James' coxless four boat is the favourite to win Olympic gold in Beijing

Welsh rowers Tom James and Tom Lucy have been confirmed in the Great Britain Olympic team.

James returns to the legendary men's coxless four boat while Lucy, who made way for his fellow countryman, moves to the eight for the Beijing Games.

Lucy, 20, is the youngest rower in the GB team on his Olympic debut.

James joins Steve Williams, Peter Reed and Andy Triggs Hodge in the boat made famous by Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent.

James made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Games as the eight-man boat finished ninth in Athens.

James' preparation for this Games has been blighted by injuries, particularly back trouble, as the coxless four boats strives for its sixth successive Olympic gold medal.

But the Cardiff-born 24-year-old returned to help the boat to second in the last World Cup event of the season in Poznan.

Monmouth rower Lucy - a world junior champion in the coxless four boat in 2006 - won bronze at the World Championships in Munich last year on his senior Great Britain debut.

Lucy helped the coxless four strike gold at the first World Cup event of the year but when James recovered from injury, he moved to the eight and won silver in Poznan.

The 43 rowers and 12 boats named in the British team for Beijing make it the largest contingent Britain has sent since 1992.

Men's crews

Four: Tom James, Steve Williams, Peter Reed, Andy Triggs Hodge

Eight: Alex Partridge, Tom Stallard, Tom Lucy, Richard Egington, Josh West, Alastair Heathcote, Matt Langridge, Colin Smith, Acer Nethercott (cox)

Pair: To be selected at a later date

Single scull: Alan Campbell

Double scull: Matt Wells, Stephen Rowbotham

Lightweight double scull: Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter

Lightweight four: Richard Chambers, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick, James Clarke