By Ian Gordon, PA Sport, Gold Coast

Steve Redgrave will bid for his historic fifth Olympic gold medal on a rowing course that has been branded a joke.

The £20 million purpose built facility at Penrith Lakes has been slammed after howling winds forced competitors off the water and whipped up a storm of protest.

The Italian team that is expected to challenge Redgrave and his coxless four crew have had to abandon training sessions and switch to rowing machines housed in an indoor car park.

"It's a joke," said Carlo Mornati, part of the Italian quartet. "It's just unbelievable. "Rowing doesn't deserve this, it doesn't deserve these sort of conditions.

"Everyone is going to have problems here, it's a shame the Olympics are being held on a course like this. It could make racing a lottery.

"Rowing is for flat water, like swimming. It's not for sailing. In Australia swimming is important, but I don't think Michael Klim or Grant Hackett would like to swim with waves in their swimming pool."

The International Regatta Centre, built on a former sand and gravel quarry about 35 miles from Sydney, has been criticised since its opening because of the wind and problems with weeds.

Nearly 50 team managers will meet today to list their grievances and try to find a solution to the problem with calls for the race programmes to begin earlier in the morning when the water is calmer.

But Redgrave, who had to contend with windy conditions at the Hinze Dam on Queensland's Gold Coast where he completed his preparations, believes he is still on course for a fifth gold.

Redgrave and team-mates James Cracknell, Tim Foster and British team flag bearer Matthew Pinsent, himself bidding for a hat-trick of Olympic titles, launch their challenge on Sunday.

"Everyone knows what is at stake," said Redgrave, who has confirmed this will be his last Olympics. "Everyone knows if we get it right then we will win.

"We have prepared as a crew for four years. We have had a few changes because of injuries and things like that but have come back to the same crew.

"Now we just have to concentrate on the job in hand. We are focused and determined to do well."

Redgrave, who suffered a rare defeat in the final World Cup meeting in Lucerne in July, added: "I feel things are back on course now.

"We know there is lots of interest back home. There is lots of pressure on us - the pressure of wanting to do well ourselves.

"We know how good we can perform. We have got to make sure we perform to the highest level, then we will get the results we want."

The wind conditions could affect the way the rowing events are run at the Penrith venue.

The changeable weather means that rowers in certain lanes would have an unfair advantage over other competitors and, as a last resort under existing rowing regulations, the races could even be run as a time trial.

That would mean teams would compete against the clock rather than in a straight race.