Olympic silver medallist Vicky Thornley has expressed her disappointment after making the decision to pull out of the European Rowing Championships in Glasgow.
Thornley will not now have the chance to defend her single sculls title that she won in Racice last May as she shifts her focus to the World Championships in Bulgaria this September.
Thornley, who partnered Katherine Grainger to silver in the double sculls in Rio two years ago, felt that her form was not good enough to compete, despite the appeal of racing on home water.
She said: “It’s hugely disappointing not to be competing in Glasgow this week, not just because I won’t be able to defend my title, but it’s also a rare opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd.
“Unfortunately I’m not currently in a position to perform at my physical best at the European Championships. I have to look at the big picture, which means being able to race in peak condition at the World Championships in September.
“I’ll be cheering on my teammates from home and look forward to pulling on my GB vest again soon.”
The European Championships begin on August 2 at Strathclyde Country Park with Great Britain looking to build on the four medals won in the event last year in the Czech Republic.
Director of performance Brendan Purcell added: “It’s never an easy decision to withdraw an athlete from a major championship, especially one on home water, but our priority is to ensure Vicky is able to compete at her best.
“Vicky is a true competitor and, in a strong single sculls field, it’s important that she’s able to fire on all cylinders at the World Championships.”
Sportsbeat 2018