Ginn without Tomkins as Australia selects rowing team

But it won’t be Ginn’s Olympic gold medal partner James Tomkins in the boat with him – instead Duncan Free will fill the spot in the pair.

Free is no stranger to elite rowing. His international pedigree stretches back to 1991 when he won a silver medal in the junior single. He carried on through three Olympic Games. More known for his sculling abilities, Free has been Australian champion seven times in the single.

Ginn and Free both took last year off from competitive rowing with Ginn trying his hand at an ironman triathlon amongst other sports. They are part of 10 returning Olympians to the Australian team which also includes lightweight silver medallist from Athens Ben Cureton, Athens bronze medallists Dana Faletic and Stefan Szczurowski.

Tomkins, meanwhile, still has his sights set on the Beijing Olympics and recently underwent physiological tests that showed he was well on track to his goal of six Olympic Games and a fourth Olympic gold medal. Tomkins has speculated that he will be back in the boat with Ginn, but it may be in a four. An eight has also not been ruled out.

Australia’s high performance director Noel Donaldson said in Rowing Australia’s team press release, “This is another step in our Olympic preparations ahead of Beijing in 2008 and making that one of the most successful Olympic campaigns for rowing.”

The team, which includes entries in all Olympic class events plus some non-Olympic events, will travel to Europe for the first and second Rowing World Cups and then return to Europe for the World Rowing Championships in Eton at the end of August.

For a full team list got to: www.rowingaustralia.com.au