Olympic hope Lucy pairs up for Munich

12:28pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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BEIJING medal hope Tom Lucy launches out in Munich this week after being picked to race the GB pair at the first World Cup rowing regatta of the season this week.

Still not 20 until the end of the month, the Llangovan 2006 world junior champion had hoped to stay on board the eight he won world senior bronze in on the same Munich course last September.

But he's happy to race the pair this time around after being teamed up with world U23 medallist Olly Moore.

"GB's world bronze medal pair has gone into the eight for the first regatta in Germany, so it's pretty stacked competition on my side, bowside, but I'm hopeful I'll get a chance in the bigger boat at the second regatta later this month in Switzerland," said the Monmouth School product.

"But after a stressful last selection month, with all the seat racing and testing, the pressure's off me in Munich, and I'm really looking forward to having a go in the pair against the likes of Olympic silver and bronze medallists Croatia and South Africa.

"The stern pair of America's Olympic champion eight, which smashed the world record taking gold in Athens, are also there, so I'd just love to make Sunday's final and mix it with the big boys and show what we can an do."

Although Lucy and his new partner have only been in the boat since the end of last week, he says they clicked immediately and have shown impressive pace in training.

"It's quite surprising how well we're going, considering that the pairs is such a technical boat, and a lot of the top duos have been around for years, and hopefully we can reproduce it under race conditions."

The teenager still wants to be in the eight in Beijing, after being named in a 10-man squad for the bigger boat and the pair, but was told by national coach Jurgen Grobler that he's doing the two-man boat this time.

"I think that for me personally, after world bronze last year, the eight has a better chance of medalling in Beijing, but I'm happy to give the pair a go in Munich," he said.

"Jurgen took me aside and told me before a team debriefing, but I was half expecting it after two-time world champion Alex Partridge dropped down from the top four and the world medal pair were also included in the eight squad.

"It wasn't a shock, as such, though I was still hoping to keep the bow seat.

"It's not over yet on that front, though, but now I'm just determined to show what I can do in the pair. We've had a real confidence-boosting weekend, where our percentage speed times were better than the eight and the GB flagship four, so we've got everything to gain from racing well in Germany.

"The pressure's on the guys in the eight to perform, there's none on us, because we've got no background in the boat, so I'm quite relaxed and looking forward to getting on the start."

With just three months to the Olympics, Lucy and partner face a 27-boat field at the four-day World Cup regatta which runs from Thursday to Sunday, including two other GB pairs, France's world finalists, Germany, Slovenia and China, as well as Crotia and South Africa, though world champions Australia are sitting this one out "I'm confident we can stay on top of the other Brits," said Lucy. "It's a pretty big challenge to be racing Olympic medal specialists in the paits, but it's a real opportunity and I'd love to make the final and have a crack at some of the the big guns.

"I know we're capable of going fast so it's going to be quite exciting to take on these guys."

The rowing finals are on BBC 2 on Sunday at 3-4pm.

* Monmouth Rowing Club are looking for race sponsors for its annual regatta on May 24/25, which along with Hereford Regatta on the Bank Holiday Monday forms a major weekend in the British rowing calendar.

Any business who would like to support the two-day event, which attracts some 1,500 competitors and spectators from all over the country, should contact sponsorship secretary Jill Judd on 07854 892881/ 01873 840246/ 01873 858580 or at nick@juddbrothers.com. Race sponsorship goes from £40 for a sculling event and businesses can also advertise in the regatta programme.