Exclusive: British women's eight confident of gold at London 2012

By David Gold

January 8 - Women's eight cox Caroline O'Connor has told insidethegames that the British boat can beat the United States and Canada to claim the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The North American rivals finished first and second respectively at the World Rowing Championships in Bled kast but Britain were just over two seconds off the victorious Americans in third.

"We won bronze in Bled and were two seconds off gold ? for me that's an achievable distance," O'Connor told insidethegames.

"I've been in rowing a while now and teams have turned around bigger distances than that to win gold at the Games.

"And I genuinely believe we have to get it right.

"We have trained so hard and so well ? we have to be really clever between now and London, everything psychology, physiology our technical ability to row well.

"I genuinely believe we have the depth in our team to win a gold in the women's eight."

Though the pressure will be intense in London next year for the Olympic Games, particularly for the rowers - alongside cycling the sport in which Britain is expected to pick up most medals - O'Connor says that the experience of Bled will help immensely with that.

"For our team it was massive ? don't underestimate how stressful Olympic qualification is," she said.

"My family, friends, colleagues at work [O'Connor is a part-time teacher] say 'what about London how do you think you're going to do?'

"[But] at this stage [of qualification] in the women's eight we had to come top five to qualify for the Games.

"That's the only event at the World rowing champs where you can make the A final and not have qualified.

"To sit on the start line knowing we've got to get this right to get a medal but if we get it wrong we might not go to our home Olympics ? that's dreadful.

"And we knew leading into Bled that we were in fine form and going really well.

"To come out there with such success and gold medals was amazing and all the other colour medals as well."

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Source: http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/rowing/15311-exclusive-british-womens-eight-confident-of-gold-at-london-2012

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