ROWER Tom Ransley is hoping to help Great Britain rack up a record fifth gold medal in the coxless fours. He tells DAVE FLETT he is thrilled by the prospect of Olympic glory

FORMER University of York rower Tom Ransley admits the chance to make Olympic history next year is "thrilling" but he is only prepared to focus on the next challenge.

Ransley is hoping to help his country win a record fifth coxless four gold at Rio 2016, having been selected for the boat made famous by the likes of Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell in the past.

But, along with fellow crew members Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell, Alan Sinclair and Scott Durant, Ransley is taking everything one step at a time.

The quartet were crowned European champions in Poland last month and are now preparing for World Cup action this week in Italy ahead of the World Championships, which will be held in France at the end of August.

In 2013, Ransley was a member of the first GB eight to take gold at the World Championships and confesses that such landmark achievements are great incentives.

"These sorts of challenges can be very thrilling and motivating and should be used in that manner," he said of the bid to preserve GB's status as the Olympics' only coxless four champions since the start of the 21st century. "However, it is also important to switch to a more immediate focus and get on with the job in hand.

"There is no point thinking about history while the rest of the competition fly by you. I am very proud that I was part of the first British VIII to win the World Championships and I was aware of the record books going into the final but delivering the result required us only to focus on rowing our best race."

The GB team will also be out to extend legendary coach Jurgen Grobler's incredible sequence of training a gold-medal winning crew at every Olympics since 1972, which represents 11 successive Games, having previously worked for East Germany.

Ransley is in no doubt that he is benefitting from the best in the business, while underlining the significant contribution of M4 coach Christian Felkel too.

He added: "You must be doing a lot of things right to win that many Olympic gold medals. Either that, or you're the luckiest person around and, whichever way you look at it, I'd want Jurgen Grobler on my side.

"He has consistently delivered winning crews and has a strong understanding of an athlete's body in terms of its capability, resilience and fragility. It's an understanding based on decades of coaching-based knowledge, not simply a framework taken from a textbook.

"Christian Felkel has also been with the British rowing team for many years and I have had the benefits of his technical eye while training in a variety of crews. He's not afraid to try new approaches and has a great passion for the sport, so I am very confident he can accelerate our development over the coming months."

Ransley won bronze as part of the men's eight at London 2012 but none of his three team-mates for Brazil have prior Olympic experience.

The boat's senior member does not think that will prove a barrier to success, though, arguing: "Everyone in the crew is of a really high calibre and has trained incredibly hard to earn their seats. I don't feel an added responsibility (as the only former Olympian) but I hope I can share my previous racing experiences and knowledge for the benefit of the crew.

"I don't see the lack of Olympic experience as a problem and, to have a crew with a mix of past experiences, will add to our potency. It is true that inexperience is likely to lead to basic mistakes but, equally, too much experience can led to complacency or a lack of innovation, so I hope we can find a balance.

"I expect those who have not had as much racing at the highest level will be very hungry for success and keen to prove themselves. That in itself will generate excitement throughout the boat and, no matter where each individual has come from, every crew has to go through shared experiences.

"That is why we have a summer racing season culminating in the World Championships. Each race is a lesson and guide that shows you how to improve, so every day you start to build a crew identity and a unique way of doing things."

Ransley has also enjoyed the transition from eight-man competition to the smaller boat, explaining: "The fundamentals of how to move a boat remain the same across all classes but, as a four, you are obviously 25 per cent of the boat and have a greater direct impact.

"Equally, rhythm is subtly different due to the change in boat speed and there is a longer drive phase. It's nice not to be carrying 55kg of screaming cox down the track too!

"Off the water, it's easier to have a more expansive discussion and have an increased input from each member on their thoughts about how things are done and the best way to progress. In an eight, it can be very exhausting and time consuming to hear every person's point of view and rarely is there a unanimous consensus."

Despite insisting it is too early to identify the main threats for next summer, Ransley is looking forward to taking on all the expected contenders this summer, saying: "We set out our ambition to win the Europeans very soon after forming the crew and, despite it being our first international race this season and our first race in this combination, we still delivered in a commanding fashion.

"I liked the consistency we showed as we progressed through the regatta and, in each race, I think we established a strong rhythm that dominated the field from the first stroke to the last. The British rowing team have a culture of aiming high and achieving the best results.

"Having said that, we are under no illusions that the field is very competitive and that there will be some closely-fought battles along the way. If a result doesn't go our way, it will be used to better our chances come the World Rowing Championships at the end of the season."