REIGNING Olympic rowing champion Pete Reed hopes the dedication that makes him a ruthless competitor on the water rubs off on some of his GB teammates at London 2012.
The 30-year-old Oxford Blue and Leander Club member is looking to repeat his gold medal-winning performance from Beijing 2008 in the men’s four after three years racing in the pair with Oxford’s Andrew Triggs Hodge.
Reed, who is a Royal Navy lieutenant, stands 6ft 6in tall, making his GB kit some of the largest handed out.
He and Triggs Hodge will be joined by Henley’s Tom James and Leander’s Alex Gregory in the men’s four in London.
And they are still smarting after suffering a narrow defeat to Australia in the Munich World Cup regatta last month.
“I’m disappointed, but I’m quietly optimistic and proud as well as it’s a small margin and I know what phase of training we’re in,” said the man known as the Commander.
“That disappointment is going to stay with me for a very long time and that might just be the thing that takes away any complacency that just sneaks in once or twice in the next six weeks.
“We will not stop, we want gold, not silver.”
Reed added: “I’m a very disciplined athlete and I know what my job is, so I’m going to be very focused on that and preparing the absolutely very best I can,” he said.
“I’m not getting side-tracked or distracted, and just competing and training as a ruthless competitor.
“That’s what Team GB needs – it needs a whole bunch of team players, but really ruthless hard competitors.
“And when I look around the team, in rowing and outside too, there are some really good examples of people who are just fantastic at their sport and really dedicated.
“I’d like to think I’m one of those guys and now it’s my second Olympics.
“I’d like to inspire some of the guys who are here for the first time.”
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