A leading international oarsman yesterday spoke of his resentment and frustration at the funding criteria and training demands, which have ignited the biggest controversy in rowing for generations.

Two Cambridge oarsmen, Tom James, an Athens Olympian in 2004, and Kieran West, a gold medal-winner at the 2000 Games in Sydney, have had their Lottery grants cut by 40 per cent because they have insisted on continuing their studies and also training for the 2007 Boat Race, rather than preparing with the national squad in Caversham, Berkshire.

Asked if he resented this reduction, James, the president of Cambridge University Boat Club, said: “ Apparently it is not personal, but I found it personal. They knew I was on a four-year engineering course. But I don’t find it acceptable that coming two years before the Olympics, I am also trying to get my degree and ensure that I have something after rowing.” James had already interrupted his studies for a year to prepare for the 2004 Olympics.

James, who was a finalist at the 2006 World Championships, said that he would have liked to have got “more support” from the team management, who might “at least have spoken to me about it”. He is now getting £6,000, plus a further £3,000 at the discretion of David Tanner, the national performance director. He dismisses as a “ridiculous notion” that he should have trained by himself at Cambridge while making the occasional trip to Caversham, saying that his rowing would have suffered.

However, it is not only the cut in money that vexes James, 22, who has won medals in both the world senior and junior championships. He believes that there is a failure to “recognise or acknowledge” the contribution that the Xchanging Boat Race makes to the success of Britain (and also other countries) in recent years. Instead, he says “they [the national set-up] refuse to work with us”.

James thinks that the event provides a particularly intense focus at the end of the winter season, something that inspires competitors in their training. In addition, he said the international flavour of the race served as a melting-pot for ideas. “For everyone it is a massive learning curve.” he said. “When someone comes back into system [of national squads], they are regarded as gurus or gods.”

He points to the success of Germany, three of whose oarsmen rowed in the 2006 Boat Race and won gold medals in the eights last August at the World Championships, when Germany topped the medals table. He said that the Germans insist that people only get funded if they are in education or have started a career.

Two weeks ago, the Amateur Rowing Association set up a working party to recommend whether or not the cut in grants to those athletes who are studying and training away from the national squad, should be restored. Six days after the Boat Race on April 7, there will be the national trials and James is eager to be there and to go on to represent Britain in 2007 and then at the 2008 Olympics. “But I have not spoken to senior rowing management. I don’t know what their plans are,” he said.

Tanner argues that UK Sport, which funds competitors, has insisted on a “no-compromise approach” and that he knows better than anyone by what tiny margins Olympic medals are won. By centralising training, control is kept over the athletes’ preparation.

Tanner, a former headmaster, said that he wants to see young people following academic courses, adding that if competitors are unable to give the full commitment to the national squad, then they should receive a “more modest level of funding”. More money is then available for those who can make that commitment.

What may inadvertently happen is that those athletes who are at present training away from the national squad may be so determined to prove a point that their level will have improved at the trials next April. And that may only benefit British rowing.

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