Hebden’s Andy Hodge proved his versatility by returning to single sculling at the Great Britain rowing trials last weekend at Hazewinkel in Belgium, which marked the start of the four-year Olympic cycle which will end with London 2012.

The men’s Olympic fours champion finished sixth in the time-trial event over the 1900-metre course in 6min 33.31se.

Ahead of the Molesey member were Bradford’s Matthew Wells (Leander), who was fourth in 6min 33.17sec, and winner Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers) in 6min 29.26sec in what was a warm-up for the semi-finals and finals.

However, Hodge, who used to scull before concentrating on multi-person events, went on to win the first semi-final in 6min 49.56sec, claiming the impressive scalp of Steve Rowbotham (Leander), who won bronze with Wells in the double sculls in Beijing.

Rowbotham was 1.16sec behind Olympic colleague Hodge, who normally takes part in the double sculls at the trials.

Hodge, who was fifth at halfway, surged over the final 500 metres to defeat Rowbotham, also overcoming early leader Ian Lawson (Leander), who claimed the final qualifying place in third.

“I’m learning something new every time I race in the single – I’m enjoying every minute of it”, confessed Hodge afterwards.

However, any dreams of Belgian glory were put into perspective by Campbell, who was three seconds faster than Hodge in taking the second semi-final.

Campbell went on to triumph in the final for a fourth trials success in the event but was pushed all the way by former champion Wells, and said afterwards: “I’m pleased to win. I always find the trials tougher than any World Cup.

“There is a lot of pressure. This year the standard in the sculling has been higher than ever before.

“We’ve had so many people go under seven minutes and that’s not happened before.”

Campbell won in 6min 46.33sec, Wells clocking 6-47.76.

Hodge was involved in a three-way battle for third place with Lawson and Rowbotham, Law-son prevailing in 6-52.73 with Hodge finishing 14-hundredths of a second ahead of Rowbotham in 6-54.60sec.

After winning in Beijing alongside Peter Reed, Steve Williams and Tom James, Hodge’s future partnerships are uncertain.

James and Williams are taking prolonged breaks from the sport, with Williams undecided as to whether he will retire or not.

Campbell needn’t worry, however, as Hodge doesn’t intend to make the single sculls a speciality.

Nevertheless, his Hazewinkel experiment was useful in many ways – not least for making him think about the sport in different ways.