News

SIX SCOTTISH ROWERS have today been selected as part of the GB Rowing Team for the World Championships in Chungju, Korea later this month.

After completing a hat-trick of 2013 World Cup gold medals, Edinburgh’s Polly Swann will once again take to the start line alongside Olympic Champion Helen Glover in the women’s pair.  The duo have been unbeatable since they teamed up at the start of the year, collecting victories on the waters of Sydney, Eton Dorney and Lucerne.

Sam Scrimegour, from Forfar, and Mark Aldred, gold winners in Eton Dorney and Lucerne, have been named in the lightweight men’s pair ahead of the GB U23 world champion duo.

Imogen Walsh, from Inverness, will partner Kathryn Twyman in the lightweight women’s double after the pair picked up two medals – a silver (Eton Dorney) and bronze (Sydney) – during the 2013 world cup series.

Alan Sinclair, also from Inverness, will form part of the men’s four alongside Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, Scott Durant and Matthew Tarrant.  After picking up a silver medal at Eton Dorney in June, the crew will be looking to improve on their last world cup appearance of the year in Lucerne a few weeks ago, where they only reached the B-final.

Vicky Meyer-Laker, from Premnay, is once again paired with Frances Houghton in the women’s double scull after they won medals in two of the 2013 world cups.

Edinburgh’s Katherine Douglas will travel as a spare for the women’s squad.

Since a somewhat disappointing final world cup in Lucerne – at which the team won two golds and a bronze – all of the senior squad have been away at their traditional, annual altitude camps before returning to finish off their preparations this week at the GB Rowing Team lottery-funded national training centre near Reading.

“Lucerne was useful in that it gave us a baseline from which to move forward”, said GB Rowing Team Performance Director, Sir David Tanner.  “This year has all been about giving new, young rowers their chance at the top alongside our more experienced names. So we should not expect big fireworks in Korea but this team still has the talent to sparkle.”

Scottish Rowing President, Mike Morrice, said: “A year on from London 2012 and the memorable gold medals for Katherine, Heather and David, it is extremely encouraging to see the next generation of Scottish rowers making their mark on the world stage.  For five of the six athletes selected for the trip to Korea this will be their first experience of a World Championships at senior level.  We wish them all well.”

The eight-day regatta takes place from 25 August to 1 September.

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For more information on the selections please visit: http://www.britishrowing.org/news/2013/august/8/steady-we-go-gb-rowing-team-named-worlds

Notes:

• Scottish Rowing is the governing body for rowing in Scotland and is supported by sportscotland, the national agency for sport. • Scottish Rowing supports its clubs and coaches to produce athletes capable of representing the GB Rowing Team. • The sportscotland institute of sport provide expert support services to our most promising rowers based in Scotland. • Rowing is one of Scotland’s most successful Olympic sports with 2 Olympic and 1 Paralympic gold medals won at London 2012 [Katherine Grainger: women’s double scull, Heather Stanning: women’s coxless pair & David Smith: mixed LTA coxed four] • Scottish Rowing is currently working to grow participation and improve performances across Scotland with a number of exciting initiatives targeting junior and under 23 development.

For further information please contact:

Lee Boucher High Performance Co-Ordinator Scottish Rowing lee.boucher@scottish-rowing.org.uk