KATHERINE Grainger has achieved nearly everything possible in rowing, with four world titles, two Olympic silver medals and an MBE for services to her sport. But nearly is not enough.
Glasgow-born Grainger and her crew-mates in the quad scull are targeting a first British women's rowing gold medal when the action begins in Shunyi at the weekend.
Women's rowing was introduced to the Games in 1978 and it was not until Grainger's
quad claimed silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics that Britain enjoyed any success on the water.
Now, with their strongest women's crew ever, the target is gold – the only way to follow the hat-trick of world titles Grainger has won since Athens 2004.
"We have a lot of confidence from the results we have had in the past," said the Edinburgh University law graduate who is now based in Marlow. "We have had some fantastic performances over the three years, but know that when we get to the Olympics it will very much be a clean slate.
"We all bring a whole range of the experiences to our races. When we are on the start line we will not be thinking about what has gone before. The fact we won the world championship last year, the year before and the year before that doesn't really matter when it comes to the Olympics.
"Getting gold at any Olympics Games is tough – that is why the Olympic challenge is so special. But we have settled into our base camp and have done everything we can. We don't go out thinking about the ultimate prize – we go out there thinking about how we achieve it."
While Grainger aims to strike a blow for the women, so the lightweight classes are also intent on achieving an Olympic first for Britain.
The lightweight category was introduced at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and Britain are still yet to make the main final in any of the disciplines. That is all set to change. The men's lightweight four are looking to follow last year's world title with an Olympic podium finish. But much of the focus will be on Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase, two rowers from vastly different backgrounds who are unbeaten this season in the lightweight men's double scull.
Hunter hails from East London. He is a former footballer who gave up on the beautiful game after growing tired of the cheating and play-acting. He learned his rowing at the Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club, tucked away on a bend of the Thames near Docklands. It is not traditional rowing country.
Purchase only joined forces with Hunter last season. But they could end a perfect season with Olympic gold. "The pressure is there because everybody is looking at us, but we are staying in our own bubble," said Hunter.
Both the lightweight four and the women's quad start their campaign on Sunday. The first Briton in action on the Shunyi Lake tomorrow is single sculler Alan Campbell with the men's four in the final heat of the day.
The full article contains 516 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
