, Cheshire/Northwich/Henley Leander
Elise Laverick 27.07.75/Rustington, Sx/Poling, W Sx/Putney/Thames
Ian Lawson 04.03.77/Bradford/Otley, W.Yks/Henley on Thames/Leander
Hugo Lee 05.03.84/Guildford/Jeburgh/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
Alistair Leighton-Crawford ?/?/?/?/Tideway Scullers
James Lindsay-Fynn 29.09.75/Dublin/Trim, Ireland/London/London
Alastair Mckean 14.04.79/Canterbury/??/Whitstable/Herne Bay ARC
Tim Male 09.07.75/Yeovil, So/Yeovil/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Paul Mattick 25.04.78n/a/Oxford/Wallingford
Baz Moffat 8.4.78/Edinburgh/Bradford/Putney/Thames RC
Acer Nethercott 28.11.77/Newmarket/Harlow, Ex/Oxford/OUBC
Lorna Norris 23.12.75n/a/na/a/Mortlake/Mortlake Anglian
Caroline O’Connor 25.04.83Ealing/Ealing/Ealing/Oxford Brookes
James Orme 1.4.84/London/Colchester/Cambridge/Leander
Natasha Page 30.04.85n/a/Hartpury/Reading/Reading Uni
Charlie Palmer 25.10.78/Melbourne/Hagley,Tasmania/Cambridge/CUBC
Tom Parker 24.10.82/Hammersmith/Winchester/Oxford/OUBC
Alex Partridge 25.01.81/San Francisco/Alton, Hants/East Sheen/Leander
Seb Pearce 10.05.82/?/Bromsgrove/Oxford/OUBC
Zac Purchase 2.5.86/??/Tewkesbury/Tewkesbury/Marlow RC
Peter Reed 27.07.81/Seattle, USA/Nailsworth/Oxford/Leander
Helene Raynsford 29.12.79/Halfax, Yorks/??/Frimley/Guildford RC
Naomi Riches 15.06.83/??/??/Harrow Weald, Middlesex/??
James Roberts 11.05.86/Mons, Belgium/Swansea/Cardiff/Rebecca
Beth Rodford 28.12.82/Burton/Trent/Gloucester/Cowley/Thames
Steve Rowbotham 11.11.81n/a/Winscombe/West Molesey/Leander
Rebecca Rowe 16.5.81/Bridgend/Cardiff/Cardiff/Rebecca
Shaun Sewell 10.05.75/Forest Gate, London/Manor Park, London/London/Royal Docks RC
Alan Sherman 22.10.51/Wuppertal, Germany/??/London/Thames Tradesmen
Tom Solesbury 23.9.80/Farnborough/Petts Wood/Henley-on-Thames/Molesey
Colin Smith 03.09.83/ Harare, Zimbabwe/Henley on Thames/Oxford/OUBC
Tom Stallard 11.09.78/London/Welwyn, Herts/London/Leander
Sam Townsend 26.11.85/ Reading/Reading/Reading/Reading Uni
Andy Triggs Hodge 03.08.79/Aylesbury/Hebden, Skipton/East Molesey/Molesey
Matt Tucker 05.01.85/??/Winkfield, Nr Windsor/Oxford Brookes
Antonia van Deventer 23.7.78/?/London/Rob Roy
Annie Vernon 01.09.82n/a/Wadebridge, Cornwall/Marlow, Bucks/Thames
Matthew Wells 19.04.79/Bradford/Hexham/East Sheen/Uni of London
Josh West 25.03.77/Santa Fe, USA/Santa Fe/Oxford/Leander
Kieran West MBE 18.09.77/Kingston-upon-Thames/W. Byfleet/Mortlake CUBC
Steve Williams MBE 15.04.76/Warwick/Cheltenham/Henley/Leander
Sarah Winckless 18.10.73/Reading/Hurley, Bucks/Marlow, Bucks/Walbrook