Rowing: Tanner upbeat

Tanner: Exceptional performances

Performance director David Tanner says British rowing is in 'good health' with the 2012 Olympics in mind after the conclusion of the World Championships in Poznan.

Team GB picked up a total of three gold medals plus five silver and a bronze to claim third in the table, but as in Beijing last year no country won more Olympic class medals.

It was a chance to experiment with many Olympic medallists taking the chance to rest or experience other classes.

"Over the past two days we've seen some exceptional performances from our rowers. To achieve six Olympic class medals from 11 boats is exceptional," said Tanner.

"Our Paralympians did us proud with their two gold medals. I feel we are in good health as we start the second year of the London Olympiad.

"Many people said yesterday was one of the most exciting days of racing at any world championships and GB made a lot of that happen.

"We could have done with one more gold - but the problem of winning rather a lot of silver medals is a good one to have three years out from an Olympics."

Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed, Olympic champions in the four last year, were disappointed to win silver in the pair, although there was much to be encouraged about.

Hodge was unwell before the race - although he kept it to himself and Reed did not discover that until afterwards - but they made great strides over the year to close the gap on dominant New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond.

A decision on the British crew line-up for next year will be taken in the spring, when returning Olympic medallists such as Tom James, Colin Smith and Debbie Flood are back in the squad.

Both Katherine Grainger, who claimed silver in the single, and the men's pair made strong cases for continuing with their current projects at least until the 2010 World Championships in New Zealand.

"Those are new boats this year and if they stay together - and I am not predicting anything - I think they have space to catch up," said Tanner.

"It is a good problem to have. The guys coming in this year have done a fabulous job for us but we will need to strengthen. We need to make it as competitive as possible.

"There is some room for experimentation next year but we have to be clear where we are going for 2011."

On Sunday, the women's lightweight quad added another silver medal to the haul and were left bitterly disappointed it was not gold after Stephanie Cullen in the bow seat lost her blade in the choppy waters at Lake Malta.

The women's lightweight double sculls of Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking came with gold medal ambitions but were edged into the bronze medal position after a photo finish with Poland, who edged it by an agonising two hundredths of a second.