Pinsent urges fans to keep faith

Matthew Pinsent has urged his doubters to keep the faith as the countdown to Athens gathers pace.

The four-times Olympic champion makes his final competitive appearance before the Olympic Games when the Henley Royal Regatta gets under way today.

Pinsent will join fellow Sydney gold medallist James Cracknell, Steve Williams and Alex Partridge to compete in the Stewards' Challenge Cup, a title he last won alongside Sir Steve Redgrave in 2000.

After a disappointing showing at the recent World Cup Regatta in Lucerne, the 33-year-old is aware that the flagging confidence of his supporters needs to be rebuilt.

"Henley is home water and we are hard to beat here," he said.

"We know what we need to be doing in the Games. If we find an extra four seconds' pace then we will be hard to beat."