Tokyo Olympics: NI's Rebecca Shorten, Rebecca Edwards and Hannah Scott selected for GB rowing squad
- Published
Shorten has been in the Great Britain squad since 2017
Northern Ireland's Rebecca Shorten, Rebecca Edwards and Hannah Scott have been named in the Great Britain rowing squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
This summer's Games will be a first Olympics for the trio.
Belfast rower Shorten will go in the women's four, Edwards of Aughnacloy in the women's eight and Coleraine's Scott will compete in the quad sculls.
There are 24 women in the 45-strong GB squad, which includes 37 Olympic debutants.
Shorten, 27, has been in the GB squad since 2017, mostly stroking the women's eight, with the year's delay seeing her move into the four on its return to the Olympics.
The women's four won bronze at the Euros in April and silver at last month's World Cup regatta in Lucerne.
Edwards, also 27, made her senior debut for Great Britain at the third World Cup in Rotterdam two years ago in a second development GB eight that finished seventh overall.
This time last year it was Paris 2024 that Scott had in her sights but the Covid-19 pandemic changed that, as she made her senior GB debut at European Championships in April where the team won a silver medal.
Scott is from Bann Rowing Club, where former Northern Ireland Olympians Alan Campbell, Richard and Peter Chambers all rowed from.
'If she can do it, there is nothing stopping me'
From church football to Olympic rowing - Games selection 'means the world' to emotional Edwards
"It means the world, it really does," said Edwards in reaction to her selection.
"I have wanted to be an athlete my whole life, I guess I wasn't sure in which sport. I have always enjoyed being part of a team and working together to be so much more.
"I could never do this on my own, when I am rowing I feel like it is more than just me. Particularly for female athletes and young girls in Northern Ireland, I always wanted others like me to know you can compete at the highest level.
"I started out playing football at my church and wanted to be this athlete, but I thought 'there is no way, how can I get there?', but you can. That means a lot to me and I would like to think there are young girls sitting at home thinking 'if she can do it, there is nothing stopping me'.
"I'm nothing special, I just took my chances and worked hard - that is all that it is."
Shorten said she is determined to come home with a medal for friends and family back home who are not able to go to Tokyo to support her, while Scott said she does not think the news "feels real yet".