Time for the big boats….the eights…starting with the women.

Australia

Meaghan Volker 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 8th W8 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Charlotte Sutherland 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W4- 2013, 5th W8 & 3rd W4- 2013, 5th W2- 2014, 8th W8 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Alex Hagan 25

Olympic record: 6th W8 London

World Championship record: 3rd U23 W4- 2011, 1st U23 W4- 2013, 5th W8 & 3rd W4- 2013, 10th W8 2014, 8th W8 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Molly Goodman 23

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 10th W8 2014, 13th W2- 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Fiona Albert 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W4- 2012

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Jessica Morrison 24

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: none

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Lucy Stephan 24

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W4- 2012, 1st U23 W4- 2013, 5th W8 & 3rd W4- 2013, 5th W2- 2014, 8th W8 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Olympia Aldersey 22

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W2X 2012, 8th W4X 2013, 3rd W2X 2014, 10th W2X 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Sarah Banting 22 (Cox)

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 8th W8 2015

2016 Record: 3rd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Up until a little over a week ago Australia didn’t think they would be racing at the Olympics, they’d missed direct qualification after finishing 8th at the World Championships in 2015 and then missed out in the “regatta of death” when they finished 3rd. But, crucially, following the ruling by the IOC about Russia’s eligibility to compete FISA declared that none of the Russian W8 met the strict eligibility criteria to race in Rio. This meant that the 7th spot at the Games became vacant and was offered to the next in line from the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta…Australia. So, the crew were rapidly recalled and thrown back into training. They are a young crew with only one member, 25 year-old Alex Hagan, having competed at the Olympics before. The core of the crew is based around the successful U23 W4- from 2013, but in total 5 of the crew have medalled at U23 level in the past 3-4 years. Given how late they’ve come back to training the expectations aren’t too high for this boat, which might be liberating for them, but in reality they will be pleased with anything other than 7th place.

Canada

Christine Roper 26

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 3rd U23 W8 2010, 1st U23 W8 2011, 1st U23 W4- 2012, 3rd W8 & 2nd W4- 2013, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Lisa Roman 26

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic record

World Championship record: 3rd U23 W8 2010, 1st U23 W8 2011, 1st U23 W4- 2012, 3rd W8 & 2nd W4- 2013, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Natalie Mastracci 27

Olympic record: Silver W8 London

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2011, 3rd W8 & 2nd W4- 2013, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Antje Von Seydlitz-Kurzbach 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W4- 2012, 2nd W4X 2013, 6th W4X 2014, 22nd W2X 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Cristy Nurse 29

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2010, 2nd W8 2011, 3rd W8 & 2nd W4- 2013, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 & 6th W2- 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Lauren Wilkinson 26

Olympic record: Silver W8 London

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2011, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Susanne Grainger 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2011, 1st U23 W4- 2012, 3rd W8 2013, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Caileigh Filmer 19

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W4- 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Lesley Thompson-Willie 55 (Cox)

Olympic record: Silver W4+ Los Angeles, gold W8 Barcelona, silver W8 Atlanta, bronze W8 Sydney, 4th W8 Beijing, silver W8 London

World Championships: 4th W8 1981, 4th W4+ 1983, 3rd W4+ 1985, 3rd W4+ 1986, 7th W8 & 6th W4+ 1987, 1st W8 1991, 1st W8 1994, 6th W8 1995, 2nd W8 1997, 3rd W8 1998, 3rd W8 1999, 5th W8 2006, 6th W8 2007, 6th W8 2009, 2nd W8 2010, 2nd W8 2011, 2nd W8 2014, 3rd W8 2015

2016 Record: 2nd W8 Varese World Cup, 4th W8 Lucerne World Cup

Canada have won the Olympic title once, in 1992, and incredibly the cox of that boat, Lesley Thompson-Willie is in the crew for 2016. The 55 year old is heading to her 7th Olympic Games. She’s in charge of a crew that includes two of the athletes that won silver in London, Natalie Mastracci and Lauren Wilkinson. The Canadian women’s 8 has, over the past few years, been playing the bridesmaid to the USA. Between 2009 and 2014 they finished in 2nd to the US at 4 World Championships. It was the case that the US were well out in front, chased by the Canadians with the rest of the world chasing the Cannucks. But, in the past couple of years the rest of the world have been catching up. The Canadians are no longer the nailed on silver medallists they were in London. The British, New Zealanders and Dutch are all now muscling in and the Canadians will have a battle on their hands just to get ta medal. So far in 2016 they won silver in Varese (beaten by the Dutch) and only 4th in Lucerne (losing to the US, British and Kiwis). I think that sort of form will continue in Rio and I think the Canadians will miss out on an Olympic medal.

Great Britain

Jess Eddie 31

Olympic record: 5th W8 Beijing, 5th W8 London

World Championship record: 6th W4- 2004, 5th W8 2005, 11th W2- 2006, 3rd W8 2007, 5th W8 2009, 4th W8 2010, 3rd W8 2011, 4th W8 2013, 6th W8 2014, 4th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Olivia Carnegie-Brown 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W2- 2012, 4th W8 2014, 4th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Zoe Lee 30

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 4th W8 2013, 6th W8 2014, 4th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Fran Houghton 35

Olympic record: 9th W2X Sydney, Silver W4X Athens, Silver W4X Beijing, 6th W4X London

World Championship record: 6th W8 & 7th W2X 2001, 4th W2X 2002, 4th W4X 2003, 1st W4X 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 10th W1X 2011, 4th W2X 2013, 8thh W4X 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Mel Wilson 32

Olympic record: 6th W4X London

World Championship record: 5th W8 2009, 7th W4X 2011, 4th W8 2013, 8th W4X 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Katie Greves 33

Olympic record: 5th W8 Beijing, 5th W8 London

World Championship record: 5th W8 2005, 8th W8 2006, 3rd W8 2007, 5th W4X 2009, 9th W1X 2010, 3rd W8 2011, 4th W8 2013, 6th W8 2014, 4th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Polly Swann 28

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st W2- 2013, 6th W8 2014

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Karen Bennett 27

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W4- 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

Zoe De Toledo 29 (cox)

Olympic record: debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2009, 4th W8 2013, 6th W8 2014, 4th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 2nd W8 Poznan World Cup

GB have the crew with the most Olympic experience (if you exclude Canada’s Lesley Thompson-Willie) with 10 Olympic appearances between them. The most experienced rower is Fran Houghton, Rio will be her fifth Olympics having won silver at both Athens and Beijing. Katie Greves and Jess Eddie were both in the W8 at Beijing and London. The British eight has been a long time in the making and has had a couple of false dawns, they were bitterly disappointed to miss out on the medals throughout this Olympiad. But the crew have a wonderful spirit, they refer to their rowing as “sassy” and so far in 2016 they’ve made a big breakthrough, winning the European Championships and finishing only 8/10th second behind the US in Lucerne. In Poznan, in a three boat race, they finished runners-up to the Kiwis. Heading into Rio they have the confidence and experience to take a major medal. The question will be, do they go for broke and try to take on the Americans or do they focus on beating everyone else? The head says race for the silver, the heart says…go for gold. I’m picking GB to take silver less than half a length behind the USA

The Netherlands

Lies Rustenburg 26

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 7th W4- 2014

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Jose Van Veen 30

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic record

World Championship record: 7th W4- 2014, 6th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Sophie Souwer 29

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 4th W4X 2013, 8th W8 2014, 6th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Wianka Van Dorp 28

Olympic record: missed qualifying for London

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W4- 2008, 14th W2- 2009, 10th W2- 2010, 3rd W4- 2011, 8th W8 2014, 6th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Olivia Van Rooijen 27

Olympic record: Missed qualifying for London

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W4- 2008, 14th W2- 2009, 10th W2- 2010, 5th W2- 2013, 7th W4X 2014, 6th W8 & 9th W2- 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Monica Lanz 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic record

World Championship record: 8th W8 2014, 6th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Elisabeth Hogerwerf 27

Olympic record: 8th W2X London

World Championship record: 3rd W4- 2011, 5th W2- 2013, 7th W4X 2014, 6th W8 & 3rd W4- 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Claudia Belderbos 31

Olympic record: Bronze W8 London

World Championship record: 3rd W8 2009, 5th W8 2010, 5th W8 2011, 6th W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Varese World Cup, 2nd W8 European Championships, 2nd W8 Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta

Ae-Ri Noort 33 (cox)

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World championship record: 7th W8 2014, 6th W8 2015

The Dutch have a really strong Olympic record in this event, they’ve medalled at the last four Games, silver in Sydney and Beijing and bronze in Athens and London. They are a nation that seem to get it right at the Olympics but not at World Championship level, their last medal came back in 2009. This year’s crew have reached the Rio Olympics the hard way, 6th place at the World Championships last year meant they missed qualification for the Games and had to race at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta. 2nd to Romania meant they grabbed that all-important final berth. They have just one returner from the crew that won bronze in London, Claudia Belderbos. In 2016 they shown good speed winning at the first World Cup in Varese and then having a great battle with the British at the European Championships, leading until the final few metres. They will definitely be challenging for the medal but I think they may just miss out.

New Zealand

Ruby Tew 22

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Emma Dyke 21

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Kayla Pratt 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W8 2011, 1st U23 W2- 2012, 3rd W2- 2013, 1st W4- 2014, 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Kerri Gowler 22

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 7th W8 2013, 1st U23 W2- 2014, 1st W4- 2014, 2nd W8 & 2nd W2- 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Genevieve Behrent 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 4th W4- 2010, 7th W8 2013, 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 & 2nd W2- Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 & 2nd W2- Poznan World Cup

Kelsey Bevan 26

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W8 2010, 8th W8 2010, 2nd U23 W8 2011, 7th W8 2013, 1st W4- 2014, 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Grace Prendergast 24

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 7th W8 2013, 1st U23 W2- 14, 1st W4- 2014, 2nd W8 & 2nd W2- 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

Rebecca Scown 32

Olympic record: Bronze W2- London

World Championship record: 7th W8 2006, 3rd W2- 2009, 1st W2- 2010, 2011, 3rd W2- 2013, 3rd W2- 2014, 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 & 2nd W2- Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 & 2nd W2- Poznan World Cup

Frances Turner 24 (cox)

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W8 2010, 8th W8 2010, 2nd U23 W8 2011, 2nd W8 2015

2016 record: 3rd W8 Lucerne World Cup, 1st W8 Poznan World Cup

New Zealand have never qualified a W8 for the Olympics but over the past few years the Kiwis have put together an outstanding young crew, predominantly made up of their highly successful U23 group from 2011 and 2012. The crew are led by 32 year old Rebecca Scown, the eldest in the crew by 6 years and the only one with any Olympic experience, she and Genevieve Behrent are doubling-up in the W2-, this is a tactic that the Romanians used with great success at previous Olympics but it does carry risks. Last year the Kiwi W8 surprised the Canadians, British and Dutch by taking the silver medal behind the US, the first senior World Championship W8 medal New Zealand had ever won. But, despite their youth (excluding Scown the average age is just 23 compared to GB at 30 and the US at 28), they have plenty of international honours to their credit. As well as numerous U23 medals they also gold from the W4- in 2014 and golds and silvers from the W2-. They started 2016 pretty much as they left off in 2015, winning medals. Taking bronze in Lucerne and gold in Poznan. The battle between the OarBlacks and the “sassy” Brits will be pretty epic, the silver will be between these two crews and I think the greater experience of the Brits, and the fact none of the British are doubling up, will just tip the balance in their favour.

Romania

Miheala Petrila 25

Olympic record: Missed qualifying for London

World Championship record: 2nd U23 W2X 2011, 1st U23 W2- 2013, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Roxana Cogianu 29

Olympic record: 10th W2X Beijing, 4th W8 London

World Championship record: 1st U23 W4X 2005, 1st U23 W4X 2006, 8th W4X 2007, 2nd W8 2009, 3rd W8 2010, 4th W8 2011, 2nd W8 & 2nd W2- 2013, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Adelina Bogus 27

Olympic record: 4th W8 London

World Championship record: 1st U23 W2- 2009, 2nd W8 2009, 2nd U23 W2- 2010, 3rd W8 2010, 4th W8 & 10th W4X 2011, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Laura Oprea 22

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W2X 2013, 4th W8 & 4th W4- 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Ioana Strungaru 27

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2009, 3rd W8 2010, 2nd U23 W2X 2011, 10th W4X 2011, 2nd W8 2013, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Iuliana Popa 20

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World championship record: 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships

Andreea Boghian 24

Olympic record: missed qualifying for London

World Championship record: 11th W4X 2010, 2nd U23 W2- 2011, 4th W8 2011, 2nd W8 2013, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

Daniela Druncea 25 (cox)

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 2nd W8 2013, 4th W8 2014, 7th W8 2015

2016 record: 4th W8 European Championships, 1st W8 Final Olympic Qualifying regatta

There was a time when Romania dominated this event. From the Moscow Games to Beijing they never missed a podium, including wins in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens and at the World Championships they have medalled at 14 of the last 20 championships. But, in the last few years that dominance has been surpassed by the USA and now Romania is beginning to be overtaken by other nations as well. 7th in the World last year was their worst performance in over 25 years, certainly the first time they’d ever failed to make an A-Final. Is there a crisis in Romanian women’s rowing? Probably not, but they are definitely now back in the chasing pack, rather than leading the charge. They have a talented young crew with a number of former U23 World Champions on board. The most experienced member of the crew is 29 year old Roxana Cogianu, she raced at both Beijing and London, the latter as part of the W8 that just missed out on a medal (the first time that had happened since 1976), so perhaps the writing was on the wall back in 2012. There performances so far in 2016 don’t give much encouragement that they will be pushing for a medal, they only finished 4th at the European Championships, a title Romania had won every year from 2007 to 2014. They negotiated the Final Olympic Qualifying regatta with relative ease but they’ve yet to show the sort of speed that will bring them a medal in Rio.

The United States of America

Amanda Polk 30

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2009, 2nd W4- 2009, 1st W8 2010, 2011, 2013, 2104, 2015

2016 record: 6th W4X Lucerne World Cup

Kerry Simmonds 27

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2010, 1st W8 2013, 2nd W2- 2014, 1st W8 2015

2016 record: 7th w4X Lucerne World Cup

Meghan Musnicki 33

Olympic record: Gold W8 London

World Championship record: 1st W8 2010, 2011, 4th W2- & 1st W8 2013, 1st W8 2014, 2015

2016 Olympic record: 1st W8 & 3rd W2- Lucerne World Cup

Tessa Gobbo 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st W4- 2013, 2nd W4- 2014, 1st W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Lucerne World Cup

Ellie Logan 28

Gold W8 Beijing & London

World Championship record: 2nd W4- 2009, 1st W8 2010, 2011, 5th W1X 2013, 1st W8 2014, 3rd W2- 2015

Emily Regan 28

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World championship record: 1st U23 W8 2010, 1st W4- 2011, 1st W8 2013, 1st W4- 2014, 1st W8 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Lucerne World Cup

Amanda Elmore 25

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2012, 2013, 1st W4X 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Lucerne World Cup

Lauren Schmetterling 28

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st W8 2013, 2014, 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Lucerne World Cup

Katelin Snyder 28

Olympic record: 2016 Olympic debut

World Championship record: 1st U23 W8 2006, 2008, 1st W8 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015

2016 record: 1st W8 Lucerne World Cup

If the USA do not win gold in Rio it will be one of the biggest upsets in world sport. They’ve won the last two Olympic Games and have won the last 8 World Championships. The last time a US W8 lost at a world champs or Olympics was at Gifu in 2005. That’s an astonishing run of success, certainly the best in World Rowing and possibly the best in any Olympic sport. It doesn’t seem to matter which combination the American boat they just seem to keep on winning. I’m not a huge of their technique, but it works. The key personnel in the boat are Ellie Logan and Meaghan Musnicki. Logan is competing at her third Olympics and is on course for her third gold, Musnicki is also an experienced Olympian having won gold in the W8 in London. In 2016 they US have been playing around with their line-up a little, both Amanda Polk and Kerry Simmonds raced the quad in Lucerne, but are now back in the boat in which they won gold in 2015. The one race the W8 had this season was in Lucerne where they duly won, but were pushed fairly hard by the British, but they will be stronger in Rio and I can’t see anyone breaking their run of success. The USA to take their third successive Olympic title.

With the USA the clear favourites the real interest in this event will be the battle for silver and bronze. This looks like it’ll be a contest between GB, New Zealand, Canada and the Netherlands. The British have built a formidable unit, and without the pressure of doubling up they will be favourites to take the silver ahead of the Kiwis.