HARTPURY rowing ace Tash Page met Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell when he officially opened a new multi-million pound sports facility at Reading University on Thursday, February 15.

Page, who is studying fine art at Reading, is a former World Under 23 champion who has also represented GB at junior and senior level, so naturally she was delighted to meet Cracknell.

The 21-year-old Page said: "It was great to meet James and get some first hand encouragement from such a sporting hero.

"Everyone has given me huge amounts of support with my rowing and I couldn't have done what I have without that support.

"Every effort has been made to try and fit my lectures round my rowing, and for that I am extremely grateful. The facilities here are excellent."

Cracknell broke off from his busy schedule to open the new £2.23million Vo2 sports centre and he was accompanied by Debbie Flood, who is a gold and silver medal-winning Olympic rower and current Beijing Olympic hopeful.

Page, who was World U23 champion in 2004, made a great step up to senior events, finishing third in the B' final of the women's single at the 2006 GB senior selection trials in Belgium She is now working with the senior national squad and in 2005 was part of the eight that won a bronze medal at the Eton World Cup in May before switching to the four and taking bronze in that event at the World Cup finals in Lucerne in July.

During the 2006 World Cup, she finished sixth in Munich, then took a bronze in Poznan, finishing fourth in Lucerne. At the 2006 World Championships at Eton the GB women's eight finished eighth.

Page is an active member of Reading University's Boat Club and is in charge of coaching the women's squad.