Olympics 2008

The biggest news from the announcement of Great Britain's rowing squad for the Olympics was that there was no news.

The injuries and illness that have hit the squad over the last few months have by and large been overcome and a squad of 43 British rowers (more than any Olympics since 1992, after which a quota system was introduced) will compete in 12 boats from 9 August.

So instead of news there were questions. Will Kath Grainger - at her third Games - become one of the first British women rowers to win gold? How will the men's coxless four fare after an injury-hit season? Are Great Britain on course for their target of four Olympic medals? And just which boat is Britain's best bet for gold?

First, what little news there was:

Forty-two rowers were named. Two more - the duo to fill the seats in the men's pair - will be named later from the several people who have been tried out in the eight this year. Nine women were named in the eight - obviously one has to drop out.

Tom James re-took his place in the men's four after returning from a back injury just in time to help them to a silver medal in last weekend's third and final World Cup regatta in Poland.

Alan Campbell is "on track" to compete in the single scull and performance director David Tanner says "I'm sure he'll be strong" after a knee infection, which has kept him out of action this month.

Now, to the questions:

Will Grainger become a gold pioneer for British women's rowing?

Grainger, 32, from Aberdeen, was part of the quadruple scull that won Britain's first medal in a women's event - silver at Sydney in 2000 - and followed that up with another second-place in the pair four years later.

Since her return to the quad, the crew has won gold at the last three World Championships, although they face a real challenge from China, who beat them the only time they faced them this year, at Lucerne.

Every sportsperson talks the talk, but Grainger has a more definite air of determination than most ahead of what is likely to be her last Olympic appearance.

"Four years ago we sent three women's boats to the Olympics and all three came back with medals, which was a remarkable achievement, but none of them were gold," she told BBC Radio 5 Live's Nick Mullins.

"After we came back from Athens everyone said, 'That's what we really need to breakthrough as the women's team.'

"It's been a long slog to get to this point. We're better primed than we've ever been to go for it. It's going to be really tough but that's the level we're aiming at."

How will the men's four get on?

The Chiswick house shared by Tom James and Andy Hodge must have looked like a scene from Harry Enfield's Old Gits as the two nursed back injuries earlier this month.

World champions in 2004, '05 and '06 the four has been injury-hit for a year now and only showcased its first-choice line-up for the first time last weekend, with James back in action.

For the first time since before Steve Redgrave moved into the boat for Sydney, the men's four is arguably not Britain's best bet for gold.

The Netherlands and Australia will pose stiff challenges but Redgrave for one believes they can still top the podium, saying they will be able to gain speed especially in the first 500m of the race.

Steve Williams - the only member of the four remaining from four years ago - has taken confidence from their early-season displays in training, when they were reportedly close to world-record pace.

"The crew was selected back in April but it wasn't until last weekend that the full crew raced internationally," he said.

"We did a lot of stuff at home, mostly against the stopwatch and that gave us a lot of confidence because we have made the boat go very, very fast."

The experience of the four before the 2004 Olympics - with Alex Partridge suffering a collapsed lung in the final weeks of preparation - was arguably an even bigger challenge, Matthew Pinsent showing the emotion when he cried on the medal podium.

"In Athens we were in a similar situation to where we are now. We weren't favourites, we weren't in the leading position in the last race before the Olympics but we did turn it around," said Williams.

"I'll be drawing on that experience a lot in the next seven weeks because it was a bloody hard experience but we came out winners and that's what we've got to do now."

Are GB on course for their target of four Olympic medals?

If they don't hit that very conservative target there should be a massive inquest. In 1996, GB won two medals, in 2000 they took three and in 2004 the figure was four.

During that time infrastructure has improved massively, funding has flooded in and the squad's strength in depth has really increased.

There are real medal prospects for the men's four and eight, women's quad and double sculls, men's double and men's lightweight double.

Results have been inconsistent this year but training continues over the next two months, with what will be a gruelling trip in Breisach, Germany before another fortnight at their base in Caversham to make sure they maximise their potential.

And which boat is now the best bet for gold?

It used to be easy - just hand the title "flagship" to which ever boat contained Redgrave and/or Pinsent. The four continued to hold the mantel for much of this Olympiad, before their recent wobble. The women's quad is very strong but has been beaten this year.

There is just one boat that is unbeaten throughout 2008 and that is the lightweight double of Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, winners of all three World Cup regattas and the overall series.

Last year Denmark were their nemeses, pushing them into the bronze spot in the Worlds, but the Danes have apparently struggled with illness this year and are well below their best.

"Are the lightweight double now the flagship boat?" I asked Purchase.

"I wish! Not yet." he replied. "The four and the girls quad have still got the history and long-term results behind them.

"We're producing good results this year but I'm sure they'll come out with good results in Beijing as well and maintain that history.

"It's a good, successful team in general so it's really good to be part of."

That's the big-picture stuff dealt with but it was really fun to see the enthusiasm with which many of the rowers received their selection notices and official Team GB kit from the British Olympic Association.

Carla Ashford from the women's eight said excitedly: "You just hope to be there until someone gives you the definite selection so this is really a massive turning point.

"I'm just so pleased I can tell my friends and family that I'm definitely going."

And going with high hopes of success.