Rowers produce two more wins to boost Team GB gold tally to 10

Saturday 4 August 2012

Great Britain celebrated double gold medal glory on a historic Super Saturday with the men's four and the lightweight women's double sculls winning Olympic titles in sensational style.

The triumphant Team GB four

Andrew Triggs Hodge, Pete Reed, Tom James and Alex Gregory beat arch-rivals Australia to win Britain's fourth consecutive Olympic title in the coxless fours.

And in the very next race, Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland, who only came together this year, won Britain's fourth rowing gold medal of the Olympic Games. The British crew were roared to victory by over a length, with China in second and Greece in third.

However, there was disappointment when defending champions Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were edged into silver place by Denmark in the men's lightweight double sculls. The race had to be restarted after the British boat suffered a problem with a seat. A distraught Purchase, who had to be held up by Sir Steve Redgrave, said later: "The crowd here has been absolutely amazing." Hunter added: "We gave everything. We tried everything. We wanted to win so badly. Sorry to everybody we've let down." Nonetheless, Britain's rowers have now matched the four gold medals they won at the 1908 Games to make London 2012 their most successful Olympic regatta in over a century. The team also boasts two silvers and three bronzes. Britain extended their dynasty in the men's four in stunning fashion, lead Australia from the start before powering to victory in six minutes, 03.97 seconds. Hodge, James and Reed are all now double Olympic champions, having been part of the victorious crew in Beijing. Olympic debutant Gregory adds an Olympic gold medal to the world championship title he won as part of a different men's four crew last year. Hodge and Reed moved into the pair after Beijing and spent three years trying, and failing, to overhaul the dominant New Zealand crew of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. At the start of 2012, Hodge and Reed moved back into Britain's flagship boat and opened the season promisingly with World Cup victories in Belgrade and Lucerne. Australia hit back in Munich to take gold and Ginn suggested their tactic of leading from the front "scared the hell" out of Great Britain. In the end, it was Britain who led from the outset to win a sensational gold medal in the only race that really mattered. The victory also extended the remarkable record of chief men's coach Jurgen Grobler, who has now won prepared gold medal-winning crews at nine Olympic Games. Grobler joined GB Rowing in 1991 and he has never failed to deliver an Olympic gold medal. Copeland, who almost quit rowing two years ago because she wanted to remain based in the north east, and Hosking only came together in a boat at the start of the 2012 World Cup series. There was little to indicate the glory that was to come as they won a bronze in Belgrade before finishing outside the medals in Lucerne and Munich. But no-one could live with Copeland and Hosking at the Olympic Games as they accelerated clear of the field to win an historic gold medal for Britain. Triggs Hodge described the race as the crew's "masterpiece". He said: "These guys are the best three rowers Great Britain have, they're absolutely phenomenal. It was just impeccable rowing. We executed our plan. It was our masterpiece. It took four years to make that. Four years training every day, pulling out everything we had. "I'm the happiest man in the world. I've been blessed with these guys, I've been blessed with the support of my family and my wife. I'm on cloud nine." James added: "I knew when we got off the start and we got into a rhythm it was good and it was quick. It just felt good and I felt confident. "Whatever happened on our right, I didn't care. It was our boat. It just felt good. It started raining and I thought, 'this is for us. This is what we do the whole winter, always chucking down with rain'. "I can't describe what this atmosphere is like. It's beyond words, it's epic, it's magic, it's emotional. The crowd is phenomenal. I'm so excited to be here and so proud." Reed said: "Double Olympic champion, I can't believe it. You run through everything in your mind before the race, you never think about afterwards.The hours we do, the hours, the pain. It's all worth it at the end." Gregory said: "Everything felt silent in our boat and then we were just in a good position. I didn't look across but I was aware of where we were. Everyone says it doesn't feel real - it just doesn't feel real. I cant describe it any better than that."

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Rowers produce two more wins to boost Team GB gold tally to 10

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