Simon Briggs, Tennis Correspondent, in Paris andDarragh Leen, live updates
GB finish the regatta with eight medals – the most of any nation
Speaking after winning gold, Great Britain’s rowers said:
Jacob Dawson
“Massive mix of emotions. There is a bit of sadness that this is the end, but complete and total elation that we have finished off this project in the right way.”
Charlie Elwes
“99.9 per cent of that was perfect – but we did have a bit of a duff stroke on stroke one and that really scared us. But if you have a bit of a duff stroke, it almost fires you up another 20 per cent so we shot out of the start and just never looked back.”
Sholto Carnegie
“It was a long wait because we were sort of the last ones to go down the track. Seeing everyone else get their medals means that you learn from it and you can look at things that they did really well, but there were times where we just wanted to get racing. We have stuck together and worked so hard since Tokyo, but it still hasn’t sunk in. I can’t really believe this is real.”
Simon Briggs reports from Vaires-sur-Marne
The British women seemed pretty pleased with their bronze. The Romanian crew were the class of the field, and then it was going to be two from three of GB, Canada and USA. The priorityin that situation is not to finish fourth!
As for the men...What a row! GreatBritain behind the Dutch by 0.12 seconds at 500, and exactly the same margin at the halfway mark, but they blew the competition away over the third 500, which is their approved style. They led by a second with 500 to go and held the margin steady. Everything went to plan. And the end of a wonderful performance from the Britons at this regatta. The memories of Tokyo have been well and truly put to bed.
Zeidler takes gold for Germany
The big German won at a canter in the end, it was never in question really with Zeidler leading comfortably from start to finish. Simon van Dorp will be disappointed to say the least. He looked a lock for the silver but ran out of steam towards the end, letting the unaffiliated Yauheni Zalaty to take second place. Van Dorp will still get a spot on the podium with a bronze though.
Men’s single sculls A final begins
It’s a delayed start to the A final but we are finally ready for off. No GB representatives in this one. Germany’s Oliver Zeidler has started well. 1260m to go and he’s still out in front with Simon van Dorp of the Netherlands pushing for the silver.
GB TAKE GOLD IN MEN’S EIGHT
Incredible pulling from the Britons Sholto Carnegie, Rory Gibbs, Morgan Bolding, Jacob Dawson, Charles Elwes, Tom Digby, James Rudkin and Tom Ford. It’s gold for Team GB with a time of 5:22.88. The Dutch take silver. USA take bronze.
This is Team GB’s 10th gold medal of the games.
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 3, 2024ICONIC scenes.
It's gold for the men's eight! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/j2Jz9tAO6f
Women prime movers for GB, with five of the seven medals
A solid showing from the women’s eight and their bronze is the seventh medal for the British team - the most of any nation at this regatta, although the Dutch will finish first now with their four golds to Britain’s two golds (and a chance to add a third in the men’s eight shortly). Interestingly, the women have been the prime movers for the Britons, with five of the seven medals to date (five out of eight, one would assume, after the upcoming men’s eight).
Bronze for Team GB in women’s eight
That final push just wasn’t enough for silver but bronze it not to be scoffed at. Romania take the gold medal as predicted while the Canadians will take the podium with silver in hand.
There was about 200m there where it looked like Team GB might push past Canada and take the silver but there wasn’t enough in the tank to finish strong.
Oh well. Bronze it is, and a spot on the podium. The GB medal count rises to 28.
Women’s eight final about to start
Another golden chance for Team GB! Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Holly Dunford, Emily Ford, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Harriet Taylor and Annie Campbell-Orde are the medal hopefuls here. Romania are the favourites for the gold medal. Canada are the reigning champions. Is there an upset on the cards?
Time change for Men’s single sculls A final
There’s been a bit of a shake up in the schedule. Reports are saying that the bus carrying the athletes competing in the men’s single sculls A final will be late due to a hold up (presumably traffic) so that final will now take place after the two eight’s finals at 10.30am (UK time). The eight’s finals will get underway at the same time, no changes there.
Florijn wins gold for Netherlands in women’s A final
The headlines will be written in Dutch as The Netherlands Karolien Florijn wins gold. She was pushed to the end by Emma Twigg of New Zealand who wins silver. Lithuania’s Viktorija Senkute and Australia’s Tara Rigney rowed it out for the bronze but Senkute pipped it by a hair.
Winners so far this morning
It really was neck-and-neck in the women’s single sculls C final but ultimately it was Serbia’s Jovana Arsic who prevailed. There was three other women’s single sculls finals this morning; D, E and F. Morocco’s Majdouline El Allaoui won the F final, Algerian Nihed Benchadli won E and Paraguay’s Alejandra Alonso Alderete won D.
Men’s single sculls finals also yielded some worthy winners this morning. The F final was won by Lebanese athlete Mohamed Bukrah, E was won by Vladislav Yakovlev of Kazakhstan and the D final winner was Quentin Antognelli of Monaco.
Team GB going for gold in Rowing Eight’s finals
Historically speaking, rowing is one of Team GB’s most successful sports (third-most successful). GB will be hoping to continue their success at the Paris Games after thewomen won their quadruple sculls on Wednesday (July 31). Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Georgina Brayshaw received gold medals in a spectacular photo finish. Also, on Thursday (August 1),Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten took home silver in the women’s four, while bronzes were won in the women’s double sculls (Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde) andmen’s four (Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson).
Friday (August 2), saw GB in action at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, and winning more medals. This time Oliver Wynn-Griffith and Tom George won silver in the men’s pairs final while Emily Craig and Imogen Grant picked up another gold medal for GB when they won the Lightweight women’s double sculls final.
Tune in today to see GB compete for the coveted gold in the women’s and men’s eight finals. The women’s final takes place at 9.50am while the men’s final gets underway at 10.l0am (UK time).
Enjoy!
- Medals table in full
- Team GB at Paris Olympics: British athletes to watch at 2024 Games
- Britain's golden rowers crush the competition… now one of them is off to be a doctor
- Day seven, as it happened
