Fifteen World Class Start rowers feature in Banyoles line-up

Fifteen rowers from the World Class Start scheme, sponsored by Siemens and supported by the National Lottery, will take part in the first World Cup, which begins in Banyoles on Friday, 29 May.

"I’m really pleased", said Steve Gunn, World Class Start manager. "It’s good to see people from the scheme progressing forward into the senior team. I hope they continue to move on towards selection for a world championships."

Olympic silver medallist Annabel Vernon and Olympic bronze medallist Anna Bebington are once again selected for the senior squad and will race together in the women’s double scull, while Reading University’s Alex Gregory will race in the men’s four alongside Olympic silver medallists Ric Egington, Matt Langridge and Alex Partridge.

Gregory narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympic Games in the men’s quadruple scull, but has secured his place in a sweep boat following several excellent results at GB trials earlier in the year.

Marcus Bateman, Charles Cousins, Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend, all graduates from the scheme, will race together in the men’s quadruple scull.

The women’s eight will feature several World Class Start rowers. Molesey’s Jennie Farmer and Wallingford’s Lindsey Maguire are both new to the squad this year, while Olivia Whitlam, who trained under World Class Start coach Hamish Burrell, will race in both the women’s pair in which she was so impressive at the Olympic Games and the women’s eight.

Molesey’s Mohamed Sbihi has stepped up from the GB under-23 team into the senior squad this year and will compete in the men’s eight in Spain.

There are also several World Class Start rowers competing in lightweight events.

Chris Boddy and Bob Hewitt, both from Tees, have stepped up from the GB under-23 squad into the senior squad this year and have been selected for the lightweight men’s four, while Imperial College’s Adam Freeman-Pask, who trained under Paul Stannard while studying as an undergraduate at the University of Bath, will compete in the lightweight single scull.

Meanwhile Cambridge’s Monica Relph will race in an under-23 women’s pair alongside her clubmate at Nottingham RC Jacqui Round.

The World Cup series begins in Banyoles, Spain, from 29-31
May, continues in Munich, Germany from 19-21 June, and finishes in Lucerne, Switzerland on 10-12 July.

The World Championships will be held in Poznan, Poland from 23-30 August, 2009.

World Class Start rowers selected for first World Cup:

Marcus Bateman
Anna Bebington
Chris Boddy
Charles Cousins
Jennie Farmer
Adam Freeman-Pask
Alex Gregory
Bob Hewitt
Bill Lucas
Lindsey Maguire
Monica Relph
Mohamed Sbihi
Sam Townsend
Annabel Vernon
Olivia Whitlam