Aussie rower Tomkins off to sixth Olympics

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Triple gold medallist James Tomkins was Thursday selected for his sixth Olympics in Australia's 48-strong rowing team for the Beijing Games.

Tomkins, who will turn 43 during the August Games, won the men's pair at the Athens Olympics and the men's four at the 1996 Atlanta and 1992 Barcelona Games.

Tomkins will be competing in the men's eights in Beijing.

"I am obviously very pleased and proud to have been selected again and extremely excited," said Tomkins, who is one of the favourites to carry Australia's flag at the opening or closing ceremonies.

"We have representation in every boat class and it is a very strong representation so it should be an exciting first week.

"The women's eight, in particular, are stand outs and we'll see big things from them."

The women's eight won golds at the first World Cup in Munich and a silver medal at the second World Cup in Lucerne.

As one of the leading rowing nations, Australia is attempting to improve on the four medals won at the 2004 Athens Games.

For the first time Australia will compete in all 14 rowing events at Beijing.

Only one other nation, Germany, has achieved the same feat, qualifying all of its 14 crews at Atlanta.

Dual Olympic gold medallist Drew Ginn and four-time Olympian Duncan Free will compete as world champions in the men's pair after they won the event at the 2007 World Championships.

World champions Amber Halliday and Marguerite Houston will compete in the women's lightweight double scull, who won gold at last year's championships.

The rowers will be the biggest section in the 2008 Australian Olympic team, ahead of the track and field and swimming teams.

Australia has competed in rowing since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and has won 29 Olympic medals -- eight gold, nine silver and 12 bronze.