ROWING: Anthony Jackson was a member of his country's eight and coxless fours which triumphed in the Home Countries International Regatta against Scotland, Ireland and Wales in Cork at the weekend.

The success rounded off an amazing period of success for the 22-year-old who had seriously considered giving up the sport due to injury problems last year.

Jackson's golden spell started with a lightweight singles gold for his club Nottingham & Union in at international event in Belgium in May.

He followed up with a semi-final spot in the quad event at Henley Royal Regatta and then was a member of the lightweight coxless fours which took gold at the National Championships in Strathclyde.

The crew went on to represent England at the Home Countries event and responded by winning gold again.

The four then teamed up with the national championship-winning heavyweight coxed four and rowed to victory for England in the eights, beating hosts Ireland by 0.4 seconds in a thrilling finish.

To round off a perfect spell, England won the international event and Jackson was asked to receive the trophy on behalf of the national team.

The former Bewdley High School pupil, who developed a taste for rowing as a 14-year-old at his town club, now has his sights firmly back on his dream of gaining a place in the Great Britain squad.

But the picture was so different at the end of last year.

He said: "At 22 this was always going to be an important year for me but in November I began to suffer from over-training syndrome.

"I was beginning to wonder if it was worth going on because my body was trying to tell me something."

So the business and administration graduate from Trent University abandoned his tough training schedule - up to seven hours a day - and came home to Bewdley where he just rode a bike and lifted weights at his town club to nurse his body back to health.

"At the start of the year I began to pick up and now the results for England are the perfect end to the season.

"You can't ask for any more than that. Now I want to start thinking again about a place in the GB squad, although it is a big step for me."