:00:01. > :00:05.know them but in 18 minutes time they could be on the front page of
:00:05. > :00:11.every single newspaper in the every single newspaper in the
:00:11. > :00:15.country tomorrow. Now for the past five days we have
:00:15. > :00:21.been saying, is this the day that we are going to get a gold medal?
:00:21. > :00:26.Well in the next 10 minutes, it we could see that gold rush start. And
:00:26. > :00:30.here is why. They have been together for just
:00:30. > :00:34.two years but Helen Glover and Heather Stanning could not only win
:00:34. > :00:39.the first gold medal of the games for Great Britain but the first
:00:39. > :00:46.rowing Olympic gold for British women. It has been 20 years since
:00:46. > :00:54.Greg Searle won a gold medal in Barcelona. Youth and experience
:00:54. > :01:00.line-up together with a good chance of a medal in the Men's Eight.
:01:00. > :01:04.Stopwatches at the ready, Beijing silver medallist Emma Pooley and
:01:04. > :01:11.Lizzie Armitstead take to the roads around Hampton Court in the women's
:01:11. > :01:19.time-trial. And then the men take to the streets and Bradley Wiggins
:01:19. > :01:24.is back on his bike. Can he cap of his astonishing achievement this
:01:24. > :01:33.year? So a quick look at the year? So a quick look at the
:01:33. > :01:38.timetable. Just minutes to go until the Women's Pair final. Helen
:01:38. > :01:48.plover and Heather Stanning, we all just cannot wait for that. -- Helen
:01:48. > :02:09.
:02:09. > :02:17.Glover. We would also like you to send in
:02:17. > :02:21.your thoughts on what could be a medal-winning morning.
:02:21. > :02:25.So as you sit there watching athletes push themselves to the
:02:25. > :02:28.limit I'm sure your degree from a fitness perspective that this is a
:02:28. > :02:34.morning of absolute respect. One athlete who deserves the utmost
:02:34. > :02:40.respect is Steve Redgrave. He has been down at Eton Dorney all
:02:41. > :02:46.morning. Rowling, it can be quite an uncomfortable sport to watch
:02:46. > :02:50.because of the link the athletes go to. They really have to dig deep.
:02:50. > :02:54.Do you have to warm up psychologically as well as
:02:54. > :02:59.physically due to the lengths you have to push yourself still?
:02:59. > :03:04.Journalists always want to talk about the pain that you have to go
:03:04. > :03:09.to get two or her Olympic final. There is a lot of strain and stress.
:03:09. > :03:14.But that is what they have been preparing for. Sometimes the first
:03:14. > :03:18.race of the season hurts more than the last one. But mentally, the
:03:18. > :03:24.training and the preparation, everyone can do that, it is how
:03:25. > :03:29.mentally switched on you have to be for the race that counts. Helen and
:03:29. > :03:39.her there, what will they be doing now? Will they be warming up
:03:39. > :03:44.together? Getting that Bond? This is the easy bit. We saw them set
:03:44. > :03:48.off for the warm-up 15 minutes ago. That is the easy bit, they practise
:03:48. > :03:53.and practise and they know what needs to be done. It is the couple
:03:53. > :04:03.of hours before that, waiting around for that moment. So they're
:04:03. > :04:03.
:04:03. > :04:10.just going through a very practised routine. And then it becomes very
:04:10. > :04:16.nervous. The bows are held in position and there's nothing else
:04:16. > :04:21.you can do. Then the umpire starts going through the roll call and you
:04:21. > :04:25.think, it is now. We have to produce it now. We have spoken at
:04:25. > :04:29.length about them only been together for a couple of years. Do
:04:30. > :04:35.you worry a little bit about their experience, but the situation may
:04:35. > :04:41.just overtake them? I do not, actually. I'm relaxed about them
:04:41. > :04:45.because they are putting across a very calm and relaxed image. When
:04:45. > :04:50.we interviewed them after the heats there were asked about their
:04:50. > :04:56.preparation. And they said the next race is the biggest of the season.
:04:56. > :05:01.I thought no, it is the biggest race of your life! I nearly said
:05:01. > :05:11.that but I thought no, do not add to the pressure! But they're very
:05:11. > :05:11.
:05:11. > :05:18.calm and focused. In some ways not knowing what the Olympics is about,
:05:18. > :05:22.that naivety can be a benefit. Well thank you for that in sight.
:05:22. > :05:32.And we can talk about them at length, but they met up with
:05:32. > :05:34.
:05:34. > :05:42.Matthew Pinsent to talk about their How was the heat? Brilliant. I am
:05:42. > :05:47.done! I'm a pro-. -- pro. It has been a fantastic season for Helen
:05:47. > :05:52.Glover and Stanning. Unbeating throughout the World Cup series.
:05:52. > :05:58.They are stretching out. That looks so good. They are hearing the roars
:05:58. > :06:02.today. It will be deafening come the Olympic final. It was. It was
:06:02. > :06:06.great the crowd, the noise t atmosphere was brilliant and the
:06:06. > :06:09.port was brilliant. When I read the guide book it says under your name,
:06:09. > :06:14.Heather Stanning, Olympic experience, none. Helen Glover,
:06:14. > :06:19.Olympic experience, none. Is that a good thing at this stage? Yes,
:06:19. > :06:24.definitely. I think, I mean, we just love everything we are doing,
:06:24. > :06:27.everything is new to us and we relish it but we are not
:06:27. > :06:31.overwhelmed. We have a lot of experience in the squad that we
:06:31. > :06:33.have been able to talk to people and take advice and everyone has
:06:34. > :06:37.been really great at making sure the team is in the best place
:06:37. > :06:41.possible. There is a lot of people who this is their first Olympics
:06:41. > :06:45.and we won't be overwhelmed by it, we are here at home and want to
:06:45. > :06:48.make the most of it. When you sit on start line does it cross your
:06:49. > :06:53.mind your friends and family are down the other end of the track?
:06:53. > :06:56.by then we are thinking about the boat, but getting up there it is
:06:56. > :06:59.nice to know they are here and have the opportunity to watch us,
:06:59. > :07:07.because they have supported us for the last couple of years, they
:07:07. > :07:11.don't get to watch all our races live so it is lovely for them.
:07:11. > :07:16.do thaw describe what they go through? They never let on how
:07:16. > :07:20.nervous they are. Parents are seasoned professionals at being
:07:20. > :07:23.parents. We can go and row, if we are nervous we know we can affect
:07:23. > :07:28.the result. They have to sit there and watch, knowing how much it
:07:28. > :07:35.means to us, so they are relieved when we cross the finish line.
:07:35. > :07:40.Heather, you are make rowing look really quite easy, to make rowing
:07:40. > :07:50.look as easy and smooth as you are is difficult to do. How do you do
:07:50. > :07:55.it? It is an effort. She doesn't really try. She pulls me along.
:07:55. > :08:01.from the bow seat. You are racing against and beating way more
:08:01. > :08:05.experienced athletes than you. we are racing the two timing
:08:05. > :08:09.Olympic champions and they hold the world best time and been doing it
:08:09. > :08:13.for year, not to be overwhelmed by it but we embrace it and go, that
:08:13. > :08:18.is what they are doing but we can try and do it better. How do you
:08:18. > :08:23.handle the nerves? We to remember what a great year's training we
:08:23. > :08:27.have had. We sit on the start line knowing there is nothing we could
:08:27. > :08:30.have done better. Every sacrifice you have made and every training
:08:30. > :08:33.session, every day for the last four years is going to come down to
:08:33. > :08:36.seven minutes of your life, either going right or wrong, this seven
:08:36. > :08:42.minutes for us, that is our definition of whether it was worth
:08:42. > :08:46.it or not. With we are getting very close to that seven minutes of
:08:46. > :08:56.their lives, so we will hand straight back to Eton Dorney. Can
:08:56. > :09:00.
:09:00. > :09:09.glefr and Heather Stanning become lost John and Steve so we will hand
:09:09. > :09:14.to Dan and Gary. The roar went out from the crowd. We are looking at
:09:14. > :09:20.Australia in lane four, we had Great Britain in five. A big race
:09:20. > :09:24.now for all of these guys, this is the Olympic final. New Zealand, the
:09:24. > :09:32.World Champions find themselves in lane five. The next crew we will
:09:32. > :09:41.see will be Germany, in lane number six. Romania, the defending Olympic
:09:41. > :09:51.champions up in one. Tense, last moments. Nothing more now to do.
:09:51. > :10:02.
:10:02. > :10:07.Apart from race. Under starters final chapter of what has been a
:10:07. > :10:11.remarkable story is now under way. Seven minutes away from Olympic
:10:11. > :10:17.history. We have Great Britain's Helen Glover, Heather Stanning in
:10:17. > :10:22.lane three, alongside them, Australia, and the World Champions
:10:22. > :10:27.from New Zealand are in five. But Great Britain have jumped out of
:10:27. > :10:34.the starting gate. Romania in one, Romania are the defending Olympic
:10:34. > :10:38.champion, we have the five time Olympic champion in the bow seat.
:10:38. > :10:42.Great Britain, they mean business. It is game on. The. The Germans
:10:42. > :10:47.have gone out fast in lane six. They have the early lead but I
:10:47. > :10:51.don't expect them to hold that. Look. They are already stretching
:10:52. > :10:56.out, Great Britain, looking fine. They are settling into their rhythm.
:10:56. > :11:00.Middle of the race rhythm. A look across and they have moved out in
:11:00. > :11:05.front they have the Olympic twice Olympic champions from Romania up
:11:05. > :11:08.in lane one. Who are now back in fourth place but Great Britain,
:11:08. > :11:11.doing what they have done for the last two years, just looking
:11:11. > :11:15.fantastic. What they have done, look at that, already a length,
:11:15. > :11:18.what they do so well and what they have learned in the last winter,
:11:18. > :11:21.was to be flexible. To be able to respond to the attack that comes
:11:22. > :11:24.right at the end and which caught them out last year at the World
:11:24. > :11:31.Championships when New Zealand attacked them right at the end. But
:11:31. > :11:38.this is fantastic. Look at them. is an exceptional start from Helen
:11:38. > :11:46.Glover and Heather Stanning, Helen Glover from Minerva rowing club.
:11:46. > :11:50.They are storm in the first quarter. It is absolutely wonderful to see.
:11:50. > :11:56.So 500, the crowd down here have gone mad. They are now clear, there
:11:56. > :12:00.is clear water on Great Britain as they head towards the record books
:12:00. > :12:05.but right now that will be irrelevant, it is about dictating
:12:05. > :12:10.and executing their plan. Already into the second 500 metres of this
:12:10. > :12:16.2,000 metre race. They are looking as though they are strolling along,
:12:16. > :12:19.it can't get better for them. are looking so settled, so focused.
:12:20. > :12:23.Two-and-a-half years ago they were the spares in the British team.
:12:23. > :12:27.They were the last choice and so they thought let us put them in a
:12:27. > :12:33.pair and see how they go. They won a silver medal two years ago, they
:12:33. > :12:38.won a silver medal last year, here they are on track to crown a
:12:38. > :12:43.fantastic fairy tale story. Robin Williams is the guy responsible for
:12:43. > :12:47.this, in 2010 they finished ninth at the first World Cup. He came
:12:47. > :12:53.onboard and between the three of them, they have done Great Britain
:12:53. > :12:57.so proud. Here they are now in the closing stages of what is a
:12:58. > :13:02.magnificent fairytale, it can't get any better. They are tout a clenth
:13:02. > :13:09.length of clear water. They have dominated. Now for them it is heads
:13:09. > :13:13.up, a it is opening up all the time. Opening up. 1200 metres to glory.
:13:13. > :13:20.200 metres to go, to become the first British women ever to win an
:13:20. > :13:24.Olympic Gold in rowing, and perhaps Britain's first gold medal of these
:13:24. > :13:27.Olympics. So Helen Glover in the bow seat, a word of confidence,
:13:27. > :13:32.support there, keeping it settled for Heather Stanning, because she
:13:32. > :13:35.is moving along really lovely here. They are setting a fantastic rhythm.
:13:35. > :13:41.We have New Zealand the World Champions in lane number five.
:13:41. > :13:44.Surely now the race is on for the silver medal. At the half way mark,
:13:44. > :13:49.Great Britain lead by three- quarters of a clear lent, over the
:13:49. > :13:52.World Champions, we are now into the third 500, there is less than
:13:52. > :13:57.three-and-a-half minutes and these guys will be rowing into Olympic
:13:57. > :14:00.history, we are right on the edge of our seats. You have New Zealand
:14:00. > :14:05.at 37 strokes a minute. That is the way they like to race they can't
:14:05. > :14:08.pain Tain that but Great Britain at 33 strokes a minute have the length,
:14:08. > :14:13.the maturity and boat speed to respond, should New Zealand really
:14:13. > :14:20.mount an attack. They can change gear, they will move on, and they
:14:20. > :14:23.have got this sewn up. It looks fabulous. They were undefeated
:14:23. > :14:28.through the 2012 World Cup campaign. They have come into this Olympic
:14:28. > :14:32.regat with a huge benchmark. Look at that. It is stunning from Helen
:14:32. > :14:37.Glover and Heather Stanning, here, they move away, and they move away
:14:37. > :14:42.with some power and grace, and everybody now across the way, in
:14:42. > :14:47.the stadiums and the grand stands are on their feet. The glaing flags
:14:47. > :14:51.are going mad. Look at this. Robin Williams their coach he has done a
:14:51. > :14:54.wonderful job with them. Technically superb. They are
:14:54. > :14:57.letting that are boat travel between stroke, they have good lent,
:14:57. > :15:01.good push through the middle of the stroke and they are going very fast
:15:01. > :15:05.indeed. Coming up to the last timing mark, on the far side, look
:15:05. > :15:11.at that, the cheer, the whole of the nation now, will lift this boat,
:15:11. > :15:13.and drive it on, we are heading for our first ever gold medal, in the
:15:13. > :15:19.women's rowing team and Great Britain and the whole of the
:15:19. > :15:22.Olympic team will be watching this, urging the girls on, Great
:15:22. > :15:26.Britain's glefr and Heather Stanning, are rowing towards the
:15:26. > :15:32.line.. They are so accurate. Look at that. Perfect perfect co-
:15:32. > :15:36.ordination. Just moving so well clear. So up to the 1500 metre mark.
:15:36. > :15:40.500 metres remain. Surely they have got it in the bag. They have
:15:40. > :15:44.annihilated New Zealand, this is the final of the women's coxless
:15:44. > :15:50.pairs and the British crew can now look down, they can allow
:15:50. > :15:55.themselves a smile, they know this project that started way back in
:15:55. > :15:59.2010 is coming to fruition and in such style and grace. Helen Glover
:15:59. > :16:02.and Stanning racing to the record books. They are looking back on the
:16:02. > :16:07.feel. They know they have it. Not a smile yet but they know they have
:16:07. > :16:11.got it. They can hear the crowds, New Zealand who beat them last year
:16:11. > :16:15.by a whisker, just cannot do anything about it. They have gone
:16:15. > :16:20.four lengths clear, the crowds are on their side, they have got, now
:16:20. > :16:26.they can allow a smile. They surely must feel this is it, we have got
:16:26. > :16:32.it, but that focus is there, they are in race mode, they have 250
:16:32. > :16:38.metres to go. So 250 metre out from the line. They are going to win
:16:38. > :16:42.Britain's first gold medal, are doing it in style. 200 up. Count
:16:42. > :16:48.the strokes in, we have 20. Everybody on the far side are on
:16:48. > :16:53.their feet here now. The race for silver is developing in the back
:16:53. > :16:58.between USA and New Zealand, the crowd are roaring them again, 100
:16:58. > :17:03.out. They are making history here at dorn, the last few strokes are
:17:03. > :17:07.coming. There was a smile there. A quick look for the line. But there
:17:07. > :17:15.Tay are. Long and strong. And they are just leading a very strong
:17:15. > :17:20.field. The crowd on both sides now driving them there. And they can
:17:20. > :17:26.smile as they come up to the line here, I wonder what is going
:17:26. > :17:30.through their mind? "We are Olympic champions" the last five stroke,
:17:30. > :17:35.Great Britain into the record books and such fabulously well done! They
:17:35. > :17:41.have punched the air. Their shake their hands. Great Britain are the
:17:41. > :17:45.Olympic champions and it couldn't go to two worthy women. Helen
:17:45. > :17:52.Glover and Stanning, we stand up and we salute you, for the British
:17:52. > :17:55.rowing team and for the country as whole.. This is tears in stuff. It
:17:55. > :18:00.is only three years they started really getting together in the, in
:18:00. > :18:08.a senior team, they have come through, a fantastic two years,
:18:08. > :18:14.what a triumph for them, and it is Great Britain's first gold medal of
:18:14. > :18:17.these Olympics. We are allowed in to share a very private moment here
:18:17. > :18:22.on the world's public stage, and that is what it means, and we
:18:22. > :18:27.salute also Robin Williams, the three of them here, and the support
:18:27. > :18:31.that the British rowing team have given Helen Glover and Heather
:18:31. > :18:37.Stanning, and ladies and gentlemen, that is what it is, that is what it
:18:37. > :18:41.means to be Olympic champion. Now, they can smile, and the emotions
:18:41. > :18:44.will just come home and ride through their bodies. They knew
:18:45. > :18:49.they were the fastest crew here, we felt they would probably win it,
:18:49. > :18:54.but, you know, you can never be sure. So Prince William and Prince
:18:54. > :19:02.Harry in the stands here for this momentous day for the country, for
:19:02. > :19:08.the sport, and for two young women, Glover, 25, Stanning, 27. And now,
:19:08. > :19:12.it really is going to start to think about coming home. Dan, they
:19:12. > :19:15.executed a plan that was faultless. Faultless. They have been doing
:19:15. > :19:19.that all through the season. They have been unbeaten all through the
:19:19. > :19:25.year, so you expected it, but this was just a supreme performance,
:19:25. > :19:30.they will be on the front pages of every newspaper tomorrow morning.
:19:30. > :19:35.They will be household names. And it is fantastic they have done this
:19:35. > :19:40.with so, with such grace, such effectiveness. Look at that, look
:19:40. > :19:48.how well they rowed together. Look at that sweet length. And look that
:19:48. > :19:53.the happiness. There it S there it is! We are Olympic champions. A job
:19:53. > :20:00.very well done. And on this day, Wednesday 1st August, 2012, it will
:20:00. > :20:04.be a day that has changed two young women's lives forever. So there it
:20:04. > :20:14.is. Helen Glover, Heather Stanning, Olympic champions here at Eton
:20:14. > :20:20.
:20:20. > :20:23.Dorney, Australia get the silver, been waving at, it is all the
:20:23. > :20:28.volunteers, the games makers in their purple outfits on the far
:20:28. > :20:32.side. They have made everybody so welcome at Eton Dorney. They have
:20:32. > :20:37.been saying a personal thank-you to them, from the first gold
:20:37. > :20:42.medallists at the London 28 of Olympic Games. The people that have
:20:42. > :20:46.been integral and made it so special. Nobody has enjoyed these
:20:46. > :20:50.Games more than Helen Glover and Heather Stanning. They will be
:20:50. > :21:00.paddling in to the pontoon in a few moments, not just as the first gold
:21:00. > :21:00.
:21:00. > :21:06.medallists of the Games, but the first women to win an Olympic medal
:21:06. > :21:12.in rowing. It is sensational. They turned up and did it in a style
:21:12. > :21:17.that I did not expect. It was unbelievable. For British rowing,
:21:17. > :21:24.for women's rowing in this country, that is absolutely outstanding.
:21:24. > :21:30.Huge support from everybody around us, as you can hear. That is the
:21:30. > :21:33.sports psychologist! Rowing is easy compared to being in Afghanistan,
:21:33. > :21:38.in the army, so perhaps we should not be surprised. Heather Stanning
:21:38. > :21:45.is so strong. A couple of very tough cookies. The will be getting
:21:45. > :21:50.out of the water very shortly. -- they will. In terms of activating a
:21:50. > :21:55.game-plan, they got out of the traps quick. It is better to be out
:21:55. > :22:00.in front in rowing because you can see what opposition is doing. They
:22:00. > :22:04.got a bigger and bigger lead. It is covering tactics. If you have got
:22:04. > :22:10.to two lengths lead, do not push it because you do not want to be tired
:22:10. > :22:17.out in the closing stages. But who am I to say that? Fantastic results,
:22:17. > :22:22.fantastic scenes. The crowds are going nuts. Amazing. 30,000 people
:22:22. > :22:26.just cheering to the rafters when they crossed the line. I am sure it
:22:27. > :22:31.will take time to sink in. I will not say what they are going to say
:22:31. > :22:38.for them. Why don't they say it themselves? The first British gold
:22:38. > :22:45.medallists of the London 2012 Games, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.
:22:45. > :22:52.With our greatest row of all time. Well done. It was a fantastic
:22:52. > :22:56.performance. I don't need to ask you any questions, do I? Tell us
:22:56. > :23:01.what is happening in that body of yours at the moment. I don't know.
:23:01. > :23:05.It wants to go in to shut down but it cannot because it is too excited.
:23:05. > :23:12.I am ecstatic and excited and I want to collapse but I am just so
:23:12. > :23:17.overjoyed. I want to jump around. I am talking rubbish Now! We were
:23:17. > :23:22.watching on this green and he was smiling with 250 to go. -- the
:23:22. > :23:29.screen. You were smiling with 250 to go but we did not want to do
:23:29. > :23:34.because you have not got it. I was probably grimace thing because I
:23:34. > :23:37.never thought I had got it until we went through the line. You decided
:23:37. > :23:41.that if you got out early then nobody could catch you and that is
:23:41. > :23:45.what you did. You can see from all the races that we have done, we
:23:45. > :23:49.have got ahead and pushed the margin and that is what we wanted
:23:49. > :23:54.to do today. We did not give anything back. We wanted to keep
:23:54. > :23:58.that same margin from all the World Cup's up until now. I could see
:23:58. > :24:04.everybody behind me. They were getting smaller. They were behind
:24:04. > :24:12.us. We have got a message for you from your colleagues in Afghanistan.
:24:12. > :24:16.Put on those headphones. This is what they have got to say. Array!
:24:16. > :24:22.Good luck to Captain Heather Stanning under par and Helen Glover
:24:22. > :24:28.from the Royal Artillery Regiment. -- and her partner Helen Glover for
:24:28. > :24:32.what is your message to them? you for the support. I know that
:24:32. > :24:36.you are very far away but I am so proud to be associated with you.
:24:36. > :24:41.Keep doing what you are doing and I will see you when you get home.
:24:41. > :24:46.Four years ago you could never have imagined that four years later you
:24:46. > :24:52.would be in this position. How many people are watching you now that
:24:52. > :25:00.have never wrote and think that could be then in the Rio Games?
:25:00. > :25:05.you work your heart, try your best, and anyone can do anything. -- if
:25:05. > :25:10.you work hard. Enjoy the national anthem. Congratulations to our
:25:10. > :25:13.first British gold medalists at London 2012. It was a great
:25:13. > :25:21.performance. You can tell when even the cynical television reporters
:25:21. > :25:29.lined up along here have all been applauding. And maybe its birds on
:25:29. > :25:32.a women's quad on to great things in their final. -- it spurs on. An
:25:32. > :25:42.outer Helen Skelton in the Olympic Park. I bet the atmosphere there
:25:42. > :25:47.
:25:47. > :25:52.I hope you are enjoying the atmosphere at Ten. I hope it is
:25:53. > :25:57.coming through your television screens and it is as infectious as
:25:57. > :26:02.it is here. The crowd on their feet because that is Team GB's first
:26:02. > :26:10.gold medal. I am standing in a ditch right now because Bay Hill is
:26:10. > :26:20.so packed. They all have tickets to be here. They all wanted to sit
:26:20. > :26:21.
:26:21. > :26:27.this. It is Team GB's first gold medal. I absolutely fantastic.
:26:27. > :26:31.you glad to what it here among the crowd? Fantastic. We were here for
:26:31. > :26:35.the disappointment yesterday but this is wonderful. You are getting
:26:35. > :26:40.into the Olympic spirit. Fantastic, wonderful to be here. Are you going
:26:40. > :26:45.to stay here all day? You are the good luck charm. We have got
:26:45. > :26:49.handball this afternoon. Enjoy that. I don't think we will win that, but
:26:49. > :26:57.that was all that mattered. Everybody can enjoy this moment
:26:57. > :27:00.together. Union flags in the air, red, white and blue clothes being
:27:00. > :27:04.thrown in the air. People at the Olympic Park of very pleased with
:27:04. > :27:08.that result. That is the legal high that is the
:27:08. > :27:12.Olympic gold medal! Let's look at this analytical objective bit. You
:27:12. > :27:17.are at the start, your first Olympic Games, you are nervous but
:27:17. > :27:21.there is a job to be done. You get out to a perfect start. It is about
:27:21. > :27:26.being relaxed, it getting into your pace. You are not worried about
:27:26. > :27:31.what anybody else is doing in that first 20 or 30 strokes. When they
:27:31. > :27:35.first look round, after about 250 metres, and they see they are well
:27:35. > :27:40.out in front, that is a great feeling. I have had it a couple of
:27:40. > :27:44.times. They looked around and they kept on pushing. Through the first
:27:44. > :27:48.500m, very comfortable. What looked very good was how relaxed and
:27:48. > :27:53.smooth they were. My only concern was that they kept getting bigger
:27:53. > :27:56.and bigger margins. All that comes into my mind is that you have to
:27:56. > :28:02.put in a lot of energy to do that and that has to pay the price at
:28:02. > :28:07.some board. Do you keep on pushing and dry up in the last few strokes?
:28:07. > :28:11.With everybody charging past you? But they were placing it perfectly.
:28:11. > :28:16.Matt was standing next to me and was saying that they won by five
:28:16. > :28:19.seconds in Barcelona and they were going to beat it by much more. The
:28:19. > :28:26.crowd, the emotion, they knew they were going to win and they were
:28:26. > :28:32.cruising, in relative terms. You saw the motion. I thought they were
:28:32. > :28:37.absolutely perfect. -- emotion. It is better to be in front than
:28:37. > :28:47.coming from behind. As we always do on these occasions, we had the
:28:47. > :28:52.
:28:52. > :28:56.camera on you and Matt. Thank you You were much more measured. We
:28:56. > :29:01.were content. I am eight years older than him. I have got to pace
:29:01. > :29:07.myself through the day. There are going to be lots of medals coming.
:29:07. > :29:10.I have got to pace myself. men's eight is coming up at 12:30pm,
:29:11. > :29:20.but if we go to the start we can see that they are waiting for us
:29:20. > :29:23.already at the final of the women's quad. Four women, not expected to
:29:23. > :29:33.medal, but maybe the feel-good factor that has been generated
:29:33. > :29:36.
:29:36. > :29:40.throughout the day and has reached there, and been medals in that boat.
:29:40. > :29:45.In the last 500m of the repechage they showed that they can do this,
:29:45. > :29:50.they can turn their season around. It is a very big ask. Lots of
:29:50. > :29:57.experience in this boat. Can they back up on that gold medal a few
:29:57. > :30:07.moments ago with another place on the podium? This crowd is close to
:30:07. > :30:16.
:30:16. > :30:21.the final of the women's quadrangle scull. Great Britain in lane number
:30:21. > :30:27.one, and we raced 2,000m on the international scene here, but their
:30:27. > :30:31.only focus is the first 500. They have got to jump out and attack the
:30:31. > :30:35.first 500 if they are going to have any chance of living with this high
:30:35. > :30:41.quality field. Already Great Britain slightly down. Half a
:30:41. > :30:50.length down on Australia. To Australia in a number two. World
:30:50. > :30:54.champions Germany in number four and China in number six. Great
:30:54. > :31:01.Britain starting slowly here. saw that in the repechage. We
:31:01. > :31:05.begged them to get out fast. They have let everybody go again. They
:31:05. > :31:09.finished well. Look, they are right at the back. They had to be in the
:31:09. > :31:15.pack here and they should have done everything possible just to be in a
:31:15. > :31:22.hand. Now they have got to play catch-up. -- just to be in the hunt.
:31:22. > :31:31.They will struggle just to get out of 6th place. They are really class,
:31:31. > :31:37.the crew from Ukraine. There have been so dominant this season. Long
:31:37. > :31:45.levers, long arms and legs, and already they are out in front.
:31:45. > :31:50.first time in Mark, 1500 to go. Almost by a length, Ukraine. Great
:31:50. > :31:54.Britain back in 6th, very worry only. It will be nearly impossible
:31:54. > :32:02.for them to get back towards the front bench to challenge for the
:32:02. > :32:06.top medals. We will have to wait until the end for Great Britain to
:32:06. > :32:11.get back into the silver or bronze position possibly. We know they
:32:11. > :32:16.have got a very good second 1,000m, but they have got to get to the
:32:16. > :32:20.point to execute. They are fighting to stay in it, because they are on
:32:21. > :32:24.the back foot now, not a great place to be. Great Britain were
:32:24. > :32:29.dominant by Germany, pipped by China four years ago in Beijing.
:32:29. > :32:33.They were expected to win that gold medal. Both China and Great Britain
:32:33. > :32:39.are not the force that they were. Germany always strong in this event.
:32:39. > :32:47.They put their best athletes into their top boat. They will be the
:32:47. > :32:50.ones to challenge now for the medal. United States doing a very good job.
:32:50. > :32:58.Latecomers, second last year, and they have got a very good chance of
:32:58. > :33:08.repeating that here at the Olympics. But look at Ukraine, so elegant. So
:33:08. > :33:15.long, so relaxed. Dementieva or needing this quadruple scull. She
:33:15. > :33:25.has got a stunning river. -- Dementieva leading. It is all about
:33:25. > :33:30.sustainability. Great Britain currently six. The crews have
:33:30. > :33:34.started to stretch out over the course. Not looking good for
:33:34. > :33:38.Frances Houghton, Beth Rodford, Melanie Wilson and Debbie Flood.
:33:38. > :33:42.They knew that coming out of the repechage and into this final they
:33:42. > :33:49.had to series to turn around the first 1000 and they have not done
:33:49. > :33:53.that. -- seriously turn around. They will have to rely on an
:33:53. > :33:58.explosive second 1,000m and I do not think we are going to get that.
:33:58. > :34:01.Everything in perfect synchronicity from Ukraine. What is really lovely,
:34:01. > :34:05.what used to be the problem with the Ukraine was that they would run
:34:05. > :34:11.out of puff. They were not really physically totally prepared and
:34:11. > :34:15.trade. They have put that right. They have added some good technique
:34:15. > :34:24.and they look absolutely superb. One of the great crews of this
:34:24. > :34:33.Olympiad. Being chased by Germany, slipping into second place. Great
:34:33. > :34:37.Britain in 6th position. Great pick up of the stroke. They bury their
:34:37. > :34:41.blade tips so quickly and connect that with the leg drive. That is
:34:41. > :34:50.what connects the stroke. The legs, the Blades, holding on with the
:34:50. > :34:54.arms. Finishing at the stroke with the arms at the end. Really quick
:34:54. > :35:04.and really long. They are not having it all their own way. Here
:35:04. > :35:17.
:35:17. > :35:22.come Jo May and the United States. really at the back. It all came
:35:22. > :35:25.down to the first 500, they did not get into it. You have got to get
:35:25. > :35:29.amongst it, and that gives you the confidence to get into a stunning
:35:29. > :35:34.rhythm, which we are looking at right now from the crew from
:35:34. > :35:37.Ukraine. They were undefeated throughout the 2012 World Cup
:35:37. > :35:43.regattas, we had three around Europe, their won in such
:35:43. > :35:51.impressive style, and they now skulk away, and they are sculling
:35:51. > :35:56.two Olympic glory in the men's quadruple -- women's quadruple
:35:56. > :36:00.sculls final. On the left, the Australians will have to fight hard
:36:00. > :36:06.if they are going to come back into it. 200 from the line, 20 strokes
:36:06. > :36:10.to go. Germany have got the edge and the United States of America.
:36:10. > :36:15.Germany with their strongest at least 10 at boat, just beginning to
:36:15. > :36:21.move a little bit further away from the United States. -- athletes in
:36:21. > :36:27.that boat. Ukraine, dominant in this event for the year, the USA
:36:27. > :36:32.with a creditable third. Great Britain, I'm afraid, not today.
:36:32. > :36:36.They come past us in the commentary position, five strokes to the line,
:36:36. > :36:41.Ukraine looking absolutely glorious. It is an Olympic gold medals for
:36:41. > :36:46.them, they are the new Olympic champions, and rightly so, they
:36:46. > :36:51.have had a fantastic 2012 season. Then Germany, the United States of
:36:51. > :37:01.America, and here comes Great Britain, languishing in sixth
:37:01. > :37:05.
:37:05. > :37:09.position, and they will be mightily season, and they are the worthy
:37:09. > :37:14.winners of this than in their title. Being dominant or through the
:37:14. > :37:19.season, it will not come as a surprise that they have won, but it
:37:19. > :37:24.is relief and the excitement, of course, it is that it is an Olympic
:37:24. > :37:32.gold medal, and that is just spectacular. Ukraine, what a great
:37:32. > :37:36.result. Always enjoyable to watch, the emotions start to hit you, they
:37:36. > :37:46.come at you like a train, really, up until the moment you get up
:37:46. > :37:57.
:37:57. > :38:03.under the line it is focus on the Helen were a few moments ago, very
:38:03. > :38:09.impressive performance. -- Heather. Ukraine have been as dominant as
:38:09. > :38:13.our pair through the season, very similar situation. Our quad, very
:38:13. > :38:18.disappointing, the quality of the girls, but it has not gone well all
:38:18. > :38:22.season. I have got no reason why. I was hoping that the best they had
:38:22. > :38:26.in the semi-final, sorry, the repechage, when they came blasting
:38:26. > :38:32.in the last 500, that was going to be enough to put some more belief
:38:32. > :38:37.into it, but unfortunately it was more like what they showed in the
:38:38. > :38:41.rest of the season. Was there an option at some point to change
:38:41. > :38:44.personnel in the boat? Once you have made a decision, are you
:38:44. > :38:54.better off staying with what you have got? They have changed it a
:38:54. > :38:56.
:38:56. > :39:00.few times from the First World Cup, they were unsettled. After Friday,
:39:00. > :39:03.when they win their gold medal, hopefully we will say they could
:39:04. > :39:07.have done both, but that was a slight sacrifice from their point
:39:07. > :39:14.of view. I do not think that they were in the class of beating
:39:14. > :39:17.Ukraine at any stage, but I know they are as good as the Americans.
:39:17. > :39:21.Well, you know, the contrast in emotion in a very short space of
:39:21. > :39:25.time, the euphoria of Helen and Heather, and we are having their
:39:25. > :39:29.victory ceremony in just a few moments time, to the despair of
:39:29. > :39:32.finishing last in a final and the efforts that has been put in is no
:39:32. > :39:40.less to finish last than it is to finish first, but there is no
:39:40. > :39:44.prizes for coming 6th, and you can see on the faces of Melanie Wilson
:39:44. > :39:48.and Frances Houghton that a lot of work goes in for no reward at the
:39:48. > :39:53.end of it. A lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, they will be absolutely
:39:53. > :39:57.devastated, as well as the coaching staff as well. A lot of effort from
:39:57. > :40:01.a lot of people, and when you do not reassure potential, it is hard
:40:01. > :40:05.to take. Just before the next race, we are going to have the medal
:40:05. > :40:09.ceremony in a few minutes' time, but that will run immediately into
:40:09. > :40:13.the men's eight, the culmination of the programme today, so a quick
:40:13. > :40:18.word about that. They have a medal opportunity, but let's not get
:40:18. > :40:22.carried away, we are not predicting gold, are we? We cannot predict
:40:22. > :40:29.gold, we can predict silver, that is the form they have shown through
:40:29. > :40:32.the season, through the last two The Germans have been a class act.
:40:32. > :40:36.They were bitterly disappointed with their performance at the last
:40:36. > :40:40.Olympics and they have won every race they have been in. A bit like
:40:40. > :40:45.the Ukraine in the quadruple sculls, Helen and Heather, they are the
:40:45. > :40:49.dominant boat, but the gaps are not as big. It is a lot tighter,
:40:49. > :40:53.anything can happen, but I think our guys will put everything on the
:40:53. > :40:56.line. Hopefully they will be in contact in the first 500, that has
:40:56. > :41:00.been their downside in the last few years. When they have raised the
:41:00. > :41:05.Germans, they have let them get away and then charged back at them.
:41:05. > :41:09.Even with this crowd, they will not charge passed the Germans. For some
:41:10. > :41:15.reason, the women's quads are not the sum of the parts. The men's
:41:15. > :41:20.eight and there cox, it is an extraordinarily cosmopolitan bunch,
:41:20. > :41:26.Moe Sbihi, the first Muslim in the team, Phelan Hill, a former adviser
:41:26. > :41:30.to the Treasury, Constantine Louloudis, 20 years old, Greg
:41:30. > :41:35.Searle, 40 years old, 20 years on from Barcelona. It is like throwing
:41:35. > :41:40.them up in the air, landing them in a boat, but it works. That is what
:41:40. > :41:45.rowing is about in some ways. You could put the eight best rowers
:41:45. > :41:49.into a boat, but it would not necessarily be the best boat. It is
:41:49. > :41:54.a combination of personalities, but we are more interested in what is
:41:54. > :42:00.going to happen in the next two minutes. Helen Glover, Heather
:42:00. > :42:05.Stanning, and his said there was a dearth of gold medals? The papers
:42:05. > :42:09.today, crisis, what crisis?! Britain languishing in 23rd place
:42:09. > :42:14.in the medals table. We have still got the time trials at Hampton
:42:14. > :42:19.Court over the next two or three hours, but in a few moments time,
:42:19. > :42:23.on top of the podium will be Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, not
:42:23. > :42:27.just our first gold-medallists at love but the first women ever to
:42:27. > :42:36.win gold medals in rowing. I will leave the honour of describing this
:42:36. > :42:41.Thank you, John. You are seen two people on the medal podium, but
:42:41. > :42:45.three people are involved in this boat, and we really have to salute
:42:45. > :42:50.Robin Williams, fantastic coach who brought this whole project to that
:42:50. > :42:57.glorious, glorious conclusion. The medals will be handed out by Denis
:42:57. > :43:04.Oswald, whom we just saw, the flowers by Michael Williams, the
:43:04. > :43:10.treasurer of the International Rowing Federation. Denis Oswald, he
:43:10. > :43:19.oversaw the whole preparation for London 2012. Bronze-medallists,
:43:19. > :43:23.representing New Zealand! Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown, they just
:43:23. > :43:27.could not live with the pace. champions last year, they beat the
:43:27. > :43:37.British pair last year by a whisker. Fast-moving but not really smooth
:43:37. > :43:40.
:43:40. > :43:50.They really did not look like challenging the British pair this
:43:50. > :43:59.year. Nevertheless, an Olympic medal in a tough competition. But
:43:59. > :44:07.their faces, particularly Rebecca Scown, LIT disappointment. -- the
:44:07. > :44:11.life. New Zealand to the right of them, Australia to the left!
:44:11. > :44:17.Silver-medallists, representing Australia! The Australians will be
:44:17. > :44:27.mightily happy with that silver medal. This combination, third at
:44:27. > :44:30.
:44:30. > :44:40.the World Championships last year. Kate Hornsey and Sarah Tate. Still,
:44:40. > :44:48.
:44:48. > :44:53.though, the gap between the Olympic But here they are, ladies and
:44:53. > :44:59.gentlemen, our new Olympic champions, not just for Great
:44:59. > :45:05.Britain, but the first time in a rowing history for the British team
:45:05. > :45:15.that Great Britain have won the Olympic gold medal! Representing
:45:15. > :45:18.
:45:18. > :45:28.There is no finer setting to represent your country on home
:45:28. > :45:28.
:45:28. > :45:32.water, and what a magnificent time now, Helen Glover... And Heather
:45:33. > :45:41.Stanning! Heather Stanning from Lossiemouth, Helen Glover from
:45:41. > :45:46.Penzance. That is what it means! And they turn, and they show the
:45:47. > :45:51.medals to the crowd, and you are not going to get two more worthy
:45:51. > :45:57.champions throughout the whole of this Olympic regatta. And it will
:45:57. > :46:04.now hit them hard as they watch the flag going up. It has been a
:46:04. > :46:14.magnificent project. It has been a breathtaking display, it has been
:46:14. > :46:52.
:46:52. > :46:56.an incredible race. The national Thousands of people here at Eton
:46:56. > :47:02.Dorney joining in with the national anthem, as the whole country is on
:47:02. > :47:12.its feet, and we salute you, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, a
:47:12. > :47:18.
:47:18. > :47:22.Olympic champions here at Eton Like the podium in 1992, a big
:47:22. > :47:30.emotional moment. A can there be any better and in big games to hear
:47:30. > :47:40.the national anthem and no that 99% of the crowds are right behind you?
:47:40. > :47:45.
:47:45. > :47:50.British rowers are coming, and it tears Helen Glover has got to shed,
:47:50. > :47:54.because she has been in floods for 50 minutes, but every tier is a
:47:54. > :47:59.deserving one, a monumental achievement for her and had a poor
:47:59. > :48:04.start an outstanding junior international and hockey player.
:48:04. > :48:07.She decided she was going to do rowing four years ago, there she is
:48:07. > :48:11.on the left with a gold medal around her neck. Heather Stanning
:48:11. > :48:14.may be heading back to Afghanistan or who knows where, whatever next
:48:14. > :48:18.posting in the army will be, but what a combination, what a pair
:48:18. > :48:20.they have been, standard-bearers for women's rowing and women's
:48:21. > :48:26.sport, inspirational figures for who knows how many people watching
:48:26. > :48:30.at home on this Wednesday afternoon. When you talk about legacy, this is
:48:30. > :48:35.one legacy is all about, watching the Rowan four years ago, thinking,
:48:35. > :48:40.I want some of that, coming out and doing it. You were there four years
:48:40. > :48:45.ago, you should have got back in the boat! With that run there, I
:48:45. > :48:52.could go quite quick in a boat to Dave! -- crowd. How much of that in
:48:52. > :48:57.the men's eight down at the start, 30,000 people singing the anthem,
:48:57. > :49:01.the wind was against it, but they must have got a glimpse of that...
:49:01. > :49:06.There is the cheer for them, they must have got a glimpse of that
:49:06. > :49:11.from afar, so can we round off what has already been a history-making
:49:11. > :49:15.day for British rowing here at Eton Dorney with another medal, and
:49:15. > :49:19.could it perhaps the gold? This is always one of the great sights of
:49:20. > :49:29.any Olympic Games, the final of the men's eight, and it is going to be
:49:30. > :49:36.
:49:36. > :49:41.described by Garry Herbert and Dan undefeated in the men's eight. For
:49:41. > :49:51.four years, since Beijing. Canada in lane five, the defending Olympic
:49:51. > :49:51.
:49:51. > :50:01.champions. Australia in a number six, 4th at the World Championships
:50:01. > :50:11.
:50:12. > :50:21.the men's eight. The next five and a half minutes will define the rest
:50:22. > :50:29.
:50:29. > :50:39.Britain. They have to absolutely jammed with Germany. Canada have
:50:39. > :50:39.
:50:39. > :50:43.gone. -- jump with Germany. Great Britain know that the first 250,
:50:43. > :50:48.imperative that they get right into the race. They are there, in
:50:48. > :50:54.amongst it all. A fantastic start for Constantine Louloulis in at the
:50:54. > :51:04.stroke. The engine house that backs him up behind. Great Britain
:51:04. > :51:05.
:51:05. > :51:11.practice this fast start. That has been no trouble. They knew that
:51:11. > :51:16.they had to get out early to say that this great big kick at the end
:51:16. > :51:24.would have no impact on the classy German boat. Constantine Louloulis
:51:24. > :51:34.recovered from injury, first big race. Here he is on his own course,
:51:34. > :51:37.
:51:37. > :51:47.built by Eton College, this is why he learned to -- where he learned
:51:47. > :51:54.
:51:54. > :52:04.higher. A fabulous start for Great Britain. They are on track, chasing
:52:04. > :52:05.
:52:05. > :52:07.hard. They are hounding Germany. Great Britain have been in this
:52:07. > :52:14.position before and Germany were able to turn the screw after
:52:14. > :52:19.halfway. Can Great Britain have the ability to keep this? They have
:52:19. > :52:24.been rowing so well. They have got length and really lovely rhythm.
:52:25. > :52:28.Can they do this at this time around in the Olympic final? They
:52:28. > :52:33.came together as individuals but under the watchful eye of John West,
:52:33. > :52:37.they have been moulded into the crew that we see today. Racing for
:52:37. > :52:42.their country, but in their lives on the edge here. They are looking
:52:42. > :52:52.good and long. Phelan Hill, 32, driving the British. Driving them
:52:52. > :52:53.
:52:53. > :53:03.hard. Closest to us, Canada, the Olympic champions. But in amongst
:53:03. > :53:14.
:53:14. > :53:18.it all, Moe Sbihi heat, Richard terrific position to push on. But
:53:18. > :53:25.the Germans have got a tremendous change of beer, so can they make
:53:25. > :53:30.that work for them? Into the third 500 now. There is no doubt that the
:53:30. > :53:36.Germans are being put under pressure by Great Britain. Here
:53:36. > :53:42.come the British now! We have got 800m remaining. Take them on now.
:53:42. > :53:52.Constantine Louloulis! Germany have never been put under this much
:53:52. > :54:04.
:54:04. > :54:11.pressure for this sustained length. fairy tale. Great Britain up there
:54:11. > :54:21.on of the bowels of Germany, the World Champion, unbeaten this year.
:54:21. > :54:21.
:54:21. > :54:27.-- the bows. It is all about sheer determination but the Germans have
:54:27. > :54:32.responded. We are into the last 500m. This is the Olympic final and
:54:32. > :54:40.there is nothing in it. Germany, Great Britain, Canada, this is
:54:41. > :54:47.coming down to the wire. Greg Searle, for the great British men's
:54:47. > :54:51.eight, if not now, when? This is your time! Germany have got all
:54:51. > :54:56.that flexibility and experience but they are starting to edge away.
:54:56. > :55:00.Great Britain have to put it all into the last 400m. If they are in
:55:00. > :55:08.hell now, the pay will be excruciating, but they have got the
:55:08. > :55:15.10th man in the boat. The 10th man is the crowd. Germany taking the
:55:15. > :55:24.lead. 40 strokes a minute and moving away. What a challenge for
:55:24. > :55:29.Great Britain. The Olympic champions coming into picture.
:55:29. > :55:34.world champions are leading. Almost half a leg. The Germans responded
:55:34. > :55:40.well to the charge of brick Britain. Watch out for Canada, the defending
:55:40. > :55:45.Olympic champions. You have got to claw your way to the line. Great
:55:45. > :55:49.Britain slipping back into bronze. Canada have just slipped past Great
:55:49. > :55:55.Britain. Great Britain hanging on, hanging on to that bronze medal.
:55:55. > :55:59.Germany are going to be the Olympic champions. Canada coming through.
:55:59. > :56:06.And Great Britain into bronze medal position. Great Britain gets the
:56:06. > :56:15.bronze medal but what a challenge. Germany so grateful to have got
:56:15. > :56:20.home. They have maintained their unbroken record, Olympic champions.
:56:20. > :56:23.A Germany have dominated for the last four years and there was a
:56:23. > :56:27.moment in that race going through the halfway mark that Great Britain
:56:27. > :56:33.had us on the edge of our seats. But it is bronze medal for the
:56:33. > :56:37.British crew of today. We also have to take our hats off to Canada, the
:56:37. > :56:42.defending Olympic champions. Outstanding. 250 metres for the
:56:43. > :56:46.Canadians. How they flew past Great Britain. Great Britain looked like
:56:46. > :56:51.they were absolutely certain of silver and just edging for gold.
:56:51. > :56:55.Everything in the last 500m turned around. There will be huge
:56:55. > :57:00.disappointment with that bronze medal for Great Britain. At one
:57:00. > :57:05.point in the race, Phelan Hill will have called that they have hit the
:57:05. > :57:11.front, and that was the point that they had to go again. But Germany
:57:11. > :57:17.have been so dominant in this event over the last four years. They had
:57:17. > :57:25.cool heads under pressure and they had the major charge at the end. In
:57:25. > :57:29.the last 250 they lifted it up and they rowed away from the field.
:57:30. > :57:39.Superb rowing. Not huge guys, but so well drilled and say well
:57:40. > :57:40.
:57:40. > :57:47.disciplined. -- so well disciplined. It was brave, write to the last,
:57:47. > :57:54.but they through so much into the first 1000, so much in their last
:57:54. > :57:59.500, but they could not hang on to Germany. Our hearts really wanted
:57:59. > :58:08.it but our heads said it could not be. Our hearts will be it and we
:58:08. > :58:13.urged them, as 30,000 people at Eton Dorney did this afternoon.
:58:14. > :58:17.British crew had the very difficult season. They had injury in the boat
:58:17. > :58:25.right the way through. They were changing their order around a lot.
:58:25. > :58:29.It was just the very last bit. Confirmation that Germany are the
:58:29. > :58:38.Olympic champions, Canada the silver medalists, and Great Britain
:58:38. > :58:43.get bronze today. They will be disappointed with that. That is the
:58:43. > :58:49.scene of desolation and complete exhaustion in the British boat. At
:58:49. > :58:52.1,500m, they took the lead. They thought it was the moment, but it
:58:52. > :59:00.did not happen. It was an extraordinary performance by the
:59:00. > :59:04.Germans to find it something extra. For Greg Searle, 20 years after
:59:04. > :59:09.Barcelona, coming back from a moment of triumph two decades on
:59:09. > :59:12.aged 40, it was not to be. But let's not belittle the fact that it
:59:12. > :59:16.is a bronze medal in a hugely competitive price and they gave it
:59:16. > :59:20.everything they could. They did everything that we wanted them to
:59:20. > :59:26.do. We wanted them to be in a race in the first 500 and they were.
:59:26. > :59:30.They took the lead in the first 1,000m but the Germans were able to
:59:30. > :59:34.pull away. As the guys have been saying, they put everything online
:59:34. > :59:38.for the gold medal. They could have taken silver but they put
:59:38. > :59:43.everything on the line for gold. We thought they could do it at one
:59:43. > :59:46.stage. The Germans are just behind us coming in. Hats off to them,
:59:46. > :59:50.hugely impressive. Yes, it is bronze and they will be
:59:50. > :59:53.disappointed. In some ways we are disappointed with the bronze medal.
:59:53. > :00:02.They wanted the gold and they put everything on the line and they did
:00:02. > :00:10.not care if it was silver, bronze, for, 5th or 6th, they wanted the
:00:10. > :00:14.gold medal. The cox was saying that after the first race it had to get
:00:14. > :00:18.out quickly. They thought the crowd would carry them home, but that was
:00:18. > :00:22.not to be. If you put it in the context of any other race,
:00:22. > :00:25.athletics, horse racing, you always feel that once somebody has been
:00:25. > :00:30.overtaken when they have been leading for a long time, that is
:00:30. > :00:34.when there is that shift in the balance of power. When Germany were
:00:34. > :00:41.overtaken, we thought Britain had got them. So for Germany to find an
:00:41. > :00:46.extra gear, mentally unbelievably strong. I was watching the pictures
:00:46. > :00:51.of Germany. The three-man looked like he was spent at 1,000m. They
:00:51. > :00:56.were halfway and he looked like he was gone. Our guys looked strong.
:00:56. > :01:00.They hung in there and they sensed them going away. There is no better
:01:00. > :01:07.feeling when you are in the boat, you are hurting, but moving away
:01:08. > :01:17.from everybody else. I cannot say how proud I and, a brilliant effort.
:01:17. > :01:22.-- I am. We will talk to them in a moment. It is at moments like this
:01:22. > :01:26.that it is impossible to fast- forward yourself 20 years. You will
:01:26. > :01:29.be watching the Olympic Games in 2032, thinking I got that bronze
:01:29. > :01:39.medal. They will not be thinking that now, but that in 20 years that
:01:39. > :01:42.
:01:42. > :01:46.is when the bride will be a reality. -- the pride to. The fact is that
:01:46. > :01:50.they wanted that gold medal and they put everything on the line for
:01:50. > :01:56.it. They have just come a little bit short. For a number of months
:01:57. > :02:00.and years they will be struggling to cope with this performance. It
:02:00. > :02:06.is the memories that they have got of what they have done that is
:02:06. > :02:16.important thing. You can see Phelan Hill, just on his haunches with
:02:16. > :02:17.
:02:17. > :02:21.Greg Searle. It is almost like being numb. You know that you are
:02:21. > :02:25.in great nick. You are hoping for the biggest prize of all and when
:02:25. > :02:32.it does not come, you do not know what to say and do. It is not just
:02:32. > :02:37.the physical pain. It is the mental pain. You have build yourself up to
:02:37. > :02:41.this and suddenly that release. People always say that you look
:02:41. > :02:46.tired after the Olympics, it must have been physically hard. Yes, it
:02:46. > :02:50.is, but it is the mental relief. It is all over. What you have been
:02:50. > :02:53.building up to, the three years, dreaming of coming back into this
:02:54. > :02:59.position and having this chance, it is taken away when that buzzer goes
:02:59. > :03:05.and it is not you. Phelan Hill has been calling the shots the whole
:03:05. > :03:07.time, the gel that binds the boat together. He has been relentlessly
:03:07. > :03:17.upbeat and encouraging them even when their form has been
:03:17. > :03:23.indifferent. And it Osmond of support from the crowd. -- an
:03:23. > :03:32.acknowledgement. The men's eight is always one of the great sights at
:03:33. > :03:37.any Olympic Games. It is just a great spectacle and it is even
:03:37. > :03:42.better if you can come out at the end, but it was not to be.
:03:42. > :03:52.Britain's three gold medals remain at 19 arete, 1912, 2000. We were
:03:52. > :03:54.
:03:54. > :03:57.hoping this would be the 4th time. -- 1908. I hate to say it, but I
:03:57. > :04:01.think the Germans have deserved that victory. They have been
:04:01. > :04:09.fantastic for four years, and the way our guys made them when that
:04:09. > :04:17.gold medal, they won. Hugely impressed with with the Germans.
:04:17. > :04:24.But it is struggle and pain. Even the winners are not smiling because
:04:24. > :04:27.of the pain they have gone through. The mental effort that was required,
:04:27. > :04:31.everybody is trying to put themselves in that position, I am
:04:31. > :04:39.sure. When they looked across at 1,500m and the British were ahead,
:04:40. > :04:44.how dare they? It was about 1,000m when our guys went in front. It was
:04:44. > :04:49.neck-and-neck as they went through that. It was the third 500 which is
:04:49. > :04:52.always the crucial part. This was where I was having concerns. They
:04:52. > :04:56.have put everything on the line, they have given everything, they
:04:56. > :05:00.were hoping to hang onto it and the crowd was going to spur them on and
:05:00. > :05:10.give them more energy. At this stage I thought quite a few boats
:05:10. > :05:12.
:05:12. > :05:18.completely true. It has been fantastic, the whole three years
:05:18. > :05:21.has been absolutely brilliant. Yeah, I mean, there are some good people
:05:21. > :05:25.here, this amazing event, the Olympic Games, and I do not think
:05:25. > :05:29.we could have given it any more. We said before the race that we wanted
:05:29. > :05:36.to be able to look at ourselves and air and ask, did we give
:05:36. > :05:42.everything? And I think we did. 1,500m, you went into the lead, did
:05:42. > :05:46.you think, this could be it? Yeah, I did, I had an amazing rush of
:05:46. > :05:49.adrenalin when Phelan Hill said, we are in the lead, he was sitting
:05:49. > :05:56.level with the German stroke man, so I knew we had just got into the
:05:56. > :06:02.lead, and I thought it could really come true. We raised, you know, we
:06:02. > :06:06.raised hard from the start, and the crowd was just amazing. -- race.
:06:06. > :06:11.But we did not have anything left, and I guess they came back in the
:06:11. > :06:16.last bit. It is a bronze medal, but obviously wanted so much more than
:06:16. > :06:21.that. Can you look at it rationally and say, we did the best we could
:06:21. > :06:27.and we have got a medal, or is it just the sadness at not having
:06:27. > :06:31.achieved your goal, the overriding emotion? I think, obviously, at the
:06:31. > :06:35.moment you feel like you have failed. We went for the gold. When
:06:35. > :06:39.it does not come off, you cannot help but feel like to have lost.
:06:39. > :06:43.But I think it was different four years ago when we we did not put
:06:44. > :06:49.ourselves in that place to win its, and that really Ed. Today we did
:06:49. > :06:54.everything to go for gold and we did not make it, but the same race
:06:54. > :07:00.again, I would still risk everyone for gold. We have lost silver, but
:07:00. > :07:04.I do not care, we went for gold. That at least we can be proud of.
:07:04. > :07:08.have got to come in, I know there are limits on time, but it is not a
:07:09. > :07:14.failure. You did everything that everyone wanted you to do, you made
:07:14. > :07:22.the Germans win that. You did not lose it, they went out and won it.
:07:22. > :07:27.How are you feeling? Yeah, really... Really mixed emotions at the moment.
:07:27. > :07:33.Like we fought so hard macro for it, and we were really bold, coming
:07:33. > :07:41.through to of 50. That moment through there, we took the lead at
:07:42. > :07:48.that point. Yeah, really taking this on, taking the risk. And then,
:07:48. > :07:53.yeah, it was not quite enough. Listen, congratulations to all nine
:07:54. > :07:57.of you, it was an epic struggle, and you came up short, but you gave
:07:57. > :08:00.it everything you had. Thank you so much for talking to us, we have
:08:00. > :08:06.been with you the whole way, the last two or three years, thank you
:08:06. > :08:09.for being great guys to work with. Can I just say a really big thanks
:08:09. > :08:14.to all the volunteers and the support here? It has been
:08:14. > :08:17.absolutely fantastic, I have never seen so many messages of good luck,
:08:17. > :08:22.seeing everyone who has made the effort to come out here. I think
:08:22. > :08:26.that is really special, thanks. Listen, we have got to let you go,
:08:26. > :08:30.I gather, but thank you very much indeed, many congratulations,
:08:30. > :08:37.hopefully you will look at it and say, hey, we have all got gold,
:08:37. > :08:45.bronze medals and you are proud of that. Obviously, you can see the
:08:45. > :08:48.monumental disappointment as far as Having spoken after the heat and
:08:48. > :08:52.the semi-final about being so determined to come away with the
:08:52. > :08:56.gold, to make it the 4th time that a men's eight had managed to
:08:56. > :09:00.achieve that, in the end, coming up short, but they gave it all I could.
:09:00. > :09:07.We do have one gold medalled today from Helen Glover and Heather
:09:07. > :09:09.Stanning, and before we hand back, it is an emotional moment, you know
:09:09. > :09:13.the guy is so well, you have offered them advice and counselling
:09:13. > :09:17.and stuff, and you have seen the younger ones develop as tremendous
:09:17. > :09:21.athletes, it is an emotional moment when the goal that you have set
:09:21. > :09:25.yourself you fall short of, because there is only one winner. Let's
:09:25. > :09:29.talk about Helen and Heather, because their lives will never be
:09:29. > :09:33.the same after today, will they? It is a grandiose thing to say, but it
:09:33. > :09:39.is true. It is true, it is true, especially the way that the sport
:09:39. > :09:43.is now in this country, that they are megastars, and the way they
:09:43. > :09:49.have conducted themselves through the last two and a half years has
:09:49. > :09:53.been absolutely immense. Absolutely fantastic. When I won the gold
:09:53. > :09:57.medal in 1984, I knew all our medallists from the last six games
:09:57. > :10:02.by name, and I thought, I'm in that boot. I came back, and it was not
:10:02. > :10:08.like that. Now it is different, these people will be heroes, and
:10:08. > :10:12.rightly so. Excellent, that is it from us at Eton Dorney for today.
:10:12. > :10:18.It almost feels like we are ending on a Downer, but we shouldn't,
:10:18. > :10:22.because the men's eight have won a heroic bronze medal, and on top of
:10:22. > :10:24.the tree our first gold-medallists of London 2012. We can all
:10:24. > :10:30.celebrate that, and hopefully we will have more for you over the
:10:30. > :10:35.next few days, Matt. Come on, Bradley! What a morning at Eton
:10:35. > :10:39.Dorney, I am sure you were standing screaming at the television, just
:10:39. > :10:43.incredible achievement from our British rowers. Now, attention
:10:43. > :10:47.turns to the time-trial, and we have two competitors going today,
:10:47. > :10:50.Lizzie Armitstead and Emma Pooley, both already Olympics other
:10:50. > :10:56.medallists, but it is Marianne Vos of the Netherlands he was probably
:10:56. > :10:59.the favourite here. Lizzie is shortly to be set in off, but let's
:10:59. > :11:08.get over to Chris Boardman and Huw Porter, who can take us through the
:11:08. > :11:12.static house is going to get a huge ovation, because it is Lizzie
:11:12. > :11:17.Armitstead from Great Britain, who will be chasing down Ellen van Dijk.
:11:17. > :11:24.Getting back to the split times at 9.1 kilometres, we have had four
:11:24. > :11:27.riders through their at this stage, and the quickest is still Pia
:11:27. > :11:35.Sundstedt of Finland, the only rider to have gone inside the 15
:11:35. > :11:39.minute barrier. I think Ellen van Dijk will be better when she gets
:11:39. > :11:46.there, she is the national time- trial champion, she was aggressive
:11:46. > :11:52.in the road race, and I think she will be top five. Audrey Cordon of
:11:52. > :11:58.France goes second, 18 seconds slower than Pia Sundstedt of
:11:58. > :12:02.Finland. This is Lizzie Armitstead, the 23-year-old from Ockley in
:12:02. > :12:06.Yorkshire were thrilled us all with that brilliant bike ride in the
:12:06. > :12:15.road race, when she got the silver medal, chasing Marianne Vos all way
:12:15. > :12:18.home to the line in the heady, rainy conditions. So she is not a
:12:18. > :12:23.pure time trial, but she is very gutsy, and from the form I saw that
:12:23. > :12:27.she has got in the road race, you never know, she could surprise.
:12:27. > :12:32.think the former's there, but to be fair to Lizzie, she has done her
:12:32. > :12:39.job. This is a bonus right for her, she could do without the pressure,
:12:39. > :12:43.just go as hard as she can. She does not tend to win time-trials,
:12:43. > :12:47.but she is generally top five or top 10 in the ones that she has
:12:47. > :12:52.ridden this year. An aggressive start, she will ride as hard as she
:12:52. > :12:56.can and see what she can get out of this experience. Of course, she is
:12:56. > :13:00.very talented, multi-talented, a former world champion for team
:13:01. > :13:06.pursuit, and she has been on the podium in the points raised and the
:13:06. > :13:11.scratch race at world championships. -- race. She elected not to be part
:13:11. > :13:16.of the squad, she wants to concentrate just on the road, and
:13:16. > :13:21.that his testimony to the death and pedigree that she has. She is out
:13:21. > :13:27.there now on the time-trial. That is the time for Tatiana Antoshina,
:13:27. > :13:32.so in the early stages, Chris, it is Pia Sundstedt he was the only
:13:32. > :13:36.one inside 15 minutes. Three seconds in it, all to play for
:13:36. > :13:42.still at this stage. It is about pacing your effort over the full
:13:42. > :13:46.distance here. The speed is comparatively low, I have to say, I
:13:46. > :13:51.expected a little bit more than that. It is the flattest section of
:13:51. > :13:56.the course, a mechanical there on a line, that is not going to help
:13:56. > :14:05.your concentration. Eight more competitors to go, and this is Emma
:14:05. > :14:11.Johansson. Now, Emma Johansson was second in the road race in Beijing.
:14:11. > :14:18.She chose down Nicole Cooke in the sprint in knows very wet conditions.
:14:18. > :14:25.She is also using a rather strange flying saucer shape of Helmut there.
:14:25. > :14:28.Trying to spread the airflow over the shoulders. 14th, then, in the
:14:28. > :14:34.road race, the time-trial I should say last year, and they are
:14:34. > :14:38.handsome, to Judith Arndt, who went on to win the world title. -- in my
:14:38. > :14:43.Johansson. A good ride in a road race at the weekend. She is always
:14:43. > :14:47.there in the next, just 27 seconds back on the winner. You can look
:14:47. > :14:52.out third Johansson today, very consistent, does well in the stage
:14:52. > :14:56.races. We were making the point earlier that riding a stage race
:14:56. > :15:01.time-trial is different to being prepared for this. That is Marianne
:15:01. > :15:07.Vos, already with a gold medal in her pocket, thinking about number
:15:07. > :15:15.two as we switch back to Amber Neben, the 37-year-old American.
:15:15. > :15:20.Very good against the clock. She is an experienced competitor. We would
:15:20. > :15:25.expect to see something from her in his race, she won the national
:15:25. > :15:35.championships back in June. Faith in the world championships in
:15:35. > :15:39.
:15:39. > :15:43.Copenhagen, 41 seconds short of Olympic champion and world champion
:15:43. > :15:48.later, Kristin Armstrong. She has not had an ideal build-up, she has
:15:48. > :15:52.been out with injury. Amber Neben finished very heavily on the road
:15:52. > :15:57.race, slipped away at the end, saving her legs for this event.
:15:57. > :16:05.Next to come into the starting house will be Emma Pooley, and she
:16:05. > :16:08.is going to get a huge ovation from a very, very big crowd. She did
:16:08. > :16:13.well in support of Lizzie Armitstead in the road event. If
:16:13. > :16:17.this had been more hilly, I would have let down for a medal. I still
:16:17. > :16:22.think she could podium, she has got the form, and riding in front of
:16:22. > :16:26.her home crowd, who knows? She has reviewed this caused quite a lot,
:16:26. > :16:31.actually. I was present on one occasion, they are really taking it
:16:31. > :16:36.quite seriously. She would be more suited to a hilly course, but her
:16:36. > :16:42.form is great, we saw that in the road race. Working hard on the flat,
:16:42. > :16:47.not just on the climbs. We might get a glimpse of Lizzie Armitstead,
:16:47. > :16:51.out on the course, but Emma Pooley, silver medal-winner in Beijing when
:16:51. > :16:57.she chased home Kristin Armstrong, denied gold by 24 seconds because
:16:57. > :17:00.of that long downhill from the summit of the circuit, down the
:17:00. > :17:04.Expressway, that denied her the gold medal. On the flat, she will
:17:04. > :17:08.easily be equal to the rest of the opposition. She has been the world
:17:08. > :17:13.champion at this, and she also got the bronze medal in Copenhagen.
:17:13. > :17:18.Emma Pooley SATs off and she will get a huge ovation all the way
:17:18. > :17:22.around the course. -- sets also but we are hoping for a medal despite
:17:22. > :17:25.the flat nature of the course. form is good, and that overrules
:17:25. > :17:32.all. You can see that she is in great shape from a muscle
:17:32. > :17:37.definition. Watching every move on the road race, clearly on form. She
:17:37. > :17:47.has ridden these roads on several occasions. She has written these
:17:47. > :17:51.roads with national coach Chris Newton. Now, here comes the new
:17:51. > :17:56.leader, Olga Zabelinskaya, as we predicted, she has sliced a
:17:56. > :18:00.previous -- a massive amount on the previous leaders time. We can look
:18:00. > :18:05.to below 14 when the big stars of the time-trial arrive. The next
:18:05. > :18:10.competitor that is going to start his Clara Hughes, 39 years of age,
:18:10. > :18:15.and what a superstar she is. She got a bronze medal in the Olympic
:18:15. > :18:21.Games in Atlanta and back in 1996, and of course Clara Hughes has been
:18:21. > :18:27.a gold medal winner for the 5,000m on the speed skating discipline as
:18:27. > :18:30.well, so she is a multi- talented athlete. Here she is, she was very
:18:30. > :18:40.aggressive in the road race, and she did a lot of riding at the
:18:40. > :18:45.