The technology will enable the coaches and rowers to make better decisions from all the available data, enhancing crew and individual training programmes and other aspects of preparation so the team can peak for key events.

Sir David Tanner, performance director of the GB Rowing team, said: "Performance is absolutely key to everything we do with the GB Rowing Team because on the international stage, small improvements are the difference between winning and losing.

"By partnering with SAS, we now have the capacity for much more in-depth and speedy analysis of the rowers, allowing us and them to optimise every session.

"We are a leading rowing nation in the world, and topped the medal table in 2012, but we know that others are not standing still.

"I hope that they are going to come up with things we haven't even thought of. This will challenge the coach's' thinking."

As well as improving performance, SAS claimed its technology can also help to manage training programmes, and predict and prevent injury.

Among those convinced of the value of this innovation is Greg Searle, who won bronze in the eight at London 2012 aged 40, two decades after taking gold in the coxed pairs at Barcelona 1992.

Greg Searle, Britain's Olympic medallist at 40 in the London 2012 Games, believes SAS technology could have improved his training by predicting a weakness in his core strength on the left side ©Getty Images

According to a British Rowing, when Searle saw SAS Visual Analytics - the data visualisation solution for rapid decision-making - he realised its potential in analysing strength and conditioning data to help prevent injuries.

Data from his personal conditioning programme was analysed using SAS Visual Analytics, revealing a weakness in his left side core strength.

Had Searle and his coaches seen the pattern in the data at the time, they could have modified his training regime limiting the chance of the injury occurring in the first place, it is claimed.

SAS is also supporting British Rowing's aim to get more young people interested in the sport through its programmes in schools and use of indoor rowing facilities.

Predictive analytics will  play a big part in British Rowing's Start programme, which takes school children who may never have considered rowing and brings them to Olympic athlete level.

SAS will analyse raw talent's physical data to reveal potential performers and track their training to ensure they reach maximum level.

Five out of the ten gold winners at London 2012 emerged through Start.

Neil Chugani, interim chief executive at British Rowing, said: "This multi-faceted analytics artnership will be of significant value in the next three years for British Rowing.

"It will help us grow and develop our sport as well as making a difference at the cutting edge.

"Rowing is a great sport for people of all ages to get involved in.

"We have celebrated many achievements in recent years and it is essential that we continue to nurture our next generation of rowers to build on the success to date in British Rowing.

"The partnership with SAS will help us continue to build on current participation levels as well as develop great rowers of the future."

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