SIR Steve Redgrave is confident Britain's Paralympic rowers will prove just as successful as their Olympic counterparts.

Team GB's rowers won a total of four gold medals, two silvers and two bronze on the water at Eton Dorney in front of sell-out crowds and Britain's greatest Olympian believes our Paralympians will also be on the podium.

The action gets underway on Friday and Redgrave is looking forward to it.

Sir Steve said: "All the tickets have sold out and it's going to be an amazing atmosphere down there.

"There are only four events - in the main Olympics it's 14 - but there's going to be some fantastic racing. We've got three boats racing out of the four events and we've got medal chances in all of them.

"The mixed coxed fours are reigning world champions and Tom Aggar has never been beaten. Hopefully that won't change in the next couple of weeks."

Marlow's Naomi Riches is in the rowing squad and will be looking to follow in the slipstream of fellow Marlovians Katherine Grainger, who was a gold medallist alongside Anna Watkins in the double sculls, and silver medal winners Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter.

Redgrave, who lives in Marlow, said it was a source of personal pride the Paralympics have such a strong connection with his home county.

The movement grew out of the pioneering work of Dr Ludwig Guttman at Stoke Mandeville, which is where the Games' flame lighting ceremony took place on Tuesday.

Redgrave said: "All movements have to start somewhere but when they start on your doorstep it's even more special, especially something as inspiring as the Paralympics. It's made a difference to so many peoples' lives and gives everybody hope in so many different ways.

"I'm learning a little bit more about how the Paralympics started. I always knew they started here at Stoke Mandeville but I've learned a bit more about Dr Guttman and what an inspiring character he was.

"He started a fantastic movement. I remember the stories from the last six or seven Paralympics of people overcoming adversity."