Photo credit: World Rowing/Benedict Tufnell
With all three boat classes qualifying for the Olympics via strong finishing positions in Belgrade a few weeks ago, winning two golds and a silver in the process, the Team GB Men’s Sweep Squad is loaded with talent in a manor unrivaled throughout the sport. This means that the trial could be as challenging as any other event this Olympic cycle as only 14 men will be able to cross the channel with an Olympic seat.
The Favourites: Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George
Since winning Olympic bronze in the eight in Tokyo, Wynne-Griffith and George have been together in the pair, and it has been a great success. Winners of all four of the World Cup events they have entered this Olympiad, they have also collected four medals from World and European Championships alongside a dual representation for Cambridge in the 2022 Boat Race. They have established themselves as the top pair in the country, setting the fastest-ever time for a Team GB Pair at the World Cup in Varese this summer. After twice missing out on World Championship gold, there have been some whispers that they should be brought into the four or the eight to bolster its chances. The Leander and Cambridge University pair will be wanting to demonstrate their effectiveness in the small boat to keep this project going.
The Dark Horses: The Lucerne GBR2 Four
While their line-ups and pairings are not yet publicly available, some of the dark horses for the sweep trials process will come from the group that made up the nominal ‘second’ four in Lucerne. While the GB men won every single sweep event at World Cup III on the Lake of the Gods, the most defining moment of dominance for the squad came in the men’s four where the GBR2 four placed fourth, just three-tenths of a second away from a medal and ahead of the entries from the Netherlands, Romania and Germany. For Daniel Graham and James Robson, this was their first taste of international racing and while none of the line-up would be promoted in time for the World Championships in Belgrade, they will all have Paris on their mind.
The Rising Stars: Miles Beeson and Harry Geffen
Under-23 World Champions in the pair, Beeson and Geffen spent last season in the stern pair for the Yale Bulldogs and are now rowing out of Leander and will be trying to make the step up to the senior squad this season. With five gold medals from the Under-23 World Championships between them, this crew isn’t short on pedigree but on Saturday at Henley Royal Regatta they were beaten by Wayne-Griffith and George by two and a half lengths after a re-row. Whilst they will have no expectation to overturn that gap, this prodigious pairing will be wanting to see how close they can get when TG and Ollie go full gas on Saturday.
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