MARLOW'S Steve Redgrave is less than 24 hours away from making Olympic history after qualifying for the coxless fours final in the early hours of Thursday morning. MARLOW'S Steve Redgrave is less than 24 hours away from making Olympic history after qualifying for the coxless fours final in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The 38-year-old and his three crew-mates will contest the Olympic final at around 12.30am Saturday morning, British time, and his Marlow clubmates are all set to celebrate if he pulls it off.

They will pack into the clubhouse on the banks of the Thames tonight to watch the town's favourite son bid for Olympic gold again, just after midnight.

Marlow Rowing Club's Sean Farrelly admitted: 'It's going to be a late one and there will be a few bleary eyes, but we'll all be cheering him on. If he does it, it could be a long night.'

If Redgrave and his team-mates Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster andJames Cracknell take the gold, he will be the only Olympian ever to claim gold medals at five consecutive Games.

In Sydney the Australians have taken Redgrave, who started his rowing at Marlow RC, to their hearts as he bids to make Olympic history.

He has had massive support Down Under and has a real chance of making his medal dream a reality after the Brits eased through their opening heat and Thursday's semi-final.

They finished almost a length ahead in their semi clocking 6 minutes, 2.38 seconds, but will now face the three crews who beat them in the World Cup in Lucerne earlier this year in tomorrow's final at Penrith Lakes.

Australia, Italy and New Zealand are the only crews to have beaten the Redgrave boat this season.

Australia, with their home support, who finished their heat in 6min 2.03sec could be Redgrave's biggest threat.

But Redgrave is in confident mood, commenting after their semi-final win: 'If we row our best I think we can win it.'

Slovenia and the USA make up the other finallists.

Marlow's other big Olympic hope: Page 77