TENBURY Wells rising rowing star Andy Finlay admits the next few months could define his sporting career after he made the switch to Oxford Brookes University last month.

The former King’s School, Worcester pupil, who will turn 19 later this month, is taking sport and coaching studies at the same university that hel-ped shape the career of double Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion Steve Williams.

Finlay is tipped to follow in the footsteps of the Athens and Beijing champion after he was handpicked as one of 250 emerging Brits that will receive £1,000 each year in the run up to London 2012 courtesy of the Lloyds TSB Local heroes Scheme.

With a huge 12 months on the horizon, including Octo-ber’s first wave of Team GB trials following Britain’s six-medal haul in Beijing, Finlay admits he couldn’t be in a better place to continue his quest to reach the 2012 Olympics.

“I’ve been at Oxford Brookes now for about a month, but I was here beforehand over the summer to do a bit of extra training,” said Finlay.

“The first set of GB trials is in two weeks on the 25 and 26 of October and then I’ve got the first round of BUSA competition for Oxford Brookes on the 26th — so it’s a big weekend and I’ll be going flat out to impress.

“The trials are the selection for the Under 23s and seniors squad which is focused on the World Championships so it’s a good time to lay down a marker and get myself noticed.

“The coaches get a good idea of who’s who and while there are other chances to compete at trials, first impressions are what everyone always talks about so I’d like to get off on the right foot.”

The trials and opening round of BUSA competition are just the start for Finlay who also has January’s Olympic Youth Festival in Australia to aim for.

But while a post-Christmas trip Down Under is appealing, the Worcester Rowing Club member revealed his major target remains next summer’s Under 23s World Champion-ships in the Czech Republic.

“There’s an International Regatta in Duisburg in the spring which it would be good to be part of but before that one there’s the Youth Olym-pics in Australia and I would really love to be competing there,” he added.

“It would be a really good taster, but If I don’t get there then I’m not going to be totally gutted because I’ve got the World Championships which are my real target.”

Lloyds TSB are providing up to £1,000 to 250 emerging young sportspeople identified each year across Britain, in the run up to London 2012 and beyond. Visit www.Lloydstsb.com/Localheroes