WARRINGTON'S Lucy Glover will be representing Great Britain in 2022 World Rowing Cup I taking place in Serbia later this month.
This is the start of the journey to Paris 2024, and Glover, the former Warrington Rowing Club star who made her Olympics bow in Tokyo, has been selected in two boats for the regatta in Belgrade between May 27 and May 29.
Ex-Lymm High School student Glover, 23, who now rows for Edinburgh University, will feature in a new-look women's quadruple sculls and the crew will split to double up in the double sculls.
Her rise to the Tokyo Olympics last year was seen as a rapid one as far as senior international competition is concerned, with her debut only having been made at the European Championships earlier that year.
A silver medal-winning performance alongside Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, Hannah Scott and Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne in Italy got the season off to a strong start though.
Glover, who was introduced to the sport through a partnership between Warrington Rowing Club and Lymm High School, previously played her part in three medal-winning quadruple sculls crews at the World Rowing U23s Championships, picking up gold in 2017 and 2019 and a bronze in 2018.
Now she is one of 52 Great Britain rowers ready to write a new chapter in her career.
British Rowing director of performance Louise Kingsley said: “I know how excited the full team are to be getting back to competing out on the water.
“Despite the limited racing over the past eight months, we’ve been very busy behind the scenes, bringing in a new structure and new coaching team to help get us in the best possible shape to challenge for medals going forward and to help us evolve into a contemporary and world-leading programme.
"World Cup 1 is the first step on our journey to Paris 2024 and will set a good marker for the start of the 2022 season.”
The women’s Olympic squad has all new-look crews, including several returning Tokyo 2020 Olympians.
GB rowing team women’s Olympic head coach Andrew Randell said: “The big aim for us this season is to make the podium and we’ve done some good training despite a few Covid setbacks.
"Doubling up the scullers allows them to get more quality race practice as we look to the World Championships later this year.
“I’ve had a really solid few months working with the team and been impressed with how the athletes have got used to my way of working, their willingness to try something new and their commitment to training.”
You can watch the GB rowing team in Belgrade live on the BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and the BBC website on Sunday, May 29. You can also follow the action every day on www.worldrowing.com and British Rowing social media channels.
Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x):
Georgie Brayshaw (Leander Club)
Jessica Leyden (Leander Club)
Lola Anderson (Leander Club)
Lucy Glover (Edinburgh University BC)
Coach: Andrew Randell
Women’s double sculls GBR2 (W2x):
Jessica Leyden (Leander Club)
Lucy Glover (Edinburgh University BC)
Coach: Andrew Randell
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