KAT COPELAND will have a new partner as she looks to add the European lightweight double scull title to the Olympic crown she claimed in such thrilling fashion three years ago.

Copeland will team up with Charlotte Taylor for the European Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland, later this month, with the competition serving as a key warm-up ahead of September’s World Championships, which double up as the main qualifying event for next year’s Olympics in Rio.

Last year, Copeland, who is from Stokesley, was partnered by Imogen Walsh as she surprisingly missed out on a place in the World Championship final, and with the British lightweight squad proving extremely difficult to split, the reigning Olympic champion insists she is happy to have another new partner alongside her.

“Changing partners is all I’ve ever known,” said Copeland. “I was with Sophie (Hosking) at the Olympics, then I had a year with Imogen and now I’ve got a year with Charlotte so I’ve become used to it.

“Sometimes, when you start rowing together with someone, it feels like it clicks and I think we’re really enjoying that it is clicking at the minute.

“I think it’s good because it keeps it really fresh. We think about it as a totally new combination – we don’t have to have anything holding us back. At the moment, we’re just  working on picking out the things we can bring to the boat and enjoying it.”

Durham’s Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, a Northern Echo columnist and world champion in the eight last season, moves into a new-look four – a boat class in which Britain are defending Olympic, World and European champions.

“We know how competitive we are relative to the other guys in the British team, and we are confident we have a really strong crew,” said Reilly-O’Donnell, who will team up with Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley and Scott Durant. “The Europeans will be a really good first marker of where we are. Of course we want to win, but the priority is the World Championships and Olympic qualification.

“We want to be in an Olympic seat from now until Rio, so for each of us it is really important that we maintain that. It’s great to be part of the most successful men’s team there has ever been, but there is not point being on the bank and watching it all happen.”

Yarm’s Tina Stiller retains her place in the quadruple scull, and is joined by Beth Rodford, Melanie Wilson and rising star Jess Leyden.

Durham’s Jess Eddie and Richmond’s Zoe Lee remain in the women’s eight, and will be looking to go one better than the silver medal they claimed in last year’s European Championships in Belgrade.

Chester-le-Street’s Will Fletcher is joined in the lightweight men’s double scull by Olympic and World silver medallist Richard Chambers, but Northumberland’s Jamie Kirkwood misses out because of injury.

“We are not complacent,” said performance director Sir David Tanner. “This is an Olympic qualifying year and other nations will be stepping up. The depth of competition will be stronger and, against that background, we are looking at honing a squad that gives us the best possible chance of qualifying all our men’s boats for Rio.”

The European Championships take place from May 29-31.