Bradford Sport
Hodge is set to switch to fours - Gregory
4:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
Alex Gregory is expecting Pete Reed and Hebden’s Andy Hodge to come into the flagship men’s rowing four for the London Olympics.
The duo won gold with Tom James and Steve Williams in the four in Beijing but then switched to the pair, only to come up against New Zealand’s Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, who they have failed to beat.
Reed and Hodge are considered Britain’s best rowers, and coach Jurgen Grobler is expected to move them back into the four to maximise the chances of a gold medal in London.
There is no doubt that would be tough on the current four of Gregory, James, Ric Egington and Matt Langridge who had a superb season in 2011 and were crowned world champions in Bled, Slovenia.
Gregory told a British Olympic Association conference call: “Last year we had a perfect year really, we won every race we did and it was a great crew. It was up there with my most enjoyable years of rowing. But we’re all pretty realistic.
“It’s the same every year, once the World Championships have finished the slate is wiped clean and you have to prove yourself again.
“It won’t be a surprise if the crew is different. But my main priority is to put myself in the best position and hopefully prove to Jurgen I can be in the top boat. And at the moment it does look like the four is going to be the top boat.”
The final selection weekend for the rowing team comes over the Olympic course at Eton Dorney on March 10 and 11 - Gregory’s 28th birthday - with the crews being confirmed on April 4.
Gregory would love for the current four to be given the chance to go for Britain’s fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the boat, but he accepts that is probably unlikely to happen.
He said: “I think we would all have liked to have carried on with the crew. I don’t think in Bled we had the best race and we felt we could have got faster. But it’s just the way rowing in Britain works.
“I’m sure Jurgen has much more of an idea about it but he doesn’t tell us. The indication is probably that Andy and Pete will come into it but it’s not selected.”
Gregory admits the selection races are difficult psychologically but he insists there will no hard feelings whatever the outcome.
“It’s definitely the hardest time of the year,” he said. “It’s so easy to go out and race against other countries because you don’t really know them. But when it comes to racing your friends and your team-mates, that’s tough.
“It can get pretty intense but the feeling in the whole team is very good and we’re all very excited about this year.
“We all know the way this sport works means somebody is going to get in a crew and somebody isn’t. You might hate somebody for a few minutes but then you get stuck into your own crew and you soon forget about it.”
Making the four in London would be particularly significant for Gregory after his experience in Beijing, when he did not race but travelled as the team’s reserve and saw first hand the meaning of an Olympic gold.
He said: “It was the turning point in my career. Up until then every year I’d had some disappointment or frustration and I’d been very close to packing it in.
“But being selected to go as a spare and sitting on the sidelines watching my friends get gold and silver medals made me realise why I do this.
“I’d always said my ambition was to win an Olympic gold because that’s what you’re supposed to say but you never really know until you’re at the Games and feeling the atmosphere and seeing people’s friends and family sat next to you with tears streaming down their face.
“It made me realise if I did that what it would mean to my friends and family.”
Gregory said: “It won’t be a surprise if the crew is different.”
He added: “The indication is probably that Andy and Pete will come into it but it’s not selected.”