The British men’s eight swept to a glorious gold medal in the final event of the Olympic regatta today, leading from start to finish on the Penrith Lakes.
The team of Andrew Lindsay, Ben Hunt-Davies, Simon Dennis, Louis Attrill, Luka Grubor, Kieran West, Fred Scarlett, Steve Trapmore, and cox Rowley Douglas, led from the start to claim Britain’s fourth gold of the Games.
The squad controlled the race from the front, taking a decisive 0.6sec advantage over Croatia at 500m, which they had extended to 1.11sec by the half-way stage.
Although arch-rivals Australia launched a late charge from the lane next to them, Britain held firm to win in a time of 5min 33.08sec, a 0.8 margin over the host nation with Croatia forced to settle for bronze.
It was Britain’s first gold medal in the men’s eight since 1912 when Edgar Burgess, Alister Kirby, Arthur Ganton, Angus James Gillan, Ewart Horsfall, Leslie Wormald, Sidney Swann, Philip Fleming and Henry Wells triumphed in Stockholm.
And it took Britain’s overall medal haul at the start of the ninth day of the Games to 14, consisting of four gold, seven silver and three bronze.
The success capped a magnificent Olympics for British rowing, following on from the gold-medal winning heroics of the coxless fours team of Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster and James Cracknell yesterday.
Despite losing their heat against the Australians and being forced into a repechage, the Britons had remained optimistic about their chances and they flashed their gold medal credentials by winning their repechage in midweek.
Douglas, cox of the triumphant eight, said: "It’s all come right today after four years’ hard work by every one involved - the coaches and all the people who’ve helped us. It was a heroic effort on the day by all the lads."
Martin McElroy, coach of the eights, said: "I’m so proud, so proud. They did everything I could ask of them."
