FOUR North-East rowers have been confirmed on Team GB’s squad for this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – and they could yet be joined by a fifth before the Games begin.

Reigning Olympic lightweight double sculls champion, Kat Copeland, will be defending her title after she was confirmed alongside Charlotte Taylor during today’s team announcement at Henley.

Copeland, who is from Stokesley, won gold with Sophie Hosking at London 2012, and claimed a silver medal at last year’s World Championships with Taylor.

The pair produced a disappointing display as they missed out on a place in the final of May’s European Championships, only finishing fourth in their semi-final, and they did not compete in the most recent World Cup in order to focus on their training.

British Rowing performance director, Sir David Tanner, has clearly not lost faith in them though, and they remain strong medal contenders with the rowing regatta due to start on the opening weekend of this summer’s Games.

Durham’s Jess Eddie and Richmond’s Zoe Lee have been named in the crew for the women’s eight, with Eddie preparing to make her third Olympic appearance following previous outings at Beijing and London.

The eight has been in fine form this season, culminating in a superb gold medal at last month’s European Championships. That confirmed the crew’s ability to compete for a medal in Rio, and while the United States will start as strong favourites, the British eight should be in the shake-up.

Chester-le-Street’s Will Fletcher will team up with Richard Chambers in the men’s lightweight double sculls, with his partner having recovered from the hand injury that disrupted his season.

The duo were in fine form in the early stages of the campaign, and while there were signs of rustiness in their most recent World Cup outing, they still have two months in which to sharpen their performances ahead of the start of the Olympics.

Durham’s Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell has also seen injuries disrupt his progress over the last few years, but he has been named as one of 12 rowers that are under consideration for the men’s pair and eight.

Two of the rowers will be cut from the final Olympic selection and placed on the standby list, and much could depend on how Reilly-O’Donnell performs with Mat Tarrant in the final World Cup event in Poznan later this month.

The pair were World Cup winners in Varese in May, and appear to be locked in a straight shoot-out with Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes, who took silver at the European Championships.

Away from the North-East contingent, Katherine Grainger will have to wait before learning whether or not she will be selected for her fifth Olympics.

Grainger, who is now 40, won her first Olympic gold in London, and is hoping to be selected in the women’s double scull with Vicky Thornley, but the names to compete in that boat are still to be confirmed.

Olympic champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who won Britain’s first gold medal of London 2012, will attempt to defend their title in the women’s pair.

Alex Gregory, who won London 2012 gold in the men’s four, is joined in the same boat by Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis, who all won bronze in the eight in London.