YORK City Rowing Club star Tom Ransley is ready to fight for his seat in the Great Britain eight crew at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The University of York graduate, fresh from winning a silver medal in last month’s World Championships in Slovenia, is back in training for the Olympic season.

And the 26-year-old knows he will have to prove himself all over again to earn a coveted spot in the squad for London.

“It is something I’m used to through doing the Boat Race and my time with the GB rowing team,” he said.

“Every year you have to fight for your seat. It keeps you honest and training as hard as you can to stay in your seat.

“I’m really excited, though. 2012 is a massive goal and ever present in your mind.”

The GB rowers will go through a series of training camps and assessments ahead of the senior trials next March.

That will shape the squad for the World Cup series before the London 2012 crews are announced in June.

The first hurdle will be a five kilometre assessment in Boston, Lincolnshire, on December 17, followed by a further 2,000-metre assessment at the Olympic course at Eton on February 11.

The rowers return to Dorney Lake at Eton for the senior trials on March 11 and 12, with the squad announcement for the first World Cup series races to follow in April.

The World Cups will be held in Belgrade, from May 4 to 6, Lucerne, from May 25 to 27, and Munich, from June 15 to 17.

The Olympic Rowing Regatta runs from July 28 to August 5, wiith the World Championships taking place in Bulgaria from August 15 to 19.