DOUBLE Olympic rowing champion Andy Hodge is heading to Rio as part of the Great Britain men's eight.

The crew pushed world and Olympic champions Germany close in the recent World Cup meeting at Poznan in Poland.

Hodge, who moved to the stroke seat for that race, will be hoping the eight will continue their improvement in Brazil.

The Hebden rower won gold in the men's fours at the Beijing and London games and would love to add another to his collection.

Hodge, who missed all of last year because of illness, is joined in the GB boat by Pete reed who shared in his two previous Olympic triumphs.

Scott Durant, Tom Ransley, Matt Gotrel, Paul Bennett, Matt Langridge, Will Satch and cox Phelan Hill complete the line up.

Ransley, Langridge and Hill were men’s eight bronze medallists in London, while Satch won bronze in the men’s pair.

Gotrel, a former international sailor who swapped to rowing at University, Bennett and Durant will be making their Olympic debuts in Rio. All three have been in either World gold medal winning crews or on the world podium in other boat classes.

Along with the Germans, the Dutch, third at last year’s World Championships and winners at the Lucerne World Cup, will also prove strong contenders.