Britain's men's eight won an extraordinary gold medal - or rather nine, eight for the oarsmen and one for the cox - in the concluding event of the Olympic regatta at Penrith Lakes, west of Sydney. Earlier, on another incredible day, the quadruple sculls crew won Britain's first-ever women's Olympic rowing medal - a silver - in a thrilling photo finish.
The eight were cheered on from the stands by Steve Redgrave, the great Olympian, and even he would concede that their achievement and final effort was something rare and special. Matthew Pinsent, who watched the race from lakeside, said: "I am so happy for them and so very proud to have witnessed this. It was an epic performance. British rowing is at the highest point it has ever been.
"This is a fantastic result for British rowing. Having a squad of full-time athletes means we can take talented people and turn them into world-beaters. Lottery money has been vital in helping us to achieve this, and it is vital that the flow continues."
The British cox, Rowley Douglas, was ecstatic. "We always said that if we got in front that nobody would be able to catch us. There was a lot of courage shown in that boat. It was a wide open final but nobody else has our belief.
"There was never a question of doubt that we would win. There are so many people who have helped us and we thank them all. This is for the country. We have put the 'Great' back into Britain."
The eight have long been unsung, labouring heroes, but their names will now be sung long and loud. The British men's team strategy for the Olympic campaign was to put the best men in the coxless four and then worry about the other boats. In a sense, the eight were the leftovers. That strategy was in stark contrast to that employed by most great rowing nations, such as the USA, the Olympic defending champions, who target the eights as the most prestigious event.
Leftovers, they might have been, but they were leftovers who formed a formidable team. Coached by Martin McElroy, an intuitive type whose methods are very different from those of Jurgen Grobler, the coach of the coxless four, they laboured long and hard from their training base in Hammersmith.
Whenever one visited the dingy upstairs gym behind the offices of the Amateur Rowing Association, they seemed to be there, unknown denizens training on rowing machines night and day, sustained by an unlikely dream.
The first sign that the eight might be capable of reaching world-class, perhaps an Olympic final, came 18 months ago when they were joined by Tim Foster, a member of the coxless four. Foster had been injured and had not won back his place in Britain's premier boat. He brought to the raw eight the benefit of near-perfect rowing technique and, more important, a huge lesson in self-belief.
With Foster leading them in the mental fight, the British eight won a silver medal at the world championships in St Catherine's, Canada, last year. There were fears that the eight might suffer when Foster rejoined the coxless four, but they went from strength to strength.
Their victory in Lucerne in July in the last international pre-Olympic regatta was another important boost to their confidence.
At Sydney, the United States, traditionally the strongest nation, were favourites. They had not raced in Europe during the season - sending their second boat to scout the opposition - but their squad was full of talent.
In the event, the Americans hardly showed in a wonderful race. Perhaps taking his cue from a banner in the stands which read "wind it up Trapmore" the British stroke, Steve Trapmore, established a storming rate from the very start. Clearly ahead after a dozen strokes, the British eight led Croatia, dark horses to win, by 0.6 sec after 500m.
Having established an advantage, the British eight moved further clear of the field, over a second up at 1,000m, over two seconds up at 1500m. Behind them, the USA briefly raised their rate and fell back, while Italy and Croatia disputed second place.
The British eight appeared in full control with 500m remaining, but there had to be a price for their huge commitment from the start. Australia, who had been fifth off the start, stormed through in the closing stages, urged on by their massed fans in the stands. A cruise to victory became a desperate struggle.
"We were there and the Australians were there," said Luka Grubor, the Yugoslav-born oarsman in the number five seat. "We looked into their eyes and they looked into our eyes, and they blinked. It was a matter of total self-belief."
Fourth fastest over the final 500m, the British eight looked vulnerable until one final effort took them clear to the line. They won in 5min 33.08sec, 0.8sec ahead of Australia, with Croatia taking the bronze. The victory was a triumph for the British rowing team, its management, and its policy of making sure that lottery funds benefited athletes directly, allowing them to train full-time for the Olympics.
At the end of the race, the bow-man, Andrew Lindsay, the first over the line, raised his arms in triumph. Douglas threw himself into the water, soon to be joined by the others.
Those nine were the true heroes: Andrew Lindsay, Ben Hunt-Davis, Simon Dennis, Louis Attrill, Luka Grubor, Kieran West, Fred Scarlett, Steve Trapmore, Rowley Douglas.
The women's quadruple sculls boat comprising two sisters, Miriam and Guin Batten, as well as two Scots, Gillian Lindsay and Katherine Grainger, won their medal in no less dramatic fashion.
The two major objectives of the British rowing team in Sydney were to secure gold for Redgrave and the coxless four and to break the duck in women's rowing that stretches back to 1976, the year that women were admitted to Olympic rowing competition.
The second objective, like the first, was achieved magnificently. In a race that was dominated by a fast German quad, the British crew were in third place, behind Russia, for almost every metre of the 2,000m course. The bronze was secure, but a desperate effort in the closing stages brought silver, by one-hundredth of a second from Russia.
The medal was a sweet and rather surprising vindication for a four-year campaign. The British team management persuaded Mike Spracklen, a legendary coach who played a large part in the development of Redgrave, to return to Britain to take charge of the women's squad.
There was initial success, particularly when Miriam Batten and Lindsay (who celebrates her 27th birthday today) won the 1998 world championships in the double sculls. But recently, results have been very disappointing and a medal appeared unlikely on the eve of the Games. The total loss of form of the women's coxless pair, Dot Blackie and Cath Bishop, was especially disturbing.
A late decision to include Lindsay and Grainger in the quad had a remarkable effect. Miriam Batten, a veteran at 35, and her sister Guin have been the stalwarts of the British women's team for many years.
Lindsay, a tall, rangy athlete who used to play basketball for Scotland, brought further power to the boat, while Grainger, 24, is acknowledged as an especially talented oarswoman. In training, the boat went fast from the start, and hopes of a medal were suddenly revived, although the team management hardly dared give voice to their optimism.
For Miriam Batten, who has dreamed of an Olympic medal for a decade and more, the quest is over. Recently married, she is likely to retire. But with Grainger and Lindsay, if her dodgy back allows, likely to continue, the prospect of further Olympic success in Athens is very real.
"Last night we had a meeting between the four of us, and we committed ourselves to each other," said Miriam Batten. "That made a big difference, I'm sure. We were ready for the race of our lives. Now I'm going to retire from rowing and go off and have babies."
Guin Batten, in the bow seat, made the calls during the race. "Actually, it's more like a commentary," she said. "I said near the end that we needed a length, and we got it.
"Then near the line I just said 'Go! go! go!'. We had no idea whether we had snatched the silver until I saw an official show the photograph to the Russians. I figured they would give the bad news first."
It all made up for the disappointment experienced by Britain's coxless pair, who failed to win a medal after dominating the early stages of their final. Greg Searle and Ed Coode showed such startling progress on their way to the final that a successful defence of the gold medal won by Britain at three successive Games seemed a possibility.
Leading from the start, they opened up a gap of almost a second-and-a-half at 1,000m but the French pair, Michel Andrieux and Jean-Christophe Rolland, put in a devastating burst of speed, moving from fourth to first between the 1,000m and 1500m marks. The race was theirs as Searle and Coode fought to hold a medal place, losing out on the bronze by a foot.
For Coode, who had spent most of the winter competing for a place in Britain's coxless four, defeat was an especially bitter pill. "We raced our best," he said. "Three years of our life. I can't believe we were fourth."
Searle, who won gold in Barcelona and bronze in Atlanta was also mystified, but at 28 he still has much to offer British international rowing.
NICK PITT
The Times
