Olympic gold medalist Olaf Tufte said on Monday in Beijing that he expects to have a tough title defense in the men's single sculls event at the Beijing Olympic Games.

"All the guys in the singles sculls have been the best in any Olympics before," the Norwegian, who won the men's single category in Athens in 2004.

Tufte acknowledged that his Olympic experience would not help much his title defense in Beijing. "There won't be anyone dropping out just because of being nervous," he said at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

"Ondrej Synek and Alan Campbell will definitely be in the final," the 32-year-old said. "I don't know Marcel Hacker as he's been being up and down, but he is dangerous."

Triple world champion Marhe Drysdale of New Zealand is poised to be his toughest opponent.

"I have a chance of being everything between one and 32. It's up to me," Tufte said of his prospect at the Beijing Games.

Tufte, who started rowing at the age of 18, trained in Bulgaria for the Olympics and stayed two weeks in Norway before coming to China on Saturday.

He told Xinhua that the weather in Beijing, though hot and uncomfortable, wasn't a big problem for him. "I'll manage," he said.

Tufte won a silver in the men's doubles sculls in Sydney and took two world titles in the singles event in 2001 and 2003. He finished second in the singles event in the world championships in 2005, and posted fourth and third places in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Even with the two world titles and an Olympic gold, Tufte said he was no big star back in his country.

"I don't like thinking so (being a star). I'm just a rower and rowing is a very small sport."

When asked if he would retire after the Games, he said: "I don't see that happening. I enjoy the sport."

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)