AN OLYMPIC hero this week returned to the North Yorkshire school where his sporting career began.

Three-times gold medal rowing champion Matthew Pinsent dropped in at Aysgarth school in Newton le Willows on Monday. He boarded at the school from 1978 to 1983 before going on to Eton where his rowing career began.

Mr Pinsent toured his old classrooms and met the school's current crop of youngsters. Also there to greet the Aysgarth old boy was retired schoolmaster Mr Stuart Tate.

Mr Tate, who lives in Bedale, said his former pupil had always shown a natural talent for sport. "He was a jolly good all-rounder," said Mr Tate. "He would have a go at anything, but he really showed up best in soccer.

"He played for the first eleven at right full-back where he was a bit of a hard man - not by nature, just because of his size. He was also a very useful prop forward at rugby. I made him captain of the under 15s in his last year and that was something I thought he might go on with."

Mr Pinsent praised the school for setting him on the road to success. "Sport was such an important part of growing up here," he said. "And I learnt that feeling of success when you win. That is probably what set me off."