Plenty of changes in British team selection

A number of changes to the 2011 Olympic qualifying crews was anticipated and did eventuate, but it seemed that an element of the decision-making was dictated by the number of injured or ill athletes who will still be considered for the 2012 team as the season progresses.

Perhaps the most anticipated boat was the men’s four and rumours proved correct with men’s head sweep coach Juergen Grobler moving his two top rowers, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed out of the pair and into the four with Alex Gregory and, at this stage, Alex Partridge. Gregory, thus, is the sole remaining rower from the 2011 World Champion four. Partridge comes from the 2011 eight. Tom James, who is returning to full strength following a heart problem, may still be able to make the four.

The men’s pair is now under-23 rowers George Nash and William Satch.

The men’s eight retained four of its 2011 silver medal crew including Greg Searle, Tom Ransley, James Foad and Mohamed Sbihi. Coxswain Phelan Hill from 2011 still faces competition for his spot from Sydney Olympic coxswain Rowley Douglas and Beijing Olympic cox Acer Nethercott.

Coming into the eight is Matthew Langridge and Richard Egington who both raced in the four last year and straight out of the under-23 squad, 20-year-old Constantine Louloudis.

Leading the women’s sculling squad is coach Paul Thompson. Thompson has held the women’s double sculls the same with Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger being the leading boat of the group. The women’s quadruple sculls, however, is altered from its 2011 line-up. Beth Rodford and Melanie Wilson remain and are joined by Francis Houghton with Victoria Thornley coming out of the women’s eight to stroke the quad.

The women’s single scull is the only boat that Great Britain has not yet qualified for the London Olympics and selectors are considering Rachel Gamble-Flint and Annabel Vernon for this boat. Vernon and Gamble-Flint will have to prove themselves at the first World Rowing Cup before a decision is made on whether one of them goes to the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta at the end of May.

The men’s double sculls has completely altered to now include Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend. The men’s quadruple sculls is yet to be decided but will very likely include last year’s double of Matthew Wells and Marcus Bateman. Alan Campbell, Great Britain’s men’s single sculler for the past six years, remains in the single.

For the women’s sweep rowers, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning hold onto their positions in the pair. Glover and Stanning finished second in 2011. The women’s eight has two changes from the 2011 bronze medal crew. Polly Swann and Emily Taylor come into the boat.

It is no surprise that World and Olympic Champions in the lightweight men’s double sculls have stayed the same with Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase holding onto their spots. The lightweight men’s four, however, has changed. The four were World Champions in 2010 but were disappointed to finish third last year. The boat now includes Peter Chambers who will join his brother, Richard in the boat along with Chris Bartley and Rob Williams.

The one Olympic event for lightweight women, the lightweight women’s double sculls, the boat has altered to include top under-23 rower, Katherine Copeland. Copeland joins Sophie Hosking who has been in the double since 2009. 

The selected squad will race at the first Samsung World Rowing Cup at the start of May and then the final decision on the Olympic team will be announced on 6 June 2012.

Team List:
 
Women’s pair
Helen Glover/Heather Stanning

Women’s eight
Jo Cook / Emily Taylor / Polly Swann / Olivia Whitlam / Louisa Reeve / Jess Eddie / Katie Greves / Lindsey Maguire / Caroline O’Connor (coxswain)

Women’s single sculls (two boats)
Annabel Vernon
Rachel Gamble Flint

Women’s double sculls
Anna Watkins / Katherine Grainger

Women’s quadruple sculls
Beth Rodford / Melanie Wilson / Frances Houghton / Victoria Thornley
 
Men’s pair (two boats)
George Nash / William Satch
Daniel Ritchie / Cameron Nichol

Men’s four
 Alex Gregory / Peter Reed / Andrew Triggs Hodge and either Alex Partridge or Tom James

Men’s eight
James or Partridge / James Foad / Tom Ransley / Richard Egington / Mohammed Sbihi / Greg Searle / Matthew Langridge / Constantine Louloudis

Men’s single sculls
Alan Campbell
 
Men’s double sculls
Bill Lucas / Sam Townsend

Men’s quadruple sculls
(To be named from five rowers listed here in alphabetical order)
Marcus Bateman / Charles Cousins / Stephen Rowbotham / Tom Solesbury / Matthew Wells

Lightweight women’s double sculls
Sophie Hosking / Katherine Copeland

Lightweight men’s four
Peter Chambers / Richard Chambers / Rob Williams / Chris Bartley

Lightweight men’s double sculls
Zac Purchase / Mark Hunter