OLYMPICS: Local duo on GB Rowing squad (From Swindon Advertiser)

OLYMPICS: Local duo on GB Rowing squad

2:26pm Wednesday 6th June 2012 in Olympic 2012 news in Swindon By Ned Payne

STEVE Rowbotham and Pete Reed have been included in the Great Britain squad for the London Olympics.

Swindon-born Rowbotham, who grew up in Cirencester until he was 14, is in the men's quadruple scull while former Cirencester Deer Park School student Reed is part of the men's four.

Beijing medallist Rowbotham teams up with Charles Cousins, Tom Solesbury and Matthew Wells, while Reed goes alongside Alex Gregory, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge.

Reed won gold in Beijing alongside Triggs Hodge and James - with Gregory added the team for this year’s Games - and has vowed to defend the title.

He said: “I'm thrilled to be part of the biggest British team ever at our London Olympics. I have been training for this all my life one way or another.

“I am a proud lieutenant from the Royal Navy, a proud Olympian and a proud Briton. I'm racing to win.”

Great Britain the third most successful country in Olympic rowing history with 54 medals - 24 of them gold - and topped the medal table at the 2008 Games.

The rowers were nominated to the BOA for selection by British Rowing, and Team GB supremo Andy Hunt said: “The selection announced is a great testament to the excellent strength in depth that has been developed in British rowing, led by performance director David Tanner, over the past two decades.

“I am confident that our rowers will play a leading role in Team GB - our greatest team - and will once again challenge for the status of top rowing nation and look to emulate the six-medal haul that they won in Beijing in 2008.”

Tanner added: “We are an ambitious sport going into the Games and certainly the best supported we have ever been thanks to our funding from the National Lottery.

“We go to the start in London ready to defend our status as the leading rowing nation from Beijing, but we are under no illusion as to how tough winning medals, especially gold medals, will be at this Games.”