GB stars disappointed

Pinsent (far left) and Cracknell (far right) won gold medals in Sydney

Britain's men's coxless fours were beaten into third place at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne.

The quartet of Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell, Steve Williams and Alex Partridge finished behind Canada and surprise winners the United States.

Earlier, Katherine Grainger and Cath Bishop could only claim third place in the women's coxless pairs.

But Alison Mowbray, Debbie Flood, Frances Houghton, Rebecca Romero won the women's quadruple scull.

"That was our Olympic dress rehersal," said Mowbray. "We wanted to really take it on and show that we can get a medal at the Olympics by what we did today."

"People's mindsets will change after what we did out there."

We have to nail our training in the next six weeks James Cracknell

Pinsent meanwhile was disappointed at yet another defeat in the event.

"I've won three Olympic medals and never won in Lucerne in Olympic year," he said. "It was a habit I was hoping to break but it was not meant to be."

Academy: Work those abs with Matthew Pinsent

Pinsent's fellow Sydney gold medallist James Cracknell added: "We have to go a little bit faster but at 500m we were right up there.

"Maybe we were half expecting to be a little bit down at that point.

"Us and Canada were racing so close that the USA slipped by on the inside.

"That's not going to happen in the Olympics and we have to nail our training in the next six weeks".

And world champions Grainger and Bishop were always trailing both the early leaders Belarus and eventual winners Romania in their race.

The event is the last major rowing meet before the Olympics and the duo will be concerned after finishing six seconds adrift behind Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu .

But the results in Lucerne were enough to sustain Britain in second place in the overalll World Cup table behind Germany.

Great Britian coach Jurgen Grobler will unveil his Olympic squad in Henley on 24 June.