Olympians split at Tideway

Rowing

The British Olympic team marks the end of winter training by splitting up into its various clubs and racing in the men's Head of the River race on London's Tideway today, writes Hugh Matheson.

In the absence of last year's winner, the Dutch national eight who withdrew on Tuesday, the winner will be the one of the four major clubs which contribute most of the national teams.

Leander, from Henley, has the two most consistent performers in the world, Steven Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, at seven and four respectively. Molesey has the peripatetic Peter Haining at seven backed up by the Searle brothers, but their coxless fours partners Rupert Obholzer and Tim Foster are in the University of London crew. Nottinghamshire County has a first crew starting at three o'clock with all its lightweight gold medallists bolstered by Roger Brown and Mike Harris from the heavyweight men's eights squad.

On Sunday Henley hosts the women's Boat Race in a programme boosted by the men's and women's lightweight crews as well as the women's reserves, Blondie and Osiris.