Redgrave's crew suffer final defeat

Defeat sinks in for the beaten coxless fours

Steve Redgrave's coxless fours will seek Olympic revenge after a devastating defeat in the final of the World Cup regatta at Lucerne.

The so-called Oarsome Foursome, beaten for the first time in the semi-final, were left behind again as Italy powered to victory ahead of New Zealand and Australia.

Redgrave, along with Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster, must now regroup for the Olympics.

After Sunday's final, Pinsent said: "It just wasn't a great race. These things happen.

We had a reasonable first minute and then we just had nothing left to give

  Steve Redgrave

"We obviously made a lot of mistakes, but we will definitely put those right in time for Sydney.

"We are going to go to Sydney and win."

It was the first time Redgrave had gone home without a medal since he finished fifth with Simon Berrisford in the coxed pairs at the 1989 world championships.

Redgrave said: "We had a reasonable first minute and then we just had nothing left to give.

"All the calls were there, but not the speed. I feel so frustrated."

Pinsent believes the crew can bounce back

The world champions entered the regatta with the 'unbeatable' tag, but the New Zealanders were the first to break the mould in Friday's semi-final.

Then in Sunday's 2,000-metre final, Italy led the field, followed closely by New Zealand.

Britain lagged four seconds behind at the halfway mark, and could not reach the leaders.

Bur the crew's German coach Jurgen Grobler said he had faith in the men to bounce back.

Confidence

"I have full confidence in the crew, there is no question," he said.

"It's time to sit down, analyse the training and get things right."

At least the day finished on a brighter note for Cracknell.

He was ordered straight back into the men's eight, to substitute for injured Louis Attrill.

The revamped crew, with Cracknell in the number four seat, took the gold medal with Australia and the USA in second and third.

It was revenge for the Australians' defeat of the Brits at Henley a fortnight ago.