A HOST of rowers with Oxfordshire connections have made the team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The British Olympic Association announced the 45 rowers who will go to Japan, with the Leander Club in Henley and the Oxford Brookes University Boat Club providing a number of Olympians.

A series of Olympic debutants from Leander, including Jacob Dawson, Charlie Elwes, Tom Ford, Tom George, Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Henry Fieldman (cox), will join Josh Bugajski (Brookes) in the men’s eight (M8+).

Victoria Thornley (Leander) is returning for her third games, as she takes part in the women’s single sculls (W1x).

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She said: “When I started this journey in 2017, my long-term goal was to compete at the Olympics in the single, so to be selected in this boat is a really special moment.”

Sholto Carnegie, from Oxford, and Matt Rossiter – both Leander – will debut alongside Rory Gibbs (Brookes) in the men’s four (M4-).

Rossiter said: “It’s what I’ve wanted for the last 20 years and it’s taken a few days for it to actually sink in.”

In the women’s eight (W8+) will be Bicester’s Fiona Gammond, Chloe Brew, Katherine Douglas, Rebecca Edwards and Emily Ford (all Leander).

Leander’s Hannah Scott and John Collins are in the women’s quad (W4x) and men’s double (M2x) respectively.

Leander trio Karen Bennett, Rowan McKellar and Harriet Taylor are in the women’s four (W4-), with Leander quadruple Jack Beaumont, Tom Barras, Angus Groom and Harry Leask making up the men’s quad (M4x).

Morgan Bolding and Matthew Tarrant (both Brookes) are two of the four spare rowers.