Rowing: Laing lends full support

ROWING received its third huge financial boost in 12 months when John Laing, the construction group, offered the British eight pounds 100,000 to pay for training through to the Atlanta Olympic Games, writes Hugh Matheson.

The Laing sponsorship will allow the eight to have a full period of altitude training and to perform a more complete testing programme to ensure a better selection.

Eton, Britain's leading rowing school, has won its four- year battle with local planners for permission to construct a rowing lake alongside the Thames at Datchet.