Paralympic event trials take place this weekend

GB Rowing Team Trials are taking place this weekend for members of the adaptive rowing squad, aiming to compete in Paralympic events this season at the world cup in Bled in May and the World Championships in New Zealand in late October/early November.

Londoner Tom Aggar, the reigning world and Paralympic Champion, could face stiff opposition in the men’s single scull from his Newbury-based team-mate Andy Houghton who was identified into the squad through a ParalympicsGB post-Beijing talent day in London.

Houghton made his senior international debut at the rowing world cup in Munich in 2009 where he immediately showed his potential by coming a strong second to Aggar and giving Great Britain a one-two in the event.

A number of new names also line up for trials for the mixed adaptive coxed four after extensive talent identification work in partnership with other agencies. 

But the search is still on for new talent for the mixed adaptive double scull and, now, a replacement for Helene Raynsford in the women’s arms-only single scull, after the reigning Paralympic champion announced her retirement today because of illness.

“It is really exciting to see strong challengers emerging who will test our reigning World Champions in both the four and the men’s single. However it’s frustrating that after such an active talent search period we are still looking for rowers who have the potential to fill seats in the women’s single and the double scull for London 2012”, said Louise Kingsley the GB Rowing Team’s High Performance Project Manager.

The adaptive trials take place at Caversham, nr Reading, on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th, under the watchful eye of adaptive lead coach Tom Dyson.

They will include seat racing for the  mixed adaptive coxed four and side-by-side racing over a 1000m course for the men’s single scull plus some ergo trials.  The single scull trials will be on Sunday 11th.

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ADAPTIVE TRIALLISTS

LTA4+ Seat Racing

James Roe – Stroke – (Reading Uni)
Dave Smith – Bow – (Reading Uni)
Naomi Riches – Stroke – (Leander)
Kate Jones* – Stroke – (Aberdeen)
Katie George Dunlevy – Stroke – (Maidenhead)
Kelsie Gibson* – Bow – (Maidstone Invicta)
Fiona Ventress* – Bow – (Tees)
Samantha Frost* – Bow – (Bedford)
 
Coxes:
 
Rhiannon Jones (Reading Uni)
Helen Arbuthnot (Molesey)
Miranda Fisher
 
Single scull

ASM 1x

Tom Aggar (Royal Docks)
Andy Houghton (Maidenhead)

TAW1x
Sam Scowen (Dorney)

ERGO TRIALS

Ryan Chamberlain*
Tom Lidyard*
 
(* – Pending FISA Classification)