McRae, a Murray Bridge Rowing Club member, was selected for the Australian men’s Olympic rowing team this week.

“It’s probably a bit of a relief and we have been trialling for the past three or four months,” McRae said.

“From the (trial) results we had a fair idea of what was going to happen.”

He will be racing in the men’s quad and the final seat in the boat is still to be filled.

This is a historic achievement for the Murray Bridge rowing club, who has not had an Olympic representative since the Paris Games in 1924, when the entire Australian men’s eight came from the club.

Murray Bridge Rowing Club coaching director Ron Mobbs said it was an important achievement for the club to have McRae going to the Olympics.

“It’s a huge thing, especially with next year being our 100th year,” he said.

The club has had success for the past 15 years at both national and international levels, and McRae has been part of that since he competed at his first national rowing championship in 2001.

“James is a very special kid, he is only young, he is not 20 yet, so he could possibly get to four or five Olympics,” Mobbs said.

He said McRae’s approach to the sport and his physiology contributes to make him a good rower.

“It’s been a dream of James’ for years and for a number of us coaches as well,” Mobbs said.

McRae has worked his way back from injury in September, so his Olympic dream had been slightly knocked of course, but a successful selection trial in February saw him in the eight man training squad.

The final selection regatta was held this month and saw the squad reduced from eight to five men, and McRae held his position.

McRae is currently in Tasmania training for the Olympics and will stay there until they leave for Europe for World Cup regattas in two weeks’ time.

After the six-week racing stint in Europe the McRaes will go to the Australian Olympic team camp in Queensland.