Samantha Redgrave reveals injury that has kept her out of the women's four at European Championships
BySportsbeat
Updated 24/05/2023 at 09:35 GMT
Samantha Redgrave has been replaced in the unbeaten women's four line-up by double Olympic champion Helen Glover as she makes her return to Olympic rowing. Redgrave says it will be "tough" to watch the team compete without her as she has been recovering from injury. However, Redgrave added there are "worse people to be replaced by than Helen Glover".
Samantha Redgrave (Pic: British Rowing)
Image credit: Eurosport
Gateshead rower Sam Redgrave revealed that a finger injury saw her lose her place in Britain's unbeaten women's four.
The 28-year-old has not been selected to defend her title in the four at this week's European Championships.
Redgrave will instead race in the eight at Lake Bled, Slovenia, three months after undergoing surgery on her finger and weeks since having her wisdom tooth removed.
"It's been tough and there have been some things this winter I've had to prioritise," said Redgrave.
"It was hard to stay fit and strong while I was rehabbing my finger, I could still train on the bike but I had to work around things in the gym and be creative.
"It's part and parcel of being at elite level - sometimes these things don't work out."
Double Olympic champion and mum-of-three Helen Glover has returned to international rowing and Redgrave's spot in a boat that went unbeaten throughout 2022, joining Rebecca Shorten, Heidi Long and Rowan McKellar.
"It's tough, it's tough watching the same line-up minus me," said Redgrave.
"The line-ups aren't fixed for the rest of the season and it will be different next year, there will be chances for me to progress if I'm good enough."
"There are worse people to be replaced by than Helen Glover."
Redgrave is throwing herself into a new-look British eight that won silver at last year's European Championships.
Like Glover, Olympic silver medallist Karen Bennett has returned to the fold alongside Tokyo Olympians Hattie Taylor and Emily Ford.
There are new faces in the boat in the shape of Lauren Irwin and Annie Campbell-Order, alongside Olympic bronze medal-winning coxswain Henry Fieldman.
"I love the four, it's my favourite boat to race in, but I'm also really looking forward to the challenge of the eight," said Redgrave.
"I'm hoping to put what I've learned in pairs and fours into it. As a crew we have a nice mix of experience and fresh faces."
British Rowing is the governing body for the sport and is responsible for the development of rowing in England and the training and selection of rowers to represent Great Britain. The GB Rowing Team is supported by the National Lottery Sports Fund. To find out more, and to follow the team, head to https://www.britishrowing.org/
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