OLYMPIC rower and gold medallist Sophie Hosking returned to the North-East over the weekend to open training facilities named in her honour.

Sophie, who won gold in the lightweight double sculls with her rowing partner Kat Copeland in the London Olympics, came back to Durham, where she studied chemistry and physics, today, Sunday, five years after she swapped the River Wear for Eton Dorney.

The university’s indoor powered rowing tank, which is one of only three in the country and part of the London 2012 sporting legacy, has been named The Sophie Hosking Rowing Tank.

She said: “I'd just like to say it's an incredible honour to have this rowing tank named after me.

"I think it's going to be fantastic for Durham rowing going forwards and will produce more Olympians and hopefully produce more Olympic champions in the future."

The oarswomen’s father, David Hosking, also rowed for Durham University as a student and went onto win gold at the Rowing World Championships in 1980.

Ms Hosking revealed that she was flying to Australia after the ceremony.

She said: "I'm taking a bit of time out of the sport. I'm going to do a bit of coaching in Australia and travelling around for some time and I'll think about what's next, whether I'll continue rowing or start a career."

Ms Hosking shared tips with pupils from local schools as well as university students and was joined by some of her fellow Durham graduates and international rowers, including bronze medallist, Stephen Rowbotham; London 2012 finalist, Louisa Reeve and GB rower and Rio Olympics hopeful, Emily Taylor.

The university has seen a surge in new female students taking up rowing with girls making up two-thirds of members of its Learn to Row programme out of 500 in total, which is the highest figure ever for girls taking up the sport at Durham.