MARLOW Rowing Club are hoping to harness the massive wave of interest the British rowing success in Sydney has created and ensure future Olympic glory - but have warned lottery bosses they need to keep the money coming into the sport.

MARLOW Rowing Club are hoping to harness the massive wave of interest the British rowing success in Sydney has created and ensure future Olympic glory - but have warned lottery bosses they need to keep the money coming into the sport.

The sport has received massive coverage this week - with three Marlow rowers at the centre of it all. The town's own Steve Redgrave claimed a record-breaking gold with the coxless fours, while Marlow club members Gillian Lindsay and Katherine Grainger were among the GB silver medal winning quadruple sculls crew.

Rowing bosses say it is a major shot in the arm for the sport.

Marlow Rowing Club chairman Peter Hunt said: 'The past four Olympic Games when Steve has won gold, there has been a surge of interest in rowing. You can expect more people to turn up and say they want to do what Steve Redgrave did.

'Some will just stay for one or two weeks and others will last longer. But rowing is a peculiar sport, it requires a huge amount of dedication.'

Apart from that, it also needs money.

Scots Lindsay and Grainger, who both live locally and have been with Marlow for the past four years, are full time athletes funded by the lottery.

And Marlow RC's Sean Farrelly says there is no doubt that has made the difference in Sydney.

He insisted: 'That has given them the opportunity to train full time and compete with other rowers who are also full time. Without the lottery, I don't think there would be so many medals.

'They will be great role models for women's rowing. We would hope that rowing now gets further funding and a lot of it would be based around here.'

Farrelly admitted the success has come at a cost to the Marlow athletes.

'They're all university graduates and have given up the chance of good careers, where they could have made a lot more money, to concentrate on their rowing.

'The lottery money just covers their training,' he said.

Redgrave himself wants to change that culture. He is due to compete in the Supersprint Rowing Grand Prix at the new International Rowing Arena at Eton on October 14, an event he hopes will bring high ratings and big rewards for the rowers.

Redgrave admitted: 'Tennis and golf players earn millions in sponsorship and prize money.

'We too are highly dedicated to our sport and the hard graft behind it. It is about time rowing received the status and recognition that it deserves.'

But most observers know it will take more than one Supersprint to do that, although the rowing success in Sydney may have helped.