Great Britain will be one of the last big rowing nations to announce its full Rio Olympic team: the formal date for that is 9th June. However, on a showery day in April at their Caversham headquarters, GB Rowing unveiled its European Championships team, a pretty good first draft of the Rio list barring accidents.
For those not versed in British rowing ways, selection is not 'first past the post'. While some fast crews from previous years are expected to remain together barring the appearance of a new challenger, each member has to prove themselves. First comes fitness and technique confirmation with good individual results at a series of compulsory trials, then they must demonstrate during training camps that they can make crew boats go fast. However, so many of the selection factors — gym performance, potential, water speed, coachability, performance in crews, psychology under pressure — are unmeasurable and so decided subjectively by the selecting coaches.
PHOTOGRAPHY HAMISH ROOTS BENEDICT TUFNELL