Stephen Rowbotham tested by quadruple scull changes
Last updated on .From the section Rowing
Somerset rower Stephen Rowbotham says he is ready to focus on racing after a challenging season of changes in the Great Britain squad.
The 31-year-old will compete in the first of three World Cup series' this weekend in Serbia, the final rowing events ahead of the London Olympics.
He forms part of a new- men's quadruple sculls team alongside Marcus Bateman, Charles Cousins and Matt Wells.
"It's been such a long winter," Rowbotham told BBC Sport.
"There's been so many hoops we've had to jump through selection-wise and everyone is breathing a sigh of relief that the racing is finally on the horizon."
Alongside Tom Solesbury, Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend, Rowbotham finished fourth in last year's World Cup series and a disappointing seventh-place finish at the World Championship's in Slovenia.
"There's two people in the entire men's team that are sitting in the same team that they were last year," he added.
"We just want to start racing and get all of this stuff behind us."
The quad scull team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and four years before, the GB team came second-to-last in Athens.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Rowbotham will be racing in London this year, but he is already looking ahead and hoping to make his mark.
"The first World Cup will be the starting point for the Olympic process," he continued.
"Traditionally we don't have success in this boat and we're looking to turn that around.
"We had a disappointing result last year. It wasn't good enough and we know we are better than that."
