Rio 2016 champions head GB team for Worlds

Eight rowers across three boats will race for golds in Bulgaria 23 Jul 2018

a group of five British Para rowers standing on the podium with their gold medals

Rio 2016 champions Grace Clough (L) and Daniel Brown (second left) head the GB squad

ⒸGetty Images

By British Rowing and IPC

Four Paralympic champions will represent Great Britain at September’s World Rowing Championships, with three crews named to compete in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Rio 2016 gold medallists Grace Clough and Ollie Stanhope return from the victorious 2017 Worlds PR3 mixed coxed four (PR3Mix4+) crew, with James Fox and Giedre Rakauskaite forced to sit the season out with injuries.

Daniel Brown, also a gold medallist in Rio, comes back to that crew, along with debutant Ellen Buttrick and cox Erin Wysocki-Jones, who steered the women’s able-bodied eight twice last year.

Brown and Stanhope have already tasted podium success this season, after winning gold in the PR3 men’s pair (PR3M2-) at the World Cup in Linz, Austria.

Lauren Rowles has recovered from an off-season surgery to claim her place in the PR2 mixed double sculls (PR2Mix2x), alongside fellow Paralympic gold medallist Laurence Whiteley.

The duo last raced together at the World Cup in Poznan, Poland, last summer, where they won silver.

While his partner was rehabbing, Whiteley enjoyed singles medal success this season in the PR2 single scull (PR2M1x), taking silver in the Linz World Cup, as well as gold and silver in May’s Gavirate Para Rowing Regatta.

Andy Houghton will be the only single boat entry for Great Britain. He returned to the team after four years away, and takes confidence from his PR1 single scull (PR1M1x) silver medal in Linz. The Newbury rower finished just outside the medals at last year’s edition in Sarasota-Bradenton, USA.

“It has been a tough season managing a number of injuries and rehabilitations within the squad but we are confident that these crews are in the best possible shape going into the World Championships,” said performance director Brendan Purcell.

“Chief coach Tom Dyson and the wider support team have done an excellent job in getting the athletes ready for competition,” Purcell added. “We have a strong Para rowing development squad, which is creating healthy competition amongst the rowers but it’s important we find more athletes to join us on the journey to Tokyo 2020.”

The 2018 World Rowing Championships run from 9-16 September.

Great Britain squad

PR1 men’s single scull (PR1M1x)

Andy Houghton

PR2 mixed double sculls (PR2Mix2x)

Laurence Whiteley

Lauren Rowles

PR3 mixed coxed four (PR3Mix4+)

Ollie Stanhope

Daniel Brown

Grace Clough

Ellen Buttrick