Fulham man Scott Rennie, who hoped to represent Great Britain at rowing in the 2012 Olympics, has died suddenly during training.

Fulham Court resident Scott Rennie, 25, was on a rowing machine at the Moseley Boat Club in Barge Walk, East Moseley, on Friday March 6 when he collapsed  and died at 9am.

The rower was tipped to be a contender for Team GB in the 2012 Olympics.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at the scene, but he was pronounced dead at Kingston Hospital.

His mother, Stevie Rennie, said on Monday: "It's dreadful - he was 25. We are all distressed. With the Olympics on the horizon, we are in shock.

Henry Ellender, 27, who was Mr Rennie's housemate and also a rower, said they used to train together, running from Putney Bridge to Barnes and back to Hammersmith.

"We both got into the rowing together," he said, adding that the best times the friends had together was their ski-ing holiday in the Alps when Scott dressed as Father Christmas.

The friends would frequent the Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Fulham Broadway together, as well as the White Horse Pub in Parson's Green.

In the wake of Mr Rennie's death, Mr Ellender plans to raise money for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Moseley club captain and Olympic gold medallist, Andrew Hodge, said: "Scott was one of our top athletes, and we had high hopes for him. It's a great shame that his parents won't be able to see what he was capable of."

Writing on the club website, former team mate, John Maxwell, stated: "The finest crew mate you could ask for, and the best of human beings. Every day and every stroke was an honour."

A former student at the London School of Economics and Imperial College, where he had graduated with a Masters in Economics in 2008, Scott began rowing when he was a pupil at Kings College Worcester, where he grew up and where his parents still live.

Having moved to London for university, he commuted to training every day from his home in Fulham.

The club organised a coach which took members to Scott's funeral in Worcestershire on Friday, before team-mates compete in a competition in which Scott was due to take part the following day.

The cause of Scott's death is not yet known, but results of a post mortem are expected this week.