Two elite rowers struck down in their prime were commemorated at boat-naming ceremony on Saturday.

Wallingford Rowing Club named a new pair after Mike Diserens, a former club-member who died at the age of 39 after suffering from septicaemia.

The boat was bought with donations made to the Mike Diserens Memorial Trust since his death in 1998. Mr Diserens rowed for Great Britain, along with his wife, Judith, when they were pupils at Wallingford School.

He twice rowed stroke for a winning Oxford team against Cambridge and won a silver medal at the World Championships when he was 28.

Mrs Diserens and the couple's children - Sam, 11, Jamie, nine, and Emily, five - poured Champagne over the bows to christen it.

Mrs Diserens, of The Street, Crowmarsh, said: "I hope this will benefit rowers for many years to come.

"I'd like to thank people for their generosity, something I didn't feel able to do at the time."

A new 'four' boat was named Andy Stobart after a club member who fought back to fitness following a serious car crash only to died from cancer.

Another 'four' was named Graham Cribb, in memory of the founder of Goring Gap Boat Club, and an eight was named Portcullis.

Wallingford Rowing Club has produced eight Olympic rowers, a world champion and more than 100 rowing internationals.