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OLYMPIC champion Tom James has been left in limbo as he still waits to discover whether he will be able to defend his coxless fours title at London 2012 after his World Championship winning quartet was broken up.

Pete Reed and Andy Triggs Hodge are set to defend their Olympic title in the men’s four after being named in a new-look crew for the forthcoming World Cup series which starts in Belgrade next month.

Reed and Hodge have spent the last three years racing in the pair but they have returned to Britain’s flagship boat alongside Alex Gregory.

The final seat will go to either James, who won gold alongside Hodge and Reed in 2008, or Alex Partridge once they have finished testing with legendary head coach Jurgen Grobler making the final decision.

Grobler, who guided the British men’s four to gold at the last three Olympic Games, said "We have the strongest team ever."

James added: “It is quite frustrating and you would like to know which boat you are going to be involved in especially, when everyone else does and having a nice day at the World Cup selection.

“You are still in limbo and you have to wait.

“But I feel quite relaxed about things and the main reason is that I can’t do anything about it.

“The coach makes the decision and you have to put your trust in him.

“You don’t have anything to do with the decision so you sort of sign up for this.

“Selection in rowing is quite fluid and it is this sport works.

“We change in and out of boats quite regularly anyway.

“It is not a dramatic thing although maybe out of the sport it looks like it is.

“Alex and I get on well and it should not make much difference with Alex and swapping around.

“If you go back to this stage four years ago we are much further ahead with because in 2008 we only had two guys selected in the four and none in the eight.

Ric Egington and Matthew Langridge have moved from the four, who were world champions in 2011, to a strengthened eight that will be stroked by 20-year-old Constantine Louloudis.

Greg Searle is also in the eight and now on the verge of completing a remarkable Olympic comeback, 20 years after winning gold at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

James admitted he was content with featuring in either boat.

“It is a win/win situation,” added James.

“Whichever boat I am selected in has a very good chance of winning a medal and gold.

“You can’t really complain about that.

“Being a defending Olympic champion in the fours and being part of the World gold medal crew last year, it would be quite nice to be in that boat.

“The fours is the blue ribband British boat with a lot of history has much more media exposure.

“Great Britain are going for an historic fourth Olympic gold in the event which has featured legends like Redgrave and Pinsent.

“But there is also so much quality in the eight and it would be a great experience and is a great race.

“It has a tale of its own.

“Our eight has been improving over the last couple of years and won silver in the World Championships last year.

“The Germans have been very dominant in this event of the last couple of years.

“Racing an eight is a very aggressive experience and when you come to an Olympic final it is normally one crew who gets it right and controls the race.

“It would also be nice to get two gold in the fours and eights.

“Because if you see people who have won multiple gold medals it is normally maybe in the pairs and the fours.

“But to win in the fours and eights would be quite awesome.”

Partridge, who missed out on the 2004 Olympics with a punctured lung, is frustrated that Grobler has still not decided on the final seat in the boat.

Officially, Grobler is reserving judgment because a bout of illness in recent weeks has prevented the four from taking the water but Partridge believes he has earned his place.

“I feel I have done more than enough. I don’t know what more I can do,” Partridge said.

“Tom has won an Olympic gold medal and a world championship. I lost one race in three years and another world championship. Who has the better record?

“The only reason I feel I want to be in the four is I feel I have done everything I can. I don’t feel I could have done any more this year.

“If I am not in the four and I am in the eight, it will be brilliant. The eight is stacked and it would be awesome to take the rest of the world on with that calibre of crew.

“My frustration is that I don’t know what boat I am in and I am getting a little bit fed up like that.”

James is just happy to be back in the mix after suffering illness and unearthing a heart complaint called atrial fibrillation during the winter.

“I was frustrated with only finishing fourth at the trials last month although looking back on it I should not have been because of the situation I had found myself in six weeks before,” he added.

“I was just coming back to full fitness I was diagnosed with the heart issue at turn of the year and I was also involved in a new combination with Ric Egington.

“I am feeling good at the moment and had a good block of three months training and I needed that work rate.”

James has been joined by fellow North Walians Chris Bartley and Vicky Thornley who are included in the lightweight fours and the women’s quad.

The final Olympic squad will be selected on Thursday, June 6, after the three World Cup regattas.

Although this squad is for the first of the three World Cup regattas, GB Rowing performance director David Tanner confirmed it will be the basis for Olympic selection.

In total, Britain have changed 10 of the 14 Olympic class crews from last year’s world championships.

One other knock-on effect of Hodge and Reed moving is that Britain will field a promising young pair in world Under-23 medallists Will Satch and George Nash.

Sam Townsend and Bill Lucas will team up in the double scull, with Matt Wells and Marcus Bateman moving into contention for the quad along with Charles Cousins, Stephen Rowbotham and Tom Solesbury.

The women’s quad scull consists of 2004 and 2008 Olympic silver medallist Frances Houghton along with Beth Rodford, Mel Wilson and Vicky Thornley.

Brothers Richard and Peter Chambers have been named in the lightweight men’s four along with Rob Williams and Chris Bartley.

Alan Campbell decided to continue in the single scull while Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter are set to defend their Olympic title in lightweight double scull.

World champion double scull Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins will lead Britain’s assault for a first Olympic gold in women’s rowing.

GB World Cup squad

Womens

OPEN

Pair - Helen Glover/Heather Stanning

Eight - Jo Cook/Emily Taylor/Polly Swann/Olivia Whitlam/Louisa Reeve/Jess Eddie/Katie Greves/Lindsey Maguire/Caroline O'Connor (cox)

Single scull (two boats) - Annabel Vernon, Rachel Gamble Flint

Double scull - Anna Watkins/Katherine Grainger

Quadruple scull - Beth Rodford/Melanie Wilson/Frances Houghton/Victoria Thornley

LIGHTWEIGHT

Single scull - Kathryn Twyman

Double scull (two boats) - Sophie Hosking/Kat Copeland, Imogen Walsh/Andrea Dennis

MENS

OPEN

Pair (two boats) - George Nash/Will Satch, Dan Ritchie/Cameron Nichol

Four - Alex Gregory/Peter Reed/Andrew Triggs Hodge & either Alex Partridge or Tom James

Eight - James or Partridge/James Foad/Tom Ransley/Ric Egington/Moe Sbihi/Greg Searle/Matt Langridge/Constantine Louloudis

Single scull - Alan Campbell

Double scull - Bill Lucas/Sam Townsend

Quadruple scull and second men's single scull - from Marcus Bateman/Charles Cousins/Stephen Rowbotham/Tom Solesbury/Matt Wells

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Pair - Paul Mattick/Adam Freeman-Pask

Four - Peter Chambers/Richard Chambers/Rob Williams/Chris Bartley

Double scull - Zac Purchase/Mark Hunter