Soldier and Solicitor Join Olympic Ranks

Robin Bourne-Taylor and Tom Solesbury have today been included in Britain’s Beijing Olympic team list after coming through a final selection round.

Solesbury, a qualified but non-practising solicitor, and British Army Officer Bourne-Taylor will contest the men’s pair event in Beijing and they bring the tally of qualified rowers to 43 in 12 boats – the largest TeamGB rowing contingent since 1992.

“It’s good to put the final piece into the team jigsaw”, said GB Performance Director David Tanner today. “Robin and Tom rowed together in the pair at the final world cup of this season. The only difference for the Games is that Robin will stroke the boat rather than Tom”.

Meanwhile the GB women’s eight line-up has also been finalised, meaning that Alice Freeman becomes a reserve for the open women’s squad. Alex Gregory and Tom Parker have also been named as reserves today.

=============================== ===============================

TEAMGB CREW LISTS

Olympic Games 2008, Beijing

(with clubs/home towns/dates of birth)

OPEN

WOMEN

Eight:

Carla Ashford (Oxford Brookes BC/Northallerton/13.03.79)

Jess Eddie (Uni of London/Durham/07.10.84)

Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.82)

Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers/West Runton/3.9.80)

Alison Knowles (Thames RC/ Bournemouth/27.3.82)

Natasha Page (Reading Uni/Hartpury/30.04.85)

Beth Rodford (Thames RC/Burton-on-Trent/ 28.12.82)

Sarah Winckless (Walbrook & Royal/Henley/18.10.73)

Caroline O’Connor (Oxford Brookes/Ealing/25.04.83) (cox)

Coach: John Keogh

Pair

Louisa Reeve (Leander/London/16.05.84)/

Olivia Whitlam (Agecroft/Warrington 16.09.85)

Coach: Rob Morgan

Quad Scull

Annie Vernon (Marlow RC/Wadebridge/01.09.82)/

Debbie Flood (Leander Club/Leeds/27.02.80)/

Frances Houghton (Tyrian Club (Uni of London)/Oxford/19.09.80)/

Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC/Aberdeen/12.11.75)

Coach: Paul Thompson

Double scull

Elise Laverick (Thames RC/Poling, W.Sussex/27.07.75)/

Anna Bebington (Leander Club/Leek, Staffs/13.2.83)

Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas

Alternates*

Tina Stiller (Nottingham RC/Yarm, N.Yorks/23.6.87)

Alice Freeman (Wallingford RC/Oxford/6.9.78)

MEN

Pair

Tom Solesbury (Molesey BC/Petts Wood, Kent/23.09.80)/

Robin Bourne-Taylor (Army RC/Oxford/22.07.81)

Coach: Peter Sheppard

Four

Tom James (Molesey/Wrexham/11.3.84)/

Steve Williams (Leander Club/Cheltenham/15.04.76)/

Peter Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.81)/

Andy Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Hebden, N.Yorks/03.03.79)

Coach: Jurgen Grobler

Eight

Alex Partridge (Leander Club/Alton, Hants/25.01.81)/

Tom Stallard (Leander/Welwyn, Herts/11.09.78)/

Tom Lucy (Oxford Brookes/Monmouth/01.05.88)/

Richard Egington (Leander/Knutsford/26.02.79)/

Josh West (Leander/Santa Fe, USA/25.03.77)/

Alastair Heathcote (Army RC/London/18.8.77)/

Matt Langridge(Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.83)/

Colin Smith (Leander/Henley on Thames/23.09.83)/

Acer Nethercott (University College Oxford BC/Harlow/28.11.77)(cox)

Coaches: Mark Banks, John West

Single Scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers/Coleraine/9.5.83)

Coach: Bill Barry

Double Scull

Matt Wells (Leander Club/Hexham, Northumberland/19.4.79)/

Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club/Winscombe, Somerset/11.11.81)

Coach: Mark Earnshaw

Men’s Alternates*

Tom Parker (Oxford Brookes/Winchester/24.10.82)

Alex Gregory (Reading Uni/Wormington/11.03.84)

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Helen Casey (Wallingford RC/Oxford/06.02.74)/

Hester Goodsell (Reading Uni/Cambridge/27.06.84)

Coach: Rob Morgan

MEN

Four

Richard Chambers (Oxford Brookes/Coleraine/10.06.85)/

James Lindsay-Fynn (London/Trim/29.09.75)/

Paul Mattick (Wallingford/Oxford/25.04.78)/

James Clarke (London RC/London/31.12.84)

Coach: Robin Williams

Double scull

Zac Purchase (Marlow RC/Tewkesbury, Glos/02.05.86)/

Mark Hunter (Leander Club/Romford, Essex/01.07.78)

Coach: Darren Whiter

Lightweight Men’s Alternate*

Rob Williams (London RC/Maidenhead/21.01.1985)

* Alternate=Reserve