Like any elite athletes, rowers experience their fair share of ups and downs but if you’ve got Moe Sbihi in your boat, you’re not straying too far from success.

That’s the opinion of Olympic champion Will Satch who, alongside Sbihi, won men’s four bronze at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota this weekend.

In an Olympic gold medal-winning boat, the men’s four were expected to win the world title in Florida but it wasn’t to be, crossing the line in third two seconds shy of gold.

But Satch insists Great Britain are still the ones to beat on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and with Sbihi at the helm, he sees no reason why more success can’t come their way.

“Great Britain are at the top of the tree and some people react to it in different ways – some stand up and others fall down, but for years and years we’ve had that,” said Satch, speaking on behalf of SAS, the official analytics partner of British Rowing. The national team is analysing its data, using SAS technology, to ultimately help make the boats go faster.

“Guys like Moe seem to take that in their stride, in every World Championships there is that focus and the era since Atlanta has really formed that.

“Winners are put on a pedestal, but you’re out there and fighting for medals and have to focus on yourself, that’s the way I focus on it and I think Moe is the same.

“Some people are fired up and others can fall down, so it is interesting how you are able to get that balance.

“Everyone knows you have to deliver, not only for the boat but for yourself too.”

The Olympic cycle in the lead up to Rio was perhaps Britain’s most successful, with Satch achieving Rio gold and three world titles in the men’s eight and Sbihi the same in the four.

And Satch insists they aren’t planning on stopping anytime soon, though he’s fully aware of the competition for place in the boat.

“It’s been a very successful four years for us, not in an arrogant sense, but with the way we’ve been able to go out there and perform to be able to get those medals,” he said.

“That makes things like this week give us more fire in the belly, it’s not the result we wanted but it is still a medal and a place on the podium.

“People are always wanting to battle to take that place and wanting to be people such as Moe.”

Will Satch was speaking on behalf of SAS – the leader in analytics software and services. SAS is the Official Analytics Partner of British Rowing. Further information at www.sas.com