Cracknell puts his hand to sword play

DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell has been given a fencing lesson from the sport's brightest prospects at the Brentwood School.

Cracknell met the school's fencing coach, former Great Britain fencer Karim Bashir, and sparred with London 2012 hopeful James Thornton, 22.

The GB rower was firstly kitted up by another 2012 hoepful, Katherine Kempe, 20, and then taken through a beginner's session, including basic footwork, basic attack and defending and an introduction into the sport's three weapon sabre, epee and foil.

Also at the lesson were Pete Gardner, CEO of the British Athletes Commission and Ben Campion, National Development Manager at British Fencing.

Speaking about Cracknell's performance, Bashir said: "He was a natural. For a first time he was excellent.

"He knew nothing about the sport before he came to the school. But he's obviously a very talented athlete and can put his hand to any sport he tries.

"He didn't just want to do it, he wanted to get it absolutely right. He picked it up very quickly and his footwork, which is usually the hardest bit, was very good."

The whole session ended with Cracknell taking on Brentwood School Coach James Thornton in an epee duel, followed by a demonstration foil fight between Thornton and Bashir to give a feel for the sport at full international speed.

Bashir added: "With only 90minutes instruction James took on James Thornton and showed that he had a great deal of fight.

"It was a privilege to spend time with a British sporting legend, to teach him a little bit about the sport I love and to top it all off, for the lesson to take place at my old school.

"James Cracknell has asked me to keep him posted on James and Katherine's development. I said that he could come along at any time to try again and he said he'd take me up on that."