“I WAS tired of being nervous,” says rower Scott Ozsanlav-Harris.

“I’ve been so desperate to be selected, and been thinking about it for such a long time, I had no energy left to be excited.

“I know that sounds odd!”

The teenager smiles when he thinks back to a gruelling four-day trial to make the grade for Great Britain’s team at the World Junior Championships, which started yesterday, Wednesday.

This afternoon, the Grange School Rowing Club member will be sat in a boat on the start-line in Rio, host venue for next year’s Olympic Games.

The 18-year-old will be joined by Matthew Swiss, of Dart Totnes, in the men’s double scull, coached by Matthew Jump – also from the Hartford school.

“After the trial, you just want to go home,” he adds after a training session on the River Weaver close to the Hartford school’s boathouse at Acton Bridge.

“I was happy just to not be doing any more races.

“Then when you find out you’ve made the team – and you’ve had chance to sleep – the excitement starts.

“It’s always been my aim to make it, and I’ve had a two-year run-up.

“But now that job is done, there’s another one to follow.”

Ozsanlav-Harris, based in Northwich for the past three years, had a first taste of international action last summer as part of the British team for the Coupe de la Jeunesse – a European team competition for under 17s.

However he is conscious the standard will be higher in Brazil.

“Nobody has set expectations,” he says.

“We’ll be trying to go as fast as we can. We’ll give it everything – that’s the most we can do.

“We haven’t a clue who we’re up against, or if they’re any good. But our rivals are in the same position.

“That’s why the first day is so important – you want to perform as best you can.”

Having Jump, his mentor for the past few years, will help.

However Ozsanlav-Harris, who will start a degree in maths at Durham from next month, says he doesn’t expect to feel nervous.

He adds: “I don’t get too worried before I race.

“I guess I might be on the first day, but after that I expect to be fine.

“I don’t want to over-think things, or I’ll miss out on enjoying it!

“It does help to have Matt [Jump] around; I’ve worked with him for so long, so I know what he wants us to do.

“At races I have somebody I know well to keep me calm if I’m getting nervous.

 “It will be nice to sign off in Brazil, particularly because we can’t have achieved anything better than going to the world junior championships together.”