Age will prove no barrier to London 2012 gold for Greg Searle – according to the man he last shared the Olympic waters with 12 years ago, writes Tom Reynolds.

The Molesey Boat Club star finished a disappointing fourth in the coxless pairs at Sydney 2000 – alongside Ed Coode – and as a result called time on his Olympic career, after gold in 1992 and bronze four years later.

But the Olympic flame never died for the 39-year-old former Hampton School student and he came out of retirement to win world silver in 2010 and 2011 – both times in the men’s eight.

That is the boat in which Searle looks set to make his fourth Olympic appearance as Great Britain bid to improve on their second place at Beijing 2008.

And Coode believes only he and Sir Matthew Pinsent would be capable of making such a comeback.

“If anybody is going to come back and win gold then it was going to be Greg,” said Coode, who scooped coxless fours gold with Sir Steve Redgrave, Pinsent and Steve Williams at Athens in 2004.

“What a story it would be if he could do it.

“It is obviously a massive challenge what he’s doing because there is a reason why most athletes stop when they get into their 30s.”

Ed Coode was speaking on behalf of P&G – supporting family and friends of Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes in 2012.

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