Strong GB Line-up for Lucerne

A strong Great Britain line up in the Olympic boat classes will test its racing mettle at the  World Cup Finals in Lucerne, Switzerland, this weekend (July 7-9) as part of the squad’s season-long preparation for the World Championships which take place at Dorney Lake, Eton, this August – the first time this event has been in the UK for over twenty years.

Alongside the flagship, Camelot-sponsored men’s four and women’s quadruple scull a number of names are returning to world cup-level racing in Lucerne after a gap.

These include Colin Smith and Tom James, old adversaries with Oxford and Cambridge respectively and who are back in the squad after taking exams. They will join forces in a men’s pair, having won in their first international regatta together in Amsterdam at the end of  June.

Zac Purchase, the talented 19 year-old reigning U23 World Champion who also won world senior silver in Japan last year, is back from injury and competes in the lightweight men’s single scull. He returns to an event in which Tim Male won world cup gold in Poznan three weeks ago.

The men’s four of Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Andy Hodge will  face challenging German and Dutch opposition.

Katherine Grainger will stroke the women’s quadruple scull featuring Debbie Flood, Sarah Winckless and Frances Houghton.  Winners in both Munich and Poznan, the crew’s opposition in Lucerne will include the Germans and Russians but not the Chinese who beat them in the heats in Poland.

Grainger is relishing the thought of the challenge ahead in Lucerne and at Eton in August, especially as the depth of field in this event, she believes, is getting stronger:  "I suppose one of your first thoughts is to ask why they have all joined our event but you dismiss that quickly.

"As an athlete there is not so much satisfaction in winning easily, like we did in Munich and the strength of the opponent hits the target with your competitive drive.  You relish the event more as a competitor. You want to be able to say at the end of the season ‘It took everything we had’ ”.

Alan Campbell looks set to renew his rivalry with world champion and sometime training partner Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand in the men’s single scull although both will be aware of the quality of the field which includes names like Olaf Tufte of Norway.

Britain’s two open weight doubles of Stephen Rowbotham and Matt Wells as well as Annie Vernon and Anna Bebington will look to consolidate good early-season performances.

The lightweight men’s four showed much promise in reaching the final in Poznan – venue of the last world cup in from June 15-17. They race again in  Lucerne in this competitive boat class.

Mark Hunter and James Lindsay-Fynn will contest the lightweight men’s double scull after winning a bronze medal in Poznan just weeks after Hunter returned to racing following a knee injury.

The lightweight women’s double, of Jane Hall and Helen Casey, have continued to improve throughout the season and will be  looking for more of the same in Lucerne.

Britain’s men’s eight were disqualified in Poznan after rudder failure caused them to allegedly "infringe" the Chinese crew in the repechage which would otherwise have assured them a place in berth in the A Final.

Whilst coach Steve Gunn was philosophical in Poznan about the disqualification he was pleased with that repechage performance and will be looking for a repeat in Lucerne.

Great Britain will also feature a second men’s four in Lucerne composed of rowers from the men’s eight group.

The British women’s eight are proving to be a  tenacious fighting unit.  They have a great team spirit and have reached both world cup finals so far, winning bronze in Poznan.

Beth Rodford is back in the crew after injury and his means that Baz Moffat and Jess Eddie will race in a women’s pair in Lucerne.
 
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GB ROWING CREW LISTS
ROWING WORLD CUP – LUCERNE
7-9 JULY, 2006
(Crews bow to stroke – plus cox – clubs
in brackets)

OPEN

WOMEN

Pair

Baz Moffat (Thames RC)/Jess Eddie (Uni of London)
Coach: Gary Stubbs

Eight

Beth Rodford (Thames RC)/Alison Knowles (Thames RC)/Vicki Etiebet (Thames RC)/Carla Ashford (Thames RC)/Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers)/Natasha Page (Reading Uni)/Katie Greves (Uni of London)/Elise Laverick (Thames RC)/ Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes)
Coaches:  Ron Needs/Gary Stubbs

Double scull

Annie Vernon (Thames RC)/Anna Bebington (Leander)
Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas

Quadruple scull

Debbie Flood (Leander)/Sarah Winckless (Walbrook)/
Frances Houghton (Uni of London)/Katherine Grainger
(St Andrew)
Coach:  Paul Thompson

MEN

Pair

Colin Smith (Oxford Uni)/Tom James (Cambridge Uni)
Coach: Rusty Williams

Fours

Alex Partridge (Leander)/Steve Williams (Leander)/Peter Reed (Leander)/Andy Hodge (Molesey)
Coach:  Jurgen Grobler

Tom Parker (Oxford Uni)/Richard Egington (Leander)/
Marcus Bateman (Reading Uni)/Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey)
Coach: Richard Tinkler

Eights

Jonno Devlin (Oxford Brookes)/Tom Stallard (Leander)/Matt Langridge (Leander)/Tom Solesbury (Molesey)/Josh West (Leander)/Hugo Lee (Oxford Brookes)/Toby Garbett (Leander)/Kieran West (CUBC)/Acer Nethercott (cox) (OUBC)
Coach: Steve Gunn

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers)
Coach:  Bill Barry

Double scull

Matthew Wells (Uni of London)/Stephen Rowbotham (Leander)
Coach: Mark Earnshaw

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Single sculls

Laura Ralston (Rob Roy)

Antonia Van Deventer (Rob Roy)
Coach: John Keogh

Double scull

Helen Casey (Wallingford)/Jane Hall (Leander)
Coach: Rob Dauncey

Lindsey Dick (Glasgow RC)/Hester Goodsell (Rob Roy)

MEN

Four

Matt Beechey (Leander)/Daniel Harte (London)/Paul Mattick
(Wallingford)/James Clarke (Durham Uni)
Coach: Mark Banks

Single scull

Zac Purchase
Coach: Robin Williams

Tim Male (Tideway Scullers)
Coach: Alan Inns

Double scull

James Lindsay-Fynn (London)/Mark Hunter (Leander)
Coach:  Robin Williams

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GB ROWING SQUADS = HOME TOWNS LIST

BRITISH ROWING SQUADS

NAME            D.O.B/PLACEofBIRTH/HOMETOWN/LIVING/ROWING CLUB

Carla Ashford        13.3.79/Northallerton, N.Yorks/Masham, N.Yorks/Brentford/
Chris Bartley        2.284/Farndon, Cheshire/Nottingham/Notts Uni
Marcus Bateman    16.9.82/Bermuda/Torquay/Henley on Thames/Reading Uni
Anna Bebington    13.2.83/Leek, Staffs/Leek/Crowthorne, Berks/Leander
Matt Beechey        3.4.77/Worcester/Worcester/Henley on Thames/Leander
Nick Brodie        6.8.96/Oxford    /Oxford/Oxford/OUBC
Alan Campbell        5.9.83/Coleraine/Coleraine/Mortlake/Tideway Scullers
Helen Casey        6.2.74/Stockport/Oxford/Oxford/Wallingford
Richard Chambers    10.6.85/??/??/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
James Clarke        13.12.84/London/London/Durham/Durham Uni
Ryan Davies        16.2.85/??/Henley on Thames/Oxford Brookes
Jonno Devlin        17.3.76/South Africa/Oxford/Putney/Oxford Brookes
Lindsay Dick        27.7.71/Strathaven/??/??Glasgow RC
Jess Eddie        7.10.84/Durham/Durham/Chiswick/Uni of London
Richard Egington    26.2.79/Knutsford/n/a/Henley on Thames/Leander
Robin Ejsmond-Frey    14.3.86/London/Hammersmith/Oxford/OUBC
Nick English        11.5.78/Coventry/Whitley Bay/Nottingham/Notts&Union
Simon Fieldhouse    4.9.76    n/a/n/a/Thames Ditton, Sy/Molesey
Debbie Flood        27.2.80/Harrogate/Leeds/Henley on Thames/Leander
Toby Garbett        14.11.76/Chertsey, Sy/West Byfleet/Ascot, Berks/Leander
Hester Goodsell    27.6.84/London/London/Cambridge/Rob Roy
Katherine Grainger    11.12.75/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Bisham, Bucks/St Andrew
Alex Gregory        11.3.84n/a/Wormington/Reading/Reading Uni
Katie Greves        2.9.82/London/Oxford/Mortlake/Uni of London
Joanna Hammond    28.1.80/Leamington Spa/Leamington/Cambridge/Leander
Daniel Harte        12.12.75n/a/n/a/Putney/London
Mike Hennessy        24.12.76/London/Deptford/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Rob Hollis        14.2.84/Wendover/Monmouth/Cowley/Oxford Brookes
Naomi Hoogesteger    22.5.81n/a/Wells/Spennymoor/Durham Uni
Frances Houghton    19.9.80/Oxford/Oxford/Putney/Uni of London
Natasha Howard    3.9.80/Harare, Zimbabwe/West Runton/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Mark Hunter        1.7.78/Forest Gate, London/Romford/Cadmore End, Bucks/Leander
Tom James        3.11.84/Cardiff/Wrexham/Cambridge/CUBC
Simon Jones        8.6.78n/a/n/a/Cropwell Butler/Leander
Alison Knowles        27.3.82/Bournemouth/Bournemouth/Putney, London/Thames
Matthew Langridge    20.5.83/Northwich, Cheshire/Northwich/Henley on Thames/Leander
Elise Laverick        27.7.75/Rustington, Sx/Poling, W Sx/Putney/Thames
Ian Lawson        4.3.77/Bradford/Otley, W.Yks/Henley on Thames/Leander
Hugo Lee        5.3.84/Guildford/Jeburgh, Scottish Border/Oxford/Oxford Brookes
James Lindsay-Fynn    29.9.75/Dublin/Trim, Ireland/London/London
Rachel Loveridge    7.5.80/Swindon/Hayling Island/Putney/Thames
Tim Male        9.7.75/Yeovil, So/Yeovil/Chiswick/Tideway Scullers
Paul Mattick        25.4.78n/a/Oxford/Wallingford
Acer Nethercott    28.11.77/Newmarket/Harlow, Ex/Oxford/OUBC
Lorna Norris        23.12.75n/a/na/a/Mortlake/Mortlake Anglian
Caroline O’Connor    25.4.83Ealing/Ealing/Ealing/Oxford Brookes   
Natasha Page        30.4.85n/a/Hartpury/Reading/Reading Uni
Charlie Palmer        25.10.78/Melbourne    Hagley, Tasmania/Cambridge/CUBC
Tom Parker        24.10.82/Hammersmith/Winchester/Oxford/OUBC
Alex Partridge        25.1.81/San Francisco/Alton, Hants/East Sheen/Leander
Seb Pearce        10/5/82/?/Bromsgrove/Oxford/OUBC
Peter Reed        27.7.81/Seattle, USA/Nailsworth/Oxford/Leander
Beth Rodford        28.12.82/Burton/Trent/Gloucester/Cowley/Thames   
Steve Rowbotham    11.11.81n/a/Winscombe/West Molesey/Leander
Rebecca Rowe        16.5.81/Bridgend/Cardiff/Cardiff/Rebecca
Phil Simmons        6.2.75/Wimbledon/Thames Ditton/Thames Ditton/Molesey
Colin Smith        3.9.83/ Harare, Zimbabwe/Henley on Thames/Oxford/OUBC
Tom Stallard        11.9.78/London/Welwyn, Herts/London/Leander
James Stephenson    4.4.77/n/aChipstead/Thames Ditton    /Molesey
Florence Temple    11.3.79/Harlow/Northampton/Putney/Thames
Sam Townsend    n/a/ Reading/Reading/Reading/Reading Uni
Andrew Triggs Hodge    3.8.79/Aylesbury/Hebden, Skipton/East Molesey/Molesey
Matt Tucker        5.1.85/??/Winkfield, Nr Windsor/Oxford Brookes
Antonia van Deventer    23.7.78/?/London/Rob Roy
Annie Vernon        1.9.82n/a/Wadebridge, Cornwall/Marlow, Bucks/Thames
Matthew Wells        19.4.79/Bradford/Hexham, Northumberland/East Sheen/Uni of London
Josh West        25.3.77/Santa Fe, USA/Santa Fe/Oxford/Leander
Kieran West MBE    18.9.77/Kingston-upon-Thames/W. Byfleet/Mortlake/CUBC
Steve Williams        15.4.76/Warwick/Cheltenham/Henley/Leander
Sarah Winckless    18.10.73/Reading/Hurley, Bucks/Marlow, Bucks/Walbrook