COMPETING against Britain's most successful female rower must be intimidating, perhaps more so when the same opponent is studying for a PhD in homicide.

But Anna Watkins emerged victorious and unscathed when she took on three-time Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger in the singles at the Great Britain winter assessment camp.

Even so, Watkins, from Longsdon near Leek, is happy to have the Scot back in the same boat as they concentrate on winning Olympic gold in the double sculls for Great Britain in August.

The 28-year-old, who won bronze in the 2008 Games in Beijing, said: "Katherine likes her murder mysteries, is good at psychology and is really good at sussing people out.

"I am sure she has done that with me ... I haven't sussed her out though."

Mental strength will be hugely important for Watkins and Grainger as they attempt to become the first British female rowers to win an Olympic gold.

The pair have won the World Championships for each of the last two years. That means they will go into the London Games as favourites, but Watkins is determined their status will not become a burden over the next six months.

The former pupil of Westwood High School, in Leek, said: "Being favourite can be a big advantage. We have to make it like that and not allow it to become a distraction or a curse.

"You want to be favourite, it means you are more likely to win than anyone else."

It's unlikely Watkins and Grainger will have much time to study bookmakers' odds during their hectic build-up to the Games.

They have just returned from a winter training camp in Portugal and are about to head off to another camp in Italy.

There might just be time to pause for breath and an energy bar before the GB selection trials in March are followed by two World Cup races in May.

Watkins said: "Our training pattern for the next six months is a little bit compressed because the Olympics is a month earlier than our World Championships would normally be.

"The next few months are going to feel like a roller-coaster with everything coming thick and fast.

"It's not going to stop until the race finishes really, we are just going to have to run at it, there's no other way."

Their preparations were well under way before Christmas with the assessment camp at Boston in Lincolnshire.

Watkins added: "That was really cold. We were waiting for half-an-hour to start and it was absolutely freezing.

"Everyone laughed at me for wearing my gloves, but they couldn't feel their hands by the end so I didn't feel too daft by then.

"But that is a true reflection of what rowing is like. When it is televised, it is usually summer at Lake Bled or Lake Lucerne and seems to be all sunshine, glamour and beautiful flat water.

"In reality, rowing is a gritty outdoor sport that takes place in all weathers."

That will sound familiar to the members of the North Staffs Rowing Club at Rudyard Lake, where Watkins's mum and dad, Richard and Caroline, are instructors, and also at the Trentham Rowing Club, which is enjoying enormous success.

Trentham coach Darren Barton is out six days-a-week to help youngsters such as Lucy Cruxton, Becky Dell, Tammy Bloor and Laura Cruxton, who won gold for England in last year's home international regatta in Scotland.

The club have 150 members, around 100 of whom are juniors.

Barton, pictured left, says Watkins is a great role model for the youngsters, not least because she has taken the time to visit and encourage them.

Watkins said: "That really does mean a lot to me. I only wish I could get there more.

"Darren is doing a fantastic job. He has kids getting fit, enjoying being out on the water and learning team work. He's also got loads of kids looking like stars of the future.

"Stoke breeds tough people, so why shouldn't we have more rowing champions? It's only a matter of time."

Watkins will have plenty of North Staffordshire support in August, although she's hoping the Olympic organisers can sort out some baby-ticket teething problems in time for the rowing finals.

Her sister, Louise, is due to give birth in March and the family are hoping the nipper can be there when auntie Anna goes for glory.

However, the Olympic organisers have said every baby must have their own ticket for the Games.

That has caused something of a controversy because many people bought tickets when they went on sale 15 months ago ... long before baby was an issue.

With many events now sold out, organisers are under pressure to find a solution.

Watkins said: "We are going to try to get a ticket for the baby because we don't want it to be a problem at the gate. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

"Hopefully they will come up with something sensible.

"I am sure there will be many bits and bobs like this, and the organisers can't please everyone all the time.

"But, just from a personal point of view, I hope they sort this one out."