Boost for Great Britain in final rowing event as men´s eight team take bronze
Great Britain’s men’s eight team produced an outstanding performance to take bronze in the regatta’s final event.
They were not considered to be realistic medal challengers, but it proved an outstanding display by Josh Bugajski, Jacob Dawson, Tom George, Mohamed Sbihi, Charles Elwes, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, James Rudkin and Tom Ford.
They finished third behind gold medallists New Zealand, with Germany taking second.
It was Britain’s second medal of the Tokyo Olympics rowing regatta after a silver in the men’s quadruple sculls on Wednesday.
The bronze medal ensured a positive end to a difficult Games for British Rowing.
Earlier on Friday, Vicky Thornley agonisingly missed out on a medal in the women’s single sculls.
Great Britain celebrate their medal (Mike Egerton/PA)
It was Team GB’s fourth fourth-placed finish from six medal races at Sea Forest Waterway.
The 33-year-old Welsh rower was pipped to bronze by Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig after a strong second half of the race, but she had to settle for fourth, just 67 hundredths of a second off the podium. New Zealander Emma Twigg took gold ahead of Russian Olympic Committee’s Hanna Prakatsen.
Thornley had been bidding for a second Olympic medal after winning double sculls silver alongside Dame Katherine Grainger in Rio five years ago.
Thornley said: “Fourth is tough, but I don’t think I could have done any more, especially in the second half of the race.
“I didn’t have quite enough at the end, but I am proud of what I have delivered over the last eight days. There have been some hellish days, especially the three days waiting for the semi-final.
“The last five years have been incredible – some of my darkest days and some of my best days. I am proud of the race I put together.
“I thought I had the momentum, but I didn’t have quite enough.”
