Olympic agony for Alison Knowles as rower fails to make Team GB (From Swindon Advertiser)

Olympic agony for Alison Knowles as rower fails to make Team GB

11:00am Saturday 9th June 2012 in London Olympics 2012 - Latest News By Ian Wadley

BOURNEMOUTH-born rower Alison Knowles has suffered Olympic agony – for the second time.

The oarswoman failed to make the final cut as Team GB’s rowing squad was announced this week.

Knowles was not named among the 10-strong list of athletes in with a chance of a place in the women’s eight – despite having been a regular member of the crew since 2005.

Raised in West Moors and a former pupil at Ferndown Upper and West Moors Middle schools, she had been hoping to gain selection to compete at her second consecutive Olympics.

Knowles’s impressive CV includes helping the women’s eight reach the 2008 Beijing final, where they finished fifth.

But she also endured Games disappointment four years ago after cruelly being ruled out of the final by illness, having played her part during qualification for the showpiece race.

A world bronze medallist in 2011, the former world under-23 champion had seen her chances of appearing at London 2012 diminish in April when she was left out of the British World Cup squad.

That came after Knowles had partnered Monica Relph to fifth place in the pairs event during senior rowing trials.

A swimmer with Ferndown Otters during her youth, Knowles took up rowing at Exeter University, where she studied law and geography.

The British Olympic Association announced on Wednesday a list of 48 rowers selected to represent Team GB.

Selections are still to be finalised in the men’s and women’s eight boats but Knowles, 30, missed out on a place in the squad of 10 rowers for the women’s eight, from which eight will be confirmed in the team and the remaining two will be selected as reserves.