In with the old, new and re-aligned for Boston Assessment

February 7, 2013

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLISTS Andrew Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed, Alex Gregory and Helen Glover will be in action in Boston, LIncs, this Saturday (9 Feb) at the GB Rowing Team’s second Winter Assessment trials.

So, too, will emerging talents like Mat Tarrant, a former World U23 Champion, and the lightweight men’s European Championships silver medal quartet of Sam Scrimgeour, William Fletcher, Jonathan Clegg and Olympic reserve Adam Freeman-Pask. Tarrant competes in the men’s pair whilst the others will all contest the lightweight men’s single.

Chasing more established tails will also be rowers like Cameron MacRitchie – who lit one sector of the Olympic cauldron at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony and who is now at the University rowing power-house of Durham – in the men’s single scull as well as recent Australian Youth Olympic Festival medallists Ed Grisedale, Jo Guppy, Jack Beaumont and Luke Moon.

“This is very much a transitional season for us. A home Games is a very unique experience and many of our rowers have taken extended breaks”, said GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner. “Boston will help us shape our team for the opening World Cup in Sydney next month”.

The open weight men are contesting the grueling 5km time-trial in pairs or singles. Triggs Hodge will row with 2012 men’s eight bronze medallist Moe Sbihi with Reed and Gregory teaming up.

Matt Langridge, Beijing and London medallist, returns for his first competitive outing but has chosen the single to shake the rust off his extended post-Games break. There he will find Olympic bronze medallist Alan Campbell and Olympic double scull finalists Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend in waiting.

The GB Rowing Team Start programme has also supplied its fair share of starters, particularly amongst those aiming for U23 or British Universities’ representation this year. Daniel Clift from the Cambridge Start centre – the one that produced Olympic Champion Anna Watkins – and Frazier Christie – who trains where Helen Glover and Heather Stanning’s journey into rowing began at the University of Bath Bath – are on the start lists for the men’s single and the men’s pair respectively. Christie competes with Jack Cadman.

There will also be three rowers who have come into the sport having already shone in other sports. They are sailor Matt Gotrel (competing with Lance Tredell in the men’s pair), rugby player turned men’s single sculler Graeme Thomas and former swimmer Dan Ritchie, the twice World Championships men’s eight medallist, who is back in the fold after being ruled out of Olympic year through injury.

Frances Houghton, now 32, who made her Olympic debut in 2000, is back racing too. She was a finalist in the women’s quadruple scull in London having taken silver in Beijing and Athens. “I love the sport, so why wouldn’t I be back”, said Houghton. “I had so many injuries last time round that I did not feel like I had, had an Olympiad. So this feels like starting afresh”.

She will race Glover, Vicky Thornley, Beth Rodford, Jess Eddie and Katie Greves from the 2012 Olympic or 2011 World Championships medal-winning line-ups in the women’s open weight single. Newcomers like Emily Ford, Nicole Lamb, Beth Bryan, Anastasia Chitty and Lucy Burgess – all fresh back from the Australian Games – will also be seeking to lay down U23 markers.

Tina Stiller, Polly Swann, Vicky Meyer-Lake and Monica Relph as well as Caragh McMurty and Olivia Carnegie Brown (silver medallists at the Europeans and World U23s) could also be amongst those with the pedigree to make a step up.

Imogen Walsh and Kathryn Twyman spearhead the lightweight women’s single line up. Both are from the 2011 World Championships winning women’s quad.

The lightweight men’s single scull event also consists of rowers like Jamie Copus and Ben Broad who did well in Australia earlier this year as well as returning 2010 World lightweight men’s pair finalist Chris Boddy – who is a graduate of the Start programme.

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RACING TIMETABLE

10.30
All open weight categories (men’s pair, men’s and women’s singles)

13.30
All lightweight categories (lightweight men’s and women’s singles).

ENTRIES

Full entries will appear here on Friday: https://www.britishrowing.org/gb-rowing-team/events/trials

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CONTACT DETAILS

For media enquiries about this event please contact:

Caroline Searle on (01225) 443998 or 07831 755351
or e-mail us on [email protected]

GB Rowing Team website, including full rower biogs: www.gbrowingteam.org.uk

and Twitter: @gbrowingteam

Pictures available for media editorial use via: [email protected]