KATHERINE Grainger can lay down an Olympic marker by winning a sixth world title next week.

The Marlow legend is part of the Great Britain squad heading to Bled, Slovenia for the World Rowing Championships and she will be a scorching hot favourite when she and partner Anna Watkins take to the water in the doubles.

The pair won the title handsomely last year, when they were also named World Rowing Female Crew of the Year, and are unbeaten so far this season too with overall victory in the World Cup Series.

Grainger, with three Olympic silver medals, begins Meanwhile, Olympic champions Zac Purchase from Marlow and Mark Hunter also go to the Championships as defending champions in the lightweight double sculls.

But they won’t be the favourites.

Injury and illness have disrupted their season so far and they only managed to finish fourth in the first World Cup, before Purchase was diagnosed with post-viral illness.

Hunter then raced with Adam Freeman-Pask in Lucerne and finished eighth.

But Wycombe’s Hunter believes the uncertainty going into the championships could work for them.

He said: “Every year’s a different experience but this one’s another challenge, not competing at the last world cup [with Zac].

“But it gives nobody any idea of our form and where we are. And if we turn up ready to go that’s in our advantage.”

Marlow’s Greg Searle is another one aiming for a medal in the men’s eights.

The 1992 Olympic champion came out of retirement to win a world championships silver last year, less than a second behind world champions Germany, and has added silver and bronzes in the World Cups so far this season.

Completing the Bucks rowers is Naomi Riches, racing in mixed coxed four.

She will be chasing her fifth Championship gold and is in good form after winning the Munich World Cup alongside Pamela Relph, David Smith, James Roe and cox Lily van den Broecke.

Follow the action at www.britishrowing.org