FOUR-TIME Olympic rowing champion Sir Matthew Pinsent reckons Great Britain could be set for its biggest medal haul yet, at next year’s London Games.

Team GB won 47 medals - including 19 golds - in Beijing in 2008 and secured 102 medals, including 42 golds in the Paralympics, finishing second in that particular medal table as a result.

“Beijing 2008 was our most successful Olympics ever and I am backing our current hopefuls to do even better in London,” said Pinsent, who believes the injection of more than �6billion from the National Lottery since 1994 into sport, is one of the main reasons behind the improvement in sport.

“The Lottery really has been a catalyst for the change in British sporting success,” he added.

“Lottery funding has made a tremendous impact at all levels of sport, transforming parks and sporting facilities and allowing local clubs to prosper across the UK.”

Olympic and Paralympic athletes from each of the 47 sports that will be part of the London 2012 Games, came together on Thursday to say a big “thank you” to the National Lottery. One of the sports played will be football with Team GB fielding a men’s and women’s team together for the first time since 1972.

Arsenal and England player Kieran Gibbs said: “To represent Team GB in the football competition next year would be one of the highlights of a British footballer’s career.

“I am fortunate to be at an age that means I could be considered, subject to club commitments.

“Any British footballer would take a lot of pride in pulling on the British vest and leading the GB team to success next year.”

The National Lottery is investing �2.2billion into the London 2012 Game and players have raised �27billion for good causes since 1994.