GB SENIOR TRIALS

Hazewinkel, Belgium

9 - 10 March 2008

Report by Leander Press Officer Robert Treharne Jones

The battle for places in Olympic boats in Beijing moves up yet another step this weekend when more than 30 Leander athletes take part in the final leg of GB Rowing Senior Trials in Hazewinkel, Belgium.

Leander’s  Peter Reed and Molesey’s Andy Hodge defend their hat-trick of wins in the men's pairs, where they face challenges from four other Leander athletes - Steve Williams racing with Matt Langridge, and Alex Partridge, racing with Rick Egington. All six athletes are rumoured to be in contention for a place in Jurgen Grobler’s top four, with nobody’s seat safe after last year’s disappointing fourth place for the crew in Munich.

Leander’s Colin Smith, a bronze medallist in the pair in Munich with Matt Langridge, and Tom James, a world finallist with Smith in 2006, will also be a pair to watch after coming second to Hodge and Reed at the last Winter Assessment Trials over 5km in Boston.

Similar intense rivalry is also expected at the top of the lightweight men's single scull event with only six Olympic places available. The London RC world lightweight men's four champions – James Clarke, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick and Richard Chambers are all competing, but whether they can push Leander’s Mark Hunter, bronze medallist in the lightweight double scull in Munich, remains to be seen. Zac Purchase, Hunter’s partner in the double and a former Under-23 world champion in the lightweight single, is missing through injury.

All the top openweight women will compete in Belgium in single sculls, including Leander’s Debbie Flood, the Olympic silver medallist from the Athens quad.  Her crew mates from last year’s world champion line-up - Katherine Grainger, Fran Houghton, and Annie Vernon will all be present, as will Sarah Winckless, returning to the sport after a year-long absence through injury, and Olympic bronze medallist

Elise Laverick is also in the frame. Leander’s Anna Bebington is the only member of the top sculling group to be missing through injury.

Favourite for the men’s single title is Tideway Scullers’ Alan Campbell, but Leander’s Steve Rowbotham, world double scull bronze medallist in 2006, could

be his main challenger after his doubles partner Matt Wells withdrew with an injury.

The final Leander contender in Hazewinkel is former world champion Jane Hall, who will have to contend with  Helen Casey, Hester Goodsell, Sophie Hosking and Andrea Dennis, all of whom are keen to claim a seat in the lightweight women’s double that will compete in Beijing.

(Non-Leander athletes in italics)

Full results on the ARA website