ROWING: Australian rowing's brains-trust has stopped the tweaks and kept the faith in their flagship boat for this month's world titles in Holland.
The priority men's crew - the coxless four - has been kept intact for the August 24-31 regatta despite crashing out of the last World Cup event three weeks ago.
The boat won silver at the London Olympics in Drew Ginn's swansong and followed up with an upset second behind Holland at last year's world titles but have fallen away this season in Europe.
Josh Dunkley-Smith remains the only oarsman left from the 2012 Games after Will Lockwood was dropped to the men's eight this year.
Fergus Pragnell this season joined young guns Alex Lloyd and Spencer Turrin in the crew which surprisingly missed the final of World Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Lloyd, who could not compete in World Cup II in France through injury, was on the comeback trail from heel surgery which has been attributed as the reason for the poor result.
The only major change selectors have made to their squad for the Amsterdam world championships, the midway point of the Olympic cycle, is dismantling the men's lightweight boat in a major blow to Ed de Carvalho and James Wilson.
Australia will have 19 boats, including three Para-rowing crews, at Amsterdam where sculling world champion Kim Crow will lead the charge.
Crow's showdown with New Zealand's Emma Twigg should prove one of the races of the regatta with the Kiwi a slight favourite after winning both the World Cups the Victorian contested this year.
National Performance Director, Chris O’Brien, said: “Today’s announcement sees a small revision in the team after the recent World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne. We are confident that the crews selected will further progress our endeavours to achieve medal outcomes in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”
Jim Morton
AAP
