BEIJING bronze medallist Steve Rowbotham believes the crowd could make ‘several seconds difference’ after testing the Eton Dorney Olympic rowing venue at GB trials.

Swindon-born Rowbotham raced in the men’s quadruple scull last season and survived a tight race on Saturday to make Sunday’s final at the last selection showpiece before internal testing to decide places for the first world cup of the season.

And 30-year-old Rowbotham revealed that he expects home support to make a big difference to the GB effort this summer.

“The trials this year were bigger for the rowers with the crowd, but it will be a bit different when it’s 40,000 people,” he said.

“It was more about what we can get from within rather than outside (from the crowd), but at the Olympic Games the crowd is definitely worth a few seconds.

“It’s nice to be back racing. The winter training seems a long time. It’s good to be able to show your fighting spirit and your competitiveness.”

Rowbotham, who grew up in Cirencester until the age of 14, finished fourth in the men’s single scull final, leaving him well-placed to claim one of the seven sculling slots in the initial 2012 squad, which will be announced on April 4.

Alan Campbell settled into an early race lead from Olympic double scull bronze medallist Matt Wells in the final.

Campbell had the edge over the first half of the course as an excellent battle developed, before coming on strong just after halfway to create clear water. He accelerated again at 1500m and was a strong winner in 6:49:50. Behind Campbell and Wells, Charles Cousins proved his return to fitness after injury last season by taking third, with Rowbotham fourth and newcomer Graeme Thomas pipping Tom Solesbury on the line to take fifth.

Meanwhile, former Cirencester Deer Park School pupil Peter Reed underlined his dominance alongside Andrew Triggs Hodge in the open weight men’s squad, by winning the men’s pair from Alex Partridge and Alex Gregory.

And he admitted he was pleased to come out on top afterwards, also paying tribute to Triggs Hodge.

“It’s nice to get the job done,” said Reed.

“It’s been a special win for me and I’ve got to give big credit to Hodgey, he’s a massive strokeman.”

Performance director David Tanner was delighted with how the final trials had gone, saying Team GB is in a good position ahead of London 2012.

“We’ve had some outstanding and very close racing, and that tells us that the depth in the squad is really, really strong,” he said.

“We had a few of our top guns missing in the lightweight men’s squad, but apart from that I think our rowers have shown that we can really step up for this Olympic season.

“I think we have all got the feeling and the message now that the Olympic Games are close and we will and can step up to them.”