Katherine Grainger set for fifth Olympic Games
Alumna and Great Britain oarswoman Katherine Grainger will defend her 2012 Olympic Double Sculls title after her selection to the Rio 2016 Olympic rowing team was confirmed at the weekend. Katherine will be joined in Rio by current history student Dina Asher-Smith, after the 20 year old sprinter also secured her spot on Team GB’s athletics team at the weekend.
Alumna Katherine Grainger awards a trophy during the 2013 Alumni Games
For Katherine Grainger, selection confirms her participation at a remarkable fifth Olympic Games, having already become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian following her gold medal at the London 2012 Games
A former Law PhD student at King’s, the Scotland-born athlete has also previously won 3 silver medals (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008), yet, in spite of her impressive career achievements, 2016 Olympic selection had been in doubt for a time.
Last year Katherine and her sculls partner Vicky Thornley had won bronze at the European Championships, but the double failed to make the podium at this year’s event and were omitted from the line-up at the formal Team GB squad announcement earlier this month.
A fifth placed finish at the final World Cup Regatta two weeks ago has ultimately convinced team selectors.
Talking to BBC Sport Katherine said: “It's not been the smoothest or most direct route but it's a relief that we're there.”
Also Going to Rio
Katherine Grainger's selection means that she joins three other follow King’s alumni in Team GB’s rowing team for the upcoming Games.
As another of Great Britain Rowing’s long-serving athletes, Frances Houghton also made her Olympic debut in 2000, shortly after beginning her Hispanic Studies BA at King’s. Having graduated in 2003, Frances has represented Great Britain at all of the three subsequent Olympic Games - winning two silver medals in the process and even partnering Katherine Grainger in the quadruple sculls in Beijing 2008.
In Rio, Frances will be anchoring the British Women’s Eight; a crew which has enjoyed noted success this season winning the European Championships and finishing second in the Lucerne World Cup Regatta.
Joining Frances in this crew will be a former King’s Sport Performance Athlete, Zoe Lee. A Yorkshire native, Zoe has spent much of her Olympic preparations balancing her professional rowing career with a PhD in sand transportation here at King’s, completing the latter earlier in March this year.
Zoe is one of two alumni who will make their Olympic rowing debuts in Rio, with Paul Bennett, a 2012 mathematics graduate, the final athlete included.
It was whilst studying at King’s that Paul began rowing at the University of London Boat Club, where his 6’8” frame helped him rise through the sport to win at Henley Royal Regatta.
He has since represented Oxford in the Boat Race and won two World Championships as part of the GB Men’s Eight in 2014 and 2015. Earlier this month Paul was selected into the same boat once more for Rio 2016.
Both he and Frances continue to represent the University of London Boat Club in domestic competitions.
Meanwhile in Birmingham, second year history student Dina Asher-Smith has also secured Olympic selection after having won the 200m national title at the weekend’s British Athletics Championships.
King’s Sport would like to congratulate all the athletes above on their selection, and wish them good luck with their final steps on the road to Rio!