TOM RANSLEY will not rest until he has a World Rowing Championships gold medal around his neck.

The York City Rowing Club star and his Great Britain eight crew mates are throwing themselves into training ahead of next month’s contest in Slovenia.

Driving them on is the knowledge that they have been forced to play second fiddle to the Germans for the past year.

The World Championships in Bled, which run from August 28 to September 4, provide the GB eight with one last chance to lay down a marker ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Since finishing second to Germany in the 2010 World Championship final in New Zealand, GB were again edged into second in the opening World Cup race in Munich.

They missed the second World Cup regatta in Hamburg after the entire GB team pulled out due to the E. Coli outbreak in Germany, but they returned to action with a bronze medal finish in the third and final World Cup fixture.

University of York graduate Ransley said: “I think there have been some real positives from this season’s racing to date.

“Our international performances have consistently demonstrated our ability to produce a relentless and competitive boat speed.

“We medalled at all the World Cups we attended and defeated the Australians at Henley Royal Regatta. However, we are not satisfied.

“Our key objectives have so far eluded us.

“This will keep us attacking all the hard yards that lie ahead of us, at the top of the mountain.”

Ransley added: “Our next training camp is at altitude and it has a reputation for being one of the hardest – certainly the hardest summer camp.

“I’m excited by the prospect of putting together one final bout of hard training that I hope can launch us into a successful World Rowing Championships.”

The 25-year-old will race in the heats on the opening day of competition in Bled, with the eights repechages taking place on Monday, August 29.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, with the final taking place on Sunday, September 4 as the regatta reaches a climax.

The Worlds are an Olympic qualifying regatta, enabling nations to qualify boats rather than crews.

That allows teams to shuffle their crews as required between now and next summer.

There will be a final chance for the GB team to qualify boats in each of the 14 Olympic classes at a regatta in Lucerne between May 20 and 23.

Olympic warm-up role for York rower

YORK rower Adam Janes will get a taste of the London 2012 Olympic course at next month’s Junior World Championships.

The Eton Dorney Lake regatta is being staged between August 3 and 7 as a test event for next summer and St Peter’s School pupil Janes has been selected for the Great Britain squad.

Janes will line up with William Kenworthy, Callum Jones and Vassilis Ragoussis in the four, one of six boats Great Britain have entered.

At the 2010 championships in Prague, the junior men’s four won a silver medal.