Speaking at the GB Team announcement here, Scowen, who finished fifth in the adaptive TA mixed double scull with James Roberts at the 2009 World Championships but was without a partner last year, said winning bronze with Beighton in this Munich World Cup had opened up exciting possibilities.

She and Beighton, who lost both legs after stepping on an explosive device in Afghanistan in 2009, had just seven weeks together in training before their international debut in Germany.

"It was our very first competition," she told insideworldparasport.

"We hoped to come fifth or fourth, so to finish third was a real boost.

"We will be looking for the same kind of performance in Bled - the French and Ukraine crews are strong, but we feel we will be faster than we were in Munich after we have done a couple of weeks hard training before the worlds.

"And if we keep improving we could be in gold position next year."


The GB Rowing Team, sponsored by Siemens, once more takes a strong contingent of adaptive rowers to Bled including reigning World and Paralympic single scull champion, Tom Aggar (pictured) - who will get married three days after his return - in a squad coached by Tom Dyson and Mary McLachlan and managed by Louise Kingsley.

Britain also fields a strong mixed adaptive four coxed by Lily van den Broecke and featuring Dave Smith, who has come back from major neck surgery to win a place in the boat.

To read the full team click here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
May 2011: Aggar stretches four-year unbeaten record with World Cup victory in Munich
April 2011: Ex-soldier prepares to oar up for Britain at World Cup regatta