OXford Boat Race winner Constantine Louloudis is ready to be fast-tracked into Britain’s 2012 Olympic squad, according to Dark Blues coach Sean Bowden.
Louloudis, a first-year Classics undergraduate, rowed in the six seat as Oxford surged to victory over Cambridge.
The 19-year-old has been compared to four-time Olympic champion Sir Matthew Pinsent, who also took the route from Eton to Oxford to the Olympics.
And Bowden believes Louloudis could step into most of the current British crews and make a difference in time for London 2012.
“I don’t see what’s going to stand in his way,” he said.
“I really think Constantine will be right up there. He has not even been rowing four years so he is only going to get better technically.”
Louloudis requires permission from his tutors at Trinity College if he is to take a year out from his studies to concentrate on making the British squad for London 2012.
“It is still for them to decide. I wouldn’t want to pre-empt their decision, but winning the Boat Race won’t hurt,” said Louloudis, whose mother is a lady-in-waiting to the Princess Royal.
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