Olympic medallists in new-look line-up – Crew lists for Eton World Cup

Great Britain will field a new-look line-up when top rowing returns to the UK for the first time in almost two decades during the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup at Eton later this month (May 26-28).
Great Britain will field a new-look line-up when top rowing returns to the UK for the first time in almost two decades during the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup at Eton later this month (May 26-28).

Whilst the squad, named today, includes eight Olympic medallists, there are also a number of new names as the sport begins its long–term planning for Beijing 2008 and beyond.

Six of the eight female Athens medallists will be in action, including a strong quadruple scull featuring world champion and twice Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger alongside Rebecca Romero, Sarah Winckless and Frances Houghton.

Debbie Flood will compete in a single and Elise Laverick, the bronze medallist who is returning to the sport after time out following a road accident, will race in a double with emerging rower Annie Vernon.

There is also a new British men’s four. Steve Williams, gold medallist in this boat in Athens, is joined by Alex Partridge, Andy Hodge and Peter Reed.

The latter duo were part of Oxford’s Boat Race winning crew. Hodge, part of the GB Olympic eight in 2004, will stroke the boat. The GB team management has tipped the Molesey Club rower as a name to watch for several seasons now and he could make his big breakthrough in 2005.

Reed’s progress since starting the sport at the University of the West of England, three and a half years ago, has been nothing short of remarkable. He is a Royal Naval Officer who is currently undertaking a Masters in Engineering at Oxford.

Kieran West, Olympic gold medallist in the eight in Sydney, will compete in a pair with his unrelated namesake Josh West, world silver medallist in the four in 2002 and 2003.

Amongst the lightweight squad Jo Hammond, 2004 world singles silver medallist and winner of the GB Trials last month, will join Helen Casey in the women’s double. Naomi Hoogesteger, a new name to emerge from Durham University and who impressed at the trials will race in the single.

The men’s lightweight double scull will be James Lindsay–Fynn and Mark Hunter. Tim Male, a talented musician who became a father for the first time during the GB Trials last month, will race in the men’s single as will 19 year old Zac Purchase.

Purchase is one of a number of emerging rowers who will be tested at senior level this season.

These include Annie Vernon, a bronze medallist in the world U23 championships last year, who has made a significant leap by joining the women’s elite sculling group and will race in a double with Laverick.

Cornishwoman Vernon, like Alex Gregory who races in the men’s quadruple scull, are the first graduates from the Sport England funded World Class Start programme to be selected for senior GB Olympic class boats.

Beth Rodford and Alison Knowles were in the gold medal–winning GB four at the World U23 championships last year and also won the pair at the GB Trials last month. They will race in the pair at Eton.

There are some new caps, too, in the men’s eight. Tom Broadway, Tom Parker and Henry Bailhache–Webb all make the step up.

"Whilst we have returning Olympic medallists, this is primarily a season of re–building and re–shaping the squad as we begin the long road to Beijing", said GB Team Manager David Tanner today.

"The inclusion of two world class start athletes is a very encouraging sign of the success of this Sport England funded programme in only its third year.

Many athletes are looking forward to competing on home waters for the first time.

"It will be a total thrill to hear the crowds as we come down the course", said Sarah Winckless recently. "British supporters are some of the best in the world and it will make a big difference to us".

Nearly 1000 tickets have already been sold for the finals day – Saturday 28 May.

"In many ways this will be a more important event for me than the 2005 world championships", said Steve Williams. "To win in front of a home crowd is our aim and will be a way of repaying the fantastic support we had from British fans out in Athens", he added at a recent team gathering.

The event will also feature the National Lottery Legends Sprint during which Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster will re–enact the Sydney final in which Sir Steve won his fifth gold.

The race is rowing’s contribution to the Tsunami Appeal with donations raising money for the World Food Programme. All six crews in that final look set to make the journey to the UK to compete.

The BearingPoint World Cup will be televised live by BBC Television.

<h3>Crew Lists</h3>(from bow to stroke plus cox)

<h5>Open</h5><h5>Women</h5>Pair
Beth Rodford/Alison Knowles
(Thames/Thames)

Eight
Names to be confirmed at a later date

Single scull
Debbie Flood
(Leander)

Double scull
Elise Laverick/Annie Vernon
(Thames/Rob Roy)

Quadruple scull
Rebecca Romero/Sarah Winckless/
Frances Houghton/Katherine Grainger
(Leaner/Walbrook/Uni of London/St Andrew)

<h5>Men</h5>Pair
Josh West/Kieran West
(Cambridge Uni/Uni of London)

Four
Steve Williams/Peter Reed/Alex
Partridge/Andy Triggs Hodge
(Leander/Oxford Uni/Leander/Oxford Uni)

Eight
Tom Broadway/Tom Stallard/Tom Parker/Phil Simmons/Jonno Devlin/Richard Egington/Simon Fieldhouse/Henry Bailhache-Webb/Acer Nethercott (cox)
(Uni of London/Leander/Ox.Brookes/Molesey/Ox.Brookes/Leander/Molesey/Ox.Brookes/Oxford Uni)

Single scull
Colin Smith
(Oxford Uni)

Quadruple scull

Alan Campbell/Steven Rowbotham/Alex
Gregory/Matt Langridge
(Tideway Scullers/Molesey/Reading Uni/
Leander)

<h5>Lightweights</h5><h5>Women</h5>Single scull (five boats)
Naomi Hoogesteger (Durham Uni)
Laura Ralston (Uni of London)
Jennifer Goldsack (Wallingford)
Hester Goodsell (York Uni)
Antonia Van Deventer (Rob Roy)

Double scull
Jo Hammond/Helen Casey (Kingston/Wallingford)

<h5>Men</h5>
Pair and four
To be confirmed at a later date

Single scull (two boats)
Tim Male (Tideway Scullers)
Zac Purchase (Marlow RC)

Double scull
Mark Hunter/James Lindsay-Fynn
(Leander/London RC)

<h3>Forthcoming Dates</h3><h5>May</h5>4 Crew Announcement Day – Eton-Dorney World Cup
6-8 Munich Junior Regatta
11 National Lottery Legends Sprint – Sydney Four row their boat away from the museum.
13 Essen Regatta to 15th
26 – 28  World Cup, Eton-Dorney (finals 28th)

<h5>June</h5>4 French Match, Versailles
17 World Cup, Munich (to 19th)
29 Henley Royal Regatta (to July 3rd)

<h5>July</h5>8 World Cup, Lucerne (to 10th)
20 GB Training Camps (to 7 August)
22 World U23 Championships, Amsterdam (to 24th)

<h5>August</h5>3 World Junior Championships, Brandenburg (to 6th)
10 GB Senior Training Camp (to 18th), UK
28 World Championships, Japan (to September 4th)

<h5>October</h5>22 1st Assessment Trials, Boston, Lincs

<h5>November</h5>14 British Indoor Championships

<h5>December</h5>17 2nd Assessment Trials, Boston, Lincs

<h3>Contact Details</h3>For media enquiries about British Rowing please contact <a href="../contact/index.php#Caroline">Caroline Searle</a>

British Rowing website – <a href="../biographies/index.php">full biogs available here</a>.

International Rowing returns to GB for the World Cup in May 2005 and the 2006 World Rowing Championships – both at Eton. You’ll be kept up to date by BearingPoint World Cup Eton News. Official website <a href="http://www.wrc2006.com" target="blank">www.wrc2006.com</a>

Accreditation and results details for major international events can be found at <a href="http://www.worldrowing.com" target="blank">www.worldrowing.com</a>

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