COUNTY rower Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne has her fingers crossed that she can secure a place at the Rio Olympics after making a big splash in the European Rowing Championships.

The Great Britain sculler won the women's singles B final for seventh overall in her senior team debut ay Brandenburg, Germany.

And team bosses were so impressed with the Hereford Towing Club product's performance that they have given her the chance to race for a place at Rio in the final qualifying regatta in Switzerland, which starts next weekend.

"There are only three slots available and it's going to be really tough, but the prize is fantastic, a place at the Rio Olympics," said Hodgkins-Byrne, who is from St Weonards.

"And I'm going to Lucerne with the attitude of nothing to lose, everything to gain, so I'm really excited to be on the plane."

The final qualifying field is much stronger than usual this Olympics, with several entries who would normally already have qualification in the bag.

This includes 2014 world champion Emma Twigg from New Zealand, double Olympic singles champion Ekaterina Karsten from Belarus, who has medalled in four Olympics, and Ireland's European bronze medallist Sinita Puspure.

But the 21-year-old isn't fazed, saying: "The thought of lining up against rowers of that class - Karsten's been winning as long as I've been alive - is amazing," she said. "Whatever happens, it's been a really exciting year so far and win or lose, I'll gain so much from racing the Olympic qualifying regatta.

"The only disappointing thing is that I beat some of the scullers in Germany who qualified at last year's worlds for the Olympics, where I didn't race, so perhaps my development in the boat has just come a fraction too late for Brazil."

Even if Hodgkins-Byrne, older sister of world junior medallist Charlotte, misses out, she would go to the World Under-21 Championships later this summer in Rotterdam as one of the singles favourites.

In the semi-final, she just missed a place in the six-boat medal race off, finishing fourth just a length down on the mighty Belarussian in third, and would have won the other semi on time, even beating Czech London 2012 Olympic champion Mira Knapkova on the clock.

Then in the B final, HoDgkins-Byrne stormed into an early lead she never surrendered, holding off a late challenge by 0.17 secs.

At 500m, she had a length's lead over Germany's Julia Richter and held the pack at arm's length until the last 250m, where she repelled the charge of Sweden's Anna Malvina Svennung by feet.

"I was totally surprised to finish seventh, I was thinking top 12 would be good before the regatta," said Hodgkins-Byrne.

"I was fourth in the full GB trials and then won the U23 trials, and now this, and I seem to be improving all the time.

"We sat down at the start of the year, and pencilled in the Olympic qualifiers as an aim, but now I know I'm going, it's really exciting."