Osborne named in World Cup teams

Single sculler Hannah Osborne is optimistic she can overcome a recent injury to chase success at two World Cup regattas in Europe.

Osborne was named yesterday in a predictable Rowing New Zealand squad for regattas in Austria and Switzerland in June and July respectively.

Osborne has been battling a painful rib injury that hampered her participation in the national championships last month and also kept her off the water during trials this week.

As expected, Rowing NZ named both Mahe Drysdale and Robbie Manson as men’s single scullers. Nations can enter more than one boat per class at World Cup events but the selectors will have to make a choice between the two based on that form when they name the team to contest this year’s world championships starting in Bulgaria in September.

Osborne was competing as part of an eight at nationals last month when she suffered a stress reaction to her fifth and sixth ribs.

‘‘That left me on the bike for the rest of the week,’’ Osborne said.

A bone scan came back clear but she required another a week later after still being very tender in two spots. That kept her out of the just-completed trials but Osborne said she’s now ‘‘pain free and all good to go’’.

‘‘I did an erg halfway through the week that made it a bit grumpy, but haven’t had any pain for the past four or five days.’’

The 23-year-old had a promising first season internationally in 2017, taking over the seat vacated by Emma Twigg.

She made the A final at the Poznan World Cup and was second in the B final – and eighth overall – at the world championships in the US.

‘‘I was not expecting to be in contention for even the B final at the start of the season,’’ Osborne said.

‘‘I definitely want to better myself. It’d be a bit of a backwards step if I didn’t do as well as I did.’’

The 2018 team sees some new talent join the elite squad with Ben van Dalen teaming up in the lightweight men’s double sculls with Matt Dunham, Jordan Parry joining the men’s quad, Martyn O’Leary in the men’s reserve coxless pair, Phoebe Spoors in the women’s coxless four and Kelsi Parker joining the women’s eight.

Tom Murray’s new crewmate in the men’s pair is Michael Brake, who replaces Jamie Hunter, who retired after he and Murray claimed bronze at the world championships.

As expected, world champions Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast will contest the women’s pair and have been excused double duty by not being