MATTHEW Langridge is part of a squad named today by Great Britain for the European Championships later this month.

The Northwich-born rower is one of five Olympic Games medallists in the men’s eight for the regatta in Belgrade, which starts on May 30.

Pete Reed, Will Satch, James Foad and cox Phelan Hill are the others.

Langridge, 30, had been a doubt to make the cut after a back injury forced him to withdraw from last month’s trials.

However the former Hartford High School pupil has recovered in time to take a seat in a boat that has delivered for him a silver medal in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in London two years ago.

For the past 18 months, chief coach Jurgen Grobler has made the men’s eight his top boat, and he was rewarded with the category’s first gold medal at last year’s world championships.

A team of 50 rowers across 17 classes will contest the event.

“The European Championships have emerged as an important event in their own right and we are ambitious to do well in Belgrade,” said team performance director Sir David Tanner.

“We are excited to see how our winter training translates into these races.”

Two world cup regattas, at Aiguebelette in France next month and Lucerne in July, precede this year’s world championships the following month.

Last season Langridge, now a member at Leander Club, competed alongside Bill Lucas in a double scull.

They won bronze in the world cup at London, only to miss out on a place in the world championship final.

The European Championships, in Serbia, run until Sunday, June 1.