London hopes alive

Bendigo rower Hannah Every-Hall has been selected in the London 2012 Olympic prospective squad by Rowing Australia.Every-Hall has been named in the women’s lightweight double scull squad along with four other rowers competing for two crew positions in the Australian boat for next year’s Olympic Games.Rowing Australia will conduct trials, beginning on December 15 with a five kilometre time-trial on the Nepean River, before naming its final Olympic squad.A dual winner of the Bendigo Advertiser-WIN Television Sports Star of the Year award, Every-Hall finished fifth with partner Alice McNamara at September’s World Rowing Championships in Slovenia.By reaching the final the women’s lightweight double scull boat qualified for the London Olympics but Every-Hall and McNamara must go through the upcoming selection process. The final round of Olympic trials will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre from March 23-April 1 next year before Rowing Australia nominates its final crews to the Olympic Committee. Rowing Australia national high performance director Andrew Matheson said the selection trials will be hotly contested in the coming months.“We enjoyed some success in 2011 at the world championships but we are well aware that the competition will be even harder in London next year,” Matheson said.“Racing in Slovenia was extremely tough and we are under no illusions we will have to step up another level. We are confident that come London we will have the best possible crews in place to achieve Olympic and Paralympic success.”