Wallingford's Helen Casey, entering her seventh year as an international, won the women's lightweight singles at the final GB trials in Belgium on Tuesday, writes Mike Rosewell.

Casey has perennially come second in trials, but this time held off Hester Goodsell, the world under 23 champion who finished just half a second behind.

"It's been a long time coming, but it had to be this year, if any", said Casey afterwards.

Other locals vying for GB vests this year include Olympic silver medallist and current world champion Frances Houghton, from Wheatley, who was fifth in the women's heavyweight sculls trial.

The men's pairs saw Oxford University's 2005 stars, Andy Hodge and Peter Reed, beat former Oxford Brookes men Alex Partridge and Steve Williams.

Behind them, Tom Parker (Radley and Oxford) finished fifth with Cambridge partner Kieran West. The Oxford Brookes combo of Rob Hollis and Hugo Lee were sixth, and Jonno Devlin (Oxford Brookes) seventh with Nick Lloyd.

Paul Mattick, of Wallingford, was sixth in the men's lightweight singles, while Colin Smith, Oxford's No 2 man this year, came fourth in the men's heavyweight singles.