Day 9 BBC One: 13.00-17.00

:01:21. > :01:30.COMMENTATOR: He can go away with another Olympic title.

:01:31. > :01:35.It is 8.22 and Greg Rutherford has taken the lead.

:01:36. > :01:39.Mo Farah, content to be at the back. It is a massive throw for Jessica

:01:40. > :01:46.Ennis-Hill! And the tension starts to build a

:01:47. > :01:53.little bit. Mo has fallen, he is quickly up.

:01:54. > :02:01.Henderson has jumped 8.38, that is over 50 metrese.

:02:02. > :02:08.This is drama. It is 8.29. A bronze medal. At the ready.

:02:09. > :02:12.Jess couldn't do any more. Here comes Mo Farah, he wins the gold

:02:13. > :02:17.medal! This takes him into a place no

:02:18. > :02:25.British athlete has ever been. Good afternoon. Rio's Super Saturday

:02:26. > :02:28.was pretty special with three gold medals and four solvers, won bronze,

:02:29. > :02:37.the best day for Britain so far. It means the medal tally is now 30.

:02:38. > :02:42.In the quest for 48, the target which would make these the most

:02:43. > :02:47.successful away Games for Britain in Olympic history. It could turn into

:02:48. > :02:52.a special Sunday as well. Medal success is already guaranteed

:02:53. > :02:57.in cycling, Andy Murray is in the tennis final. The sailing medals,

:02:58. > :03:04.one coming there at least. Justin Rose is leading the golf and

:03:05. > :03:07.Max Whitlock favourite to win in the pommel horse.

:03:08. > :03:13.It gets better and better. I hope you will stay with us through

:03:14. > :03:19.another long day, day nine. First, it is extreme sight seeing.

:03:20. > :03:20.Not a new Olympic event, otherwise known as marathon running, 26 miles

:03:21. > :03:34.around this magnificent host city. We are live for the women's marathon

:03:35. > :03:41.shortly as Kenny covets a distance gold medal they have never won.

:03:42. > :03:47.We will have well decorated company here, 26 guests I am expecting after

:03:48. > :03:51.a superb rowing Regatta in that spectacular setting.

:03:52. > :03:55.I hope they have got the party poppers!

:03:56. > :04:00.Sailing bubbles begin to flow, windsurfer Nick Dempsey is riding a

:04:01. > :04:10.wave to the medal podium today. Max Whitlock, can he win in the

:04:11. > :04:15.pommel horse final today? Before we even start our Olympic

:04:16. > :04:20.date in Rio, the medal count is guaranteed to rise.

:04:21. > :04:55.Sonia Samuels competing in the women's marathon.

:04:56. > :05:04.These are the other potential high points. Andy Murray defending his

:05:05. > :05:16.title against Del Potro of Argentina.

:05:17. > :05:23.It could come down to Max Whitlock and Louis Smith again on the pommel

:05:24. > :05:30.horse. Set your alarm or get some strong

:05:31. > :05:36.coffee for Monday morning, the 100 metres final is very late, Usain

:05:37. > :05:40.Bolt expected to go for an unprecedented Olympic hat-trick at

:05:41. > :05:47.2:25am. Then the sprint with Callum Skinner

:05:48. > :05:53.and Jason Kenny riding for gold. And the first Olympic medallists for

:05:54. > :05:58.the golf will be presented later that evening.

:05:59. > :06:04.We also have the Greco Roman wrestling and the synchronised

:06:05. > :06:10.swimming. We will reflect on last night. If

:06:11. > :06:14.you stayed in to watch, and if you didn't, let us show you what

:06:15. > :06:18.happened on a pulsating night in the Olympic Stadium.

:06:19. > :06:22.Mo Farah tried to become the first Briton to win three Olympic gold

:06:23. > :06:28.medals in track and field. Things got a little tense.

:06:29. > :06:36.That happened, 16 laps to go, accidentally tripped by gallon Rupp.

:06:37. > :06:52.Happily, he didn't stay down for long.

:06:53. > :07:16.Mo Farah, Lukas Rupp, -- Galen Rupp. Hanging on to Mo Farah and the two

:07:17. > :07:23.Ethiopians. Mo Farah realises the danger is from Ethiopia.

:07:24. > :07:35.The Kenyan challenge certainly hasn't happened.

:07:36. > :07:44.Now it is Tanui, Mo Farah, and behind is Galen Rupp.

:07:45. > :07:48.Three laps to go, Mo Farah has been stretched in the last few laps but

:07:49. > :07:53.he has the ability, the stamina and the speed at the finish. Now it is a

:07:54. > :07:57.case of positioning himself to get ready, don't give any more chances,

:07:58. > :08:02.we don't want any more spills or accidents. From here, the reigning

:08:03. > :08:08.Olympic champion is in a position where he has dreamt about being.

:08:09. > :08:13.Coming up to 1000m. The pace has been powerful in the latter stages.

:08:14. > :08:19.Looking over his shoulder, moving alongside the leader, for the first

:08:20. > :08:25.time, Mo Farah is now in control, in the lead. He has Tanui for company,

:08:26. > :08:30.and Tola, his team-mate, American Galen Rupp.

:08:31. > :08:37.But there is no great champion in the apart from Mo Farah. Now,

:08:38. > :08:42.concentrate on the race, two laps to go, can he do what no other British

:08:43. > :08:48.athlete has done before by winning a third Olympic gold medal?

:08:49. > :08:54.Things are looking good for him. Another 62 seconds lap. Looking

:08:55. > :08:59.comfortable. He will be attacked but should fend

:09:00. > :09:04.them off fairly easily, attempting to win his eighth global gold medal.

:09:05. > :09:11.Mo Farah down the back straight with just over 600 metres to go. Tanui

:09:12. > :09:15.behind. Two Ethiopians, Demelash and Tola.

:09:16. > :09:21.You could almost throw a blanket over the five of them.

:09:22. > :09:25.Mo Farah wants to control this. We have seen this before. We know what

:09:26. > :09:31.happens from here. Now it is about determination, about

:09:32. > :09:36.Mo Farah not giving up the lead. Coming into the home straight. Tanui

:09:37. > :09:44.has been there before. Galen Rupp, silver medallist from London.

:09:45. > :09:46.Tola in there, Demelash in a little trouble.

:09:47. > :09:51.Has Mo Farah got the strength and speed to defend his title?

:09:52. > :09:58.He is passing his team-mate on the outside.

:09:59. > :10:01.Mo had to hold up. Gather yourself again.

:10:02. > :10:08.He had to dig deep. Look ahead of yourself.

:10:09. > :10:14.Tanui going as fast as he can. Mo Farah having to work hard. Tola is

:10:15. > :10:20.still there. Danger in front and behind, he has a look.

:10:21. > :10:23.Checking what is there. Mo Farah attempting to retain his 10,000m

:10:24. > :10:28.Olympic title. Tanui is giving it everything but

:10:29. > :10:32.here comes Mo Farah, moving out, and he opens both legs and is sprinting

:10:33. > :10:40.away. The inevitable. Bowing to his

:10:41. > :10:46.superiority, Mo Farah wins the gold medal!

:10:47. > :10:51.He retains his title. He makes history, and becomes the

:10:52. > :10:57.first British athlete to win three Olympic gold medals.

:10:58. > :11:07.Some things you can't control in the race. When I went down, I managed to

:11:08. > :11:11.get out quickly, and try to think how much I have worked this race and

:11:12. > :11:16.I wouldn't let that go. How difficult was it?

:11:17. > :11:20.You rebound it pretty quickly. It was hard, mentally. When you go

:11:21. > :11:24.down, you get really emotional. I had to pick myself back up and

:11:25. > :11:30.believe in myself and work through. At the end when I crossed the line,

:11:31. > :11:34.I got really emotional. You know what goes in. You can't

:11:35. > :11:40.imagine how hard you work for it. In one moment it is gone.

:11:41. > :11:44.We know the hard work you put in, 120 miles a week, the sacrifices you

:11:45. > :11:48.make missing your family, six months at a time in each year you are

:11:49. > :11:53.training. Does it ever go through your mind in

:11:54. > :11:58.a race that that? Yes, that is why I am emotional. I

:11:59. > :12:05.work hard and spent a lot of time away from my family.

:12:06. > :12:10.That one moment could be gone and you are not in control.

:12:11. > :12:14.I had to believe and get through it. I wanted to do it for my kids. I

:12:15. > :12:19.wanted to give something to my little girl, this is for her.

:12:20. > :12:26.And one more for the little boy. I had to recover. I have to recover

:12:27. > :12:29.now, get some time with family and relax.

:12:30. > :12:31.That will be another piece of history, the 5000.

:12:32. > :12:37.The first athlete from Great Britain to win gold medals.

:12:38. > :12:40.History is important to you. It is important to make my country proud

:12:41. > :12:44.and make history, every athlete's dream.

:12:45. > :12:48.I want to continue to do what I enjoy and what I am good at. I enjoy

:12:49. > :12:52.what I do. You have made the nation proud

:12:53. > :12:56.tonight, congratulations, a wonderful formance.

:12:57. > :13:02.Thank you for your support. The first British athlete to win

:13:03. > :13:07.three Olympic gold medals. Mo Farah.

:13:08. > :13:20.His family are there to enjoy a special moment.

:13:21. > :13:24.He talked about all of the hours, days, weeks, months, years that go

:13:25. > :13:28.into moments like this. We all know that, we all understand

:13:29. > :13:38.that. He really feels it.

:13:39. > :13:44.A brilliantly gutsy performance especially after that fall. And we

:13:45. > :13:52.know the script. The men's 5,000 metres heats, and a possible double

:13:53. > :13:56.double. We heard Mo very emotional about his

:13:57. > :14:00.family and how that really drove him on towards the line.

:14:01. > :14:02.It is family matters suggests Ennis-Hill.

:14:03. > :14:08.She was attempting last night to become only the third woman ever to

:14:09. > :14:14.win an Olympic title, go away and have a baby, and defend that Olympic

:14:15. > :14:18.title in the same Olympic cycle. Remarkable as all new mothers know

:14:19. > :14:21.leaving the house is quite tricky after the first few years after

:14:22. > :14:25.having a baby. Jeff found herself in a difficult

:14:26. > :14:31.position, silver medal position into the last 800 metres event on the

:14:32. > :14:35.programme last night. Nafissatou Thiam, only 21, just

:14:36. > :14:43.ahead of her. It was roughly ten seconds between

:14:44. > :14:46.them, after 36 hours of competition. Jeff knew she would have two run the

:14:47. > :14:53.800 metres of her life and hope the Belgian would not.

:14:54. > :14:59.COMMENTATOR: stopwatches at the ready at the front and further back

:15:00. > :15:05.down the field. Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the

:15:06. > :15:10.final event in this Olympic heptathlon. How hard can just go?

:15:11. > :15:14.How hard must she go? It already looks as though it could be a lone

:15:15. > :15:19.furrow that she tries to plough as they go through the first 200

:15:20. > :15:26.metres. She has covered that in a swift 29 seconds, quite swift. She's

:15:27. > :15:30.really attacking this, isn't she? She's absolutely gone off. Michael

:15:31. > :15:34.Johnson called it a mental chess game. Jess has gone into attack

:15:35. > :15:40.mode. The benefit for Thiam is that she can see her. Jess is running

:15:41. > :15:44.blind. She will have two just attack. Denise Lewis talked about

:15:45. > :15:53.awareness. A little glance up their TV screen at the end of the track to

:15:54. > :16:00.see where Thiam is. Thiam with a noose around Jess Ennis's neck. She

:16:01. > :16:08.is holding on. The gap at the moment is probably around 20 metres. If it

:16:09. > :16:14.doubles and some then Jess can be overtaken and certainly Thiam can

:16:15. > :16:18.take the gold here. The gap's not big enough at the moment. It was

:16:19. > :16:28.about 3.5 seconds and just went through in Dixie 2.9. -- in 62.9.

:16:29. > :16:32.That's what we expected, but we hope to Thiam couldn't do much better.

:16:33. > :16:35.She is much quicker than that. You can see the gap is getting bigger,

:16:36. > :16:42.but it's only about five or six seconds. Thiam is rallying here.

:16:43. > :16:46.Jessica Ennis-Hill is doing everything she can. She can only win

:16:47. > :16:50.this last event by running as hard as she can and giving everything

:16:51. > :16:55.she's got. Then it'll be an anxious wait looking back to Thiam. Jess and

:16:56. > :17:04.is coming down the home straight. It's going to be very close to her,

:17:05. > :17:08.just outside 2.07. The clock is ticking and Thiam is going to become

:17:09. > :17:14.the Olympic champion. Probably by around 20 or 30 points. We will

:17:15. > :17:17.clarify all of that but I'm sorry to say and I'm pretty sure that we can

:17:18. > :17:28.confirm with everything you can all see, just couldn't do any more. It

:17:29. > :17:32.was a big ask for her to run a personal best. Thiam certainly

:17:33. > :17:36.appears to have broken her best. Jess with a couple of seconds off

:17:37. > :17:42.what she required. It was out of her hands in the end. Steve, I guess the

:17:43. > :17:48.gold medal which she dearly hoped she could retain slipped away or was

:17:49. > :17:54.grasped away from her, really, in the long jump and in the javelin.

:17:55. > :17:59.You've got to hand it to Thiam, two brilliant performances, particularly

:18:00. > :18:07.in the javelin. Jess is the first to congratulate her and say well done.

:18:08. > :18:11.Cat, your reflections on that. It was one of the best opportunities I

:18:12. > :18:17.never had so I'm a bit disappointed but I didn't execute when I really

:18:18. > :18:22.needed to. I'm happy I finished and I'm not going to cry this time. Good

:18:23. > :18:26.on you for that. Tell me about the highs and lows of the competition

:18:27. > :18:32.from your perspective? I've had one high and six lows. The high jump was

:18:33. > :18:38.an obvious height, it was a national high and the joint Olympic record.

:18:39. > :18:46.But with a high for me, but unfortunately I couldn't come in

:18:47. > :18:50.today two with the bang I wanted. That is unfortunately we are placed

:18:51. > :18:55.sixth place and didn't get a medal. Do you feel an added pressure when

:18:56. > :18:58.somebody like Thiam is delivering personal best upon personal best and

:18:59. > :19:04.you feel you have to maintain that yourself? I think she was the

:19:05. > :19:08.exception in this competition. She's had a brilliant two days. Where

:19:09. > :19:20.everybody else has fallen back, she has excelled. I said when I came in

:19:21. > :19:25.I would need six or eight to win it. Unfortunately I could produce that.

:19:26. > :19:28.Are you disappointed you've not quite been able to do it here and

:19:29. > :19:33.now? In the years ahead, how do you see yourself going to another

:19:34. > :19:39.consistent level of Jess has produced time upon time? We just be

:19:40. > :19:45.victory lap and she said at my age she wasn't as consistent as she was

:19:46. > :19:52.now. I'm still 23, at Tokyo 2020I'll be Jess' age when she was in London.

:19:53. > :19:55.I think I have shown glimpses of good and different events that

:19:56. > :20:00.people want me to put it together now. It's very hard for me to do

:20:01. > :20:05.that! Hopefully I can do that more consistently like Jess was when she

:20:06. > :20:14.was 27. Here is the woman herself. We were saying how consistently

:20:15. > :20:18.been, but not at Katarina's age. The heptathlon is so hard. Katarina

:20:19. > :20:27.knows it is physically and mentally draining. I know that Kat's so much

:20:28. > :20:32.more. I was a terrible thrower for so many years. I got to this level.

:20:33. > :20:37.I have so much faith in Kat. It's great to see you draped in the flag

:20:38. > :20:45.once again. A great defence of your title. As Kat wassailing, Thiam was

:20:46. > :20:49.inspired. She's incredible and such a lovely girl. Her individual

:20:50. > :20:58.performances were just off the chart. What a four years it's been,

:20:59. > :21:02.getting married, having Reggie and coming back being World Champion

:21:03. > :21:08.just one year after you gave birth. And now this. It's just so hard to

:21:09. > :21:12.find the words to describe this. It's just so special. I've had an

:21:13. > :21:18.amazing few years and I've achieved so much in the sport. I'm really

:21:19. > :21:22.proud. Four years ago it was Super Saturday. We had three golds. Here

:21:23. > :21:27.we have had a gold, a silver and a bronze. That is still pretty

:21:28. > :21:33.special. Watching Mo Farah, he was impressive. Greg did a brilliant

:21:34. > :21:38.job, too. Medal of medals, I think we've all done really well. There's

:21:39. > :21:43.been an amazing British support here and it just shows from four years

:21:44. > :21:48.ago. There was about 17 GB flags in every single section. It's helped us

:21:49. > :21:55.perform over the last weekend. It's been incredible. That is amazing. We

:21:56. > :21:59.have the Mo Farah come through, Greg had tears. Kat said she wouldn't

:22:00. > :22:04.cry, but you are clearly an emotional because you come through a

:22:05. > :22:07.lot. I am, I have got to go away and make a big decision about what I'm

:22:08. > :22:11.going to do. I don't want to cry on TV but these years have been

:22:12. > :22:19.amazing. Are you hinting that this may be the last one? Possibly, yes.

:22:20. > :22:23.I don't want to cry! What would be the defining decision for you? Just

:22:24. > :22:27.to go away and have time with my family and make a decision. It's

:22:28. > :22:32.just been incredible. I don't want to cry like this, stop making me

:22:33. > :22:37.cry! I will let you go. Listen, it's always been a pleasure. Whether this

:22:38. > :22:41.is your last event or not, congratulations on a great career.

:22:42. > :22:47.And you know, ten two, the greatest is yet to come.

:22:48. > :22:52.What a magnificent and classy response not just in the interview

:22:53. > :22:55.but on the track as well. You just can't argue with that, it was the

:22:56. > :23:02.best quality heptathlon in the Olympics of all times when you

:23:03. > :23:07.consider that six women got over the 6500 points. With Nafi Thiam, PB is

:23:08. > :23:13.in five of the seven events, you can't argue with that. London's

:23:14. > :23:16.champions from Super Saturday, gold and silver so far. Could Greg

:23:17. > :23:19.Rutherford get in on the podium acts as well as he put his title in the

:23:20. > :23:29.long jump on the line? COMMENTATOR: Greg Rutherford's final

:23:30. > :23:41.attempt to win a medal in the long jump. It's long, but they will look

:23:42. > :23:46.closely. He gets a white flag! Rutherford now will have a very

:23:47. > :23:51.nervous wait. Henderson's grinning and laughing, what a last round. He

:23:52. > :23:59.shakes his head, puffs out the cheeks. He gave it his best effort.

:24:00. > :24:05.8.29 metres, using bronze medal position now. Fantastic, I was very

:24:06. > :24:10.pleased that I managed to pick myself up after yesterday and pull

:24:11. > :24:15.out a few half decent jobs. I found out the one they called a foul of

:24:16. > :24:21.the gaming in the end. -- half decent jumps. -- they gave me in the

:24:22. > :24:28.end. In my career I thought I would be disappointed with a bronze medal,

:24:29. > :24:32.I think I'm gutted. I suppose that's what makes you the great champion

:24:33. > :24:39.you are. You have got the full set of gold medals. You offer forever an

:24:40. > :24:43.Olympic champion. You've not won the gold tonight but you're adding to

:24:44. > :24:53.your collection with a bronze. Understandably, you're disappointed.

:24:54. > :24:56.Yes! You set yourself high goals. It's very frustrating when you come

:24:57. > :24:59.out of something and don't feel like you've done yourself justice. I

:25:00. > :25:08.didn't see anybody out there that was not unbeatable tonight from.

:25:09. > :25:11.From coming back down on fourth I came out and got my father middle

:25:12. > :25:16.school. I came into the championships to win. I'm not here

:25:17. > :25:21.to finish third. -- I came out and got myself a medal still. I did

:25:22. > :25:25.everything I could in that last round, I was desperate to take it

:25:26. > :25:32.back. I felt I could. It just wasn't to be tonight. I guess two Olympic

:25:33. > :25:39.medals in a career isn't too bad. As I say, I really wanted it tonight. I

:25:40. > :25:42.really wanted to retain the title. When you think any moment of the

:25:43. > :25:49.competition and will be hard work you've put into it, what is going

:25:50. > :25:55.your mind? Are you thinking of family, friends? Of course. For me,

:25:56. > :25:59.is always my family. I spend so much time away from them and that is very

:26:00. > :26:05.difficult in itself. You want to go home and make them proud. For me, as

:26:06. > :26:10.I say, I set myself up to try and win these things. Tonight is very,

:26:11. > :26:14.very disappointing. I know they would be proud anyway and they are a

:26:15. > :26:18.fantastic supporting team, but I wanted to bring home the gold medal

:26:19. > :26:23.again today. We appreciate you talking to us. Like you say, I'm

:26:24. > :26:27.sure they're very proud of you. Thank you, I do appreciate it. Thank

:26:28. > :26:31.you to everyone who stayed home and have a party at my house. Sorry it

:26:32. > :26:35.wasn't a win but you will have to settle for a medal I'm afraid. Greg,

:26:36. > :26:42.we will settle for a medal every day of the week. Well done to the

:26:43. > :26:46.athletes in the stadium last week. -- last night was a lot of sweat and

:26:47. > :26:50.tears as you saw last night. There will be swept this morning at the

:26:51. > :26:54.start of the women's marathon which takes place on the streets around

:26:55. > :26:57.Rio. This is the place that the canyons really wants to win. They've

:26:58. > :27:03.been trying to win this race ever since it was included in the Olympic

:27:04. > :27:13.programme in 1974. As for Great Britain we have Sonia Dixon going

:27:14. > :27:18.for gold. There is the Sambodromo, the start of it all. It is usually

:27:19. > :27:23.about party down there, but is all about hard work, graft and endurance

:27:24. > :27:28.this morning. As well as our commentary team! What is the course

:27:29. > :27:33.have in store this afternoon? COMMENTATOR: morning, Hazel. It is

:27:34. > :27:37.warm, but it is beautiful out there. A fantastic view across the bay.

:27:38. > :27:43.Christ the Redeemer, resplendent as ever. Probably since the athletics

:27:44. > :27:48.programme has started its the most difficult conditions for marathon

:27:49. > :27:51.runners. It's a beautiful day in Rio. Humidity is rising a little

:27:52. > :27:56.bit. If you were spectating this route, whether you are in the

:27:57. > :28:06.Sambodromo or out on the course itself, you will have a fantastic

:28:07. > :28:10.day but it will be tough out there. As Hazel was saying, two

:28:11. > :28:18.representatives. Sonia Samuels and Ali Dixon for Great Britain. As

:28:19. > :28:23.ever, a good Kenyan contention and Ethiopian contention. It is a race

:28:24. > :28:26.in which there is not really anybody you would say is a standout

:28:27. > :28:30.favourite. Particularly with the conditions they are about to face,

:28:31. > :28:38.anything could happen. Good morning to Brendan and Paula. Good morning.

:28:39. > :28:45.It was a great night last night, wasn't it? It does seem like minutes

:28:46. > :28:53.ago but it was absolutely fantastic. Last year's was champion, Dibaba

:28:54. > :28:55.Ethiopia. They are at the Sambodromo, the purpose-built

:28:56. > :29:03.stadium is used for the annual parading of the samba dancers in the

:29:04. > :29:09.world famous Rio Carnival. I couldn't believe when I read about

:29:10. > :29:20.it that it has been going since 1723. The Carnival has come stadium

:29:21. > :29:25.was specially built. Brazil will be cheering on Da Silva there. You get

:29:26. > :29:29.about 90,000 people in here. Not that many today. It is about 700

:29:30. > :29:37.metres long, that is quite a long run just to get to the main road.

:29:38. > :29:45.Sumgong, one of the current favourites. This has been

:29:46. > :29:51.reinvigorated, the stadium. The guy who designed it was here in 2012. He

:29:52. > :30:00.was 104 years old, sadly no longer with us. He was here for the opening

:30:01. > :30:09.just before the World Cup. Lots of people have been here, Eric Clapton,

:30:10. > :30:14.Radiohead. Tom Jones? Not Tom Jones, but Elton John has played here. As

:30:15. > :30:18.well as Coldplay. So we have had the world's best musicians and also now

:30:19. > :30:24.the board's best athletes. Japan are well represented. Tanaka there. A

:30:25. > :30:38.lively character. Hugely talented but can make some

:30:39. > :30:42.rash decisions early in the race. Exciting to watch. An interesting

:30:43. > :30:50.route in the sense the way they go, they will head out towards the main

:30:51. > :30:55.road. That will take them down to the Bay. They have about five K

:30:56. > :31:01.before they get onto a loop which is around about 10K. Three laps of that

:31:02. > :31:05.group which is down one side of the coastal road and back of the other

:31:06. > :31:11.side. They do that three times, then head back into this central area

:31:12. > :31:16.that is seven kilometres coming back of the loop, around the pedestrian

:31:17. > :31:22.area where the Olympic flame is housed during these Games. Around

:31:23. > :31:28.the spectacular museum. They have other two miles to go before heading

:31:29. > :31:35.to the finish. A splendid setting. The marathon

:31:36. > :31:41.aficionados... On the course they are running three 10km laps. If you

:31:42. > :31:49.are positioned on the seafront you will be able to see the race evolve.

:31:50. > :31:54.There are sparse crowds here. Madeline Bunning has been strong

:31:55. > :31:58.over the years in Brazil. But those people who know about marathon

:31:59. > :32:06.running will be on the seafront. That is the spectacular Sambodromo.

:32:07. > :32:11.You can't imagine its prime use is heaving with samba bands, dancers,

:32:12. > :32:16.an amazing spectacle, what a carnival it is every February.

:32:17. > :32:20.The runners running through the Sambodromo.

:32:21. > :32:24.Before turning onto the main road. They will take a right-hander. Then

:32:25. > :32:32.a pretty long straight mile and a half down towards the central area.

:32:33. > :32:36.The old parts of the town, everyone thinks about Copacabana and it

:32:37. > :32:42.anymore. This is the old of Rio de Janeiro. Lots of buildings we will

:32:43. > :32:47.get to see, I am sure the hosts will give us a tour.

:32:48. > :32:52.Particularly in these early stages. The one thing... Moreira, we will go

:32:53. > :32:57.through the other competitors and some of the names as they settle

:32:58. > :33:02.down in these early stages. One thing, Paula, there is almost no

:33:03. > :33:06.shade on this route. The only bit is in the city centre but they are

:33:07. > :33:11.through that quickly early on. Even as they run down the main

:33:12. > :33:15.avenue, this wide boulevard, there is no shade, no shelter from the

:33:16. > :33:22.heat. It is one of the hottest days in the

:33:23. > :33:26.championships. The girls have known this, have been planning for this

:33:27. > :33:33.all week. We have seen from the forecast it was due to take a dive

:33:34. > :33:39.upwards in temperature which is why so many have come out in caps,

:33:40. > :33:46.moistened towels around their neck to keep their cortege down. Some

:33:47. > :33:56.using ice vests as they were waiting at the start -- core temperature.

:33:57. > :34:03.It is going to climb steadily upwards in this race as the

:34:04. > :34:10.temperature finishes around midday. 157 runners in this ninth running of

:34:11. > :34:16.the Olympic marathon. The women had a long battle to get

:34:17. > :34:20.marathon running accepted, a battle of the people spent a lot of energy

:34:21. > :34:30.and sacrificed a lot to get to. It now changed.

:34:31. > :34:34.Joan Benoit. From the USA, she won the first.

:34:35. > :34:41.And Paula Radcliffe setting the record.

:34:42. > :34:54.Los Angeles, that was a pretty hot day when Joan Benoit won the race.

:34:55. > :34:57.She literally ran away from the others before the others realised

:34:58. > :35:03.she had done that and wasn't coming back.

:35:04. > :35:06.Jessica Augusto of Portugal, we are getting a close-up of these

:35:07. > :35:12.athletes. If you think about the other day, in the women's 10,000m,

:35:13. > :35:18.perfect additions at this time of the morning for a world record. The

:35:19. > :35:26.vagaries of this is when it such... Now a major factor will be the heat.

:35:27. > :35:28.The other day, it was like a Scandinavian evening in Oslo where

:35:29. > :35:35.they were running as fast as they could, one of the greatest female

:35:36. > :35:38.10,000 bases we have ever seen. Now, the marathon runners have two

:35:39. > :35:48.content with these conditions -- races.

:35:49. > :35:53.Aly Dixon from Sunderland strollers. They have been doing their own kind

:35:54. > :35:57.of marathon to Rio to raise money for charity. I am sure they will all

:35:58. > :36:04.be watching this morning. Some are here, her mum and dad are here. They

:36:05. > :36:09.are on the main lap. And Sonia Samuels, a great

:36:10. > :36:17.north-eastern connection between them. Both of them really rewarded

:36:18. > :36:22.for many years of distance running, cross-country, on the roads. They

:36:23. > :36:26.are very popular among the running contingent at home. They really

:36:27. > :36:30.highlight what this is about, getting to represent your country at

:36:31. > :36:35.the Olympic Games, at the highest level. And I know both of them want

:36:36. > :36:43.to acquit themselves really well. They know it is going to be tough,

:36:44. > :36:46.and sometimes that can help, in the last year we saucisson Partridge

:36:47. > :36:50.doing so well in Beijing. You never know what can happen.

:36:51. > :36:54.There you can see they have been getting a lot of headlines, the

:36:55. > :37:09.three Estonian triplets. Tell us which is which.

:37:10. > :37:15.Brendan? Layla, Lila and Lily! They tried a few other things

:37:16. > :37:19.beforehand. In their sporting lives. Let us look

:37:20. > :37:27.at the start again. Good technique. Nobody fell which is good.

:37:28. > :37:33.There are quite a few stories in this Olympic marathon. About people

:37:34. > :37:40.who are maybe not going to content at the front in terms of medals. We

:37:41. > :37:46.not only have the triplets, we have the German fastest marathon twins

:37:47. > :37:50.they call themselves, we won't argue.

:37:51. > :38:04.And one of the first Saudi Arabian women to run in the Olympic Games,

:38:05. > :38:09.Sarah Attar. Two kilometres, 40 to go. There is

:38:10. > :38:14.that little bit of shade, 100 metres long. Now they are back in the sun.

:38:15. > :38:18.They will get a little bit of shade when they turn right and start to go

:38:19. > :38:25.through a slightly built up area. Where these buildings are in the

:38:26. > :38:28.city centre, the old city centre, where they will get a little

:38:29. > :38:33.respite. Some looking for early water. People

:38:34. > :38:37.can be surprised at that but it is no surprise they grab some water

:38:38. > :38:49.even at this early stage. In that group, number 656, from

:38:50. > :38:54.Finland. She was the second Finnish woman

:38:55. > :38:58.ever to climb Mount Everest. We discussed this earlier. We

:38:59. > :39:03.decided once we had that conversation we would ask you who

:39:04. > :39:09.was the first? The first Finnish woman to climb Mount Everest.

:39:10. > :39:14.Well, thanks! It is only ten minutes into the race and you have stumped

:39:15. > :39:20.me already! I know you have the answer.

:39:21. > :39:24.No, we don't. I could have made one up!

:39:25. > :39:27.I will throw one at you. In a little while we will see Sugar Loaf

:39:28. > :39:30.Mountain and I will ask you who was the first person recorded to have

:39:31. > :39:38.climbed it? The reason I asked you about

:39:39. > :39:41.climbing Everest, because I thought you might know because we didn't

:39:42. > :39:53.know, but you have the arts about Sugarloaf Mountain.

:39:54. > :39:59.-- the answer. Have you being downtown, Brendan?

:40:00. > :40:12.That building is the backdrop, to where the Olympics lane is. It --

:40:13. > :40:30.flamer -- flame is. It is already interesting. The

:40:31. > :40:36.athletes can it looks like it is going slowly uncomfortably, the

:40:37. > :40:39.athletes are collecting themselves. Jessica Augusto, Sarah Marrero,

:40:40. > :40:47.Straneo from Italy, and the African contingent. Oliveira. We will

:40:48. > :41:08.properly get a lot of slow motion pictures here.

:41:09. > :41:17.You have there the Kenyan contingent and the Ethiopian macro contingent.

:41:18. > :41:30.Just collecting that, surprisingly near the front. Jepkesho, on the

:41:31. > :41:39.outside. Eshete running for Bahrain, transferring from Ethiopia.

:41:40. > :41:43.The other Bahrain athletes are transferees from Kenyan. Something

:41:44. > :41:51.some people are not happy about, as a convenience.

:41:52. > :41:55.A whole tranche well granted citizenship in terms of IAAF rules

:41:56. > :42:00.around eligibility, literally in the last couple of weeks, on the track,

:42:01. > :42:05.and as Brendan was saying in the marathon as well.

:42:06. > :42:09.It is not good, it really isn't a good sign. However, there are 82

:42:10. > :42:16.countries represented in this mother in which shows you in those years

:42:17. > :42:20.since the 1980s when women first started running, the interest and

:42:21. > :42:25.appeal of Boutin running around the world, 82 countries is a serious

:42:26. > :42:32.commitment to this event -- of marathon running.

:42:33. > :42:40.It is a great thing to see, Paula. It is a wide open global sport. We

:42:41. > :42:45.were talking about the Camaro -- The camaraderie in the heptathlon, and

:42:46. > :42:50.you get the same in the Masterson -- marathon.

:42:51. > :42:54.It is a race against the conditions as much against the other girls. It

:42:55. > :43:00.is tough but something great they are sharing together. Bringing a lot

:43:01. > :43:06.of nations together. Truly a sport you can practice wherever you are.

:43:07. > :43:12.We even have a runner from Lebanon who has been to three Olympic Games

:43:13. > :43:15.before, can you guess which event, Brendan?

:43:16. > :43:18.Not the marathon? The third quiz question and no one

:43:19. > :43:23.has the answer. She carried the Lebanese flag in

:43:24. > :43:29.2002 and 2010. In the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

:43:30. > :43:39.That must've been the Winter Olympics? The slalom the super-G.

:43:40. > :43:42.She had to win three -- Run three quick matters in succession to be

:43:43. > :43:49.eligible. Good knowledge -- Three quick

:43:50. > :43:54.marathons. We saw the British athletes running

:43:55. > :43:58.together, Sonia Samuels and Aly Dixon, well back, deciding, we know

:43:59. > :44:05.what is going to happen here with these conditions. They have decided

:44:06. > :44:15.to take it easy early on. I am sure they will be looking to move

:44:16. > :44:20.through. Probably 20 seconds behind. It is odd, Paula, the feature of

:44:21. > :44:24.this race, the first five kilometres and the last seven are really

:44:25. > :44:28.twisting, not a problem when you are heading out. When you are coming

:44:29. > :44:33.back and are tired, we talk about what is going to happen in the last

:44:34. > :44:39.six miles of the race, these tight turns, there are more on the way

:44:40. > :44:43.back which can upset your rhythm. You talk about citing people, seeing

:44:44. > :44:51.people head. You want to do that, and road, and

:44:52. > :44:53.have in your mind the last five kilometres.

:44:54. > :44:58.There has been uncertainty for these goals, we walked around the course,

:44:59. > :45:05.and there is almost a U-turn marked in the last three kilometres of the

:45:06. > :45:08.race. They don't know whether it is in or out, if they will head out

:45:09. > :45:15.onto the promenade around the museum or not.

:45:16. > :45:22.It is simple, you do just follow the runners in front. But you do like to

:45:23. > :45:27.have in your head at least the closing stages of the race. You can

:45:28. > :45:31.cope with changes at the beginning. You will probably notice there is a

:45:32. > :45:39.dark red line on the road. That's meant to be the shortest route

:45:40. > :45:43.that's been measured. We went round, it goes all over the shop at times.

:45:44. > :45:47.Nonetheless, through the pedestrian areas it disappears. You can see it

:45:48. > :45:52.right down the middle of the road, that is the line that they're

:45:53. > :45:55.following. As Paula said, it's wise to follow the lead vehicle at the

:45:56. > :45:59.moment. There are Sugarloaf Mountain in the background. They are very

:46:00. > :46:07.close to the waterfront here and they get onto that big lap for the

:46:08. > :46:10.last time -- first time. There will be three laps of ten kilometres each

:46:11. > :46:18.where they will be in the full glare of this morning's sunshine. We will

:46:19. > :46:23.be hoping, I suppose, certainly for many in that group at the minute,

:46:24. > :46:27.that things don't pick up too early. Even for the good athletes, it's a

:46:28. > :46:32.case of patients and not getting too carried away in the early stages. It

:46:33. > :46:40.is the Olympic Games and you are nervous, but it's not a case of

:46:41. > :46:43.going flat out. I bet they all watched the 10,000 metres in awe as

:46:44. > :46:47.we saw the world record in that race. I bet they were looking at the

:46:48. > :46:50.weather that morning thinking, I hope it's going to be like that for

:46:51. > :46:53.the marathon. Sadly, I know they have prepared for this kind of

:46:54. > :46:56.weather but I bet they hoped it would be the same as it was on the

:46:57. > :47:00.morning of that wonderful 10,000 metre race. The talent is now

:47:01. > :47:04.collecting towards the front. They're coming towards the five

:47:05. > :47:08.kilometre point. We will be able to get a check on what sort of pace by

:47:09. > :47:20.going out. Sensibly, athletes are just dropping back. There is Sara

:47:21. > :47:24.Moreira Portugal. You can see the jarring of the muscles when they hit

:47:25. > :47:34.the ground. The concrete is a little harder than I would be. Two of the

:47:35. > :47:39.Kenyans, Jepkesho and married Barbara on the outside. Then used to

:47:40. > :47:44.this, when they run the big races they usually have the company of

:47:45. > :47:49.pacemakers. -- Jepkesho and Mari debar bar.

:47:50. > :47:55.The course has been designed to be as sympathetic as it possibly could

:47:56. > :48:00.be because it is relatively flat. It's very flat. The monument you

:48:01. > :48:06.just saw there was dedicated to Brazilian soldiers who lost their

:48:07. > :48:10.lives in World War II. This Bay Area is a very nice grassy area with a

:48:11. > :48:15.lot of sports facilities. Very popular for people running and

:48:16. > :48:18.cycling. We are hoping there will be quite a lot of people out here

:48:19. > :48:26.watching this morning. They are round about the 2.25 pace in the

:48:27. > :48:29.early stages, not to slow given what we've been talking about with the

:48:30. > :48:31.conditions. Brendan, it has just come to me in a flash, the first

:48:32. > :49:05.woman to climb Everest from Finland. Shouldn't that in 2010. You're

:49:06. > :49:11.certain about that? Yes, it was by Carina Raiha. We have talked about

:49:12. > :49:14.the Estonian triplets. The Korean athletes are not related but they do

:49:15. > :49:21.will have the same surname, it is Kim. They are just watching for

:49:22. > :49:34.webby Japanese runners are a good 89 seconds further back.

:49:35. > :49:42.The first five K is breaking up quite early. Not perhaps as low as

:49:43. > :49:45.we thought it might be. All the athletes who have featured and won

:49:46. > :49:49.the big races, when you make a list of the top ten hit, almost all of

:49:50. > :49:53.that top ten are immediately in the leading group. The other athletes,

:49:54. > :49:57.clearly, have decided that they are going to race at their own pace.

:49:58. > :50:00.They will settle for whatever it is earlier on, they're not bothered

:50:01. > :50:08.with the friend pace, and just settle down. You know, Paula, at

:50:09. > :50:14.your best, racing in conditions like this, would you just be settling

:50:15. > :50:20.behind that group or would you be at the front? I think I would be just

:50:21. > :50:23.settling somewhere in amongst that number. I would have loved to have

:50:24. > :50:27.been at my best in the Olympic Games. It didn't happen. But she

:50:28. > :50:31.would definitely be sitting in the pack, you wouldn't be trying to push

:50:32. > :50:35.anything on at this point. The humidity is high today so they have

:50:36. > :50:39.to reckon with that. Looking at the trees in the background, it's pretty

:50:40. > :50:43.breezy out there as well. This is part of the loop coming back is a

:50:44. > :50:48.little bit exposed at some point. They need to factor that in. They

:50:49. > :50:54.are likely coming back into a headwind. Just an update on the two

:50:55. > :50:58.British athletes, Sonia Samuels and Ali Dixon went through five

:50:59. > :51:02.kilometres spot on 18 minutes. I suspect that was the targets. They

:51:03. > :51:14.are running in a little group with some familiar names. Finally

:51:15. > :51:19.MacCormack from Ireland, all in that 80 minute group. Water stations,

:51:20. > :51:25.feed stations. How many times do we talk about this? There is only 157

:51:26. > :51:28.runners and you would have thought it would be easy to organise those

:51:29. > :51:35.water stations. But how many times do we see at mass participation of

:51:36. > :51:41.Npower better at organising? At the end of the day, on a day like today,

:51:42. > :51:45.those water stations are hugely important. At the very first water

:51:46. > :51:49.station we saw a scramble for position. All of the flags were

:51:50. > :51:53.gathered together. One athlete went for the drink and then she would

:51:54. > :51:57.have to push another athlete at the way. That was a disappointing

:51:58. > :52:01.opening because the feed and water stations will be crucial in this

:52:02. > :52:06.event. They are already threatening a little bit. What's happened is if

:52:07. > :52:09.you are in a major big-city marathon there are a lots of signs as you

:52:10. > :52:17.approach a feed station warning you that it's going to be there. One

:52:18. > :52:21.athlete had not realised she was at a drink station so she had run back

:52:22. > :52:28.through the pack, not a bottle on the floor and then stopped a lot of

:52:29. > :52:33.athletes getting their bottles. There is no excuse for it when it is

:52:34. > :52:36.a loop course. There are two feed stations and most will be manned by

:52:37. > :52:40.an official to hand out for your team. They should know exactly where

:52:41. > :52:45.the feed stations are, especially in the early stages. The organisation

:52:46. > :52:49.of the athletes, whether coach, athlete, manager or personal coach,

:52:50. > :52:53.and the amount of effort that goes into getting everybody prepared and

:52:54. > :52:57.getting the right level of sustenance for a day like this, and

:52:58. > :53:01.then suddenly you're handed over to the officials. Sometimes it goes

:53:02. > :53:05.completely wrong, and yet if years of preparation and getting the right

:53:06. > :53:09.kind of drinks. It's practising taking those drinks. Then suddenly

:53:10. > :53:15.you've got an organisation that can't cope. That's disappointing.

:53:16. > :53:19.The pace is still being driven up the front at a reasonable look here.

:53:20. > :53:23.And I think that's why you're still seeing a lot of different groups.

:53:24. > :53:27.People will start to feel a way into which group they are happy running

:53:28. > :53:32.with in the early stages. Some have committed to the early big group at

:53:33. > :53:36.the front, I think some will pay for that later on. There are good

:53:37. > :53:42.runners there, but there are others who may be should be setting off a

:53:43. > :53:47.little bit. A welcome spray being provided as the temperature

:53:48. > :53:50.continues to rise. You can see here despite these trees the sun is not

:53:51. > :53:58.far from being overheard. It is winter here in Rio, but you wouldn't

:53:59. > :54:01.think it. It is expected certainly by midday, not long after the

:54:02. > :54:07.leaders will have finished, to be getting up to 28, 29 Celsius. That

:54:08. > :54:13.is not the kind of temperature you want when you're running a marathon.

:54:14. > :54:21.Who is that stepping off? One of the Portuguese athletes, Moreira. That

:54:22. > :54:27.is disappointing. She hasn't stepped off yet, she is walking. She is

:54:28. > :54:30.clearly coming in with an injury and her marathon journey ends in

:54:31. > :54:35.disappointment, walking along the road ride unable to go any further.

:54:36. > :54:40.She has completed five kilometres. She will be so disappointed. She is

:54:41. > :54:44.a very good athlete, 30 years of age. Maybe we will see her again in

:54:45. > :54:51.four years' time, but that is disappointment for Portugal and

:54:52. > :54:57.disappointment for, the European half marathon champion. I have got

:54:58. > :55:12.some of my updates. This time getting some water without

:55:13. > :55:18.tripping everybody up. Her team-mate grabs two, that's greedy! A little

:55:19. > :55:21.bit of a push and shove as ever. People almost queueing. It's so

:55:22. > :55:26.important that they get their water on board in these early stages. It's

:55:27. > :55:31.worth taking a few seconds to make sure you do. Don't miss the water

:55:32. > :55:37.stages. You can see that the organisation team here are not

:55:38. > :55:40.really up to scratch. It's all right talking about organisation when they

:55:41. > :55:46.haven't got the fences right. That spray is just not going anywhere at

:55:47. > :55:50.all. These athletes are world-class distance runners. They rely on the

:55:51. > :55:57.officialdom to support them in their journey, and so they should. We have

:55:58. > :56:02.Sara Moreira walking backwards. We have had the spectacle of the

:56:03. > :56:09.opening, poor organisation. There crowd out on the course. It is

:56:10. > :56:12.disappointing to see this. Paula, you must feel for these athletes

:56:13. > :56:17.when you realise the organisation is not only working 100%, but you rely

:56:18. > :56:22.on it. When you're not confident about it it starts to affect how you

:56:23. > :56:24.think about the race. It does, and I don't see any reason here why they

:56:25. > :56:28.can't have stations on both sides of the road so you choose which side.

:56:29. > :56:33.Then it will thin it out on the early stages. Or in the middle of

:56:34. > :56:36.the road. That is how they do it in Chicago so the runners can go either

:56:37. > :56:42.side and they know in advance which side their bottle will be placed on.

:56:43. > :56:45.If it's water and sponges, they can be on both sides of the road and

:56:46. > :56:50.immediately thin out some of those problems. The spray is there to call

:56:51. > :56:55.the athletes down, and some of the welcome it. But it's watering the

:56:56. > :56:59.grass, not the athletes. They can't control which way the wind blows.

:57:00. > :57:10.They must know the wind blows onto the coast all the time.

:57:11. > :57:19.It is sad that you come to this, perhaps the biggest race of your

:57:20. > :57:24.career, and that organisational side of it could be better. It's not that

:57:25. > :57:29.hard, actually. It's not that hard to provide a proper good water

:57:30. > :57:33.station where everybody gets the chance. It is important that they're

:57:34. > :57:39.grabbing their own drinks at this feed station, but nobody manning it

:57:40. > :57:43.which is odd to me. This is a looped course, it's not like your

:57:44. > :57:46.organisation as a team is stretched because you are point-to-point and

:57:47. > :57:51.have got to get to different places. It is a looped course, it's not that

:57:52. > :57:56.difficult to get from one point to another quickly. The better teams

:57:57. > :57:58.will have at least, I would hope, three or four people out there

:57:59. > :58:03.manning those drinks stations, making sure that the drinks are

:58:04. > :58:07.there within reach. We saw the poor girl they're trying to get her

:58:08. > :58:12.bottle right in front of a post. The momentum will carry forward into the

:58:13. > :58:15.post and she will lose her bottle. They're just not thinking about

:58:16. > :58:19.whether placing the bottles. Hopefully the officials manning the

:58:20. > :58:26.table are able to think forward. I thank Mark Rowland in Beijing who

:58:27. > :58:31.rang four kilometres down the road to get one of my bottles because the

:58:32. > :58:34.organisers have placed two on the wrong table. There will be officials

:58:35. > :58:37.who will think about that, but it shouldn't have too come down to

:58:38. > :58:42.that. It should be well organised from the beginning. There are

:58:43. > :58:51.Sugarloaf Mountain overlooking the bay. Are you going to tell us the

:58:52. > :58:55.story? Henrietta casters, a British nanny, is reputed to be the first to

:58:56. > :58:59.have got to the top in 1817. It is the first recorded trip to the top.

:59:00. > :59:04.I dare say others have climbed it before. It is a beautiful backdrop,

:59:05. > :59:09.Sugarloaf Mountain, as they continue around the bay. As I said earlier,

:59:10. > :59:12.if you were out for a Sunday morning stroll or out on your bike you can

:59:13. > :59:18.see so many people are doing exactly that. A wonderful place to be. But

:59:19. > :59:23.for running a marathon, the service is good. That is one thing I will

:59:24. > :59:30.say. But there is no shade, no respite from the sun. As we have

:59:31. > :59:34.seen already, taking water on board, getting the feed station is going to

:59:35. > :59:35.be critical here. Already this lead group is just starting to whittle

:59:36. > :59:55.down a bit. I'm surprised to see the American at

:59:56. > :00:05.the front. It is not necessary? It is not necessary. Linton missed out

:00:06. > :00:12.when she started the marathon in 2012, with a stress fracture. Unable

:00:13. > :00:16.to finish. She was heartbroken. She had been in great shape that year.

:00:17. > :00:22.She has gradually worked her way back and she runs very well in these

:00:23. > :00:27.conditions. She copes well with the heat and humidity. She is

:00:28. > :00:34.metronomic, she rarely gets it wrong. If she is pushing to the

:00:35. > :00:38.front, she must be feeling strong. The other US athletes have moved

:00:39. > :00:44.because they know that if she is at the front pushing, she is feeling

:00:45. > :01:00.good, she is not messing around. It is a good strong American team.

:01:01. > :01:09.Shalane Flanagan, Amy Cragg. And Linden. The Americans love the

:01:10. > :01:14.marathon. They have some big marathons, such as Boston, Chicago,

:01:15. > :01:19.New York, the three big ones. There is a big following for running and

:01:20. > :01:22.they will be watching this in the States and reacting and delighted to

:01:23. > :01:34.see an American leader in the women's marathon. Just inside 28

:01:35. > :01:41.minutes, they have gone through five miles. The pace is strong. I agree

:01:42. > :01:51.with Brendan. She looks at her watch, maybe -ish

:01:52. > :02:00.-- but just sit in the pack, enjoyed. They are gradually moving

:02:01. > :02:09.away from the others. A nice group there. A lot of the main contenders

:02:10. > :02:16.in. It is early to be pushing things along. She has the wind behind her.

:02:17. > :02:21.She is not losing anything. Free site of the road ahead and is maybe

:02:22. > :02:25.able to run more freely and that might be all she has done, just

:02:26. > :02:30.drifted to the front, to get herself in a good position in the front

:02:31. > :02:33.where she is not blocked. We saw what can happen to the best last

:02:34. > :02:40.night when Mo Farah tripped and went down. These things can happen. If

:02:41. > :02:43.you are out of trouble and there is not any reason not to beat the

:02:44. > :02:48.front, it is different from the track race when you to sit in and

:02:49. > :02:54.needs not to be on the front. She has kept pace ticking along and has

:02:55. > :02:57.moved to when she can get a free run at the drinks station and stay out

:02:58. > :03:08.of trouble. It is a strong leading group. The three Japanese athletes

:03:09. > :03:13.falling away, allowing them to go. In the second group. Allowing that

:03:14. > :03:17.group to get away. If you are in this group here, looking ahead,

:03:18. > :03:20.every athlete you thought about who might have a chance of winning is in

:03:21. > :03:29.the leading group. The task is to get on the back of the leading

:03:30. > :03:34.group. Even at this early stage, I would suggest, even the three will

:03:35. > :03:41.come from that leading group. It is interesting. When we drove around

:03:42. > :03:49.this, Paula, and I have only just noticed this. Paula noticing

:03:50. > :03:59.somebody in his beach where walking along the road. I thought we were

:04:00. > :04:05.going the other way round. Because when they return, and carry on, it

:04:06. > :04:10.is difficult to explain to the viewers back home, they will turn

:04:11. > :04:19.shortly, it is a tight turn onto the other carriageway. I thought... They

:04:20. > :04:26.are running clockwise. We drove the opposite way around. I am worried

:04:27. > :04:29.they will cross later on, if they start lapping runners, which there

:04:30. > :04:37.is every possibility. Anyway, we shall see. Ten kilometres,

:04:38. > :04:47.approaching. There are good crowds, which is

:04:48. > :04:55.great to see. This is the turning point, very tight.

:04:56. > :05:09.180 degrees. And that is the 10K sign. 34 .20, 310 kilometres. It has

:05:10. > :05:15.slowed a little but not much. They have picked it up. They have picked

:05:16. > :05:20.it up considerably. Just under 17 minutes. That is the point I was

:05:21. > :05:30.making about the American, why push on at this point? They are already

:05:31. > :05:34.going at a decent pace. Given the rays, conditions, everything else,

:05:35. > :05:40.there will be people hurting later, even some of the good people. I

:05:41. > :05:46.think that is right. That leading group has the talent. But they are

:05:47. > :05:49.running reasonably quickly in I think these difficult conditions

:05:50. > :06:01.now. I hope by the time they get to the next feed stations somebody has

:06:02. > :06:10.taken a closer look at the organisation. Through six miles,

:06:11. > :06:17.five minutes 17. I keep underlining it. I know that is your thinking,

:06:18. > :06:23.get out in front, but she might be paying for it. Taking the short

:06:24. > :06:28.line. Shalane Flanagan and Linden are on the line. As a marathon

:06:29. > :06:34.runner you expect the blue line we usually call it, but the red line

:06:35. > :06:39.here. To take the shortest route and when we drove around it it was not

:06:40. > :06:45.the case. I think the middle line down the road and then it suddenly

:06:46. > :06:51.skips to the next lane further along. What they are trying to do is

:06:52. > :06:58.rumba are little. Linton threw down the pace a little bit and it has

:06:59. > :07:07.been maintained. Kiprop moving through. Mare Dibaba. If they had

:07:08. > :07:13.the wind behind them before, they have turned back into it now. Having

:07:14. > :07:17.it the opposite way round to the way we thought will help them if the

:07:18. > :07:20.wind is in that direction coming back because it will be more

:07:21. > :07:26.sheltered as they take the inland route. The red Line, nor Melina blue

:07:27. > :07:32.line, it is not a random painting on the road, it is the course they are

:07:33. > :07:35.supposed to run next two and it is the shortest route, it is measured

:07:36. > :07:41.properly and it makes distance for the marathon. If it is as random as

:07:42. > :07:46.you suggest, the course measurement of the event is something I am

:07:47. > :07:51.doubting. I think it is a valid point. We have been down there and

:07:52. > :07:56.had three different versions given to us around the root of the course,

:07:57. > :08:03.at least three. All of them different. We have seen with our own

:08:04. > :08:08.eyes a couple of add-ons in the last stage, I call it touched the lamp

:08:09. > :08:13.post and back. You know you have measured the course and suddenly,

:08:14. > :08:17.hang on, we are 200 metres short. There is one of those painted on the

:08:18. > :08:22.road in the last two miles, which to me is not good. It is not the sort

:08:23. > :08:27.of thing a marathon course should have, as we get a beautiful view of

:08:28. > :08:33.the bay. An update on the British athletes. You can see Christ the

:08:34. > :08:38.Redeemer in the background. The British have picked up through the

:08:39. > :08:45.second 5km section with Aly Dixon and Sonia Samuels running together,

:08:46. > :08:50.one second apart. The two British athletes I think running sensibly in

:08:51. > :08:53.the early stages. They were never going to contend with the African

:08:54. > :08:58.runners at the front. The Americans have really committed themselves. It

:08:59. > :09:06.will be interesting to see, at the moment Aly Dixon and Sonia Samuels,

:09:07. > :09:10.about 70th, and I think they will finish higher up, everything being

:09:11. > :09:14.well. They have started sensibly. They have picked up the pace but

:09:15. > :09:18.they are a minute and a half behind the leaders. A quarter of the

:09:19. > :09:24.distance completed and I think that is a sensible approach. The athletes

:09:25. > :09:28.I think we'll contemn the gold medal. Mare Dibaba, the world

:09:29. > :09:34.champion from last year. She won that race in a sprint finish into

:09:35. > :09:38.the stadium. It will not be the stadium today but you would not be

:09:39. > :09:43.surprised if it came to a sprint finish. The African contingent on

:09:44. > :09:49.the left and the American contingent just behind them. Three of them

:09:50. > :09:54.together. Amy Cragg, Shalane Flanagan, Linden. Now they have

:09:55. > :10:02.settled. They have come back to the group will stop three Ethiopians,

:10:03. > :10:05.three Kenyans and two athletes running for Bahrain. Shalane

:10:06. > :10:11.Flanagan still has a bottle. Amy Cragg only just threw it away and

:10:12. > :10:16.Linden still has hers and the Japanese girls have bears, hanging

:10:17. > :10:21.onto the bottle to get as much fluid as possible and in contrast the

:10:22. > :10:25.Kenyan, Ethiopian and Bahrain runners, a few sips and threw the

:10:26. > :10:30.bottle to the side. They have not concentrated on getting the fluids

:10:31. > :10:35.in in the early stages and that is a lesson Shalane Flanagan learned at

:10:36. > :10:41.the US trials. It was painful to watch her in the closing stages. She

:10:42. > :10:45.did not get her fluid right and really struggled and had to fight

:10:46. > :10:50.very hard to make an Olympic team, for which she was the favourite, and

:10:51. > :10:54.she is their strongest and quickest runner, but she only just scraped

:10:55. > :11:00.into the team. She has learned from that and probably worked a lot on

:11:01. > :11:09.what is in the bottles as well as how long she keeps them and the best

:11:10. > :11:14.strategy. The other group hanging onto the water bottles are the

:11:15. > :11:20.Japanese athletes. We will see this contingent. The Kenyan and Ethiopian

:11:21. > :11:30.distance runners, all of them, two running for Bahrain. A recent

:11:31. > :11:35.transfer. The pace has slowed or stopped 5.34, the seventh miles. As

:11:36. > :11:45.Paula suggested, there might be a breeze in their faces. The best of

:11:46. > :11:54.the Japanese at the minute, Kayoko Fukushi. Is it an Olympic ruled that

:11:55. > :12:01.the people standing are not allowed to hand the water? You can hand

:12:02. > :12:07.water. If you try to hand the water and I will demonstrate, you

:12:08. > :12:12.basically hold it up in the palm of your hand. If you hold it in your

:12:13. > :12:16.hand your hand blocks their hand and the bottle usually ends up on the

:12:17. > :12:24.floor, so unless they know how to do it, they are better leaving it on

:12:25. > :12:29.the table. The water bottles are squishy. To pick up a squishy

:12:30. > :12:34.bottle, they lose the grip and it drops to the floor, which is what

:12:35. > :12:37.happened there and usually that is why they have the sponges

:12:38. > :12:42.afterwards. Do not try to drink the sponge, though! I felt like eating

:12:43. > :12:51.one when I got back last night, I was so hungry! Kayoko Fukushi has

:12:52. > :12:57.passed Linden already, who I think will pay for the extravagant fifth,

:12:58. > :13:04.six miles. Trying to latch onto the back of the lead. Look at the

:13:05. > :13:13.crowds. Good to see. So many people out on the route on a beautiful day.

:13:14. > :13:19.The bay is behind them. Getting a free ticket to the Olympic Games,

:13:20. > :13:29.watching the marathon. I wonder how many will make their way towards the

:13:30. > :13:36.end up to the Sambadrome for the finish. We have not completed the

:13:37. > :13:41.first of the three laps. This makes it a spectacle. It is a beautiful

:13:42. > :13:45.recreational area, flamingo Bay, and fantastic opportunities to see the

:13:46. > :13:50.athletes with them running up and down. You will be able to see them

:13:51. > :13:54.six times and you can go back and watched the TV and CB finish. It's

:13:55. > :13:59.great it is a free show. It is taking over the city and there has

:14:00. > :14:06.been her criticism of crowds attending the events, and this is

:14:07. > :14:10.the response. The women's marathon. They are responding to it, they have

:14:11. > :14:16.a team of Brazilian athletes they can support. Looking at the camera

:14:17. > :14:25.bikes and entourage, and looking at a very good field of distance

:14:26. > :14:30.runners. The Ethiopians looking fairly comfortable. Looking at

:14:31. > :14:40.Jemima Sumgong, the Kenyan athlete on the left. Many people'sfavourite.

:14:41. > :14:45.Interesting to look at their faces, whether they are sweating more,

:14:46. > :14:50.looking distressed. Linden has got back into the group but she is

:14:51. > :14:52.agitated. Why not settle and enjoy being part of the lead group? She is

:14:53. > :15:04.back at the front, again. I think what busy Lyndon is running

:15:05. > :15:09.is a fair pace -- Desiree Linden. She runs the place that she wants to

:15:10. > :15:13.want at, taking the time to get the fluid into her and she is really

:15:14. > :15:17.running her own race. It looks like she is pushing the pace but I think

:15:18. > :15:21.she is maintaining. We'll get a better idea when we get the next

:15:22. > :15:26.split, we'll see how the pace has changed. She has worked her way up

:15:27. > :15:30.gradually. She wasn't swayed by the fact that the Gucci made up seven,

:15:31. > :15:37.eight seconds in the last kilometre -- Fukushi. She worked her own way

:15:38. > :15:46.steadily. I don't think she likes the yo-yo. Pretty big group. Two

:15:47. > :15:53.Koreans with one of the other Japanese athletes. All being strung

:15:54. > :16:01.out now. One of the best of the European athletes back there.

:16:02. > :16:06.Fukushi made a big surge, thinking it was her chance to get into the

:16:07. > :16:11.group and those opportunities may not happen very often. Early stages

:16:12. > :16:15.in the marathon. A big group at the beginning, the main contenders are

:16:16. > :16:18.still involved. The marathon continues on the Red Button for

:16:19. > :16:22.satellite and cable viewers and for everybody else you can continue

:16:23. > :16:27.watching it on the BBC will -- BBC sport website.

:16:28. > :16:33.But we have much to reflect upon here after the closing stages of the

:16:34. > :16:37.rowing regatta yesterday. It has been an absolutely fantastic regatta

:16:38. > :16:38.once again for Great Britain's rowers, who have topped the medal

:16:39. > :16:55.table again. It is the beat, there is always the

:16:56. > :17:03.beat. From the nervous heart it begins, the wandering moments

:17:04. > :17:10.before. Then it is the rate of the heart and stroke lifting. The beat

:17:11. > :17:16.is the rhythm of the boat. The blade that schemes and pulls through the

:17:17. > :17:21.water. It is the steady hard breathing of you alone or of others

:17:22. > :17:30.around. It is the beat that torments. It seems to never end. The

:17:31. > :17:38.beat that takes you to exhaustion. And then the further still. To dig

:17:39. > :17:41.deeper and pull harder, until lungs close, muscles fail and legs are on

:17:42. > :17:52.fire, until you think you cannot find any more. And that is when you

:17:53. > :17:59.must for there is always the beat. Time over time, over time again,

:18:00. > :18:06.until finally it ends. And the noise of the world outside comes in.

:18:07. > :18:17.COMMENTATOR: They've done it, Olympic champions! The crowd are

:18:18. > :18:21.going mad. Exhaustion and triumph. Here at the spectacular Lagoa, Great

:18:22. > :18:25.Britain's rowers got three gold, two silvers in the last seven or eight

:18:26. > :18:30.days. The last to be confirmed on the plane to Rio, Victoria Thornley

:18:31. > :18:36.and Katherine Grainger but they were the first to come good. This is

:18:37. > :18:38.never the life I planned for myself, I never thought I would be a

:18:39. > :18:54.one-time Olympian. Breast best performance by a British

:18:55. > :18:57.women's team. One of my proudest medals was from Athens but tinged

:18:58. > :19:03.with what might have been. Great Britain have never won a medal at

:19:04. > :19:07.the Games. That is a medal that represented failure. I thought: if

:19:08. > :19:11.I'm going to go again I didn't want to be driven by the ghost of

:19:12. > :19:16.Beijing. For me, London was a different experience. What we are

:19:17. > :19:22.seeing now is that dreams come true. Most people assumed that would be

:19:23. > :19:27.the end, why would you want more after the perfect story? After

:19:28. > :19:31.London, Katherine took time out of rowing, she came back but it hasn't

:19:32. > :19:35.been easy, her partnership with Victoria Thornley wasn't gelling and

:19:36. > :19:41.then everything in changed and in Rio they found form, into the final

:19:42. > :19:51.and a strong start. Two crews going at it, exchanging the punches here.

:19:52. > :19:57.Parliament are coming up level. Hanging on for dear life, Thornley

:19:58. > :20:01.and Grainger, they will need to have one last push, dig deep into the

:20:02. > :20:06.reserve here. They are going to win a medal, that is full sure, but for

:20:07. > :20:16.them it is all about the Gold Medal. Poland have their bows ahead. The

:20:17. > :20:25.last ten strokes, Katherine, you're going to recover. You can do it now.

:20:26. > :20:29.You will never have another chance. Going harder and harder, Poland are

:20:30. > :20:35.feeling the pain. They are going to be the Olympic champions. Here come

:20:36. > :20:39.Poland, they get the Olympic gold. Great Britain, Thornley and

:20:40. > :20:42.Grainger, getting the Silver Medal. They have come from nowhere this

:20:43. > :20:48.season and they are going away Olympics all the medallists. At the

:20:49. > :20:52.start of that, you would have taken it with both hands because we were

:20:53. > :20:55.leading most of the way. The little tinge of what might have been but

:20:56. > :20:59.considering what we've been through over the last couple of years, I'm

:21:00. > :21:02.proud of what we've done. It is a medal that not many people would

:21:03. > :21:07.have put money on. I am proud of you. Yeah, I'm so thankful to

:21:08. > :21:13.Katherine, she did such a good job in the race. Quite a big headwind.

:21:14. > :21:18.Not sure what happened in the end, whether it got a little bit tight. A

:21:19. > :21:25.bit lost for words. A bit of a whirlwind. That was Thursday and

:21:26. > :21:31.this is Sunday. Katherine, Vicky, well done, sporting these beautiful

:21:32. > :21:38.and rather heavy Silver Medal. Has the satisfaction properly soaked in

:21:39. > :21:45.now, Katherine? Still soaking in, probably. We've both seem the race

:21:46. > :21:48.now -- seen the race and we are genuinely thrilled with the result

:21:49. > :21:52.because the journey has been so hard to get the boat right. We have had

:21:53. > :22:01.some ups and downs. And I think watching the race, you think, what

:22:02. > :22:05.if? Honestly, we laid it all out on that day. Our best possible

:22:06. > :22:08.performance. You can leave happy even with a silver, these days

:22:09. > :22:16.because there is nothing more we could have done. Vicky, you are

:22:17. > :22:20.properly famous now. It is crazy when some of my friends have

:22:21. > :22:26.messaged me saying that they hurt strangers talking about the race, in

:22:27. > :22:31.London. It is a bit of a whirlwind ever since, really. It is a bit

:22:32. > :22:36.surreal. I had to turn off my phone in the week were with -- we were

:22:37. > :22:40.racing to have no distractions and then I turned it on and I saw my

:22:41. > :22:46.messages and my Twitter feed, it was crazy. Exploding. You alluded to

:22:47. > :22:51.some of the problems you had, sixth in the world's and fourth place at

:22:52. > :22:54.the Europeans, you weren't on the plane and then you were. In a

:22:55. > :23:02.perverse way, did the uncertainty actually help you in that you were

:23:03. > :23:08.trying to prove people wrong again? I don't think we set out, we were

:23:09. > :23:11.not driven to prove people wrong. Some people have been supportive the

:23:12. > :23:17.whole time and believed in the partnership more than we did at

:23:18. > :23:22.times. I think what it was, when we finally got selected, and it was a

:23:23. > :23:26.late selection like you said, we had 50 days until the Olympic final and

:23:27. > :23:30.it was incredibly useful just to narrow the focus. We couldn't afford

:23:31. > :23:36.any distractions or for anything to go wrong. Everyday we had to make a

:23:37. > :23:40.step forward. That intensity and simplicity definitely rocketed us

:23:41. > :23:44.through the field. You've been sitting alongside a woman who have

:23:45. > :23:49.five Olympic medals, Vicky, and this is your first. What were you doing

:23:50. > :23:56.in 2007 and what impact has your mum had on your career? So I was about

:23:57. > :24:02.to go to university, I had a gap year and I was working at a local

:24:03. > :24:05.pub and my mum saw an advert in the paper for sporting Giants, UK sport,

:24:06. > :24:10.to try and get all people into some sports for London 2012. I think I

:24:11. > :24:14.was the height that they wanted them to be and they thought I might be

:24:15. > :24:18.quite good. She was originally thinking about volleyball, I didn't

:24:19. > :24:24.know anything about rowing, I didn't know you had to be tall. I wanted to

:24:25. > :24:28.use my height for something, I thought I was born six foot four, I

:24:29. > :24:34.needed to use it for something. They thought I had some ability and could

:24:35. > :24:40.be an Olympian in the sport of rowing and now we are here. It has

:24:41. > :24:43.changed my life overnight, really. Extraordinary, being considerably

:24:44. > :24:51.smaller than U2, I feel like I'm in the land of the giant when I'm with

:24:52. > :24:54.the rowing team -- than you both. Myself and Ryan Houghton are the

:24:55. > :25:00.tallest in the women's team, around six foot three, four, -- Fran. I

:25:01. > :25:07.think one of the men, six foot eight. I'm just going to stay quiet

:25:08. > :25:11.now for the time being! When you look, Katherine, at what you've

:25:12. > :25:15.achieved, four silvers and a Gold Medal, is that enough, are you happy

:25:16. > :25:21.to call it a day now and drift off into the sunset? Are you going to

:25:22. > :25:25.get a job? I don't want to rush into getting a job. I've been growing for

:25:26. > :25:30.40 years, I don't want to be quick to jump into anything. I think in a

:25:31. > :25:34.way, most athletes will say, you keep coming back because enough is

:25:35. > :25:42.never enough, you always want more, these will of the start line -- the

:25:43. > :25:46.thrill. I'm so lucky I've got to do it five times over five Games. As

:25:47. > :25:51.much as I love it and wish I could do it for the rest of my life, I

:25:52. > :25:54.kind of accept that it should be other people's dreams now. I don't

:25:55. > :26:00.know what I will do next but I will find something. We talk about

:26:01. > :26:04.multiple medallists through the Games, not just the men's side but

:26:05. > :26:10.the women's side as well. Is there a danger we will take it for granted?

:26:11. > :26:13.Up until 2000, there weren't that many multiple medal winning women in

:26:14. > :26:18.the British team. It has completely changed in this century. I think

:26:19. > :26:22.it's great that we took it for granted because it becomes normal,

:26:23. > :26:27.people shouldn't just be talking about winning a medal. Vicky talked

:26:28. > :26:35.about this, it being her first, there might be more. I grew up when

:26:36. > :26:38.Steve Redgrave was in the team and he won five. It is inspirational to

:26:39. > :26:43.see other female athletes doing it. The new generation coming in think

:26:44. > :26:47.it is normal to aim for that and that's great because the boundaries

:26:48. > :26:51.should keep being stretched all the time. Vicky, you have sat in the

:26:52. > :26:55.boat and being with this woman for a long time, you are roommates, I'm

:26:56. > :27:00.not sure that the beds are long enough! What is the key thing you

:27:01. > :27:05.have learnt by sitting next to this woman? Wow, that's a good question.

:27:06. > :27:13.Everyone said that Katherine loves Olympic finals and I've never seen

:27:14. > :27:17.her, I sit behind her, I can see her back and I am rowing behind her

:27:18. > :27:19.every day in training, but there is something that was bursting out of

:27:20. > :27:26.her in the race, something I've never really experienced being

:27:27. > :27:29.behind her before. She is up for the races that matter and that is

:27:30. > :27:36.something that stood out to me and was really impressive. Amazing to be

:27:37. > :27:41.part of. Gives the impression I don't really try otherwise! What is

:27:42. > :27:47.the one indulgence you have denied yourself for a long time that you

:27:48. > :27:51.are now going to allow? Beer! Not recommended before a race but you

:27:52. > :27:57.deserve one now. Ladies, thank you very much for a very thrilling

:27:58. > :28:01.Thursday afternoon. That was an unexpected and wonderful surprise,

:28:02. > :28:02.that medal, but expectations were considerably higher in the women's

:28:03. > :28:18.pair and the men's four on Friday. COMMENTATOR: Heather Glover and

:28:19. > :28:22.Helen Stanning, just one big race from defending their 2012 Olympic

:28:23. > :28:28.gold-medal. This is the Olympic final, these are the days that they

:28:29. > :28:35.live for. So, fingers crossed. They are way, good luck Helen and

:28:36. > :28:37.Heather. This has been an absolutely sensational first 500 for Helen and

:28:38. > :28:49.Heather. There was a push from Glover and

:28:50. > :28:58.Stanning, opening up clear water. This is an imperious display. 100 at

:28:59. > :29:04.now and the heads are still being held high, they will go to the line,

:29:05. > :29:09.Denmark coming hard and New Zealand also. But they are going to run out

:29:10. > :29:14.of water and so they should because Great Britain paid for it in the

:29:15. > :29:18.opening 1000 metres. They are fearless, without equal, they are

:29:19. > :29:22.history makers. Great Britain's Glover and Stanning, defending their

:29:23. > :29:25.Olympic title and doing it in such style. Carnival time here and the

:29:26. > :29:35.Lagoa for Great Britain. I have been so emotional this week

:29:36. > :29:40.and that is not me at all. To see them come in was the most emotional

:29:41. > :29:50.thing I have seen in my life. Two-time Olympic champions Heather

:29:51. > :29:56.Stanning and Helen Glover. Here we go, we did it in Sydney and

:29:57. > :30:03.Athens and Beijing and London. Can it be five in a row in men's coxless

:30:04. > :30:08.four for Great Britain? COMMENTATOR: Not much in it between

:30:09. > :30:20.Great Britain and Australia but both of those have opened up Clearwater.

:30:21. > :30:25.They will be piling the pain onto the Australians and that is what I

:30:26. > :30:30.would be enjoying and taking to the Australians now. The British have

:30:31. > :30:34.come under pressure at the halfway mark. They have responded. They are

:30:35. > :30:41.the Olympic champions. They have done it in style again. That is

:30:42. > :30:48.exactly what we expect here. Hats off to Jurgen Grobler who has led

:30:49. > :30:53.the British four to do this. We just nailed that. That was our

:30:54. > :30:58.perfect race. We did it right at the right time on the right day, and

:30:59. > :31:03.these boys... I mean, good lads. They must be really thrilled. They

:31:04. > :31:10.wanted this more than anything. Now you are in this funny post race. It

:31:11. > :31:18.is all over, they have all won. It is time for a drink! And this in

:31:19. > :31:23.a nutshell is wide modular furniture is the furniture of choice in an

:31:24. > :31:31.Olympic studio. We have them all. Helen and Heather and the boys. I am

:31:32. > :31:35.sensing a little tired and emotional this morning? You will have to go

:31:36. > :31:42.easy on us. In which case, ladies first!

:31:43. > :31:44.We will not go into details! Helen and Heather, congratulations, you

:31:45. > :31:52.are double defending Olympic champions. What have the last couple

:31:53. > :31:56.of days been like since winning the second gold medal and how much more

:31:57. > :32:01.difficult was it to achieve the first time around? It is a different

:32:02. > :32:08.story from our first gold medal, which was a whirlwind, almost a

:32:09. > :32:12.short-term partnership, we have not had a whole Olympiad training. We

:32:13. > :32:18.were quiet favourites, we did not have much press and we enjoyed that.

:32:19. > :32:22.When we won it took a long time to realise, because it had been a

:32:23. > :32:31.quick, short, sharp introduction to being an Olympian. Now we have had

:32:32. > :32:36.four years hard work. You don't work harder next time around and not win.

:32:37. > :32:39.We put in more hours, more work and pressure and definitely more media

:32:40. > :32:45.pressure, to have that resting on our shoulders weighed heavily on the

:32:46. > :32:51.start line. The relief was more immediate than in London. I heard

:32:52. > :32:58.your interview afterwards and you said you felt more emotional,

:32:59. > :33:01.Heather. What did you mean by that? Physically I have been more

:33:02. > :33:07.emotional. I am not someone who cries and I have cried a lot in the

:33:08. > :33:11.last new days. I don't know why, it is crazy. London, we did not know

:33:12. > :33:15.what it was like to be an Olympian, let alone and Olympic champion and

:33:16. > :33:21.we came here knowing what it means and to lose that race would have

:33:22. > :33:26.been devastating. There was a lot of internal pressure as well as the

:33:27. > :33:32.external. It means so much. Emotionally to us and to our coach

:33:33. > :33:39.and families who have come here. And you have done it. We always say,

:33:40. > :33:46.what's next? Next is organising a hen night. A big responsibility. I

:33:47. > :33:52.have come to the greatest place to have a hen party. I have the venue

:33:53. > :33:57.sorted! The groom is here. That does not count. Mr Glover as he was

:33:58. > :34:05.called yesterday. After the wedding, you have to make decisions. What is

:34:06. > :34:11.in your mind? At the forefront of my mind, I love what I do and to walk

:34:12. > :34:15.away from it, it would have to be something special the other side

:34:16. > :34:20.because I feel privileged and fortunate to do this. In moments

:34:21. > :34:25.like this, you are going to enjoy every minute and forget the cold

:34:26. > :34:30.mornings, scraping ice off the boat, being sick after training too hard.

:34:31. > :34:35.Those times you think, why do I put myself through this? I will take

:34:36. > :34:40.some time and I think Heather will, to decompress and live a normal life

:34:41. > :34:46.for a little while. No rash decisions. We will see. One of the

:34:47. > :34:50.key moments after your success in London was going back to Lossiemouth

:34:51. > :34:56.and being given a cream tea in the town Hall by the citizens of

:34:57. > :35:01.Lossiemouth. What is the way forward for you? Exactly what Helen said,

:35:02. > :35:05.having time out and trying to be a normal person. I went back to work

:35:06. > :35:11.quickly after London and this time I will take a few more months and be

:35:12. > :35:16.myself. Step away from training. See friends and family because I have

:35:17. > :35:20.not seen a lot of my family in the past few years. Go to Scotland and

:35:21. > :35:26.spent time there, which will be nice. 2020, do you have the vision

:35:27. > :35:30.for that? I don't know. We will see. You have plenty of decisions to make

:35:31. > :35:37.and we wish you the very best with the wedding. Thanks.

:35:38. > :35:43.Succession planning is something that has been a brilliant part of

:35:44. > :35:49.the men's four since 2000. Alex, you are part of the team from 2012 and

:35:50. > :35:54.it has been a feature since 2000. Before we get into this, your son

:35:55. > :35:58.was disappointed that your first gold medal was not made of

:35:59. > :36:05.chocolate. Is he happy with the actual gold medal now? He is

:36:06. > :36:09.nonplussed by it. He was born when I was rowing and he has seen so many

:36:10. > :36:13.races on TV and he was crying because he wanted to turn over the

:36:14. > :36:18.Channel to watch something else stop it is part of his life, normal to

:36:19. > :36:23.him. One day, he will go to school and talk about the Olympics and

:36:24. > :36:28.hopefully his friend will type his dad's name in and he will be able to

:36:29. > :36:33.say, my dad has been to the Olympics. Twice has come home with a

:36:34. > :36:37.gold medal. Talking about succession planning, why has the British team

:36:38. > :36:44.got it right to for the last five Olympics? Constantine? The most

:36:45. > :36:48.obvious source of continuity is the coach Jurgen Grobler. If you are

:36:49. > :36:57.looking for one reason, it is probably him. He has a system and it

:36:58. > :37:04.works. He drives us pretty hard. Every time the guys have ground out

:37:05. > :37:07.a result on the day. There is no secret but it is hard and there is a

:37:08. > :37:14.lot of pressure and it is about making it work. You won a bronze

:37:15. > :37:22.medal in different boats in London and so this hanging around your

:37:23. > :37:28.neck, what does it represent? Mo? 13 years of hard work. I was picked up

:37:29. > :37:32.to win medals like this and you get a bronze medal in London and it is

:37:33. > :37:39.bittersweet because myself and Stan, we believed we could win a gold

:37:40. > :37:43.medal in 2012 and to go through the roller-coaster and the dedication to

:37:44. > :37:50.come back and try to do it right. It feels really good to have it hanging

:37:51. > :37:57.around our necks. You asked me to go easy on you today, was it a big

:37:58. > :38:05.night last night? Yes, it was. Medium to large. It was OK. It is

:38:06. > :38:11.probably cruel to ask what happens next. I do not think a quartet has

:38:12. > :38:16.come back to successfully defend the men's four. Is it in your sites, all

:38:17. > :38:24.will be succession planning kick in again? We have a culture where the

:38:25. > :38:31.team is bigger than the individual, so it would be rare if the four of

:38:32. > :38:37.us came back as a unit and did it again, but that would be special if

:38:38. > :38:45.it did. Yes... It is difficult to commit to anything now except the

:38:46. > :38:51.next few days! Get this man some water, please! You have earned the

:38:52. > :38:55.success and gold medals and it is fantastic to have all six of you

:38:56. > :39:01.sitting here with gold medals. Can I see how heavy it is. It is the first

:39:02. > :39:06.question I am always asked. Heavy. And a lot of blood, sweat and tears

:39:07. > :39:12.and hard work has gone into making them heavy. That was a Fabulous

:39:13. > :39:14.Friday and there was a Super Saturday as eight and nine of them

:39:15. > :39:25.in each boat got on the water. The women's eight have never won

:39:26. > :39:33.medal at the Olympics. They have had chances and fallen short. This is a

:39:34. > :39:39.major step forward for the women's eight and perhaps we can think there

:39:40. > :39:45.will be a good showdown between the United States of America and Great

:39:46. > :39:52.Britain. Great Britain easing out onto the

:39:53. > :40:00.first, on to the second. Up goes the rate. 100 gone now. The crews will

:40:01. > :40:09.lengthen out. They will be of maximum speed. At the moment they

:40:10. > :40:15.are in last place. The British will have to draw themselves back. They

:40:16. > :40:22.aren't out of it. The moment is now. Let's do this, Great Britain. In the

:40:23. > :40:27.third 500. Get yourself back into contention, heads up and then we

:40:28. > :40:30.will move on hard. The great British crew are into

:40:31. > :40:39.bronze medal position. They won't settle for that now.

:40:40. > :40:42.They are going quicker than Canada, definitely going quicker than

:40:43. > :40:51.Canada. They are in the silver medal

:40:52. > :40:57.position! This is brilliant from the British crew. Three feet ahead of

:40:58. > :41:02.Romania. These are the moments we live for. The crowd are willing them

:41:03. > :41:06.on. Great Britain are going to go into the record books with a medal

:41:07. > :41:15.and it looks like it will be a silver. Hang on, girls!

:41:16. > :41:20.They have absolutely done it! Absolutely sensational. The first

:41:21. > :41:28.time the Great Britain have won an Olympic medal in the women's eights.

:41:29. > :41:31.Has a lot of confidence and this year watching on the sidelines they

:41:32. > :41:40.have at this amazing spirit and enjoyed their rowing. They could go

:41:41. > :41:45.out and race their race and that is what we saw today. I am so proud of

:41:46. > :41:50.these girls and 50 more behind us who got us here. I had no doubt,

:41:51. > :41:54.even when we were last, we would go through. These girls are strong,

:41:55. > :41:59.sassy and inspirational, I am so happy to be with them. I cannot

:42:00. > :42:05.think of a more amazing experience to end on. Now a generation of

:42:06. > :42:08.British rowers, those girls can really believe.

:42:09. > :42:15.They are strong and sassy and they are all here. That historic medal

:42:16. > :42:27.yesterday. Mel, Zoe, Zoe, Jess, Polly, Olivier, Katie and France. Is

:42:28. > :42:37.sassy the best way to describe this lot? Sassy started off as a bit of a

:42:38. > :42:41.joke because Fran was being sassy, giving someone some backchat and we

:42:42. > :42:46.went with it with a joke and it has now taken off in an unfortunate way.

:42:47. > :42:52.I think it is annoying people and so now we want to do it more. But they

:42:53. > :42:58.were. They kept their heads, kept cool and carried on going. You all

:42:59. > :43:05.made history. Fran, you have been involved in rowing for a long time

:43:06. > :43:10.and you got a third silver medal. In terms of the women's eight, it was

:43:11. > :43:16.the last two unit to get a full-time coach, the one that has been crying

:43:17. > :43:20.out for this. Is there a feeling that you have at last fulfilled the

:43:21. > :43:29.potential bubbling up and waiting in this boat? Absolutely. When I

:43:30. > :43:34.started in 1995, the first British women's eights medal was in 1997 and

:43:35. > :43:39.since then it has been building and building. We have an outstanding

:43:40. > :43:43.coaching James Harris, who has put us together and it might seem we

:43:44. > :43:47.have punched out this year into the medals but when I joined the group

:43:48. > :43:54.in January, I thought wow, we can do it. And at that stage there was 14

:43:55. > :43:58.to get into the nine of us. It is impressive and so many experiences

:43:59. > :44:04.have gone into making this happen. We trust each other and believe in

:44:05. > :44:09.ourselves. Can I ask about the stacking of the teams in rowing? In

:44:10. > :44:14.the men's eight, it is usually the stacking goes into the men's four.

:44:15. > :44:19.Over the years there has been a feeling the best rowers have gone

:44:20. > :44:23.into the women's pair and double sculls. Now it seems to be a thing

:44:24. > :44:28.of the past and this is a strong unit. How together have you been the

:44:29. > :44:37.past few months? We have a very strong team. Every woman in the team

:44:38. > :44:41.has medalled. That is something outstanding. There is probably no

:44:42. > :44:49.other team in the world that can boast that. The women sitting beside

:44:50. > :44:53.me, eight and a little one, are very strong, determined, focused women. I

:44:54. > :44:59.think that is why we have come out on top. The same goes for Heather

:45:00. > :45:01.and Helen and Catherine and Vicky, we have a strong team and that is

:45:02. > :45:15.why we are delivering results. We have made history here, we have

:45:16. > :45:19.two Zoes. For people who are not rowing and they see you out there

:45:20. > :45:25.going for it, what role does the cox play and how significant was her

:45:26. > :45:29.contribution on the day in that race? Absolutely, Zoe kept us in the

:45:30. > :45:34.race when we were at last. I don't think any of us actually realised

:45:35. > :45:38.that apart from possibly me because I couldn't see anybody from the

:45:39. > :45:45.front of the boat. Zoe kept really cool and calm and called the race,

:45:46. > :45:52.called our processes and patterns. And yeah, really pulled us into the

:45:53. > :45:58.Silver Medal position. It was our physicality, but her words and

:45:59. > :46:03.motivation. Mel, looking back on the race, for the Americans, it is their

:46:04. > :46:08.race and they absolutely stack it with their best athletes and you got

:46:09. > :46:13.close to them this time. It is the real dominance of that nation in

:46:14. > :46:17.this event going back to 2006. Yeah I think as a group we were careful

:46:18. > :46:21.not to put them on too much of a pedestal. They've obviously got this

:46:22. > :46:26.huge history and haven't lost a race in a long time, but they are women

:46:27. > :46:29.just like us and I'm sure that they train just as hard as us and they

:46:30. > :46:37.were just as nervous yesterday morning. We just tried to see them

:46:38. > :46:42.as other girl sitting next to us, really. Now we talk about the

:46:43. > :46:48.future. Jess, the future, 2020, Tokyo. We will put this on you. What

:46:49. > :46:54.happens now, and how quickly do you find out whether you are going to

:46:55. > :47:01.stay together? What happens about the personnel now? In rowing it is

:47:02. > :47:04.very much a four-year project. We go through the Olympiad is and for

:47:05. > :47:08.quite a few of us this may be our last one. Katy and I have been to

:47:09. > :47:13.three of them together so finishing here with a silver is great. I think

:47:14. > :47:19.some of the girls will be carrying on into 2020 but we will have a

:47:20. > :47:24.great week now, sit now and do a bit of a review and go our separate

:47:25. > :47:30.ways. We always have union Rose now for evermore. You've made a good

:47:31. > :47:35.point because Katie, you were in the last two boats in the last two

:47:36. > :47:38.Olympics, so has this medal been a long time coming from your

:47:39. > :47:42.perspective? That's the first thing that David Tanner said at the end of

:47:43. > :47:48.the race, which made me cry straightaway, it has been a long

:47:49. > :47:53.time. I think for us, Jess and I, we were in Beijing, struggling with

:47:54. > :47:57.illness denied before the final and it was heartbreaking to have had

:47:58. > :48:01.that but I think we both knew that it was something that was going to

:48:02. > :48:08.be there for us in the third 500 that nobody else had, that strength.

:48:09. > :48:14.A lot of it, exactly. Bolivia, I wanted to ask about the celebrations

:48:15. > :48:24.over the last few hours two Bolivia -- Olivia. You seem the most quiet

:48:25. > :48:32.at the moment. Yesterday everyone talked about me, the one of the crew

:48:33. > :48:36.who was the lion and I don't think I've had the maximum capacity of

:48:37. > :48:42.sleep. Last night was fun, we went to the British House and we met the

:48:43. > :48:47.families and celebrated. We haven't had enough time to go back to the

:48:48. > :48:51.hotel and have a look at our phones and celebrate with everybody at home

:48:52. > :48:56.yet but that is all to come. I'm sure there will be many nights of it

:48:57. > :49:00.this week. You deserve it because I know that a lot of people watching

:49:01. > :49:05.rowing can see the sheer pain that you go through towards the end. I'm

:49:06. > :49:09.not going to ask you to describe it, but Karen, there must be a point

:49:10. > :49:14.when you think, clearly, the pain is worth it but when people see the

:49:15. > :49:21.naked pain, what would attract them to rowing at this point? I don't

:49:22. > :49:30.even know! I think afterwards, the feeling you get, it is so painful,

:49:31. > :49:36.but you have done well, even if you haven't, you just feel really good.

:49:37. > :49:41.I think that is what attracts us to it. But yeah it was quite painful,

:49:42. > :49:47.for me it was a painful race yesterday. I was finding it quite

:49:48. > :49:51.hard to celebrate! After the pain comes the pleasure and you deserve a

:49:52. > :49:55.lot of good times ahead. Ladies, thank you for an historic

:49:56. > :50:00.breakthrough in women's rowing. In the men's eight, we hadn't had a

:50:01. > :50:01.Gold Medal for, oh, 16 years. That was about to change yesterday as

:50:02. > :50:14.well. The key thing from the British point

:50:15. > :50:21.of view, don't dwell on the result until its history. Nine men, one

:50:22. > :50:24.common goal, to achieve it they know that they will have to bare their

:50:25. > :50:28.souls and leave everything out on the lake. And if they do that, they

:50:29. > :50:35.know that they will be rewarded for it. The British have jumped out and

:50:36. > :50:41.Great Britain are leading. This is where I expect Britain to be ahead,

:50:42. > :50:48.500 metres, but it is the second 500 that is going to determine the race.

:50:49. > :50:54.It is all going the right way so far. Yeah, they have a good rhythm

:50:55. > :50:59.going, Will Satch is setting a good rhythm. Going stride for stride with

:51:00. > :51:08.the Germans but Great Britain going slightly better so they are inching

:51:09. > :51:11.away. Now into the third 500, surely they've done enough here? They can't

:51:12. > :51:19.rest but now they will think that it is going their way. They are strong,

:51:20. > :51:25.they are long, the Germans are giving it one last push, so too the

:51:26. > :51:29.Netherlands, but Great Britain are hanging on and they do it with their

:51:30. > :51:35.heads up and their pride intact here. Almost there, just the last

:51:36. > :51:38.couple of strokes and it is Great Britain in the men's eight, the

:51:39. > :51:46.Olympic champions and that has a fantastic ring about it.

:51:47. > :51:53.The fists go up and Phelan Hill, welcome to the club. Olympic

:51:54. > :52:06.champion for you and your crew. We salute everyone of you. Your son,

:52:07. > :52:14.Scott is the Olympic champion. Can't believe it. I couldn't envisage this

:52:15. > :52:17.moment, it was difficult to know. We were watching the race and seeing

:52:18. > :52:22.them off the start and realised they were taking believe from the front

:52:23. > :52:27.and they kept it. It was incredible. Can't believe he has actually done

:52:28. > :52:35.it, they've done it. Another one. Yeah, another one. Just...

:52:36. > :52:44.Fantastic, what the guys did. Top race. Matching the coxless four.

:52:45. > :52:52.These guys were magnificent, absolute gladiators. The angriest,

:52:53. > :52:55.the fiercest, the most ruthless. Everyone you might be upset by

:52:56. > :53:02.missing their birthday, thank you for putting up with it, basically.

:53:03. > :53:05.Thanks for getting us ready for that one, it was a big race. Just, I'm

:53:06. > :53:20.speechless. And I have to say, having not had a

:53:21. > :53:24.single guest in the studio on my shift, I've had 26 in the last ten

:53:25. > :53:29.minutes! I'm really enjoying this. Thank you for your efforts. Phelan,

:53:30. > :53:33.I want you to introduce everybody and give me a one word adjective to

:53:34. > :53:48.describe them. Oh, my God. OK, on the far side, Paul, besides being

:53:49. > :54:05.tall, top knot. Matthew, late! Scott, bald. Ten ferry, shoulders.

:54:06. > :54:15.Hodgey, old! Pete, Camara! Will, mouthy. Nice. And, Pete, one word

:54:16. > :54:24.for him? Did you say mouthy four will -- the Thames Faye, I would use

:54:25. > :54:29.it for you. -- for Will. John! -- trunk.

:54:30. > :54:34.You have got your coconut here in the tropical country. You can't go

:54:35. > :54:40.anywhere without one of these babies. Hydration is required. For

:54:41. > :54:45.these two dies it is a third Gold Medal in a row, congratulations,

:54:46. > :54:50.what has this team done together -- these guys. We had done something

:54:51. > :54:54.very special together. Really special and I'm still lost for

:54:55. > :54:59.words. I just saw the clip and it takes more than 24 hours to get your

:55:00. > :55:05.thoughts together. How we've done it is easier than what we have done.

:55:06. > :55:10.And how we've done it, Jurgen. We are very different personalities. He

:55:11. > :55:16.identified that early when we got together but it didn't stop us from

:55:17. > :55:19.gelling. We have the best mix but it is Jurgen who found the way to get

:55:20. > :55:23.the best out of us, especially yesterday. We tried through the

:55:24. > :55:28.season our very hardest and we had a lot of ups and downs and yesterday,

:55:29. > :55:33.in his words, was a masterpiece and credit to him. Andy, how do you jell

:55:34. > :55:38.personalities like this? There must be times when you get on each

:55:39. > :55:46.other's nerves. Yes, of course, without a doubt. We are eight, nine,

:55:47. > :55:52.including the coaches, 11 very passionate individuals. But I think

:55:53. > :55:59.the key has been not to try and compress everybody into one model of

:56:00. > :56:03.what they should be. Actually embracing our strengths, individual

:56:04. > :56:11.strengths, access our weaknesses and form the crew together. It is

:56:12. > :56:15.different together every time. That is the thing about rowing teams, you

:56:16. > :56:21.approach it from the same angle each time. This is a unique blend of

:56:22. > :56:25.individuals. As Pete said, under Jurgen's guidance, this is one of

:56:26. > :56:30.his secrets, he doesn't try and break anybody into a certain mould,

:56:31. > :56:34.he will enable you to get the most out of yourself and that's a very

:56:35. > :56:39.powerful part and it was behind yesterday's win. How dominant was it

:56:40. > :56:47.from your perspective? I think we just kind of went out, we were

:56:48. > :56:52.irrelevant to what the other boats were doing, we were going to do our

:56:53. > :56:56.own thing. We came through halfway knowing everything we had done had

:56:57. > :57:01.worked a treat, we were just watching everyone fighting behind

:57:02. > :57:07.us. One of the most dominant eights races I've been in. The confidence

:57:08. > :57:11.to keep moving. To me it felt like one of the easiest races are done

:57:12. > :57:16.because you just sit there and lap it up, brilliant. Scott, looking at

:57:17. > :57:20.the Great Britain medal table, top again, is there a feeling of

:57:21. > :57:25.collective celebration? I won't ask you to go into details, it might get

:57:26. > :57:28.ugly, but overall, how would you rate this entire performance by the

:57:29. > :57:36.British rowing team? I think it's been strong. I think from the

:57:37. > :57:42.heavyweight men's side of things, incredibly strong. There are people

:57:43. > :57:48.who have missed out. It is difficult when you are celebrating golds,

:57:49. > :57:51.because people haven't got what they wanted and there are people on the

:57:52. > :57:57.team who haven't achieved what they want. It is a bit of mixed emotions.

:57:58. > :58:02.For us, definitely, great celebration. Matt, I know that James

:58:03. > :58:14.Cracknell described you as the best role and not to have won a gold yet,

:58:15. > :58:20.before that final -- rower. It is nice of James to say that. It is

:58:21. > :58:24.nice to finally not be that person. So yeah, it is a long time coming,

:58:25. > :58:31.especially for me, it is my third time in the eights, with what we did

:58:32. > :58:35.in Beijing and London. I felt that this time was the right chance and

:58:36. > :58:39.we were going to make it happen and the confidence we've had this

:58:40. > :58:45.reason, we've had ups and downs but we never lost confidence that we

:58:46. > :58:48.would do it on day. Like I said, we talk about four year cycles but for

:58:49. > :58:56.me it has been a lot longer than that, it has been 16 years of

:58:57. > :59:03.building up to this. So as far as I'm concerned, this is my swansong.

:59:04. > :59:08.Yeah, it's a good way to finish off. It's a hell of a way to finish it

:59:09. > :59:14.off. Tall Paul, if I can call you that, in your interview you talked

:59:15. > :59:17.about the birthdays missed. We aren't talking about your birthdays.

:59:18. > :59:22.I didn't miss them! They still happen. Who's did you miss and how

:59:23. > :59:28.special has it been for those involved?

:59:29. > :59:33.You watch people win medals and with the Olympics and you watch their

:59:34. > :59:38.interviews and you think they are spaced out and you think you will

:59:39. > :59:42.not fall into the cliches and you are there and you are totally wiped

:59:43. > :59:47.out and you fall into saying the same things. It is not just

:59:48. > :59:51.birthdays, all of us have guessed far more important events than

:59:52. > :59:55.birthdays. Parents, friends, girlfriends, everyone, a lot of

:59:56. > :00:02.people put up with us for a long time to make any of this happen and

:00:03. > :00:06.all credit to them. Birth days is a representation of who knows what.

:00:07. > :00:13.Things we don't even know we have missed, that is how bad it is!

:00:14. > :00:20.Finally, can I ask Will, how much does it hurt when you are in the

:00:21. > :00:28.last closing metres of a race? Is it worth it? I thought you meant this

:00:29. > :00:35.morning! It hurts like hell. The difference is when you are there,

:00:36. > :00:43.the camaraderie we have in the eight, and developing down the

:00:44. > :00:47.track, it is something that carries you through and when you are in that

:00:48. > :00:54.position you feel like a god. Yesterday was just a dream. I love

:00:55. > :01:05.that. This is God in the hot seat, really, in the Cox's seat. Garry

:01:06. > :01:11.Herbert was part commentator and part cox yesterday. When they are

:01:12. > :01:14.down, when they are not good, are they keywords that can flick the

:01:15. > :01:24.switch for these guys? It is hard, that one. It is difficult. Most of

:01:25. > :01:33.the time we have been fantastic. It is funny, all crews are different.

:01:34. > :01:37.This crew, there has never been a real time when we have been really

:01:38. > :01:42.down. Every session we have gone out, the guys have always delivered.

:01:43. > :01:48.Even when you just ask them to do something, that has been the best

:01:49. > :01:51.thing about this boat, the fact they have always responded positively. I

:01:52. > :01:56.don't think there has been a single word that has made the difference, I

:01:57. > :02:02.think everyone is highly motivated, we know what we need to do, we build

:02:03. > :02:14.a strong rhythm and pattern, and we are just able to do it on the day.

:02:15. > :02:19.Like gods. Fantastic! Gentleman, thank you. It has been a pleasure to

:02:20. > :02:22.see you race over the past days and you can drink a few more coconut

:02:23. > :02:30.waters. Well played. A lot of other people

:02:31. > :02:34.are working hard right now, at least -- not least on the roads around

:02:35. > :02:39.Rio. We are heading back to the women's marathon.

:02:40. > :02:43.That is the gap between Linden of the USA who, on more than one

:02:44. > :02:48.occasion, has tried to force the pace. She is catching a little bit

:02:49. > :02:55.the lead group who are maybe having a breather, the lead group has not

:02:56. > :03:04.changed too much in recent miles. It is this lady here, from Belarus, who

:03:05. > :03:12.has been the agitator, wanting to push things on. For the first time,

:03:13. > :03:26.a little gap appears. The Ethiopian and Kenyan and athletes from

:03:27. > :03:38.Bahrain, and Mazuronak forcing things are and how quickly all the

:03:39. > :03:43.Kenyans and Ethiopians respond? Just struggling now, the American

:03:44. > :03:48.champion. Two Americans in the leading group. Shalane Flanagan, the

:03:49. > :03:53.medallist from 2008 in the 10,000 metres is still in that group.

:03:54. > :03:56.Mazuronak is trying to press it but in the group following, you have

:03:57. > :04:03.Mare Dibaba, Kiprop, the runner-up in the World Championships, and

:04:04. > :04:09.third place in the World Championships last year. They are

:04:10. > :04:13.all there. We have an outstanding group of athletes in this leading

:04:14. > :04:17.group. The weather is getting warmer. The conditions have not been

:04:18. > :04:24.conducive for distance running this morning but we will have a great

:04:25. > :04:29.race now. Almost an hour's running left and so plenty of action ahead

:04:30. > :04:34.and there will be a lot of changes. That will not be be finishing

:04:35. > :04:39.position in this marathon. Just an update on the British athletes Aly

:04:40. > :04:45.Dixon and Sonia Samuels, who have moved through the field. They were

:04:46. > :04:50.in 70th after the first 10K, now moving up into 42nd and 43rd. They

:04:51. > :04:59.have not been more than a second apart throughout the race. Fionnuala

:05:00. > :05:07.Britton Cormack is a little bit ahead, in 30 seconds position, from

:05:08. > :05:18.Ireland. -- Finola McCormack -- Fionnuala McCormack.

:05:19. > :05:23.And those here who are going to pay a price in the later stages.

:05:24. > :05:28.Including Kiprop, comfortable for a while and suddenly just a bit too

:05:29. > :05:33.fast and so now only one Kenyan in the leading group. What you will

:05:34. > :05:37.notice is as much as Amy Crooke and Desi Linden have dropped off the

:05:38. > :05:42.lead group, they won't probably go back as quickly as Kiprop, because

:05:43. > :05:47.it is a different mentality and style of attacking the race. The

:05:48. > :05:52.Kenyan mentality is go with the lead group and stay as long as you can

:05:53. > :05:58.and when you are done, you are done. Amy Crooke and Desi Linden will have

:05:59. > :06:03.paced the race to finish evenly. Desi Linden have whittled the gap

:06:04. > :06:09.down to 20 seconds and whether she will be able to catch Amy Crooke and

:06:10. > :06:19.run with her, may be work together to give themselves company and try

:06:20. > :06:25.to make inroads -- Amy Cragg. The group is down to seven. We are

:06:26. > :06:31.looking at Amy Cragg and Kiprop, fading of that group. Amy Cragg

:06:32. > :06:36.rallying more than Kiprop. Kiprop is stretched as watch as she can. If

:06:37. > :06:42.there is company, that is an advantage, but the gap is eight

:06:43. > :06:49.seconds and growing. The previous smile was 5.30 four.

:06:50. > :06:56.They are still around 2.25 pace. Picking up after halfway just for a

:06:57. > :07:01.little bit, and now has settled down. Mazuronak is looking behind to

:07:02. > :07:14.see how many she has got rid off. She has got rid of two, Kiprop and

:07:15. > :07:20.Amy Cragg. Chelimo. Tirfi Tsegaye looking comfortable. Shalane

:07:21. > :07:26.Flanagan, as she has done the whole time, will not run a step further

:07:27. > :07:29.than she needs to, following the red line. Mazuronak drifts across as

:07:30. > :07:39.they followed the red Line which is supposed to go tangentially around

:07:40. > :07:44.the course. Linden has good site of the athletes ahead. She has stuck to

:07:45. > :07:48.her task well. The Americans acquitting themselves brilliantly in

:07:49. > :07:55.this Olympic marathon, given the conditions we have. There is so far

:07:56. > :08:00.to go in terms of what can happen in this race. The drama always happens

:08:01. > :08:06.in the last five, six miles and it is great we still have so many in

:08:07. > :08:09.contention. We have had good championship marathons in recent

:08:10. > :08:15.years and we a be heading for another one. In that group, the

:08:16. > :08:19.world champion, Mare Dibaba, of Ethiopia, running a quiet race. She

:08:20. > :08:26.has not bothered the lead, not troubling anybody, that settling in

:08:27. > :08:30.the group. She ran earlier this year in London, finishing in sixth place

:08:31. > :08:35.and when you look at her form guide, people will think, she was only six

:08:36. > :08:39.in London, but she has been getting ready for this one. The Ethiopians

:08:40. > :08:47.admire the marathon like no one else. They have had champions in the

:08:48. > :08:53.marathon. 17 miles completed. 5.39 mile. The pace is steady and it is

:08:54. > :08:58.almost as if they are waiting, trying to get rid of anybody else

:08:59. > :09:03.who cannot stay with this. They will get to the bottom of this lap where

:09:04. > :09:11.they will make another 180 degrees turn and they will think of turning

:09:12. > :09:19.for home now. When they make that turn, they will have the chance to

:09:20. > :09:23.start thinking about the last 10K, which on so many occasions is where

:09:24. > :09:28.is sometimes the wrong moves are made. Sometimes you make a move to

:09:29. > :09:42.early and I think at this stage patients is not a bad thing.

:09:43. > :09:54.-- patience. The other two American athletes, Desi Linden has caught up

:09:55. > :10:03.to Amy. They have fought out the course to make it similar Shalane

:10:04. > :10:07.Flanagan and Amy Cragg have run on this loop to get to know it well and

:10:08. > :10:12.they have not left any stone unturned, even the water stations

:10:13. > :10:15.and drink stations, they take a bottle, take a sponge, but the

:10:16. > :10:24.sponge in the shorts, run a little bit and use it to cool themselves.

:10:25. > :10:31.She is really moving. She was 30 seconds behind the leading group.

:10:32. > :10:35.The gap is now 13 seconds. She has taken almost 20 seconds out of the

:10:36. > :10:41.leaders. I think the leaders are settling but think of the confidence

:10:42. > :10:46.it is giving her. She has just passed her team-mate and Cragg tried

:10:47. > :10:49.to go with her. She must not get too carried away. When someone makes a

:10:50. > :10:55.move on the lead group some will drop off. Running strongly with the

:10:56. > :11:00.two Americans going well. Desi Linden is great at this. You will

:11:01. > :11:05.never see her get it wrong in terms of not having anything left in the

:11:06. > :11:09.closing stages. She might misjudge it, thinking she has more left than

:11:10. > :11:15.she then she has, like the American trials when she finished with more

:11:16. > :11:21.in the tank. I think Amy Cragg recognises that and tries to latch

:11:22. > :11:25.on the back of her. It is great to see the three Americans challenging

:11:26. > :11:28.the might of Africa. Beating them already, some of them, but what a

:11:29. > :11:37.boost for American marathon running stop they happen big events in

:11:38. > :11:41.America, Chicago, Boston, New York. As the Kenyan athlete Kiprop, world

:11:42. > :11:47.silver-medallist, she is beginning to fade and beginning to struggle. A

:11:48. > :11:52.spectacular backdrop but of little interest to the athletes. This is

:11:53. > :12:00.about survival. One hour 40 minutes. It will be run-in 25. We have 45

:12:01. > :12:06.minutes of running and she will not enjoy that 45 minutes. It will be

:12:07. > :12:10.more than 45 minutes for her. You have to be careful when you let

:12:11. > :12:17.the pace drop stop it is about rhythm at this point. Mazuronak is

:12:18. > :12:22.probably thinking, I would prefer to keep moving on a little bit. The

:12:23. > :12:29.others in terms of the Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes, and those from

:12:30. > :12:34.Bahrain, might not be so bothered about a quick lift in the pace, a

:12:35. > :12:41.bit of acceleration. It probably would not suit Flanagan. At the

:12:42. > :12:46.moment, Flanagan doing brilliantly on the back of the group. Look how

:12:47. > :12:52.many are watching and riding alongside. And giving information. A

:12:53. > :12:57.lot of the runners in the lead group I am certain, the Americans will

:12:58. > :13:02.have, and Mazuronak probably, people on bikes and giving them information

:13:03. > :13:07.about gaps, so they do not need to worry about turning round or waiting

:13:08. > :13:13.until the next two drinks station to get information. It is important to

:13:14. > :13:18.know how big the gaps are, certainly for Desi Linden. And Shalane

:13:19. > :13:26.Flanagan. Mazuronak, the Ethiopians and Kenya, it is important to know

:13:27. > :13:31.what is coming behind. You want accurate information. You do not

:13:32. > :13:36.want people screaming at you saying things are not true, which happened

:13:37. > :13:42.in many races. People shouting out how far ahead you are. I have had a

:13:43. > :13:47.one minute gap turned into a five-minute gap and back in the

:13:48. > :13:52.space of a few hundred metres. When it comes from one of your team staff

:13:53. > :13:56.on a bike, your husband on a bike, you can trust it and it is valuable

:13:57. > :14:02.information to use. It is important you know it is accurate because if

:14:03. > :14:06.you go from five minutes to one Bennet, it can affect your

:14:07. > :14:12.concentration and your mood and marathon running, your mood changes

:14:13. > :14:18.during the marathon. Desi Linden running strongly now. The Kenyan

:14:19. > :14:23.athlete struggling. Kiprop, the World Championship silver-medallist.

:14:24. > :14:28.Amy Cragg, the American champion, fading now. The leading group is

:14:29. > :14:32.loaded with talent. I would suggest the winner will come from the

:14:33. > :14:39.leading group, even though Desi Linden is chasing them. This

:14:40. > :14:45.athlete, Kiprop, will not bother the leaders. She will have a long, hard

:14:46. > :14:49.road. Wonderful to see the support and great to see the Union Jack for

:14:50. > :14:58.Sonia Samuels and Aly Dixon when they come through. Mare Dibaba goes

:14:59. > :15:03.with her. Mazuronak has dropped off the back of the pack and Shalane

:15:04. > :15:08.Flanagan. It is whittling down to manageable numbers. Three places on

:15:09. > :15:13.the podium available. Where will they go? The American athletes have

:15:14. > :15:17.given great account of themselves. Still looking strong and

:15:18. > :15:22.comfortable. She has a lot to do to stay there. There will be changes in

:15:23. > :15:27.the leading group. Some, when they fall off the leading group, will

:15:28. > :15:33.come back and be in trouble. Flanagan sees the gap opening. Three

:15:34. > :15:43.Kenyan athletes, boarding Kenya, two representing Bahrain. Jemima Sumgong

:15:44. > :15:48.is the London Marathon runner. Tirfi Tsegaye eight and Mare Dibaba

:15:49. > :15:52.respond. Accelerating to get the right drink. Jemima Sumgong has her

:15:53. > :15:56.drink. Mare Dibaba does not seem to have one, or want one.

:15:57. > :16:11.I think Sumgong. Hers at the expense of Dibaba. --. Hers. -- she got

:16:12. > :16:16.hers. When the team members see a dropped bottle, they aren't allowed

:16:17. > :16:20.to hand it to the athletes, that's when we've seen athletes being

:16:21. > :16:25.disqualified in the past. What happened with Shalane Flanagan, she

:16:26. > :16:28.didn't drop her pace but there was an injection of pace, Mazuronak took

:16:29. > :16:33.a bit longer but was able to respond. The guy in the blue T-shirt

:16:34. > :16:38.on the bike is the one handing information to Mazzy Reinach and

:16:39. > :16:50.making sure that she knows what is going on behind her -- Mazarin back

:16:51. > :16:59.-- Mazuronak she needs to keep more of an eye on what is going on in

:17:00. > :17:02.front of her. As people start to drop off, I think people are going

:17:03. > :17:08.to come from the leading group but the bronze medal may well come from

:17:09. > :17:11.someone like Shalane Flanagan, Desi Linden, who can keep moving food and

:17:12. > :17:18.pick up the pieces as people fall out of the group. So, the previous

:17:19. > :17:22.five kilometres, 17.14, that's why we saw the injection dropping off a

:17:23. > :17:28.little bit. Approaching the water station, a bit of madness really,

:17:29. > :17:31.but it's settled again. When you get that its celebration, Flanagan is

:17:32. > :17:41.never going to be able to recover that. She's just maintaining -- that

:17:42. > :17:45.acceleration. Paula was making the point, when the big acceleration

:17:46. > :17:50.comes, some are going to overcook it and you made the point that then,

:17:51. > :17:56.their race falters away and Flanagan can stay strong. You never know. We

:17:57. > :17:59.are now into the part of the course where they will complete the last

:18:00. > :18:13.big lap and then they are into the City centre area. Further down the

:18:14. > :18:17.route, McCaw has moved into the top 20 -- Fionnuala Mccormack. The two

:18:18. > :18:26.British athletes are a bit further back. Fionnuala Mccormack is having

:18:27. > :18:32.a great race, she's moving ahead of the likes of Jelena Prokopcuka. A

:18:33. > :18:36.lot of athletes moving through the field, it is chopping and changing

:18:37. > :18:41.all the time, casualties happening and in conditions like that its kind

:18:42. > :18:46.to happen. People are going to find the conditions too much to deal

:18:47. > :18:54.with. The previous mile was 5.27, there was a bit of a surge. It looks

:18:55. > :18:59.like they have settled again. The 20 mile mark is often the one where you

:19:00. > :19:03.think the race begins. Those who have survived, stay in contention if

:19:04. > :19:08.you can, then you start to think about racing, but today is tough. No

:19:09. > :19:12.hills, but a tough course in the sense of, for me anyway, the lack of

:19:13. > :19:18.shade and respite from the conditions here, the up and down

:19:19. > :19:26.nature. Shalane Flanagan who has run a fabulous race so far. Now trying

:19:27. > :19:31.hard to keep the lead group insight as it whittles down a little bit.

:19:32. > :19:35.She knows that when she gets to the top section of the loop, you can see

:19:36. > :19:41.the buildings in the background, leading to the City centre area, the

:19:42. > :19:50.old and and then they will twist and turn their way through four, five

:19:51. > :19:52.kilometres before entering the big boulevard taking them towards the

:19:53. > :19:56.Sambadrome, where they will finish. And who is going to judge it right?

:19:57. > :20:02.Tsegaye almost looking for the team-mates to protect as she moves

:20:03. > :20:06.across. Look at Dibaba, though. She was in this position last year in

:20:07. > :20:09.the World Championships, there was a group that stayed together, they

:20:10. > :20:12.came into the stadium together and eventually she won the World

:20:13. > :20:21.Championships. Third place in the World Championships. Also in this

:20:22. > :20:25.race, that is Kirwa representing Bahrain. Two of them in the close

:20:26. > :20:30.finish, so expecting things to be tight. There won't be six of them

:20:31. > :20:33.coming into the stadium together, things will change and Shalane

:20:34. > :20:37.Flanagan is running a great race here. Running strongly coming

:20:38. > :20:41.keeping up her technique. Going for the sponge this time, she's already

:20:42. > :20:45.had a bring and sensibly goes for the sponge. At the back of the

:20:46. > :20:49.group, who is going to be the first to make a move and who is going to

:20:50. > :20:56.come under pressure? Looking at Desi Linden still, going straight for the

:20:57. > :21:03.bottle of water. The sensible thing to do and at this stage she needs

:21:04. > :21:06.it. 32 kilometres, ten remaining in the women's marathon. Shalane

:21:07. > :21:11.Flanagan is still moving close to the group. Six of them in the lead.

:21:12. > :21:17.Mazuronak is up there, a bit of a surprise that she is so close to the

:21:18. > :21:32.leaders. The barber, no surprise, Tsegaye, no surprise, Kirwa, no

:21:33. > :21:34.surprise -- Dibaba. Next to the London Marathon winner, Sumgong.

:21:35. > :21:37.These are the people we would have said would be in the leading group,

:21:38. > :21:39.apart from Mazuronak and to be fair, Shalane Flanagan is running above

:21:40. > :21:42.herself so far. She is experienced enough to be able to do this. She

:21:43. > :21:45.has run very fast times, much faster than the pace they are going at

:21:46. > :21:50.here. She has trained and prepared to cope in these conditions, very

:21:51. > :21:55.thorough in how she has studied the course, getting ready for this,

:21:56. > :22:00.training with Amy Cragg, they've worked well together and they won't

:22:01. > :22:05.have left any stone unturned. She has revised her hydration and fuel

:22:06. > :22:10.strategy following the setback at the US trials and she's come here,

:22:11. > :22:15.she was disappointed in London that she got tired and faded. Still

:22:16. > :22:18.finishing well and high up in the London Olympics but she feels that

:22:19. > :22:22.she can come here and run the better. The way she is running so

:22:23. > :22:28.far, she's acquitting herself really well and she's still a danger in the

:22:29. > :22:32.group. Looking at the gap back to Desi Linden, it has grown to 19

:22:33. > :22:36.seconds. She started making inroads and when the pace picked up, she

:22:37. > :22:49.wasn't able to keep closing the gap and it has grown again a little bit.

:22:50. > :22:52.So, Linden, she can keep the lead group insight and she knows that as

:22:53. > :23:02.they approach, into the last ten kilometres here. 20 seconds,

:23:03. > :23:09.believe. You can see at the bottom of the screen, 32.6 kilometres, less

:23:10. > :23:15.than ten to go. 42.2 kilometres, the marathon distance, in metric. And

:23:16. > :23:19.she will know that if she can keep going, you never know what may

:23:20. > :23:28.happen. An update on the British athletes, Aly Dixon starting to move

:23:29. > :23:31.ahead of her team-mate. Aly Dixon of Sunderland Strollers, in 30 Sixth

:23:32. > :23:39.Place, so she has picked up 35 places since the early stages of the

:23:40. > :23:47.race. Sonia Samuels, about eight seconds further back. Still making

:23:48. > :23:53.progress. That's good to hear. You start to think that you may get in

:23:54. > :23:56.the top 20 because when you start passing people, you can pass them

:23:57. > :24:02.quickly in the latter stages. For Aly Dixon and Sonia Samuels, a lot

:24:03. > :24:08.of running to go and still trying to make progress through the field.

:24:09. > :24:11.That was the plan, certainly for Aly and for Sonia, to run negative

:24:12. > :24:15.splits and to try and move through and pick up the casualties, as it

:24:16. > :24:23.were, in the second half of the race. Mazuronak again looking for

:24:24. > :24:28.the left-hand side. Shalane Flanagan of the USA is still very much

:24:29. > :24:42.involved here. The favourites may well still sit, if you're looking at

:24:43. > :24:45.Sumgong, the barber, Tsegaye,, definitely experienced there --

:24:46. > :24:51.Dibaba. Kirwa. Little puff of the cheeks from her. Still running

:24:52. > :24:57.strongly, running well. Sumgong looks pretty relaxed to me. She was

:24:58. > :25:02.the prerace warm favourite. Never any really red-hot favourites in

:25:03. > :25:06.this race. In the men's ways, Kipchoge may be the favourite, but

:25:07. > :25:10.Sumgong was the favourite to win this and so far it is going out that

:25:11. > :25:16.way. This is going to be a great race, it really is. You look at

:25:17. > :25:22.them, there is no dominant figure. If you look at their faces and

:25:23. > :25:26.technique, no signs, as we look closely at Sumgong and Mazuronak too

:25:27. > :25:30.and behind her, Kirwa, looking to see who is going to be the first one

:25:31. > :25:33.to crack and I'm delighted that Shalane Flanagan is running so well

:25:34. > :25:37.just behind the group. Who's going to be the first one to move, the

:25:38. > :25:43.first one to come under pressure again? Busy Lyndon, is she going to

:25:44. > :25:48.do anything from behind? You can see her in the distance. Two Americans

:25:49. > :25:52.well inside the first ten, even three of them, as Amy Cragg is still

:25:53. > :26:00.going, she is in the next group. Mazuronak, Kirwa, the

:26:01. > :26:04.bronze-medallist last year. The world champion, the London Marathon

:26:05. > :26:09.champion is there. The American champion, down the road and still in

:26:10. > :26:14.the first ten. So we've got people who have won the big marathons

:26:15. > :26:19.around the world. They've run fast, competitively, pacemaker races and

:26:20. > :26:22.today this is a brutal race, a brutal test. Conditions haven't been

:26:23. > :26:26.kind, but they can't do anything about that. They can only prepare

:26:27. > :26:30.themselves, get ready for all conditions and this morning, they

:26:31. > :26:35.came here, the sun was shining and it is getting warmer. I think that

:26:36. > :26:38.the infrastructure has been a bit lacking, but they don't seem to be

:26:39. > :26:43.complaining, they have got on with it. The crowds have supported the

:26:44. > :26:49.marathon, which is great to see. The drama is going to unfold. Close to

:26:50. > :26:54.two hours, less than half an hour of running left. Shalane Flanagan,

:26:55. > :26:59.still sitting off the pace, just sitting behind them, getting any

:27:00. > :27:03.shelter there is, although there isn't much today. The sun is beating

:27:04. > :27:09.down on the seafront here in Rio de Janeiro. Seven athletes are in

:27:10. > :27:15.contention to become the ninth female Olympic champion at the

:27:16. > :27:19.marathon. The first one was an American. Two Ethiopians. We've

:27:20. > :27:26.never had a winner from Kenya. Certainly never from Bahrain. And

:27:27. > :27:37.only winning one medal on the track, winning a feud in the field. A spike

:27:38. > :27:42.a few. And Bahrain. -- a few. So many athletes have changed

:27:43. > :27:42.allegiance and many here are representing Bahrain at these

:27:43. > :27:56.Olympic Games. Joe Jamal, the 1500 metre race, I think

:27:57. > :28:02.they are still trying to work out the winner of that race. She is and

:28:03. > :28:12.Bahrain, she is Ethiopia, isn't she? Well, yes. Wigan have that debate.

:28:13. > :28:19.Quite a view. -- we can have that debate. A fair few things kicking

:28:20. > :28:23.round in terms of being looked at, transferring allegiance is one of

:28:24. > :28:27.them. We've had them in Britain, let's not shy away from that. We've

:28:28. > :28:36.had athletes from other countries competing for Great Britain. Still

:28:37. > :28:41.these medals to be worked out as they head up towards the top end of

:28:42. > :28:46.the lap. As I said, from then they will go to the City centre area and

:28:47. > :28:51.that's when you expect, especially when we get these twists and turns,

:28:52. > :28:57.some of them almost switching back 180 degrees, some very tight turns,

:28:58. > :29:03.it is looking for the opportunity when you can get a little break.

:29:04. > :29:08.Looking for the opportunity and also knowing the course in your head.

:29:09. > :29:13.That's one thing I'm willing to bet, out of the group, Shalane Flanagan

:29:14. > :29:17.knows the closing five, six kilometres the best of them all. She

:29:18. > :29:21.will have planned it, she will hopefully be able to work out where

:29:22. > :29:25.they will struggle and find out where the course is going to go in

:29:26. > :29:29.the closing stages and she will be ready to adapt to that. She's

:29:30. > :29:35.working very hard but she still looks composed, still strong, still

:29:36. > :29:38.running evenly. When we see the gaps growing, she is maintaining and the

:29:39. > :29:43.others are testing, asking questions, starting to try and sound

:29:44. > :29:46.out a little bit from the group who is the most comfortable, who has the

:29:47. > :29:51.most left and who's going to be a danger when it gets to the closing

:29:52. > :29:55.stages. She's running a great race, that's a great position to be in,

:29:56. > :30:00.the leading group, not bothering with the lead, let others deal with

:30:01. > :30:03.that, running close together. Occasionally, we seen it many times,

:30:04. > :30:08.you get a group that get closer together and someone gets tripped,

:30:09. > :30:12.and that's a position that Shalane Flanagan is occupying, that bit of

:30:13. > :30:17.space behind the leading group. Great performance so far and I can

:30:18. > :30:19.imagine, you can imagine better than me, Paula, the American running

:30:20. > :30:24.fraternity will be getting very overexcited!

:30:25. > :30:39.Rightly so. It is great to have her contending. You go back to 2004 and

:30:40. > :30:45.a great race from Castor but American distance running is on a

:30:46. > :30:49.high. The rally in the 10,000 metres last night, he did not get a medal

:30:50. > :30:55.but he will contest the men's medal next Sunday. America has something

:30:56. > :31:02.to cheer about, so far, but you feel it is starting to warm up here. They

:31:03. > :31:06.do not turn here, they miss the turnaround point. The last three

:31:07. > :31:11.times they have gone back down on that loop but now they head to the

:31:12. > :31:17.city centre. Two hours on the clock. 35 kilometres. Two hours and 31

:31:18. > :31:25.seconds exactly and Mare Dibaba, the world champion, looking for her

:31:26. > :31:30.drink. Linden, the American, for whom it has been a lone battle to

:31:31. > :31:37.get back to the lead group. She is well distant of it now, but anything

:31:38. > :31:44.can happen in the last kilometres but that will be about a 32nd gap to

:31:45. > :31:53.that group for the American. She stuck to her task really well. That

:31:54. > :32:00.was a 17.10 is about five K section. Just picked up a little bit but it

:32:01. > :32:04.is not crazy yet. They are getting ready, gathering themselves. This is

:32:05. > :32:12.the part of the course, they have been off the loop, now they will

:32:13. > :32:17.head to the waterfront, heads down and the first thing they will see as

:32:18. > :32:20.they head into this area is the national history Museum on their

:32:21. > :32:30.left. We expect the crowds to build here. This is the area where the fan

:32:31. > :32:36.zones are. You wonder if they will get overexcited and bit too early.

:32:37. > :32:42.They also have probably one of the two inclines, declines in this

:32:43. > :32:47.course. I little bit of a down ramp as they came off the loop and back

:32:48. > :32:52.into the central area. It is nice going that way, probably tougher

:32:53. > :33:03.going out. That will account for a quicker segment. Amy Cragg is really

:33:04. > :33:09.struggling now. Her team-mate has gone well into the distance. Amy

:33:10. > :33:14.Cragg still in the top ten. If she can hold it together. She may, under

:33:15. > :33:22.pressure from behind in terms of others who are starting to move

:33:23. > :33:28.through. The two Kims of Korea working together. They will work on

:33:29. > :33:34.trying to reel in Amy Cragg. Shalane Flanagan still running on that line.

:33:35. > :33:40.She is smart. They will take a right turn shortly and she is trusting the

:33:41. > :33:48.redline. And for the first time, we can see a graphic of the runners.

:33:49. > :33:53.The yellow section is this twisting, turning route. I expect a lot of

:33:54. > :34:01.people here, people perhaps did not realise the marathon was on, but it

:34:02. > :34:07.could be an area where the gaps... Suddenly Chelimo is off, Flanagan

:34:08. > :34:12.is. Mazuronak is struggling. They are sensing an opportunity, but you

:34:13. > :34:18.have to be careful through these sharp turns. There is a long section

:34:19. > :34:23.towards the end, the last two miles when you can settle again, but I am

:34:24. > :34:33.interested to see, as they take the right hand. It looks like Mare

:34:34. > :34:40.Dibaba, Kirwa at the front. Sumgong and Tirfi Tsegaye is starting to

:34:41. > :34:47.struggle. Kirwa knows the roads well she won the Rio half marathon in

:34:48. > :34:51.previous years and has experience in racing in these conditions and

:34:52. > :34:54.probably on parts of this course and she has tested the field and the

:34:55. > :35:00.person who responded the best was Mare Dibaba right behind. As they

:35:01. > :35:07.run along the regenerated port area. This is a little bit of a tourist

:35:08. > :35:11.spot. Kirwa, who has known part of the course before, also, don't

:35:12. > :35:17.forget, she was third in the World Championships last year in the

:35:18. > :35:23.marathon, just behind Mare Dibaba, and those two are beginning to pull

:35:24. > :35:28.away. The gaps are growing. Sumgong, the London Marathon winner, is

:35:29. > :35:32.coming under pressure and Kirwa is settling down to increased pace and

:35:33. > :35:36.Mare Dibaba has followed her like she has followed every pacemaker.

:35:37. > :35:48.Will she be the third Ethiopian to win this title? Or will Kirwa steal

:35:49. > :35:54.it from her? Mazuronak, as we look back, and Tirfi Tsegaye. Kirwa is

:35:55. > :36:01.settling into her running, almost leading into the bends. If you can

:36:02. > :36:06.do that, take these turns when your legs are tired, feeling dead, not

:36:07. > :36:17.reacting to this. She is moving nicely through the section. Look at

:36:18. > :36:25.the crowds, as they head into the square, named after the declaration

:36:26. > :36:32.of Independence, 15 square. They will take another turn and head back

:36:33. > :36:37.to the road, which will take a right hand and then heading out towards

:36:38. > :36:48.the spectacular museum of the future. A really interesting

:36:49. > :36:54.concept. Kirwa, Dibaba, Sumgong, and Kirwa has tried to use the turns but

:36:55. > :37:01.has not managed to get away here. More than a few right-hand turns to

:37:02. > :37:07.come. She has probably manage to get the medals away. She has got three

:37:08. > :37:11.broken away, leading into the bends. The smaller athletes like Mare

:37:12. > :37:16.Dibaba do have an advantage when you get into a twisty section of the

:37:17. > :37:23.course. Harder if you are taller to negotiate those turns. The likes of

:37:24. > :37:28.Sumgong will probably react better on the straight road, in towards the

:37:29. > :37:33.stadium, but they have to stay in contact until then. Still five

:37:34. > :37:38.kilometres to go and plenty of running to do. Dibaba has not taken

:37:39. > :37:43.many drinks and she did not take much then, but she has been calm and

:37:44. > :37:47.cool and stayed close to the leaders. Kirwa, the move she made

:37:48. > :37:54.through the twisting, turning area, she looked over her shoulder,

:37:55. > :37:59.thinking, have I done enough? Aly Dixon has moved into 20 Seventh

:38:00. > :38:06.Place, continuing to catch people pretty quickly and a top 20 spot on

:38:07. > :38:11.the cards for her. We saw the Koreans, the Kims, she has just gone

:38:12. > :38:15.past one of them. Aly Dixon the best of the British athletes at the

:38:16. > :38:26.moment and still waiting for news of Sonia Samuels. She has gone through

:38:27. > :38:33.30 seconds behind Aly Dixon and so Sonia Samuels into the top 30. The

:38:34. > :38:36.British athletes doing well. A cagey game they played, respecting the

:38:37. > :38:41.distance and conditions, and they are passing people all the time in

:38:42. > :38:49.the latter stages. Now, down to three, Sumgong, the winner of the

:38:50. > :38:52.London Marathon, the favourite. Mare Dibaba, world champion, brilliant

:38:53. > :38:58.performance from her in Beijing. Kirwa, who knows the streets of Rio

:38:59. > :39:04.well. They have a five second gap as the Olympic flame will appear on

:39:05. > :39:08.their side, if they get a chance to see it. If they glanced behind them

:39:09. > :39:15.they would see it, it is housed on the waterfront. These turns, they

:39:16. > :39:21.have to be having an effect. I wonder whether they are letting

:39:22. > :39:27.Kirwa do all of this and these two will wait for their chance. That is

:39:28. > :39:32.the Museum I was talking about, a Science Museum that opened last

:39:33. > :39:36.year, controversially, a lot of money spent on it. It is

:39:37. > :39:44.spectacular. As far as we understand, they will circumnavigate

:39:45. > :39:49.that. Again, more 90 degrees turns for these three. Kirwa is handling

:39:50. > :39:53.those corners, which we should not be talking about, handling corners

:39:54. > :39:56.in a marathon, but she is handling those corners exceptionally well.

:39:57. > :40:03.She is leaning into them. She has opened another gap will stop are we

:40:04. > :40:06.looking at the medallists, all will Mazuronak, who finished quickly in

:40:07. > :40:15.the London Marathon, have some running still? That is the chasing

:40:16. > :40:22.group, is this the three men less? Sumgong, the London Marathon winner,

:40:23. > :40:25.Kirwa, bronze-medallist in the World Championships. Dibaba who at every

:40:26. > :40:31.point has settled in behind the leader. The world champion, is she

:40:32. > :40:38.on her way to becoming the Olympic champion of Ethiopia? Kenya and

:40:39. > :40:42.Bahrain have never won it. Dibaba of Ethiopia, they have had two winners

:40:43. > :40:51.in the Olympic marathon, including the reigning champion, as they

:40:52. > :40:59.prepare to run a lap around the Museum of Tomorrow. This area was

:41:00. > :41:04.rammed the other day. Nobody there today. $35 million, I think, this

:41:05. > :41:09.building cost, exploring human history and the impact on the earth.

:41:10. > :41:14.Human history, marathon history, these three trying to make their own

:41:15. > :41:21.little bit of it. Representing Bahrain, rink, a former Kenyan.

:41:22. > :41:28.Sumgong, Kenya wanting to win this race. Look at Dibaba, still looking

:41:29. > :41:32.confident, looking comfortable. Sumgong for the first time looking

:41:33. > :41:38.more aggressive and might want to get around these last couple of

:41:39. > :41:42.turns. Then they are into the last couple of miles. These three have it

:41:43. > :41:50.locked between them and you cannot see the other two catching them.

:41:51. > :41:55.They have eased off a little bit. Opening up the gaps and moving away

:41:56. > :41:59.and now they have sat back again. They are gathering themselves. There

:42:00. > :42:05.is another move coming. Will it come from Sumgong? Who is looking better

:42:06. > :42:10.at this point, looking like she is gathering herself. They will know

:42:11. > :42:14.about the danger of the finish of Mare Dibaba. She probably has an

:42:15. > :42:20.advantage over Sumgong if they get to the long closing straight, which

:42:21. > :42:25.is a long run-in and maybe that works to be advantage of Sumgong,

:42:26. > :42:31.who just checked over her shoulder, to see how big the gap was too bit

:42:32. > :42:36.two chasing behind. A spectacular shot, like a James Bond movie with a

:42:37. > :42:44.helicopter flying in, or as you normally go to work, Steve! Down to

:42:45. > :42:47.three as they run past this amazing museum on the waterfront. They are

:42:48. > :42:52.accelerating and it looks like they are heads down and ready to go,

:42:53. > :42:57.ready to chase. When they come away from here they head to the city

:42:58. > :43:05.centre. And then along the road that leads to the Sambadrome, where there

:43:06. > :43:12.will probably more crowds than there were before to receive these three.

:43:13. > :43:19.The Sambadrome has a 700 metres long... That is a home straight they

:43:20. > :43:23.need to be careful. Sometimes you can misjudge the finish, and if it

:43:24. > :43:28.comes to a kick finish you turn the corner and they might think that is

:43:29. > :43:33.the finishing line 200 metres away, but it is further than might think.

:43:34. > :43:39.Big crowds, which is great. A spectacular section of the route.

:43:40. > :43:48.The TV pictures are good enough on a beautiful day like this. Tirfi

:43:49. > :43:53.Tsegaye and Mazuronak, still hoping. Flanagan in sixth place, sticking to

:43:54. > :43:56.her task but a forlorn hope for these that anything can happen to

:43:57. > :44:02.the top three because they look strong. Less than a couple of miles

:44:03. > :44:07.to go, surely the medals between those three. One more tricky

:44:08. > :44:13.section. We walked it the other day, Paula, and there is a point where

:44:14. > :44:17.they go around the Candelaria church where they have added on the 200

:44:18. > :44:24.metres section where it appears they come away from the main road and do

:44:25. > :44:31.another 180 degrees turn before they do belong cramp up towards

:44:32. > :44:36.Sambadrome. Will that be the point at which either of the better-known

:44:37. > :44:41.athletes try to break Kirwa, who at the first time is not at the front.

:44:42. > :44:46.A few cracks starting to show for Kirwa, maybe she is gathering

:44:47. > :44:50.herself to get her drinks bottle but for the first time she is not

:44:51. > :44:56.comfortably with the two in front, who seem to be gathering themselves.

:44:57. > :45:02.Not putting in a surge yet, but a gradual rise of the pace. We talk

:45:03. > :45:07.about the 100 metres touch the lamp post, as you call it, and it would

:45:08. > :45:09.have made more sense to put it in at the beginning and fresh legs it

:45:10. > :45:13.would have made it easier and probably it more interesting in the

:45:14. > :45:23.closing stages for the spectators. Shalane Flanagan wavering slightly

:45:24. > :45:27.on the road, and Kirwa is wavering at the fund, Sumgong asking some

:45:28. > :45:31.questions. Dibaba is trying to stay with her. Kirwa allowing a little

:45:32. > :45:43.bit of daylight to come between her -- act the front -- at the front.

:45:44. > :45:47.Look at this, the lead vehicle. It doesn't have time to turn. It is a

:45:48. > :45:52.bit crazy, this should have been done at the beginning, Paula is

:45:53. > :45:56.right. The first couple of miles they could have done this section.

:45:57. > :45:59.They are doing it and the end. Hopefully those vehicles will clear

:46:00. > :46:05.because Sumgong is trying to use this turn to try and build a league.

:46:06. > :46:12.Who takes it better? We shouldn't be talking about who takes corners

:46:13. > :46:20.better at this stage -- build a lead. They are getting welcome

:46:21. > :46:24.support here and for the first the time world champion is coming under

:46:25. > :46:29.pressure. Sumgong, the London Marathon winner, we saw her in

:46:30. > :46:36.springtime in London, winning that really difficult race after falling

:46:37. > :46:42.down. Dibaba, the world champion, looked like she was going to track

:46:43. > :46:47.but now it is a yard or two. You don't want that. Kirwa is just

:46:48. > :46:51.tapping in behind. Kirwa's tactics now, follow Sumgong. This is

:46:52. > :46:58.Sumgong's effort to try to become the first Kenyan Olympic champion.

:46:59. > :47:02.Is it a good enough move? You can say that the world champion is

:47:03. > :47:05.having its difficult now, this is pressure on her, she is losing a

:47:06. > :47:11.couple of yards and you wouldn't want this at this late stage of the

:47:12. > :47:15.race. Couple of kilometres to go, they will be passing 40 kilometres

:47:16. > :47:20.in a second, that means about a mile and a half for these marathon

:47:21. > :47:24.runners left. It is a long, straight road and a left-hand turn into the

:47:25. > :47:28.cavernous Sambadrome where they can glimpse the finish line. We'll still

:47:29. > :47:34.have a good few hundred metres when they make the turn. This is a

:47:35. > :47:38.decisive move by Sumgong, Dibaba is not able to hang on. I think that

:47:39. > :47:44.the others are too far away to put Dibaba under any threat for the

:47:45. > :47:52.bronze medal. There we go, 40 kilometres. Pretty quick section,

:47:53. > :47:56.about 16 and a half minutes for that five kilometres and with all of

:47:57. > :48:00.those twists and turns, that was pretty good running. The fastest

:48:01. > :48:06.five kilometres section on the marathon today, despite the

:48:07. > :48:11.technical area. Here we go, then, Sumgong and Kirwa, one representing

:48:12. > :48:15.Kenya, one formerly from Kenya and now representing Bahrain. They seem

:48:16. > :48:20.to have it between them. They do, you can see Dibaba being urged on by

:48:21. > :48:25.the Ethiopian support on the side. She checked her watch, she gave the

:48:26. > :48:31.signs that she was cracking, she is cracking pretty quickly and if she

:48:32. > :48:38.drops bank, the athletes be behind her, we have spoken how quick

:48:39. > :48:43.Mazuronak is over the final parts, and Shalane Flanagan, the more she

:48:44. > :48:48.can see the ground shrinking, the more confidence it will give her.

:48:49. > :48:51.The long shot is deceptive. You can see them in the background and they

:48:52. > :48:56.can see the bikes ahead of them even if they can't pick out individual

:48:57. > :49:02.runners. She's having it's hard now, the world champion is under real

:49:03. > :49:07.pressure. When you look at the distance in between markers, that

:49:08. > :49:11.can mean you've lost it. That's the only thing I can think, she has

:49:12. > :49:16.missed the kilometre marker so she doesn't know how far she has to run,

:49:17. > :49:24.so she's trying to work it out. Definitely under 2.30 pace. I think

:49:25. > :49:29.you are right, I still think she has enough of a gap at the 40 kilometre

:49:30. > :49:34.point, Flanagan had dropped back and was 36 seconds behind Dibaba and the

:49:35. > :49:38.others were 27 seconds behind. It might only be 20 seconds now but

:49:39. > :49:42.they are running out of road and time and I can't see them lifting it

:49:43. > :49:48.enough, unless Dibaba almost literally comes to a jogging stop, I

:49:49. > :49:52.still think she'll be able to hang on for the bronze medal. Running out

:49:53. > :49:58.of time, a mile or so to go for these five athletes here. Two at the

:49:59. > :50:04.front, Sumgong is trying to make it Kenya's first ever Olympic marathon

:50:05. > :50:10.title. And behind her, Kirwa, a couple of minutes ago, looked as if

:50:11. > :50:14.she was the one who was struggling. Who has the best finish, who has the

:50:15. > :50:19.best kick? Sumgong finished very strongly in London last year. She

:50:20. > :50:23.looks strong, she is forcing it and maybe she's thinking, keep pushing,

:50:24. > :50:30.she's going to crack, she's going to break. A couple of metres, is this

:50:31. > :50:35.it? Is she getting away? She is desperate to get away now. She may

:50:36. > :50:40.not know how fast Kirwa is at the finish and if you didn't know that,

:50:41. > :50:43.you wouldn't take the risk. Kenya, the first Olympic medal, is it on

:50:44. > :50:49.the horizon? An athlete born in Kenya is going to win the medal, but

:50:50. > :50:52.is it going to be the athlete who is representing Kenya? Jemima Sumgong,

:50:53. > :50:57.the winner of the London Marathon, in difficult circumstances when she

:50:58. > :51:01.fell in the race and got herself up. She looked like she hit her head

:51:02. > :51:05.quite badly. London was a long time ago, now it is the Olympic marathon.

:51:06. > :51:11.Kirwa, representing Bahrain, coming under pressure. Sumgong is working

:51:12. > :51:17.hard. Here comes Kirwa again, she isn't giving up the chase. The gap

:51:18. > :51:19.looks like it is closing a bit. Merhi Dibaba, the world champion

:51:20. > :51:35.over this distance, coming under pressure. -- Mare. 41.1 kilometre to

:51:36. > :51:40.go, one kilometre to go, that is the sign that she wanted to see. Work

:51:41. > :51:45.hard for another couple of minutes and the Olympic Gold Medal can be

:51:46. > :51:49.yours. That's still not a winning margin, though. She hasn't

:51:50. > :51:54.completely broken Kirwa. She just needs to be careful, she needs to

:51:55. > :51:59.stick to her task. She's made a big effort, a kilometre to go and she

:52:00. > :52:02.will probably make another break when she turns into the Sambadrome.

:52:03. > :52:09.You can see the stands in the background. History looking behind?

:52:10. > :52:15.That gap isn't getting any bigger and that is still a gap, when they

:52:16. > :52:19.turn into the one that Kirwa, if she has anything... That guy has got get

:52:20. > :52:24.out of the way. Sumgong is sticking to her task. The police are dealing

:52:25. > :52:30.with that very quickly, thank goodness. Sumgong, trying to make

:52:31. > :52:33.sure that this is a winning margin, trying to ensure that she doesn't

:52:34. > :52:38.give Kirwa any sense of a chance to come back. You can see for the first

:52:39. > :52:43.time, she can see the turn, she can see the dream. It is unlike finish

:52:44. > :52:47.in the stadium. That was an anxious glance over the shoulder of Kirwa.

:52:48. > :52:52.Sumgong knows that she has got to turn but it is a long run to the

:52:53. > :52:56.finish, as you've explained, Steve. Paula, the world champion is under

:52:57. > :53:01.pressure but she is doing enough. Doing enough at this point. We need

:53:02. > :53:06.more of an idea, by counting at the turn, to see how big the task is. It

:53:07. > :53:09.probably helps having the bike there. She won't be taking any

:53:10. > :53:14.interest on what is going on in front. Kirwa knows that she is safe.

:53:15. > :53:18.As she got enough to be able to close down? This is going to be a

:53:19. > :53:23.big factor, the length of the strike. People running in front,

:53:24. > :53:27.that could be really dangerous. She needs to be able to focus and keep

:53:28. > :53:31.in mind because when you are tired, your mind can shorten the distance.

:53:32. > :53:38.She can see the finishing line, it is in sight now. Authorities doing a

:53:39. > :53:41.good job of keeping protesters away. Sumgong must now be thinking it is

:53:42. > :53:50.hers, she can see the finishing line. Kirwa is not surging. Sumgong

:53:51. > :53:54.looking to the right, making sure there was nothing going on. She has

:53:55. > :54:00.a good 20-metre lead. Can you have never won the Olympic marathon.

:54:01. > :54:06.Jemima Sumgong raced through the streets of London, to great effect,

:54:07. > :54:12.earlier in the year. She must at that point have thought, can I go on

:54:13. > :54:17.and repeat it and the Olympic Games in Rio? A very different day today,

:54:18. > :54:24.it has been tough and hard, she has been tested to the limit. She has

:54:25. > :54:27.had a great rivalry with last year's world champion and let's not forget

:54:28. > :54:30.that Sumgong missed the medals by one place, fourth in the World

:54:31. > :54:35.Championship last year but not this time. Jemima Sumgong of Kenny is

:54:36. > :54:40.going to come across the line to win the Olympic marathon. It's going to

:54:41. > :54:46.be gold for Kenya, Jemima Sumgong, brilliant performance by her. Arms

:54:47. > :54:52.aloft. Taking the cheers from the big crowds here. Kirwa, Bahrain,

:54:53. > :54:58.taking silver. She ran a great race as well. Trying to win it in the

:54:59. > :55:01.latter stages but she didn't have enough and the world champion from

:55:02. > :55:06.Ethiopia will have to settle for the bronze. Mare Dibaba coming across

:55:07. > :55:21.the line now. Just enough to hang onto that. 2.24, the winning time.

:55:22. > :55:30.You can see Mazuronak of Belarus taking fifth-place. It was an

:55:31. > :55:40.enthralling race. And the American contingent is going to be headed up

:55:41. > :55:44.by Linden. Flanagan is ahead of her a little bit. Some confusion. There

:55:45. > :55:48.is Flanagan, Linden is a bit further back. The Americans have run a

:55:49. > :55:52.brilliantly. They waved to the crowd from Flanagan and why not come as

:55:53. > :55:56.the others go on the straight of honour. Shalane Flanagan, the

:55:57. > :56:03.cameraman just getting out of the way. Well done to them. Flanagan

:56:04. > :56:09.coming in, sixth place and Mare Dibaba will be in seventh. Great run

:56:10. > :56:18.by Shalane Flanagan -- and Linden will be seven. Big marathons in

:56:19. > :56:22.America, really the foundation of marathon running around the world

:56:23. > :56:29.and it is great to see it finishing in the Sambadrome. We haven't seen

:56:30. > :56:35.the other American yet. A bit confused at the finish. There she

:56:36. > :56:38.is, Desi Linden. Seventh place, two Americans in the first seven, that

:56:39. > :56:44.will give their marathon running a real boost. It will be a little

:56:45. > :56:53.while before the two British athletes crossed the line. At the 35

:56:54. > :57:00.kilometre point, Aly Dixon was... At the 40 kilometre point, she has

:57:01. > :57:03.about a mile to go so she is in 20 Seventh Place. We hope that she will

:57:04. > :57:14.hopefully pick up another couple of places. -- 20 Seventh Place. Sonia

:57:15. > :57:18.Samuels is further back. For the two of them, the chance to represent

:57:19. > :57:21.their country in the Olympic marathon, which I'm sure was hard,

:57:22. > :57:28.it will have been very tough, but I'm sure they will enjoy it.

:57:29. > :57:35.Certainly Aly is heading for a top 30 finish. Sonia is in 30th place

:57:36. > :57:41.with two the limiters to go. Just over two hours 30. A bit quicker on

:57:42. > :57:49.the second-half. It is gold for Kenya in the Olympic marathon.

:57:50. > :57:53.STUDIO: Thanks, Steve, gold at last, they've been waiting since 1984,

:57:54. > :57:57.when the marathon entered the programme for women. It has taken a

:57:58. > :58:03.long time for them to achieve but adulation is to Jemima Sumgong. I

:58:04. > :58:06.should update you on what is a very exciting conclusion to the golf, the

:58:07. > :58:10.first golf in the Olympic programme in 112 years. Certainly there is a

:58:11. > :58:18.Rose who might be blooming later on. COMMENTATOR: Surprise, the Gulf will

:58:19. > :58:39.continue on BBC fore! -- the golf. That is the situation, Justin Rose

:58:40. > :58:45.with a 1-shot advantage over Henrik Stenson. They are already out.

:58:46. > :58:49.Interesting because they are playing it is not in pairings, but groups.

:58:50. > :58:57.The trio at the top, Rose, Stenson and Fraser. They are through three

:58:58. > :59:03.holes, the leaders. Interestingly, Seamus Power, the world 295, from

:59:04. > :59:07.Ireland, is within one shot of the bronze medal position right now.

:59:08. > :59:11.Sergio Garcia is moving up as well, 5-under for his round. Thomas

:59:12. > :59:18.Pieters is in the thick of things for Belgium. At the moment it looks

:59:19. > :59:23.like it is a two way contest, a duel in the Brazilian southern hemisphere

:59:24. > :59:25.sun for Rose and Stenson, for gold. You can watch that, if you choose,

:59:26. > :59:36.an BBC Four right now. probably it more interesting in the

:59:37. > :59:43.closing stages for the spectators. We are going to the badminton arena.

:59:44. > :59:47.The men's singles we are concentrating on today. It is Raju

:59:48. > :59:58.Seth, a three-time Commonwealth Games medallist is in action. He has

:59:59. > :00:04.won his first group match. -- Ouseph. He faces Sho Sasaki of

:00:05. > :00:05.Japan. And it is the best of three games, the first to 21 points in

:00:06. > :00:44.each. The seventh meeting between these

:00:45. > :00:52.two. They are locked in, curiously, at three matches each on the

:00:53. > :01:06.head-to-head showing. Rajiv Ouseph winning two the last three.

:01:07. > :01:26.The lefty, a tricky opponent. Rajiv Ouseph's career-high is 11th in

:01:27. > :01:39.November 2010. Seven inches shorter, Sho Sasaki, Van Rajiv Ouseph. --

:01:40. > :02:03.than a thunderous smash finish from Rajiv

:02:04. > :02:15.Ouseph. Silver-medallist at the European Championships in 2014.

:02:16. > :02:20.Seven times a national champion. Seven consecutive titles between

:02:21. > :02:29.2008 and 2014 and then winning another title this year. National

:02:30. > :02:31.champion again. Reigning national champion, 2016. Unheard-of to win

:02:32. > :02:49.seven consecutive titles. Twice a silver Commonwealth

:02:50. > :03:02.gold-medallist, silver-medallist in the wealth games in 2010 and in

:03:03. > :03:03.Glasgow 2014. Rajiv Ouseph twice the Scottish Open champion in 2008 and

:03:04. > :03:31.2011. A wonderful tight net shot from

:03:32. > :03:54.Britain's finest. A powerful smash from the lefty. In

:03:55. > :04:01.2011 he won the US Open and the Australian Open, Sho Sasaki. It was

:04:02. > :04:10.back then he nudged into the top ten. 2010 he has had wins at the

:04:11. > :04:33.Dutch open and Osaka international challenge event.

:04:34. > :04:43.A power smash to put the point away. It has been a probing, tough few

:04:44. > :04:51.points so far. Both men precise with their shot placement.

:04:52. > :04:56.2016, for Rajiv Ouseph was highlighted by quarterfinal

:04:57. > :05:07.showrooms in the Malaysian and Indonesian Opens.

:05:08. > :05:12.-- showings. Semifinalist of the European Championships in April 20

:05:13. > :05:47.16. It is a 3-point game in favour of

:05:48. > :06:06.the British number one, the 13th seed.

:06:07. > :06:36.Just a little short with the lift. Sho Sasaki capitalising as a

:06:37. > :07:15.consequence. Good leave after a fast, flat drive

:07:16. > :07:26.off the backhand. Badminton is not size dependent like other racket

:07:27. > :07:42.sports. Rajiv Ouseph with a 5-point lead. A very strong start for him.

:07:43. > :07:49.He heads to the mid-game interval. Ahead by six points, which will

:07:50. > :07:52.delight him, I am sure. He has underperformed slightly on the big

:07:53. > :08:02.stages. A chance to put the record straight. A silver-medallist in 2014

:08:03. > :08:09.and around 16 in the World Championships in Paris in 2010. Did

:08:10. > :08:12.not come out of group stages in the Olympics in London 2012, but he is

:08:13. > :08:26.targeting the quarterfinals in this event. This man losing to Dan in the

:08:27. > :08:32.London Olympics. Who has already had a win over the

:08:33. > :09:21.Vietnamese player, the third seed. Up against it now. It is a 6-point

:09:22. > :09:36.game. He just glides around the court.

:09:37. > :09:47.Good play from Sasaki. Just overextending Rajiv Ouseph with the

:09:48. > :09:53.flat backhand. This man makes the difficult look easy most of the

:09:54. > :09:54.time. He has a silky smoothness about the way he goes about his

:09:55. > :10:11.business on the badminton court. A power smash from the lefty. But

:10:12. > :10:22.his body weight down through that one nicely. A super athlete. His

:10:23. > :10:36.complete true, a fellow Japanese player, the tenth seed, won earlier

:10:37. > :10:42.will stop he has competed in four Asian games. His best, a silver

:10:43. > :11:11.medal a couple of years ago. It was called long, just spilling

:11:12. > :11:13.over the back line. These are tense times for Rajiv Ouseph as this man

:11:14. > :11:55.is launching a bit of a comeback. Oh, some really good defensive...

:11:56. > :12:01.Rajiv Ouseph caught by the tall man, but unable to contain the Japanese

:12:02. > :12:06.player at the end. What a close. Very aggressive throughout that

:12:07. > :12:17.point from Sasaki. The best point of the match, so far. It is a one point

:12:18. > :12:29.game in Rajiv Ouseph's favour. Can he hold on?

:12:30. > :12:45.Anxious moments for the coaching team and British fans. Sasaki really

:12:46. > :12:52.has raised his game. He has been frugal in error of late. Putting

:12:53. > :13:07.more pressure on the British number one now.

:13:08. > :13:21.It spills wide. Isn't he precise with his shots? Such tight net

:13:22. > :13:25.shots. Super control from Sasaki, who had announced his retirement in

:13:26. > :13:29.March this year but changed plans after he was selected for the

:13:30. > :13:38.national squad ahead of the Olympic Games. Quite remarkable. He received

:13:39. > :13:46.in 2012 the People'sHonour award from his birthplace. What a player

:13:47. > :13:53.he is, only ten world ranking spots between these two athletes. Only the

:13:54. > :13:55.group winner makes it to the knockout stages. It is a must win

:13:56. > :14:15.match for both men. A good lift off the backhand from

:14:16. > :14:24.Rajiv Ouseph. Forcing a rare error from this man. His nimble agility is

:14:25. > :14:29.quite majestic. Rajiv Ouseph with more of a languid style, and he is a

:14:30. > :14:47.digger man, seven inches taller, gliding around.

:14:48. > :14:55.Though, that is thunderous from Rajiv Ouseph. Timely as well because

:14:56. > :15:00.Sasaki is directing a lot of his traffic towards the backhand of

:15:01. > :15:05.Ouseph, understandably. Powerful smash, he's hit a couple like that

:15:06. > :15:09.but they went over the back line. That one found its mark. Still a

:15:10. > :15:34.1-point game in favour of Ouseph. Fabulous to the back left-hand

:15:35. > :15:41.corner of society. Great follow-up. -- Sasaki. Really exhibiting calm

:15:42. > :15:43.and self trust now, Rajiv Ouseph. Six points away from the opening

:15:44. > :15:53.game in the race to 21. He wants to challenge. Can

:15:54. > :16:10.understand why, it was close. Sasaki challenges, it was called

:16:11. > :16:30.out. Tense moments, these, as we head

:16:31. > :16:35.upstairs for the instant review. It has been a match of precise

:16:36. > :16:43.shotmaking, real quality. Aggressive legs, top fitness from both.

:16:44. > :16:53.Challenge unsuccessful. So, it was indeed out. One challenge remaining.

:16:54. > :17:17.It is a 3-point lead now for the British number one.

:17:18. > :17:30.Oh, he missed, he hit the tape with the smash. Rajiv Ouseph, who just

:17:31. > :17:35.seems to have so much time on the shuffle. He reads the game very

:17:36. > :17:37.quickly. This man, ever dangerous in the opening game. Four points

:17:38. > :18:01.between them now. Clearing, the lift was too short

:18:02. > :18:09.from Ouseph. This man with a really good touch on the tight net shots,

:18:10. > :18:19.crushed and straight. -- across. Precision hitting. It is a 3-point

:18:20. > :18:21.game and a very tense one. Just catching his ear for some timely

:18:22. > :18:45.advice from the back-court. Just buckling under the physicality,

:18:46. > :19:07.Sasaki there. Three points away from the opener.

:19:08. > :19:14.Gorgeous little reverse slice in that previous rally that really

:19:15. > :19:30.opened up the Briton's court and exposed him as a consequence.

:19:31. > :19:41.Telling return, so deceptive from Ouseph. This man is dangerous, a run

:19:42. > :19:47.of six consecutive points in this game, Rajiv Ouseph with just four.

:19:48. > :20:11.Ouseph is just two points away from the first game. Can he hold on here?

:20:12. > :20:22.Five game point opportunities for the man from Hounslow.

:20:23. > :20:32.Well left. Securing the opening game, then, 21-16. STUDIO: Ouseph

:20:33. > :20:36.went on to win the second game of comfortable. Ouseph, who didn't get

:20:37. > :20:40.out of the group stage in the home Games in London, doing it in Rio,

:20:41. > :20:44.through to the last 16, the knockout phases. He says he has been

:20:45. > :20:49.targeting the quarterfinals and he is one match away from that. He will

:20:50. > :20:53.play in the last 16 tomorrow. He doesn't know who he's going to face,

:20:54. > :20:58.that will be sorted out in the coming hours. Congratulations, Rajiv

:20:59. > :21:04.Ouseph. I said it was a big day for Ireland in the golf because Seamus

:21:05. > :21:10.Power, who he's ranked nearly 300 in the golf is within touching distance

:21:11. > :21:14.of a medal place at the golf in Marapendi. It is a big day for our

:21:15. > :21:20.friends from Ireland in the boxing ring. Last time in London, they won

:21:21. > :21:24.four models, headlined by the brilliant Katie Taylor in the

:21:25. > :21:28.women's lightweight division -- medals. Today it is Michael Conlon,

:21:29. > :21:33.who last October became the first Irish boxer to win a world title. I

:21:34. > :21:46.lot of expectation on this man in the bantamweight division. He has

:21:47. > :21:52.received a bye. He is going to be taking on Aram Avagyan from Armenia.

:21:53. > :22:00.COMMENTATOR: So, the opening bell sounds in the 56 kilograms

:22:01. > :22:04.bantamweight tournament. It is between boxers from Ireland and

:22:05. > :22:08.Armenia, and the man wearing red is the Irish representative, a fast

:22:09. > :22:15.start despite it being his first fight of the tournament. He had a

:22:16. > :22:19.bye in the first round because he was the top seed, Michael Conlon,

:22:20. > :22:26.the reigning Olympic bronze-medallist from 52 kilograms.

:22:27. > :22:32.Immensely talented boxer. His opponent, Aram Avagyan, ranked 28 in

:22:33. > :22:35.the world. 25 years of age and it is a blistering start in his first

:22:36. > :22:44.start of Rio 2016, by Michael Conlon. Been looking forward to

:22:45. > :22:52.seeing him in these Games. Current world champion, of course. Against

:22:53. > :22:56.the Armenian who came through a tricky opening contest against the

:22:57. > :23:03.Japanese boxer. Conlon has started quickly here on the back foot. He

:23:04. > :23:08.can box Orthodox and southpaw and he seemed to be able to handle any

:23:09. > :23:12.style that is in front of him, orthodox, the southpaw, short and

:23:13. > :23:20.big and that is why he is a good boxer. Terrific punching in the

:23:21. > :23:25.first of the opening round by Michael Conlon. Cracking right hand

:23:26. > :23:31.again. This type of distance, he has had problem with -- problems with

:23:32. > :23:35.cuts in the past. Surely he will have learned from those unfortunate

:23:36. > :23:39.experiences and will learn to keep his head out of the way because at

:23:40. > :23:47.this point in the opening round, he has been the better boxer. Back

:23:48. > :23:51.comes Aram Avagyan. Conlon sometimes chooses the wrong tactic as he

:23:52. > :23:55.chooses to accommodate and box the other person's kind of contest. He

:23:56. > :24:01.has been in trouble in the past, making things tougher than they

:24:02. > :24:07.otherwise would be. At this point, Avagyan can get through with the

:24:08. > :24:14.jab, but Conlon is the superior boxer. When Conlon chooses to stand

:24:15. > :24:17.and trade, if there are judges who prefer people coming forward, then

:24:18. > :24:22.he's going to make sure that he's not going to be on the back foot, so

:24:23. > :24:27.he's quite a clever boxer. He demonstrates that he can box on the

:24:28. > :24:30.outside, the back foot, but he will push his opponent back just to

:24:31. > :24:36.please the judges if there are judges who prefer that kind of

:24:37. > :24:40.boxing. And human and intelligence, one of Conlon's full marks, to go

:24:41. > :24:50.with the incredible physical skill he possesses -- acumen.

:24:51. > :24:59.So, a very good first round of boxing by Michael Conlon. Finding

:25:00. > :25:00.his timing and range straightaway to begin this contest in the second

:25:01. > :25:13.preliminary round. I think they'll be fairly pleased in

:25:14. > :25:19.his corner. Avagyan started quickly on the front foot, but Conlon soon

:25:20. > :25:23.showed that he wouldn't be pushed back, fighting fire with fire,

:25:24. > :25:28.keeping the move going. Nice shot on the inside from the Irishman. Not

:25:29. > :25:32.such a bad round. A good right hand from Conlon and then he moves his

:25:33. > :25:38.head. Avagyan knows he must close the gap against Conlon. Conlon is a

:25:39. > :25:42.very good mid to long range boxer which is why Avagyan is trying to

:25:43. > :25:44.get close to him. All of the scores have gone for Conlon. A good start

:25:45. > :25:58.for the Irishman. So, into the second round, then.

:25:59. > :26:06.Michael Conlon, in this second Olympic Games. His forearm catches

:26:07. > :26:11.Avagyan around the head. In his second Olympic Games, looking for a

:26:12. > :26:15.return to the medal podium, he has his mind set on nothing other than

:26:16. > :26:21.gold. Working effectively with the right hand now, evading the forward

:26:22. > :26:29.bunch of Avagyan, who is tucked up tightly. Conlon was square on the

:26:30. > :26:33.ropes. The world champion and number one seed, the European champion as

:26:34. > :26:37.well, Michael Conlon, he wants to complete what has been a brilliant

:26:38. > :26:42.couple of years, taking Commonwealth gold in Glasgow a couple of years

:26:43. > :26:50.ago, by adding Olympic gold. Bursting with confidence and he has

:26:51. > :26:53.spoken about it being his destiny. Determined character, Conlon, no

:26:54. > :26:58.question. He has a lot of talent and skill. Just made the wrong decision

:26:59. > :27:03.there, going back to the ropes and he was caught with a shot but

:27:04. > :27:08.generally when he's on the he isn't lazy, he works off them to get back

:27:09. > :27:13.to the centre of the ring. He will start working here, moving his head.

:27:14. > :27:18.It is when boxers stand on the ropes and just soak up and slow down their

:27:19. > :27:25.work rate, that's when they make the wrong decision. But Conlon, he will

:27:26. > :27:30.work off the ropes. And Avagyan has got to move his head a bit more, the

:27:31. > :27:35.man in blue. He can't stand in front of Conlon like that, not having any

:27:36. > :27:41.head movement. Some of the shots were sneaking behind the high held

:27:42. > :27:44.gloves of the man in blue. Conlon is a very accurate puncher, the

:27:45. > :27:51.right-hand penetrating the guard and the right hook around the corner,

:27:52. > :27:57.before they fall into a clinch. You said it already, the problem is that

:27:58. > :28:01.there will be cuts. Conlon demonstrating he can box on the

:28:02. > :28:06.inside and at long range but on the inside you are going to get cut.

:28:07. > :28:09.Avagyan there with his head, very dangerous. Coming back with some

:28:10. > :28:17.good work of his own, the man in blue. Cracking double right hook

:28:18. > :28:20.from Conlon, behind the left-hand which was tucked up against

:28:21. > :28:25.Avagyan's chin, but Conlon found a way through. A right hook once more

:28:26. > :28:28.and pivoting back to the centre of the ring and getting to work with

:28:29. > :28:33.his left hand. Avagyan trying to make it an exchange and he got a

:28:34. > :28:38.couple of body shots through, but Conlon, boxing very well indeed.

:28:39. > :28:41.This is where Avagyan is looking to work away, having the Irishman

:28:42. > :28:46.stationary on the ropes and flat-footed. Punches to the body but

:28:47. > :28:52.Conlon makes him miss them and makes them pay with a good counter shot.

:28:53. > :28:57.Toe to toe stuff for the second half of that round. Action packed second

:28:58. > :29:02.session in the 56 kilograms bantamweight division. Michael

:29:03. > :29:06.Conlon demonstrating wonderful punching variety and accuracy as

:29:07. > :29:13.well. This man, though, will continue to compete. The contest has

:29:14. > :29:18.been fought at a terrific pace. Here, Avagyan just had some success.

:29:19. > :29:22.He's got to move his head because that was a great right hook from

:29:23. > :29:27.Conlon. Avagyan, you can't afford just to stand there without any head

:29:28. > :29:33.movement. Conlon getting three with a good shot. Across the board again,

:29:34. > :29:38.for Conlon. In a very commanding position there. And that last replay

:29:39. > :29:42.of the sequence just demonstrated how intricate and what skill

:29:43. > :29:49.fighting is. You may have noticed that Conlon pulled down the love and

:29:50. > :30:03.connected with the right Wonderful skills exhibited by

:30:04. > :30:08.Michael Conlan. Avagyan is very committed, very competitive, but the

:30:09. > :30:18.reigning European Championship bronze-medallist from 2015 is coming

:30:19. > :30:23.out a distant second best here. Conlan will know he has been in a

:30:24. > :30:27.contest but he has been the governor, most certainly at long and

:30:28. > :30:33.mid range and in this territory where Avagyan wants to rumble away.

:30:34. > :30:44.Conlan has proved he is superior in the trenches, as well. Good uppercut

:30:45. > :30:49.from Conlan. Perhaps unsurprisingly the pace is more pedestrian for the

:30:50. > :30:54.third and final round because they went at it hammer and tongs for the

:30:55. > :31:00.majority of the second and the first round was not slope. Conlan

:31:01. > :31:09.targeting the body. Avagyan coming back, but not as eye-catching and

:31:10. > :31:17.not as much variety as Conlan, with a cracking two shots into the body

:31:18. > :31:23.and then over the top. As Avagyan tried to respond. Cries of, Michael!

:31:24. > :31:35.Michael! Terrific fighting demonstrated by both boxers. Avagyan

:31:36. > :31:43.knows he has been bested in this round and the contest. Terrific. It

:31:44. > :31:51.is a crowd pleasing contest now. Both standing toe to toe. Probably

:31:52. > :31:55.both of them will use more head movement, to avoid the shots. Conlan

:31:56. > :31:58.should go through but he does not want to risk getting cut, so he has

:31:59. > :32:11.to box clever, but he is a warrior. Boxing at his opponent's Payson

:32:12. > :32:15.level but getting through with a better shots, the more eye-catching

:32:16. > :32:29.work. Avagyan driving Conlan back. Avagyan, you have to admire his

:32:30. > :32:34.commitment. This is how much the Olympic Games means because the man

:32:35. > :32:40.from Armenia, part of a five-man team as Conlan uses quick footwork

:32:41. > :32:45.to try to change the angle but the body shot was blocked effectively.

:32:46. > :32:49.Conlan coming back upstairs with a good right hook. Look at the rally

:32:50. > :32:57.mounted by Avagyan as he tried to find the finishing shot. A good left

:32:58. > :33:04.hook upstairs. Conlan again accommodated him in an exchange. The

:33:05. > :33:10.Irish fans, their man, Michael Conlan, he is going through to the

:33:11. > :33:17.second, excuse me, to the quarterfinals for his second contest

:33:18. > :33:22.of 2016 after producing a terrific display, a crowd pleasing display

:33:23. > :33:29.over Avagyan. What is disappointing from the point of view of Avagyan is

:33:30. > :33:34.Conlan stood toe to toe and boxed his fight and probably... He has

:33:35. > :33:40.come out better, Conlan, beating his opponent at what his opponent onto

:33:41. > :33:51.to do which is the ultimate victory. Conlan opting to stand and trade. By

:33:52. > :34:03.unanimous decision... In the red corner...

:34:04. > :34:09.Michael Conlan's quest for Olympic gold is off to a fantastic start, a

:34:10. > :34:15.unanimous points decision winner in a crowd pleasing affair over the

:34:16. > :34:18.28th ranked boxer in the world. Avagyan played his part in a

:34:19. > :34:23.terrific bout, but no doubt about the man going through to the

:34:24. > :34:27.quarterfinals. Michael Conlan is one win away from a second successive

:34:28. > :34:34.Olympic medal, this time at bantamweight.

:34:35. > :34:39.Very impressive and his quarterfinal is on Tuesday afternoon your time.

:34:40. > :34:43.The medals will start rolling in on the Atlantic tied later because it

:34:44. > :34:49.is the first sailing medals that will be presented in the men's and

:34:50. > :35:00.women's windsurfing event, the RS:X. Shirley Robertson can set up a day.

:35:01. > :35:07.We have an exciting day in prospect. Silver medal confirmed and every

:35:08. > :35:12.chance of the gold medal to add to it. Nick Dempsey will race today

:35:13. > :35:17.knowing he will stand on the silver step at the medal ceremony. The big

:35:18. > :35:20.Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberghe took the gold medal out of reach

:35:21. > :35:28.when they last raced on Friday and in the same race Nick Dempsey sealed

:35:29. > :35:33.a silver medal. The men's RS:X race will be an emotional lap of honour

:35:34. > :35:38.for Nick Dempsey who retires after his fifth Olympic Games. When the

:35:39. > :35:46.wind blew fair, Britain's strongest hope for gold got going and after an

:35:47. > :35:52.unnerving start, normal service was resumed and he sails today going two

:35:53. > :35:57.good races can apply the gold seal. I take confidence in what I have

:35:58. > :36:04.produced this week and hope that I can round it off tomorrow but we

:36:05. > :36:08.will have to wait and see. For me, nothing really changes. Nick

:36:09. > :36:13.Thompson saw his gold medal hopes ebb away. Coming in in fourth he

:36:14. > :36:18.needed two good races and did not get them. In sixth place going into

:36:19. > :36:23.the medal race on Monday, when I spoke to him last night he was sober

:36:24. > :36:27.about his chances. It leaves me no chance of a gold or silver medal

:36:28. > :36:32.which is incredibly disappointing but a battle for the bronze medal. I

:36:33. > :36:36.think there will be plenty of us fighting for that. The guy at third

:36:37. > :36:43.at the moment has a gap so it will be tricky. The forecast is good and

:36:44. > :36:46.there is a great day of racing in prospect. Britain has a silver and

:36:47. > :36:51.by tonight we could have a gold medal and every day from now until

:36:52. > :36:55.Thursday is medal race day. Tantalisingly we will have to wait

:36:56. > :36:58.an extra hour because the notoriously fickle conditions with

:36:59. > :37:04.the wind coming through the mountains, there is a delay for an

:37:05. > :37:08.hour and the medal races will not start for another hour and surely

:37:09. > :37:14.will bring is up-to-date when we move channels. A guaranteed silver

:37:15. > :37:20.medal for Nick Dempsey at least. We will take table tennis now. We had

:37:21. > :37:25.the singles events dominated by China, who are famous in the team

:37:26. > :37:31.event, winning the last two gold medals in London and Beijing. You

:37:32. > :37:35.have Great Britain's men drawn? China. It is the team that wins

:37:36. > :37:41.three rubbers in the singles and there is a doubles match and then if

:37:42. > :37:45.it is still equal, it will go into extra matches in the singles. First

:37:46. > :37:51.up, Liam Pitchford taking on the two-time Olympic champion Ma Long.

:37:52. > :37:57.What a day for the 23-year-old from Chesterfield.

:37:58. > :38:06.GB in blue, China in red. Liam Pitchford off to the perfect

:38:07. > :38:19.start. A slightly nervy start for China. Ma

:38:20. > :38:41.Long has service. Getting better and better at the

:38:42. > :38:57.moment for Liam Pitchford. With that forehand missing longer on the

:38:58. > :39:02.right-hand side. Pitchford now leading by three.

:39:03. > :39:28.Ma Long cannot quite believe this at the moment. Paul Drinkhall and Sam

:39:29. > :39:30.Walker pleased with the way Pitchford is going about his

:39:31. > :39:43.business. What a start this is. They will not want to get ahead of

:39:44. > :39:45.themselves just yet. There is still a long way to go but so far, so

:39:46. > :40:44.good. Not quite finding his mark. China

:40:45. > :40:50.getting themselves back in, Ma Long getting himself three points.

:40:51. > :41:13.Pitchford, 23, from Chesterfield, but he resides in Germany.

:41:14. > :41:24.That was a lovely return from Pitchford.

:41:25. > :41:33.Ma Long having to stretch and could not bring the ball back.

:41:34. > :41:41.Quite a few unenforced errors creeping in for Ma Long at the

:41:42. > :41:57.moment. It is keeping Pitchford in front.

:41:58. > :42:14.The backhand just failing to find its mark.

:42:15. > :42:23.Trying to go down the line. Unfortunately not getting the

:42:24. > :43:12.contact he would have wanted. What a blistering forehand, one

:43:13. > :43:26.after the other, and Pitchford takes the point. An excellent rally.

:43:27. > :43:36.Pitchford went for it and GB take the first game in 11-6. What a good

:43:37. > :43:40.start for them. STUDIO: A superb performance from

:43:41. > :43:45.Liam Pitchford but he was rather overwhelmed thereafter, 3-1 in that

:43:46. > :43:50.match from Ma Long and it meant China were 1-0 up in this series.

:43:51. > :43:54.They need two more wins to book their place in the semifinal, and

:43:55. > :44:04.they are so strong that they have the world numbers one, two, four. Xu

:44:05. > :44:05.Xin was the next to step up to face the British number one, Paul

:44:06. > :44:11.Drinkhall. Away we go with match number two.

:44:12. > :44:44.China leading 1-0. It is a nice start for Great

:44:45. > :44:49.Britain. Paul Drinkhall gets the opening point. A bit of luck as it

:44:50. > :45:17.clipped the net. so, two point Swann on service. --

:45:18. > :45:54.won. Sharp finished down the line. Fortunate on that return.

:45:55. > :46:08.Drinkhall trying to swipe at it with his forehand, but it is levelled up.

:46:09. > :46:13.Always the risk, going so heavy with that return shot. You've got to be

:46:14. > :46:24.so fine to get the top-spin and he misses it completely.

:46:25. > :46:33.As we seek a part of the Championship winning team in Kuala

:46:34. > :46:41.Lumpur, along with Ma Long. Very experienced athlete. That's a great

:46:42. > :46:48.rally, well won by Drinkhall. Really a change of pace. Quite delicate so

:46:49. > :46:52.far, sussing each other out. I'm unleashing the power game there. --

:46:53. > :47:05.unleashing. Such a fine line, the margins

:47:06. > :47:10.between success and failure. Just clipping the table as it missed just

:47:11. > :47:45.one in it. That was incredible, wasn't it?

:47:46. > :47:50.Though much defending, but then he saw his chance and hit the backhand

:47:51. > :47:54.crosscourt, brilliant return. It's the flight of the ball, you see it

:47:55. > :48:05.exploding off Drinkhall's racket there. Not a chance to return it.

:48:06. > :48:11.He's hot now. He's got the hot hand down the short side, the long side,

:48:12. > :48:19.rather, just using the availability of the open side and you can see

:48:20. > :48:22.that he's delighted. This is a nice lead now that Great Britain have

:48:23. > :48:30.engineered. Drinkhall is in charge for the moment of this first game.

:48:31. > :48:36.He's just doubled it. He's got a real push on here. Three required to

:48:37. > :48:40.take the opening game. Such a sport of momentum, isn't it? A player gets

:48:41. > :48:43.hot and you can see the subsequent points from Drinkhall. Really

:48:44. > :48:52.pressing the issue now. It can change so quickly. Drinkhall,

:48:53. > :49:41.two points ahead. He has two serves. That really opened up that point,

:49:42. > :49:50.the angle allowing that sweeping forehand, but not able to be

:49:51. > :49:50.accurate enough and Britain are in touching distance of the opening

:49:51. > :50:03.game. The is looking on, losing his opening

:50:04. > :50:13.match against Ma Long, Pitchford. No difference to the opening of this

:50:14. > :50:15.game of the second match. It's all about Drinkhall holding on here. It

:50:16. > :50:38.is a while since he's got a point. A little bit of a double-edged

:50:39. > :50:43.sword, when it gets to the latter stages of the game, when the

:50:44. > :50:47.pressure starts to mount. The urgency from the opponent to stay in

:50:48. > :50:59.the game and it forces another error. China are now on the cusp of

:51:00. > :51:04.levelling. That will do very nicely. Drinkhall engineered a couple of

:51:05. > :51:07.chances, which he failed to take but now, with that error from Xu Xin he

:51:08. > :51:38.has game point. Very nicely done by Xu Xin, forcing

:51:39. > :51:47.it to the backhand of Drinkhall. Jammed him right up. You see that

:51:48. > :51:51.top-spin really catching the table and kicking up on Drinkhall. Just

:51:52. > :51:56.catches the top of his racket and he was not able to control it. And the

:51:57. > :52:02.same likewise on the return of that serve and he will take it. What a

:52:03. > :52:08.moment for the British athlete. STUDIO: What a moment indeed but it

:52:09. > :52:11.was a similar story for Paul because ultimately having made the bright

:52:12. > :52:18.start and taking the first game, he would lose that match, 3-1. So,

:52:19. > :52:22.China looking good for a place in the semifinals and they need just

:52:23. > :52:28.one more victory in the team contest to do so. So, very much a must win

:52:29. > :52:31.situation now in the Men's Doubles and it was Drinkhall accompanied by

:52:32. > :52:51.Sam Walker Just as they are trying to get

:52:52. > :53:02.something to hang their hat on, China just that it up. Lasse Viren

:53:03. > :53:09.just step it up. -- just step it up. Nice from Drinkhall, into the body

:53:10. > :53:26.of Zhang. If they lose here, they will be 2-0

:53:27. > :53:33.down and the pressure will build. They must stay relaxed and hit their

:53:34. > :53:41.shots. Don't snatch at anything. That will do. Another one gone, one

:53:42. > :53:45.in it. If you are supporting Great Britain you will be on the edge of

:53:46. > :53:51.your seat. If you are supporting China you will be thinking, come on,

:53:52. > :53:59.we almost got it done. -- we've almost. It is entirely that balance

:54:00. > :54:07.in every point as to at what point you try and win it and when you just

:54:08. > :54:11.try and stay in it, just trying to keep the ball in the rally. There is

:54:12. > :54:15.a definite point in the team game where you are trying to win a point

:54:16. > :54:19.because you are going to run out of room and the angles are going to

:54:20. > :54:25.become too difficult. Great from Walker. Especially the doubles as

:54:26. > :54:28.well because your serve and the return is opening up the third

:54:29. > :54:33.touch, the third shot where you are trying to win the point from the

:54:34. > :54:36.third one, which is why the communication about what's going to

:54:37. > :54:39.happen with the serve is important between the two players, giving them

:54:40. > :54:48.the chance to go after the ball on the return. There was an example,

:54:49. > :54:55.that's the third touch that the Chinese take full advantage of. They

:54:56. > :54:58.expect where the reply will be to the serve and then they also

:54:59. > :55:07.anticipate that there will be opening somewhere that need to find.

:55:08. > :55:11.Oh, there it is you can't legislate for that. It could have missed the

:55:12. > :55:19.table. As it is, it clipped the edge. Only happened twice so far in

:55:20. > :55:25.the course of this quarterfinal. This is a good rally. What a return.

:55:26. > :55:30.You've got to take your moments and they just did, Great Britain. This

:55:31. > :55:39.was a delicious rally and look at the location. Close to Bullseye in

:55:40. > :55:46.the back corner of the table. He's done it again. Absolutely brilliant

:55:47. > :55:52.from Drinkhall. One into the corner, that is a one in ten shot. They are

:55:53. > :55:59.back within one now. It is all to play for, now.

:56:00. > :56:11.That was unlucky. So, it is now match point here, for China. An

:56:12. > :56:19.opportunity to get this one done and dusted, two match points. Without

:56:20. > :56:22.stressing the obvious, for the Chinese, they have where they have

:56:23. > :56:28.been at their best, finishing the game. That is a let, just touching

:56:29. > :56:44.the net, Walker. Oh, that's excellent play. Talk

:56:45. > :56:52.about backs to the wall and coming up with the shot. Match point

:56:53. > :56:57.opportunity. STUDIO: Valiant effort by the two Britons, Drinkhall and

:56:58. > :57:05.Walker but they were taking on, in this team, the world numbers one and

:57:06. > :57:10.four, and it was a dominant Chinese performance. Valiant attempt by the

:57:11. > :57:12.British team. It is China, as expected, who go through to the

:57:13. > :57:19.semifinals of the men's team event as they aim to take a sweep of the

:57:20. > :57:24.medals here again. So, that is our lot here on BBC One. We are going to

:57:25. > :57:28.be moving over to BBC Two very shortly for continued coverage of

:57:29. > :57:33.the ninth day here in Rio. When we started the day, there was a

:57:34. > :57:38.guaranteed Gold Medal and indeed another free guaranteed silver is at

:57:39. > :57:43.least because this evening Callum Skinner and Jason Kenny will be

:57:44. > :57:47.riding off for individual gold, which will be fascinating. About 9pm

:57:48. > :57:52.they will be on the track at the velodrome. Andy Murray in the

:57:53. > :57:57.singles final against Del Potro. And about 7:30pm, that is when they

:57:58. > :58:01.think they will play. We have the bronze medal play-off before they

:58:02. > :58:05.get onto the court. Justin Rose, one shot ahead through about eight holes

:58:06. > :58:09.at Marapendi and we'll be going to the Gulf when we come back on BBC

:58:10. > :58:13.One. Max Whitlock and Louis Smith are expected to make it an all

:58:14. > :58:19.British challenge for gold and silver in the gymnastics on the

:58:20. > :58:23.pommel horse -- golf. No British gold in gymnastics ever in the

:58:24. > :58:27.history of these Olympic Games. Is that about a change? We will see. We

:58:28. > :59:04.will see you on the other side where we are going golfing. See you soon.

:59:05. > :59:09.England's cricket teams are in action this summer.