Posted: 14 May, 2014
The GB Rowing Team have announced the squad that will travel to Belgrade later this month for the European Rowing Championships, and there is a strong Scottish contingent with Alan Sinclair, Sam Scrimgeour, Polly Swann, Imogen Walsh and Victoria Meyer-Laker all selected.
Edinburgh’s Swann will step back into the women’s pair with Helen Glover from Minerva Bath BC, after Glover’s 2012 gold medal winning partner Heather Stanning, from Lossiemouth, had to withdraw from consideration from Belgrade on medical advice.
Stanning and Glover had been reunited at the GB Senior Team Trials in April after 18 months apart whilst Stanning continued her career in the Army but during this time Swann and Glover formed a formidable partnership, winning the World Championships last year.
GB Rowing Team’s Performance Director, Sir David Tanner said: “We are in an enviable position with our open women’s squad. Helen, Heather and Polly are a strong triumvirate for the women’s pair seats and it was always a tough call to make.
“We simply need to get Heather to step back off the training a little, rebuild and come back stronger later in the season”.
Speaking after the selections, Swann said: “I’m really looking forward to the Europeans. I have not seen any other countries line-ups but it looks like it should be a strong event and it’s something that’s new to our calendar so it’s going to be exciting”.
Swann also commented on the switch between partners, saying: “You do have to adapt slightly because everyone is different, but it doesn’t take too long to get back into it. We have all rowed together before and we all try and row to a similar model, so it’s quite easy to make the adjustment”.
Sinclair, who comes from Munlochy, has been selected to race in the men’s pair with his fellow Leander Club teammate Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell. The pair raced together at the recent GB Senior Team Trials in Caversham where they finished third for the second consecutive year, which was made all the more impressive given this year they were racing against 2012 gold medallist Alex Gregory and double Olympic champion Andy Triggs Hodge.
Imperial College’s Sam Scrimegour, who is from Kirriemuir, has been selected to race with Leander’s Jonno Clegg in the lightweight men’s pair. Both men were World bronze medallists last year in different crews.
Following the selection of the squad, Chief Coach Jurgen Grobler said; “I am looking forward to seeing how all the rowers perform in Belgrade at what a new event for us in recent years. I am sure that the opposition will be strong and it will be a good test for us”.
Imogen Walsh of Inverness has been selected to race in the lightweight women’s double scull with Kat Copeland. Walsh was a finalist at the World Championships last year and finished in second place in the lightweight single at the recent GB Senior Team Trials, behind Copeland who is the reigning Olympic champion in the lightweight women’s double.
Premnay’s Victoria Meyer-Laker will race in the women’s quadruple scull alongside Leander teammate Lucinda Gooderham, Beth Rodford, of Gloucester RC and Tees RC’s Kristina Stiller. Meyer-Laker already has a European Championships bronze medal, having rowed with the women’s eight in 2012.
Sir David Tanner also spoke about the importance of the tournament, saying: "The European Championships have emerged as an important event in their own right and we are ambitious to do well in Belgrade. We are excited to see how our winter's training translates into these first races before making decisions on the world cups in June and July and the World Championships in August".
Full details of the team slection are set out below.
KEY: BC = Boat Club, RC = Rowing Club.SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE=================================================
CREW LISTS (Includes club, home town, date of birth)GB Rowing Team for the 2014 European Championships,Belgrade, 30 May - 1 June.
OPEN
WOMEN
Pair
Helen Glover (Minerva Bath RC/Penzance/17.06.1986)Polly Swann (Leander Club/Edinburgh/15.06.1988)Coaches: Paul Thompson & Robin Williams
Eight
Rosamund Bradbury (Leander Club/Banstead/17.12.1988)Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Oxford/28.03.1991)Jessica Eddie (London RC/Durham/07.10.1984)Donna Etiebet (Sport Imperial BC/London/29.04.1986)Katie Greves (Leander Club/Oxford/02.09.1982)Zoe Lee (Imperial College BC/Richmond, N. Yorks/15.12.1985)Caragh McMurtry (Reading Univ BC/Southampton/22.08.1991)Louisa Reeve (Leander Club/London/16.05.1984)Monica Relph (Leander Club/Cambridge/15.01.1988)Zoe de Toledo (cox) (Leander Club/London/17.07.1987)Coach: James Harris
Double scull
Frances Houghton (Leander Club/Oxford/19.09.1980)Victoria Thornley (Leander Club/Wrexham/30.11.1987)Coaches: Paul Thompson & Robin Williams
Quadruple scull
Beth Rodford (Gloucester RC/Gloucester/28.12.1982)Lucinda Gooderham (Leander Club/Norfolk/09.06.1984)Victoria Meyer-Laker (Leander Club/Premnay/18.03.1988)Kristina Stiller (Tees RC/Yarm/23.06.1987)Coach: Nick Strange
MEN
Alan Sinclair (Leander Club/Inverness/16.10.1985)Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell (Univ of London BC/Durham/13.04.1988)Coach: Rob Dauncey
Four
Alex Gregory (Leander Club/Wormington/11.03.1984)Mohamed Sbihi (Molesey BC/Surbiton/27.03.1988)George Nash (Molesey BC/Guildford/10.02.1989)Andrew Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC/Henden, N. Yorks/03.03.1979)Coach: Jurgen Grobler
Phil Congdon (Molesey BC/Bury St Edmunds/06.06.1989)Oliver Cook (Univ of London BC/Windsor/05.06.1990)Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Lancaster/12.02.1988)James Foad (Molesey BC/Southampton/20.03.1987)Matthew Gotrel (Leander Club/Chipping Campden/01.03.1989)Matt Langridge (Leander Club/Northwich/20.05.1983)Pete Reed (Leander Club/Nailsworth, Glos/27.07.1981)Will Satch (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/09.06.1989)Matthew Tarrant (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Shepperton/11.07.1990)Phelan Hill (cox) (Leander Club/Bedford/21.07.1979)Coach: Christian Felkel
Single scull
Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers School/Coleraine/09.05.1983)Coach: John West
Double scullJohn Collins (Leander Club/Twickenham/24.01.1989)Jonathan Walton (Leander Club/Leicester/06.10.1990)Coach: Mark Banks
Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC/Preston/08.11.1988)Sam Townsend (Reading Univ BC/Reading/26.11.1985)Charles Cousins (Leander Club/Willingham/13.12.1988)Peter Lambert (Leander Club/Henley-on-Thames/03.12.1986)Coach: Paul Stannard
LIGHTWEIGHT
Charlotte Taylor (Putney Town RC/Bedford/14.08.1985)Coach: Tom Evens
Imogen Walsh (London RC/Inverness/17.01.1984)Kat Copeland (Tees RC/Ashington/01.12.1990)Coach: Paul Reedy
Jonathan Clegg (Leander Club/Maidenhead/14.07.1989)Sam Scrimgeour (Imperial College BC/Fofar/28.01.1988)Coach: Rob Morgan
Mark Aldred (London RC/London/18.04.1987)Peter Chambers (Oxford Brookes Univ BC/Coleraine/14.03.1990)Richard Chambers (Leander Club/Coleraine/10.06.1985)Chris Bartley (Leander Club/Chester/02.02.1984)Coach: Rob Morgan
Adam Freeman-Pask (Reading Univ BC/Windsor/19.06.1985)Coach: Darren Whiter
Posted: 10 April 2024
Read more: Scottish...
Posted: 8 April 2024 The Scottish Argonauts Project provides a unique opportunity for many of our...
Posted: 22 March 2024 Scottish Rowing is seeking a strong and dynamic Chief Executive Officer to...
Posted: 21 March 2024 After many years of hard work and dedication we are excited to announce that...
Read more: River Ayr...
Posted: 18 March 2024 The inaugural Scottish Rowing Beach Sprint Championships, part of the Four...
Read more: Beach Sprint...
Posted: 8 March 2024 In celebration of International Women's Day, Scottish Rowing is proud to...
Read more: International...
Posted:1st March 2024 Hello and welcome to the third quarterly newsletter! Happy New Year and...
Read more: March...
Posted: 27 February 2024 Scottish Rowing is seeking three new Directors to join its voluntary...
Posted: 26 February 2024 British Rowing and Scottish Rowing will jointly fund performance...
Read more: New...
Posted: 23 February 2024 Across two weekends in the middle of February, Scottish athletes across a...
Read more: GB Rowing...
Posted: 22 February 2024 Can YOU claim a Grand Slam at the Four Nations Beach Sprint Championships...
Read more: 2024 Four...
Posted: 08 February 2024 Following a new injection of funding from sportscotland and the Scottish...
Read more: Fresh...
Posted: 6 February 2024 Scottish Rowing is delighted to announce that a Scotland team will make...
Read more: Scotland set...
Posted: 31 January 2024 The Scotland Rowing Team selection policy documents for the 2024 Home...
Read more: Scotland...
Posted: 23 January 2024 The Hogmanay bells had barely rung out when the first event of 2024 had...
Read more: Success at...
Posted: 16 January 2024 Scottish Rowing is saddened to hear of the passing of George Hunter OBE at...
Read more: George Hunter...
Posted: 22 December, 2023 After more than 13 years with Scottish Rowing, including 10 as Chief...
Read more: Amanda Cobb...
Posted: 19 December 2023 The 2023, J16 Land Camp took place from 8th – 10th December at the sportscotland...
Read more: A Great Time...
Posted: 18 December 2023 Over the course of the last six months a number of new faces have joined...
Read more: Meet the Team...
Posted: 04 December 2023 The Scottish Rowing Schools Indoor League was once again a great success...
Read more: Another...