Australia will throw their weight behind the men's eight to chase a historic gold medal at the Paris OIympics, with the Games rowing team unveiled following a week of trials in Sydney.
Australia have never won an Olympic gold medal in the eight, with the best result silver in the men's event in 1968 in Mexico and 2000 at the Sydney Games.
After some world-class times through the week in Penrith, coming off a bronze at last year's world championship and a World Cup gold, selectors decided to make the big boat the "priority" crew.
They have included three Olympic champions - Jack Hargreaves, Spencer Turrin and Alex Purnell - who were in the four which won gold in Tokyo in 2021,
Other members of the Mark Prater-coached eight are Kendall Brodie (cox), Angus Widdicombe, Joseph O'Brien, Josh Hicks, Angus Dawson and Ben Canham.
"We've got an outstanding eight," said RA performance director Paul Thompson.
"We've got three Olympic champions in the men's eight now to add an extra bit of bit of punch with our ambitions.
"And we still believe that we will have a fabulous four for Paris too."
The women's eight is still to be finalised with selectors naming a squad of 14 which will cover the eight and four.
Women's pair Annabelle McIntyre and Jessica Morrison are expected to lead the charge in Paris after the duo were part of the gold medal four in Tokyo and also won silver at last year's world championships.
In other selections, Tara Rigney will move from the double to single scull, with her place taken by Tokyo quad scull bronze medallist Harriet Hudson, who will partner Amanda Bateman.
Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager were picked in the PR3 mixed double scull, in which they are world champions, and will race at the Paralympics for the first time in Paris.
Looking to top their haul of four medals in Tokyo, Australia have so far qualified nine boats for Paris from 14 classes and three for the Paralympics.
They will attempt to qualify one more boat, with David Bartholot and Marcus Della Marta competing in the men's double scull at the final qualifying regatta in Lucerne in May.
"We've got a really strong team, especially with the depth of it," Thompson said.
"We can be really confident the crews will do Australia proud in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"The selectors have left no stone unturned - they followed the speed, the data and all the evidence that they've collected.
"We should be looking to have a strong team performance."
Australian team: Women: single scull (W1X) Tara Rigney, double scull (W2X) Amanda Bateman, Harriet Hudson, women's quad scull squad (W4X) Caitlin Cronin, Laura Gourley, Rowena Meredith, Kathryn Rowan, Ria Thompson, coxless pair (W2-) Annabelle McIntyre, Jess Morrison, coxed eight squad (W8+) and women's four squad (W4-) Olympia Aldersey, Lily Alton, Paige Barr, Bronwyn Cox, Eliza Gaffney, Molly Goodman, Sarah Hawe, Jean Mitchell, Samantha Morton, Giorgia Patten, Georgina Rowe, Lucy Stephan, Jacqueline Swick, Katrina Werry, Hayley Verbunt - coxswain. Men: coxless pair (M2-) Paddy Holt, Simon Keenan, double scull (M2x) Dave Bartholot, Marcus Della Marta, coxless four (M4-) Fergus Hamilton, Alexander Hill, Tim Masters, Jack Robertson, coxed eight (M8+) Kendall Brodie - coxswain, Ben Canham, Angus Dawson, Jack Hargreaves, Josh Hicks, Joseph O'Brien, Alexander Purnell, Spencer Turrin, Angus Widdicombe.
