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Rowing star: Andy Triggs Hodge Deadlinepix Mike Matuszek EL12505

Molesey oarsman Andrew Triggs-Hodge says the upcoming World Cup campaign will be the perfect opportunity to make a statement ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Triggs-Hodge has been selected as part of Team GB's coxless fours for the events in Germany, Switzerland and Poland later this month.

And the 29-year-old is in bullish mood ahead of the first meet in Munich.

"The World Cup is very important in establishing your starting level, working out ways to move forward and testing the field," he said.

"It is our chance to show the rest of the world what we have been doing and what we are capable of.

"The opposition are going to fight for every inch and that is exactly what we have to do."

Triggs-Hodge was part of the crew that went on a 29-race unbeaten run last year, before a meltdown at the World Cup in Lucerne.

But the Molesey star is determined history will not repeat itself this year.

"You have to find the confidence again to race hard and know that a winner's mindset is in the heart," he said.

"If you know you can win that is a massive thing.

"We have to work out what went wrong, fix those, and make sure we have not left any stone unturned."

After a rigorous off-season programme to prepare for a testing summer, Triggs-Hodge says pushing himself to the limit is part and parcel of Olympic preparation.

"It has been a tough but productive winter," he added.

"All my tests have improved and I feel in a great position physically.

"Mentally, I am happy with where we are and technically I'm very happy with the crew.

"I am very excited, but there is a degree of nervousness about what happened last year.

"We have pushed our times on this winter and the boat is feeling good.

"But we know we can still mess it up from here."

Great Britain will be among the favourites for Olympic gold in China.

"On the water, all I think about is how I am going to get there, which translates as how can I get the boat going as fast as I can," he said.

"If I get it going as fast as I can, on one hand it doesn't matter what the result it.

"But the other side is that it had better be worth a gold medal - because, if not, I have wasted the last four years."

7:16am Saturday 10th May 2008

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