PRODUCING a double Olympic gold medallist plus a silver medallist for Team GB is a great source of pride for the King’s School – but what of those who have rowed with two-time Olympic champion Tom James and London silver medallist Chris Bartley?

Steve Levitt is now a part-time rowing coach at King’s School Rowing Club but as a pupil of the private day school he rowed alongside the duo in the J16 fours boat and he offered high praise indeed for Tom James.

“He’s done King’s proud, he’s done the country proud,” said Levitt. “He’s generally just a really nice guy anyway but he’s done really, really well.

“The success he had in Beijing and on Saturday as well has helped this boat club and helped kids want to take up rowing and that’s brilliant.

“I’m very proud of Chris too, he’s done a really good job. I know he’ll probably be slightly disappointed because they were gunning for the gold medal, that’s what they wanted.

“They’ve been a very good crew for the whole of this Olympic regatta so partly Chris will feel disappointment, but on the other hand this is his first Olympic medal. It was so close which is what lightweight fours is all about.

“That’s why they love what they do, because it’s so even with the weight, it’s who can have that desire at the end.

“Knowing Chris from when I rowed with him he had a lot of desire to win, all he wanted to do was win.”

So having competed alongside the duo, what does Levitt think the secret of their Olympic success is?

“I think determination was key. Chris is a smaller guy and Tom isn’t the biggest heavyweight but their determination and technique, because they were so sharp plus the fact they were determined to become as good as they could be, made the difference.

“They are both keen and be as efficient as they can be, which is what you have to be in rowing. If you can get a boat to move efficiently that will get you up there and they are both very, very efficient boat movers.”

Levitt puts the success of the King’s School programme down to the standard of coaching.

“From the very early stages with Duncan Little, who has been here for years and taught Tom and Chris to row, he’s very much about the technique, it’s all about doing your basics right.

“Higher up you’ve got people like Neville Orme who’s a very good coach at knowing how to get the best out of people, getting them to work hard and train hard.”