World University team is named by BUCS

BUCS [British Universities & Colleges Sport] have today announced a 31-strong British team for the 14th FISU World University Rowing Championships, taking place in Poznan, Poland, from September 2-4.

The competition has provided valuable international experience for several senior rowers in recent years, including Rio 2016 Olympic medallists George Nash and Karen Bennett.

Lee Boucher, GB Team Manager for Poznan, said: “It has been another outstanding year for student rowing in Britain and the World University Rowing Championships will give our young athletes the opportunity to make an impact on the world stage ahead of the start of the new Olympic cycle.

“In 2014, Great Britain topped the medal table in Gravelines, France, with a team that featured Rio Olympians Karen Bennett and Stewart Innes.  This year’s team has a strong mix of experience and first time internationals and we travel out to Poznan with plenty of optimism.”

Bennett, part of the Team GB women’s eight that won a historic silver in Rio, won gold with the women’s four and Innes took bronze in the men’s single scull two years ago, while the 2010 regatta saw Nash – now Olympic Champion in the men’s four – and Mat Tarrant claim gold in the men’s eight.

A quartet of men’s eight gold-medallists from the 2014 FISU Championships return, with Will Warr and Tom Ford being joined by Oli Knight and Morgan Hellen in the men’s four this time round.

Tim Clarke and cox Rory Copus are back in the eight once more alongside Richard Clarke, Ed Gleadowe, Jacob Dawson, Tristan Vouilloz, Cameron Buchan, Robbie Massey and James Stanhope.

Alex Haynes and James Robson make up the men’s pair, while Matt Bedford, Oliver Morgan, Iain Mandale and Paul Jones go in the lightweight men’s four.

Five members of the women’s squad have all won World U23 medals during the past two years. Anastasia Chitty and Sam Courty – who has come through the GB Rowing Team Start talent ID and development scheme – will compete in the pair, while Melissa Wilson goes in the single scull.

Annie Withers and Gillian Cooper, who won bronze in the U23 eight last year, line up alongside Rebecca Edwards and Ailish Sheehan in the women’s four, while Emily Carmichael and Rebecca Girling will make their GB debuts in the double.

There are three more GB debutants in the lightweight women’s squad – Robyn Hart-Winks in the single, and Suzi Perry and Imogen Mackie in the double.

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the national governing body for Higher Education (HE) sport in the UK, organising leagues and competitions for more than 150 institutions across 52 different sports. BUCS is responsible for delivering Great Britain representative teams in the worldwide international university sporting programme.

The international University Sports Federation (FISU) organise a series of World University Championships (WUCs) in even-numbered years and World University Games (Summer Universiade) in odd-numbered years

 

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