THE man responsible for coaching canoeist Paul Ratcliffe to Olympic silver today urged him to go for gold next time.

Alan Edge, from Radcliffe, a former member of Bolton Canoe Club, is the British Canoe Team's National Coach and it was his advice and help which propelled Ratcliffe to a silver medal in yesterday's K1 canoe/kayak slalom.

Now Edge is confident that the Tyldesley star will not be hanging up his paddles.

Ratcliffe returns to his studies at Leicester University next month and is weighing up his options before next year's world championship.

However, Edge is confident the 27-year-old Lancastrian will want another crack at an Olympic title.

"It was a measure of the guy how he came back after that first run to get a silver medal," says Edge.

"I know he wanted gold but it's no disgrace in finishing second.

"Paul is one of the best people I have ever worked with and I'm sure he will want another go at gold in Athens.

"Paul will only be 31 in Athens. The Italian guy who won bronze in Sydney is 35.

"He is a legend in canoeing and I'm sure that will inspire Paul to give it another go.

"The big difference now though is that the world championship, instead of being every two years, will now be staged every year.

"That's going to demand a lot of commitment. But I believe that once he has analysed this result he will carry on for another Games."

Ratcliffe can expect a hero's welcome when he returns to Tyldesley. But the celebrations will have to wait for a while.

"I'm going to have a holiday out here before I go home," Ratcliffe said.

"The last time I was out here I bought myself a surf board. I've not had time to try it out until now.

"So that's high on my list of priorities." Asked whether he could expect to financially benefit from his silver medal, Ratcliffe replied: "We'll have to wait and see.

"Apart from a couple of events in America there is no money to be won in canoeing."