Marlow rower Rory Gibbs and the men’s eight are in a ‘dangerous’ position ahead of Paris 2024, says double Olympic champion James Cracknell.

The boat have been almost untouchable in the run up to the Olympic Games, with only one Rowing World Cup defeat to their name as they still came away with a silver.

But despite being heavy favourites, Cracknell believes they must look out for boats who are making a late charge.

“It’s a dangerous position to go in with people thinking you are going to win,” Cracknell, who'll be working with Eurosport and discovery+ for their Olympics rowing coverage, said.

“Someone will come with a rattle, the Australians it is their priority boat, the Americans put their crew together very late.

“And they have got such a big geographical footprint that they will get eight really big strong guys so if they click it will click well if it doesn’t, disaster. 

“But if they get it right, brilliant for them. And then the Dutch, they are very very good in the heat and a bit rubbish in the final.”

The men’s eight have won three European Championships gold and have twice topped the podium at the World Championships during this Olympic cycle.

It is why many are already handing them the gold medal, which Cracknell believes is a harder place to be.

He should know, having twice been part of boats that were heavy favourites to win, but both times the men’s four delivered, as he won gold in Sydney and Athens.

He added: “Going in as the favourite is difficult, it is much easier to be the underdog than the champion because you’ve got to be constantly resetting the bar and everyone is aiming at you. 

“I remember we went into the Sydney Olympics and we won the World Championships in ‘97, ‘98 and ‘99 so a lot of people had put the gold medals around our necks and actually any one second of those six minutes, you could lose that. 

“No amount of pressure is more than you put on yourself, but that expectation of you’ve done it, and it is in the bag is a bit difficult. 

“My brother-in-law was competing in the swimming Athens and my parents watched him do his semi-final which was on ar the same time as my semi-final in the rowing because they assumed ‘well you’ll be in the final’.

“And I just thought ‘we haven’t got a lane mum!’. Even your parents are making judgements about their viewing based on how they think you are going to do.”