Sydney International Rowing Regatta, 2013: GB Testing the Waters in Eights



The GB Rowing squad for Sydney has a slightly different look to it some seven months after its most successful Olympic Games on the water, with coxless four double gold medalists Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed (profiled in the above video, shot in 2011) moving into an eight for the first of the 2013 World Rowing Cups, along with fellow 2012 crew mate Alex Gregory. The eight will also feature several athletes from the 2012 bronze medal-winning lineup, in the form of coxswain Phelan Hill, Moe Sbihi, and Tom Ransley. On the women's side, 2012 gold medalist Helen Glover will take on international competition with new pair partner Polly Swann, as Glover's 2012 partner Heather Stanning is back on active duty with the British Army. The new-look duo will also double up into an eight guided by last year's Oxford Blue Boat coxswain Zoe de Toledo. For a full breakdown of the changes for the GB squad at the upcoming World Cup, please visit the official website of British Rowing.

Elsewhere in the rowing world, Rowing New Zealand has announced its new lead men's sweep coach, Australian Noel Donaldson. Donaldson brings a great deal of development experience to the table, having worked with the U21 and U23 age groups, as well as elite level coaching, guiding the 'Oarsome Foursome' to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996. Until recently, Donaldson served as head coach for Rowing Australia. The move comes in the wake of Dick Tonks' recent shift to lead women's sweep coach, which was announced just under two weeks ago.

For further updates, keep an eye on our news column, and the RR Twitter feed.

-RR

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