GB rowing success!!!

[shiato storm]

feeling that we ought to acknowledge our recent success this morning - from 7am this morning we won silver in the women's pair, followed shortly by the women's double getting bronze.
It was of course though the men's coxless 4 that was on everyone's minds, with Matt Pinsent, James Cracknel, Ed Coode and Steve Williams. dogged by injuries and difficulties all season coming into the olympics certainly not the favourite, especially with the canadians winning the series championships this year. A fast semi-final for each crew saw identical times putting them into two horse final, a show down between current world best canada and hopefuls GB was on the cards.
right from the off GB took the race on by the horns and lead for the first quarter by third a boat length, by half way canada and GB had pulled away from the field battling it out stroke for stroke down the entire course. at 500m to go canada lead by quarter of a length as the crowds go wild and GB begin to turn the screw on canada and with 200m to go they are ahead by a narrow margn of 6ft. canada draw back in a last desperate fight to the line closing their deficit but is it enough? - a fleeting glance Italy sneaking up on the far side of the course way out ahead of the other boats for them bronze is certain. GB and Canada back level it seems, each inching the other out every stroke, first GB then Canada, now GB again and again canada - the crowds screaming wildly as both boat flash across the line, then silence as every one holds their breath for the result...
...a photo finish...
...Canada, Silver by 0.08seconds

hats off to the lot of them - the women included for their tremendous achievement of the day...GB's flagship boat had done it again and Matt Pinsent has his 4th Gold medal (will that be 'Sir Matt' then?). utterly staggering race.

Team GB pushed further up the medal table

and keep watching for tomorrow morning's race where the GB women's quad are aiming for gold too

[TiG]

I was screaming them on too, damn it was exciting and makes me proud of this country when i see effort like that

TiG

[shiato storm]

mind you, damn glad we were on the right side of that photo finish!

[shiato storm]

p.s. also the other day I realised how much of the olympics takes over the tv schedule which makes it quite clear that day-time tv is utter cr*p and actually not at all necessary in any way...perhaps we should enforce sport of such high standards every day! well, it would sort out the fat person problem!

[M@rco]

Well done to the GB team but i feel the Italian team needs a good cheer for winning bronze

[stytagm]

Congrats of course to the Rowers, It's a shame people are a little inclined to say of Matt pincent "only four gold, not five like that nice Mr Redgrave" lol.

But let's not forget the Sailors, Ainsly Got Gold in the Finn class this morning and Shirly Robertson and crew in the Yngling (hehe) won gold on thursday with a day to spare. I'll admit it doesn't make such good TV though! Also silver in the 470's and I think we're still in the running for the 49'er which should be clinched tomorrow.

[Theo]

Yay. Even more reason for biased sports commentators to be even more biased.

[Moonshade]

hehe..yeah that's fun.

[Swafe]

blimey...just

[shiato storm]

yeah, was great watching the show-jumping the other night, despite being a slightly farcicle event in the end with disqualifications, re-instatements and then disqualifications again...! as each rider who scored a penalty got huge cheers from our commentators, which given the mood and lack of golds at the time was rightly justified. team GB was getting desperate...
...all good now though