Olympics: Rowing

GB off to a great start in the first heat of the day, the Women's Pairs, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning crossing the line first in a new Olympic record.  The USA pair of Sara Hendershot and Sarah Zelenka also qualify for the final finishing in second place with reigning champions, Romania, through to the reperchage round along with Germany and Argentina.  Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Italy row in the second heat.

There's a great crowd at Eton Dorney.  The stands look packed out.

Always look forward to the rowing. GB have some great competitors in this one so will be keeping a close eye on this one.

Having seen much rowing since the opening race, but GB just got third in the repechage race for the Women's Quadruple Sculls.  The race was comfortably won by Australia with the USA in second.  Don't know what happened to the New Zealand boat, they were holding third place but came to an abrupt halt after the half way mark.  GB was in last place at that point but picked up the place and overtook Poland, the unlucky NZ boat and finally overtook the Chinese boat.

Men's heavyweight 8 repechage is on now.  US and Germany already through.  GB against Canada, Australia, Poland, Netherlands and Ukraine.  Greg Searle is in the GB boat.  GB leading after 1500 meters.  Canada upping their pace, so do Australia.  GB about 1/2 a boat ahead.  GB win!  Canada second with Netherlands piping Australia for the third place.

Women's Double Skulls heat on now including Anna Watkins and Kath Grainger in the GB boat.  GB currently leading at the half way point ahead of  New Zealand, China, Czech Republic and Netherlands.

GB ahead by over 5 seconds at the 1500m mark.  GB win comfortably, with New Zealand second and China third.  That was impressive, obviously I'm biased towards GB but I really hope Kath Grainger can win that elusive gold medal this year.

Second heat is up next, featuring  Germany, Ukraine, USA, Australia and Poland.  Australia should be favourites for this.  Australia half a length up over Poland at the half way mark followed by USA, Germany and Ukraine.  Commentators saying that the first choice pair for Germany have been entered in their quad boat as the team didn't think they would be able to beat GB.  Australia still half a length up at the 1500 mark, with Poland and USA in second and third.  Germany and Ukraine are miles off the pace.  Australia are cruising this heat and win by over a length over Poland then USA, Germany and Ukraine.

Should be a good final!

The blue ribbon event of the rowing, the men's heavyweight coxless fours heats are on now.  Australia breezed through the first heat.  Very impressive, miles ahead of Germany and Canada.  Blimey, that was a new OR, they looked like they were out for a casual Sunday row!

One of the GB coaches was cycling along behind the Australian coaches doing time checks!

GB go next in the second heat against Romania, Belarus and Czech Republic.  GB also looking good, well ahead at the half way mark.  GB way out in front with a good battle on for the second spot between the other three boats.  GB win, with Romania and Belarus second and third.

Final heat is between Netherlands, USA, Italy and Greece.  Tight one this, all the crews are very close together at the 500m mark, USA just shading it from Greece.  USA have picked up the pace and are out to a length ahead at the half way mark.  Greece in  second just, Netherlands and Italy locked together.  Only 3 boats go through, should be a tense second half of the race!  As I type that Italy fall right back off the pace.  USA win comfortably, Netherlands second and Greece in third.

Good days rowing that!

Seemed like a good days rowing for Great Britain.Would love to see a great medals haul for GB here.

Stanning and Glover about to get our first gold !!!

Come on girls you can easily do this.

OMG how far ahead are we !! 

 

GB's first gold medal!!!!

Well in Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, brilliant race!

OMG how far ahead are we !! 

They were miles ahead!

That was absolutely fantastic, I've got tears streaming down my cheeks, such emotion !

Well done Helen Glover and Heather Stanning winning our first gold medal

 

F***ing hell...my heart is racing!!!!

Great race! Our first gold! First medal for the British women rowing team too in any Olympics!

Love it!!

Brilliant just brilliant.

Unbelievable. They absolutely dominated. And the crowd reaction - wow.

HEATHER SMALL Proud (LONDON 2012)

For Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, the nation are very PROUD of you.

F***ing hell...my heart is racing!!!!

Great race! Our first gold! First medal for the British women rowing team too in any Olympics!

Love it!!

Wow, I never knew that.  Surely it's first gold medal, though as Kath Grainger has 2 silver medals in rowing.

I missed it so I will have to look for some highlights later on.

Wow, I never knew that.  Surely it's first gold medal, though as Kath Grainger has 2 silver medals in rowing.

I missed it so I will have to look for some highlights later on.

I managed to watch it without sound in work so I'll be catching the highlights too.

And well done to the Men's Eight who won a bronze medal behind Germany and Canada.  Not seen any of this one except for the medal ceremony and our lads looked very emotional.

I managed to watch it without sound in work so I'll be catching the highlights too.

And well done to the Men's Eight who won a bronze medal behind Germany and Canada.  Not seen any of this one except for the medal ceremony and our lads looked very emotional.

Just seen the highlights and boy, did the lads in the eight boat give that a good go!  They were neck and neck with the German boat (who apparently are unbeaten for the last couple of years) past the 1500m mark, but the Germans pushed on brilliantly and the reigning champions, the Canadians, overtook us.  Superb effort, and the commentator was funny, his voice kept squeaking at the end!

So we have ten boats (including todays two) in finals with a possibility of three more tomorrow.  Ten out of fourteen boats reaching finals is amazing, but thirteen would be phenomenal!  There are good chances of more medals too!

Just seen the highlights and boy, did the lads in the eight boat give that a good go!  They were neck and neck with the German boat (who apparently are unbeaten for the last couple of years) past the 1500m mark, but the Germans pushed on brilliantly and the reigning champions, the Canadians, overtook us.  Superb effort, and the commentator was funny, his voice kept squeaking at the end!

So we have ten boats (including todays two) in finals with a possibility of three more tomorrow.  Ten out of fourteen boats reaching finals is amazing, but thirteen would be phenomenal!  There are good chances of more medals too!

Spot on mate getting a Bronze is fantastic because they could have probably got silver if they went for that but they tried for gold and thats exactly the right spirit they were fantastic.

Just seen the highlights and boy, did the lads in the eight boat give that a good go!  They were neck and neck with the German boat (who apparently are unbeaten for the last couple of years) past the 1500m mark, but the Germans pushed on brilliantly and the reigning champions, the Canadians, overtook us.  Superb effort, and the commentator was funny, his voice kept squeaking at the end!

So we have ten boats (including todays two) in finals with a possibility of three more tomorrow.  Ten out of fourteen boats reaching finals is amazing, but thirteen would be phenomenal!  There are good chances of more medals too!

Fingers crossed!

Looking forward to Friday (I think). Hoping to see Katherine Grainger finally become a gold medal winner in the double sculls. Three times a silver medalist!

Rowing and Cycling are probably our strongest sports.

How does everyone think we'll fare on track & field, and does anybody think that we'll reach the medal tally that we did in Beijing?

South Africa take gold and GB nick silver from Denmark in the lightweight four.

Rowing and Cycling are probably our strongest sports.

How does everyone think we'll fare on track & field, and does anybody think that we'll reach the medal tally that we did in Beijing?

I think we will do okay in track and field, not winning a stack of medals - just 3 or 4 overall. I think Team GB will fall short of the medal haul in Beijing.

I think Team GB will fall short of the medal haul in Beijing.

Beijing was a huge over-performance though.  Just like us winning the Champions League in 2005.

We should remember that there are over 1 billion people in China.  They have a population pool 50x greater than the UK.  The fact they only have 3x as many medals suggests we are doing a great job - similarly with the USA who have 5x as many people.

I don't understand how anyone can be disappointed with our tally - personally I think Team GB is doing very well.

Beijing was a huge over-performance though.  Just like us winning the Champions League in 2005.

We should remember that there are over 1 billion people in China.  They have a population pool 50x greater than the UK.  The fact they only have 3x as many medals suggests we are doing a great job - similarly with the USA who have 5x as many people.

I don't understand how anyone can be disappointed with our tally - personally I think Team GB is doing very well.

I don't know if you can go as far to comparing it to our Champions League Final in 2005. With Beijing we saw many Brits in their disciplines come to the fore and right into their prime. I think this year might be a lot more youthful than Beijing but for me the money that has been spent and will continue to be spent will really show in Rio I think. What's more important than the medal haul is the effect London 2012 can have on British sport in the future - yes the legacy! It's not a load of political claptrap in inspiring the IOC to give London the games. The legacy can have mammoth effects. The Commonwealth Games that were staged in Manchester 10 years ago have developed an incredible legacy most notably in cycling. The journey in British cycling started when the National Cycling Centre in Manchester was built in 1994. However the Commonwealth Games really accelerated the drive within British cycling having had an Olympic standard track to hone talent. Also budding cyclists who want to go all the way in the sport must be based in Manchester otherwise they do not get the funding they need.   Now they've got world class velodrome's in London and soon in Glasgow (for the 2014 Commonwealth Games). I don't know what British Cycling intend to do with these two velodromes in their project but it certainly gives them even greater options.

Let's remember away from dire footballing exploits on the world stage and the lack of a Grand Slam winner in tennis for 70 odd years, Britain is a brilliant sporting nation particularly since the introduction of the national lottery money in 1996 (remember we won only one gold medal that year!) this has really allowed British sport to really allow our talent to compete on the world stage.

Great stuff by GB on the rowing. Pipped to the gold by SA...

We're beating our Beijing haul already, on a day-by-day basis.

Great stuff by GB on the rowing. Pipped to the gold by SA...

We're beating our Beijing haul already, on a day-by-day basis.

SA put on an incredible charge to win that one.  Well in to our lads on their silver medals!  They just took Denmark on the line.  That was a very exciting race!

All three GB teams got through their semi finals successfully earlier on.

I bet the medal haul comparison graphic will have spiked in 2012's favour after today!

SA put on an incredible charge to win that one.  Well in to our lads on their silver medals!  They just took Denmark on the line.  That was a very exciting race!

All three GB teams got through their semi finals successfully earlier on.

I bet the medal haul comparison graphic will have spiked in 2012's favour after today!

We've got Katherine Grainger tomorrow in the double sculls final with Anna Watkins 

Beijing was a huge over-performance though.  Just like us winning the Champions League in 2005.

We should remember that there are over 1 billion people in China.  They have a population pool 50x greater than the UK.  The fact they only have 3x as many medals suggests we are doing a great job - similarly with the USA who have 5x as many people.

I don't understand how anyone can be disappointed with our tally - personally I think Team GB is doing very well.

I agree with all these points, especially that we are doing well. Before today I didn't think that the GB team could match what they achieved in Beijing but after today I think and hope we can. There are surely more medals to come in rowing, sailing, athletics, maybe boxing and triathlon as well as others.

Come on Team GB! 

We've got Katherine Grainger tomorrow in the double sculls final with Anna Watkins 

I really hope they do it. Kath Grainger deserves a gold and I think they've got a great chance.

Beijing was a huge over-performance though.  Just like us winning the Champions League in 2005.

We should remember that there are over 1 billion people in China.  They have a population pool 50x greater than the UK.  The fact they only have 3x as many medals suggests we are doing a great job - similarly with the USA who have 5x as many people.

I don't understand how anyone can be disappointed with our tally - personally I think Team GB is doing very well.

Yep things have picked up nicely the last few days, I personally see France and Germany as our true opposition. Countries with similar population and opportunities, should be a good race between the 3 of us it seems.

Yep things have picked up nicely the last few days, I personally see France and Germany as our true opposition. Countries with similar population and opportunities, should be a good race between the 3 of us it seems.

Agreed. That's where I make the comparison on how we are doing. It would be great to eclipse both of those nations which I'm sure is an aim of Team GB.

George Nash and William Satch, two youngsters who only came together this year, did brilliantly to win a bronze medal in the rowing pair. Could have nearly got a silver but the French just edged them.

Very happy for them.

EDIT: Coming up in 5 mins time, the women's double final featuring Katherine Granger and Anna Watkins.

Gold for Grainger & Watkins!!!!

Awesome! The support for the host nation is by far the greatest I've ever heard!

Always the bridesmaid never the bride? Not any more for Katherine Grainger!

Brilliant race by the girls!  Well in Anna and Kath!!  And well in to the men's double skulls for their bronze!

Alan Campbell gets a bronze medal! Well done Alan!

Alan Campbell gets a bronze medal! Well done Alan!

Fantastic!  Well in Alan!

Very good day's rowing!

Well in to all the rowers who got medals, especially Kath Grainger who must be feeling ecstatic. 

We're shooting up that medals table.

Alan Campbell gets a bronze medal! Well done Alan!

Was in 4th going into last 500, crowd really brought him home, well done Alan brilliant effort, and well deserved medal.

Gold for Grainger & Watkins!!!!

Never in doubt, superb and well deserved.

500m to go in the men's heavyweight four.  GB just leading Australia.  Come on lads!

YES!!!!!!  GOLD for GB!!



Brilliant!

Another gold for GB! Nice one!

That's Great Britain becoming Olympic champions in the coxless fours for the 4th time in a row! Since Sydney 2000 (and Sir Steve's greatest moment) they've absolutely dominated the event! This rowing performance was outstanding!

Got to really feel for Australia at the moment. They are having something of a crisis in the Olympics at the moment. Hopefully this will be their Atlanta 1996 in the way that Great Britain similarly suffered when we achieved just one gold medal. That really was the catalyst needed to really kick British sport into shape and be in the position we are today.

Hosking and Copeland fly out of the start in the women's lightweight double sculls.  Greece pulling away.  GB catching them up coming up to 1000m.  China and Denmark not far behind.

GB edging this now!  GB in front by 3/4s of a length at 1500m!  Keep going girls!

YES!!!!!  get in!  GOLD for GB!!  By a distance, fantastic effort!

OH MY GOD!!! THAT WAS BRILLIANT!!! Another one!!

I love being British! 

The beginnings of another Super Saturday?

Aww, bless them, they looked totally shocked in their interview.

BBC Sport ‏@BBCSport
Kat Copeland: "We just won the Olympics." Sophie Hosking: "Something we've been working on for so long." http://bbc.in/STRazs #BBC2012

Loved their faces after winning it, looked like they couldn't believe they had just won Olympic gold

Wow at the crowd singing the national anthem!

Disaster for Hunter and Purchase!  Phew the race has been stopped.  WTF happened there?

Disaster for Hunter and Purchase!  Phew the race has been stopped.  WTF happened there?

His seat came off. Will they get to restart though?

Yes! Purchase and Hunter will be able to take the restart.

Yes! Purchase and Hunter will be able to take the restart.

Good news!  That was dramatic!

Great (re)start by Zak and Mark, blasted away.  Ahead by a second over Denmark, who were the fastest in the heats, at the 500m mark.

No change at halfway.  New Zealand starting to make a move.  GB up the stroke rate to match Denmark, still 1/2 a length up.

Denmark coming back.  GB digging in!

Denmark take the lead!  What a race!

Denmark get gold, GB take silver and New Zealand get bronze.

Well done lads, tough race that.

Good news!  That was dramatic!

Ohhhh. I thought Great Britain were going to do it for a moment there. Denmark showed their class in the end though. Excellent silver medal though.

Incredible that we see tears of jubilation from Team GB and then tears of heartbreak. Purchase and Hunter were inconsolable so much that they pretty much reduced John Inverdale to tears. The emotion of the Olympics.

That's the end of the rowing then. An incredible week for Great Britain at Eton Dorney.

I really dont care if they get a medal as long as they give everything and they did, just gutted for them but I think Denmark won that and we did not lose it.
Another great Olympics for Rowing...

Two more golds and a silver today. Fantastic haul for the British team.

This is now our most successful ever Olympics for rowing, beating the medal haul of 1908.