Rookie Reed is great - Redgrave (From Stroud News and Journal)

Rookie Reed is great - Redgrave

OLYMPIC legend Sir Steve Redgrave paid tribute to Peter Reed after the Nailsworth rower scooped gold in the final of the World Cup regatta at Dorney Lake on Saturday.

Five times Olympic gold medallist Redgrave watched on as the new line-up aim to replace Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell, Tim Foster and Ed Goode.

Redgrave said: "It was a great first performance from Peter-he has some big shoes to fill and he has done well so far."

Reed's raised arms of delight told a story of joy.

"I'm over the moon, blown away," said 23-year-old Reed.

"This is far from an easy sport. It's an amazing crew and I hope this crew sticks to it.

"The atmosphere here was amazing. Stepping up to the senior squad has been great. I feel like I've had a terrific season, with the Boat Race and I hope it continues."

The GB four only got together earlier this year and the new-look Great Britain men's four claimed an impressive win at the Rowing World Cup in Eton in their first international together.

Athens gold medallist and Cheltenham-based Steve Williams linked up with Reed, Alex Partridge and Hodge to clock a time of five minutes 59.90 seconds.

Conditions were markedly in their favour. By choosing to race in the nearside lane, the British crew benefited from cleaner water and at least a modicum of shelter from a gusty wind .

In front of a crowd of 5,000, the biggest ever for a World Cup regatta, the new four adopted a familiar tactical plan. The crew, making their international debut, led from the start and controlled the race to the finish, where they had four seconds to spare over the Danes and the Czech Republic.

The four were joined on the gold medal rostrum by the women's quad, stroked by Katherine Grainger, a double Olympic silver medallist, who held off a powerful Russian challenge in the final quarter of the race to win by less than a second.

Britain finished the three-day event top of the overall table, ahead of Germany with the Czech Republic in third.

Reed's addition to the boat has been described by British rowing as having a fairytale element to it.

Reed began rowing only three and a half years ago at university. A sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Reed since then has twice been part of Oxford's Boat Race crew and won the British senior trials with Andy Hodge in the pair.