World U23 Team Announced

GB Rowing today announced its squad for the World  U23 Championships due to take place in Amsterdam, Holland, from July 22-24.  Many of those named will aspire to represent Great Britain when London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games.

They include Alex Gregory and Colin Smith in the men’s double scull. The duo were somewhat dramatically forced to withdraw from the senior World Cup Finals in Lucerne over the weekend when Gregory needed emergency treatment following an asthma attack from which he has now recovered.

Smith, already a World U23 single scull silver medallist last year, and Gregory both hold hopes of seeing their names on the team sheet when the senior men’s squad is announced on Thursday of this week for the World Championships taking place in Japan in late August and early  September.

Also named today at U23 level is Zac Purchase who won his first major senior medal in Munich last month when he took World Cup silver in the men’s lightweight single scull.

Jessica Eddie and Anna Bebington race in the women’s pair.  Bebington, of Rob Roy, was part of the GB four which won gold at last year’s World U23 champs in Poznan and Eddie, of the University of London, was a World U23 pair bronze medallist in 2003 and part of the women’s four at the 2004 World Championships.

Durham’s Paul Kelly and James Clarke compete once more in the lightweight men’s pair – an event in which they won bronze in Poznan a year ago.

Oxford Brookes, Cambridge, Oxford and Durham Universities all have several athletes within the squad.

"We have an eye on future development in this post-Olympic season", said David Tanner, the ARA’s International Manager.  "It’s important that we give these athletes good training and competition opportunities and that we nurture GB’s young talent well".

Meanwhile, there is also a husband and wife combination within the team in coaches Emma and Wade Hall Craggs – thought to be a first for Great Britain rowing.

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TEAM LIST
GB Squad, World U23 Championships 2005
Amsterdam 22-24, July

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair
Jessica Eddie (Uni of London)/Anna Bebington (Rob Roy)
Coach:  Rusty Williams

Four
Jo Cook (Notts County RA)/Louisa Reeve (Durham Uni)/Lucinda
Gooderham (Durham Uni)/Ann Allin (Durham Uni)
Coach:  Emma Hall Craggs

MEN

Four
Colin Scott (Cambridge Uni)/Ed Sherwood (Cambridge Uni)/
Hugo Lee (Oxford Brookes Uni)/James Orme (Cambridge Uni)
Coach:  Mark Hall

Coxed Four
Ryan Davies (Oxford Brookes)/Will Robinson (Oxford Brookes)/
Matthew Tucker (Oxford Brookes)/Tom Wilkinson (Leander)/
Nick Ford (Oxford Brookes – Cox)
Coach:  Peter Haining

Eight
Rob Hollis (Oxford Brookes Uni)/Simon Hislop (Imperial College)/
Sam Townsend (Reading RC)/George Laughton (Newcastle Uni)/
Robin Esjmond-Frey (Oxford Uni)/David Livingston (Oxford Uni)/
Richard Smith (Uni of London)/Lucas Dalglish (Uni of London)/
Nick Brodie (Oxford Uni – cox)
Coach:  Jonny Singfield/Stuart Whitelaw

Double scull
Alex Gregory (Reading Uni)/Colin Smith (Oxford Uni)
Coach:  Mark Earnshaw

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single scull
Hester Goodsell (York Uni)
Coach:  Don McLachlan

Double scull
Laura Greenhalgh/Helen Ralston (both Rob Roy)
Coach:  Adrian Cassidy

MEN

Pair
Paul Kelly/James Clarke (Durham Uni)
Coach: Wade Hall-Craggs

Single scull
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC)
Coach:  Darren Whiter

Double scull
Gavin Shaw (Aberdeen Uni BC)/Ben Tipney (Leander)
Coach:  John McArthur

Quadruple scull
Stephen Feeney (Newcastle Uni)/Richard Chambers (Oxford
Brookes Uni)/Doug Perrin (Cambridge Uni Lightweights)/
Chris Bartley (Notts Uni)
Coach:  Nigel Muir

Team Manager:  Peter Shakespear
Chief Coach:  Peter Sheppard
International Manager: David Tanner

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CONTACT DETAILS
For media enquiries about British Rowing please contact:

Caroline Searle
m (07831) 755351
t (01225) 383518

e [email protected]

British Rowing website www.biro.org.uk – full biogs available
here.

Dorney Lake, Eton, host to the 2005 World Cup in May will
also be the venue for the 2006 World Championships, taking
place in August.  News available at:  www.wrc2006.com

Accreditation and results details for major
international events can be found at:
www.worldrowing.com

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The GB Rowing Squad is supported by the National Lottery
Sports Fund as part of UK Sport’s World Class Performance
Programme.

Britain’s lead women’s crew and lead men’s sweep
boat are both sponsored by Camelot.

GB Rowing News Bulletins are issued by British
International Rowing.