New member of British men's coxless four

British men’s coxless four Olympic team
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British Rowing’s lead men’s boat has been refreshed following the GB National Team Trials last Wednesday.

Alex Partridge, who with Andy Hodge won the men’s pair at the GB National Team Trials on Wednesday, joins the British men’s coxless four for the first World Cup of the Olympic year in Poznan, Poland, from May 7-9, 2004.

British rowing announced Partridge’s inclusion during a media call at Leander Club, Henley today. He has won the place ahead of Josh West, the 2002 and 2003 world coxless four silver medalist, and joins Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Steve Williams in the line-up.

Partridge, 23, and Williams both took up rowing at school at Monkton Combe School in Bath. Partridge was a world junior silver medalist in 1999 and world U23 medalist the following year. He won World Championships bronze last September as part of the British eight coached by Steve Gunn.

“We are confident that this is a strong line-up with which to go forward into the racing season”, said British Performance Director David Tanner today. “Alex and Andy Hodge performed superbly at our trials and Alex thoroughly deserves his place in this lead boat. The Trials also showed what strength we have in the “eights” group and that we have a reservoir of young talent coming through in both the men’s and women’s squads”.

Pinsent and Cracknell, sponsored by Camelot, are defending Olympic champions in the coxless four. They won the title in Sydney with Sir Steve Redgrave and Tim Foster. The duo was also world pair champions in 2001 and 2002.

Williams raced in the British four – with West, Rick Dunn and Toby Garbett – which won two consecutive world championships silvers in the four. He was also world champion in 2001. Williams and West competed at the GB National Team Trials last week but were disappointed with their fifth-placed finish.

A somewhat surprised Partridge said, on being told of his inclusion:
“Before Christmas I was just worried whether I would make it to Athens or not. So, it’s a bit of a shock suddenly being in this boat. Now I’m here and I am going to do the best I can”.

Pinsent added: “It’s so different to what’s happened before in the lead up to every other Games I’ve been to. It’s an exciting situation. We have no form as a crew; no-one knows how we are going to race. They don’t know what our strengths and weaknesses are”.

The full GB Team for the opening World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland, will be announced on Thursday 22 April.

Cracknell, Pinsent, Williams & Partridge
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