Forty-year-old Briton Katherine Grainger had to settle for a fourth silver in five Olympics in agonising fashion as Poland won the women’s double sculls gold on Thursday.
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Grainger was agonisingly close to defending her double sculls title with Victoria Thornley, but they were pulled in by Polish pair Natalia Madaj and Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska in the final 500 metres.
“But once you race a lot internationally, you know that’s coming and you want it to be there”.
It is a first Olympic medal for Victoria Thornley.
“Grainger and Thornley were only added to the GB rowing team in late June after failing to be selected for the women’s eight”.
There was a newspaper interview in which her boyfriend, Olympic medal-winning rower Rick Egington, criticised Thompson.
“I don’t think anything could eclipse London because of everything that surrounded it”, said Grainger.
“There have been very many dark days where I didn’t see where this could happen”. As much we’ve done it loads and loads of times, you don’t want o make it very different.
However, there was no joy for the other three British boats in finals as Britain’s quadruple sculls team of Jack Beaumont, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Peter Lambert were fifth behind Germany, the same position as the men’s double sculls.
Grainger said: ‘It was one of those races. “What she has done is just an incredible job, especially having had two years out”.
“Getting a medal is always the most thrilling, exciting, wonderful thing you can do at an Olympics”.
“Regarding Tokyo 2020 – mum and dad, I promise I won’t put you through it again”. Considering what we’ve been through over the last couple of years I’m so proud of what we’ve done. “They’ve been through this five times with me”.
Team GB men’s four, including Eton Boat Club’s Constantine Louloudis, look a hot bet to win a gold or silver medal in their final on Friday (2.44pm).
Richard Chambers, who lives in Maidenhead, and lightweight doubles partner Will Fletcher have reached the semis of their category after a seventh-place finish in the heats.
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Earlier in the afternoon, Great Britain’s Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes just missed out on a medal in the men’s pair final.
