Tom Ransley insists there will be no complacency in the TeamGB ranks when the men’s eight come up against old foes Germany with an Olympic rowing gold at stake.

Ransley helped the GB eight power to victory in the heats on Monday afternoon at Rio to secure a place in the final on Saturday afternoon (3.24pm BST), when he will compete for a second Olympic medal.

The 30-year-old from Woodchurch and his team-mates powered out of the start in the heat to open up a half-length lead over the Netherlands and New Zealand by the 500m mark and then extended their advantage to a length by the mid-way point of 1km, which they reached just outside of a world-leading time.

With only the winning crew going straight through to the final and the remaining finishers facing a fight to qualify through the repechage round, GB produced a professional second half, keeping their rivals at arm’s length to finish just over half a length clear in a time of 5min 34.23sec, with the Netherlands pipping New Zealand into second (5.36.16).

Ransley admitted: “It was good to kick off the racing. Training has been going well and it was nice to put some of that to good use in the first Olympic race.”

In 2012, former King’s School, Canterbury, pupil Ransley and the GB crew led the field until the latter stages when Germany overhauled them to take gold, with the spent Brits then being pipped by Canada for silver.

Germany lay in wait in the final again after winning the second heat in Rio in a time of 5.38.22 and Ransley said: “We will be looking to refine and improve over the next few days.
“There certainly isn’t any complacency among the team, the eights event is competitive.
“I am sure the final will be a well fought and close race.

“I expect the spectators will have a good show and I hope everyone back home is enjoying watching the rowing and shouts loudly at the telly.”