The 40-year-old is not only an exceptional rower but a decent juggler.
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Germany surged up the medals table as after winning just one gold on the opening five days of full competition, they bagged the first two of the regatta in a matter of minutes.
That left Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj to claim gold, the British pair silver, and Milda Valciukaite and Donata Vistartaite of Lithuania bronze.
GettyCould Katherine Grainger become our most decorated female Olympian?
Frances Houghton has already helped steer the women’s eight to the final at the age of 35, but even Grainger’s most ardent advocates doubted she could produce her best form after a two-year sabbatical. “It was a really great race from us and a silver medal is pretty nice I think”. We’ve set ourselves a platform in that semi-final.
“All the stuff that’s happened, it fuels you and the hard training has definitely been worth it”.
Since taking to the water at Rio’s Lagoa Stadium, Grainger and Thornley have been successfully going through the gears to book their spot in the final – something not managed by their rivals and world champions New Zealand.
The Brit duo had led for much of the race but were beaten into the silver medal position late on.
By the halfway point at 1,000 metres they were slightly further ahead at 0.64 seconds and a powerful third quarter saw them lead the Poles by 1.25 seconds with 500 metres to go.
Grainger, 40, who lives in Maidenhead, is aiming to follow up the gold medal she won in the London Olympics, where she rowed with Wokingham’s Anna Watkins, and the silver medals she secured in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
“I don’t think anything could eclipse that Olympic gold medal at London 2012 because of everything that was around it but this is certainly very special”.
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The pressure of these big Olympic moments is what drives me every day.
