Bradford’s three Olympic rowing hopefuls will be in action this weekend at the Great Britain Rowing Teams’ Winter Assessment.

Guiseley’s Debbie Flood, Bradford’s Matt Wells and Hebden’s Andy Hodge will compete against other leading GB London 2012 contenders and the clock on a five-kilometre course at Boston in Lincolnshire.

Olympic champions Hodge, Pete Reed and Tom James will be among the open-weight men who will race in pairs on the gruelling stretch of water, along with world champions Alex Gregory, Matt Langridge and Ric Egington.

Wells will be pressing his case for a place at his fourth Olympic Games as he looks to build on the bronze he won in Beijing, while two-times silver medallist Flood is hoping to earn selection for her third Games.

“It is the first real measure of our boat speed, individually,” said the qualified prison officer.

“And after the trials it is 2012 and it is going to be very real and very close.

“The December trial is a good opportunity for us to lay down our markers and see where we are.”

Olympic champions Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase and world champions such as Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger will go back to basics to race in singles.

This is the time when contenders outside of the current senior squad can stake a claim for consideration in the Olympic season.

It is also an opportunity for those seeking World Under-23 Championship places to potentially draw the eye.

Performance director David Tanner knows that the competition will be intense in Boston in the run-up to the Olympic season.

He will be hoping that the test will show just how well his squad’s winter training is progressing.

“Boston always provides a challenging test for the rowers,” said Tanner.

“All the ‘greats’ of our sport like Sir Matt Pinsent, Sir Steve Redgrave and James Cracknell have been through the process, just like today’s crop of talented rowers.

“They all know how valuable it is, not only to gauge winter training but to provide a route into the squad for any serious challenger.”

After Boston, the next milestone will be the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials on the Olympic course at Eton-Dorney on March 10 and 11.