OLYMPIC gold medallist Zac Purchase returned to King’s School, Worcester, to see a new rowing boat named in his honour.

The boat was bought with money left to the school by former head of rowing Richard Gabriel in his will, along with donations from two former pupils and rowers Romano Subiotto and Hugh Scurfield.

Mr Purchase, who scooped gold with his partner Mark Hunter in the lightweight double scull in Beijing this summer, is a former pupil at King’s.

He said: “My first four or five years of rowing were here and I remember we had a fantastic rowing season in my final year.

“It is fantastic to come back here and it’s an honour to have this boat named after me.”

The headteacher of King’s Tim Keyes said Mr Purchase was the school’s first Olympic gold medallist in the school’s history, and it wanted to honour his achievement.

“We are so delighted that Zac came here today,” he said.

“He spoke in four assemblies at all three of our schools and he is a great example for young people. He is a tremendously humble and unassuming chap.”