Hunter named in GB team for Slovenia trip

Romford rower Mark Hunter has been named in the Great Britain team for the forthcoming World Championships – which double up as a qualifying tournament for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Hunter will resume his Olympic and World title-winning partnership with Zac Purchase at the Worlds in Bled, Slovenia, from August 28 to try and qualify their lightweight double scull for London next summer.

Purchase’s selection in the lightweight double scull with Hunter is still subject to medical and performance testing between now and the Worlds, though, as he continues to recover from a post-viral episode under the guidance of coach Darren Whiter.

Hunter raced with young sculler from Windsor, Adam Freeman-Pask, at the World Cup finals in Lucerne after placing a disappointing fourth with Purchase at the first World Cup in Munich, after they won gold on Lake Karapiro at the World Championships in New Zealand last autumn.

Freeman-Pask will compete in the lightweight single-scull event in Bled.

Four of the crews from the lottery-funded senior squad, sponsored by Siemens, go to Bled after winning gold medals at the World Cup finals in Lucerne where the GB Rowing Team also won four silvers and two bronze medals.

They are the women’s double scull and pair as well as the open and lightweight men’s fours.

“Lucerne was an excellent curtain-raiser for the World Championships,” said David Tanner, the GB Rowing Team’s performance director.

“We had some great performances which we would hope to carry through as the competition steps up.”

The Olympic and Paralympic qualifying regatta in Bled enables nations to qualify boats rather than crews, allowing teams to shuffle their crews as required between now and next summer.

There will be a final chance for the GB Rowing Team to qualify a boat in each of the 14 Olympic boat classes on May 20-23, 2012, in Lucerne and in each of four Paralympic boat classes on May 4-6, 2012.