Glover and Stanning looking to defend European title at start of Rio Olympic season
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning will be looking to make the first of what they hope will be two major title defences this year after being named in the GB Rowing Team for next month’s European Championships.
The women’s pair, who both learnt to row at the University of Bath, set a new Championships record when they won a first European gold together in Poznan, Poland last year.
They will be favourites to retain that crown in Brandenburg, Germany from May 6-8 as they seek to put down a marker ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio, where they are again defending champions.
“It’s always fantastic to be selected to represent Great Britain and never more so than in Olympic year,” said Minerva Bath RC patron Glover, a graduate of the GB Rowing Team Start talent-development programme at the University of Bath.
“The European Championships are our first opportunity to test our early-season speed against international competition.”
University of Bath Sports Technology graduate Stanning also came through the Start programme at the Sports Training Village, as did fellow London 2012 Olympian Vicky Thornley.
She has once again been selected in the women’s double scull alongside Katherine Grainger, who is reigning Olympic champion in that boat class.
Thornley and Grainger won bronze at the 2015 European Championships during their debut season together.
The European team announcement is the first major selection of the Olympic season, with rowers keen to impress in Brandenburg as they look to secure their seats for Rio.
Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director, said: “We are clearly ambitious to do well in Rio and will race and then review the Europeans combinations announced today.”
The full GB Rowing Team selection for the European Championships can be found at http://www.britishrowing.org/gb-rowing-team
