After months of speculation, David Tanner, the international manager, has announced an unchanged men’s coxless four for the the first World Cup regatta of the year in Austria, which begins on June 1. It had been suggested that the four of Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Andrew Triggs Hodge, despite being unbeaten in 24 races and world champions in 2005 and 2006, may be broken up and forced to compete for their places in an expanded “coxless six” squad. There were also reports that Reed and Triggs Hodge may form a coxless pair.

Jörgen Grobler, the chief men’s coach, thought that the “coxless six” idea helped to motivate the team and Williams, an Olympic gold-medal winner in Athens in 2004, said: “It’s been a funny year but no different to earlier ones. Jörgen always says, ‘No one’s name is on any seat,’ and everyone has to prove themselves.” Grobler, always a man to look ahead rather than back, said: “What they have done in the past two years doesn’t count. This is a new start.”

Tanner announced six crews yesterday, the priority boats of the 14 that will eventually be named. There is one change in another world champion boat, the women’s quad scull. Annie Vernon, a 24-year-old from Cornwall, takes the place of Sarah Winckless, who had a knee operation last Thursday and is likely to miss most of this season. “I was surprised, almost in shock, when I was first told I was in the lead boat,” Vernon said. “I can’t wait to get on and race now.”

Katherine Grainger, the stroke, who has two Olympic silver medals and two world golds, believes that the loss of Winckless can be overcome. “Annie is very confident,” she said. “We knew we would have to up our game this year whatever happened. We are still aiming for the absolute top.”

Paul Thompson, the chief women’s coach, concurred. “Annie would have been pushing for a place anyway. She has earned it,” he said. Vernon’s 2006 double sculls partner, Anna Bebington, was named yesterday as the new partner in that event for Elise Laverick, a bronze medal-winner in Athens whose post-Olympic training was hampered badly by a bicycle accident.

The other three boats named yesterday also involved scullers, one of them, the men’s lightweight doubles, including Zac Purchase, the 20-year-old who set a world best time in winning world lightweight singles gold last summer.

The lightweight singles is not an Olympic event but the lightweight doubles is, and, with next year’s Games in Beijing in mind, Purchase has been paired with the experienced Mark Hunter, who, at 28, has been an international since 2001. The duo seem to be progressing well and share a mutual respect after their classic trials final, won by Purchase. Top singles performers do not always combine well in doubles, but Hunter said: “We move very similarly and Zac is dangerously fast, both in the middle pace and at the finish.”

There were no surprises among the heavyweight men’s scullers. Alan Campbell, a world finalist last year, remains the singles selection. The 23-year-old believes that he has matured and promises to make his trademark start even faster this year. Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham chased Campbell home hard in the final trials and have been retained as the double sculls pairing for the event in which they won world championship bronze last August.

Crews

Great Britain crews for first World Cup of 2007
(Linz, Austria, June 1-3)

Women Double scull
Elise Laverick (Thames RC) Anna Bebington (Leander Club)

Quadruple scull
Debbie Flood (Leander Club) Annie Vernon (Thames RC) Fran Houghton (Uni of London) Katherine Grainger (St Andrew BC)

MEN
Coxless Four
Steve Williams (Leander Club) Peter Reed (Leander Club) Alex Partridge (Leander Club) Andy Triggs Hodge (Molesey BC)

Double Scull
Matt Wells (Leander Club) Stephen Rowbotham (Leander Club)

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