Episode 1

:00:22. > :00:32.Here comes Kelly Holmes. On the crowd are on their feet. What a

:00:32. > :00:46.

:00:46. > :00:56.Great Britain get the gold medal! Kelly Holmes for Great Britain,

:00:56. > :00:59.

:00:59. > :01:03.what a performance! Absolutely JOHN INVERDALE: How many world

:01:03. > :01:08.sporting titles can you name that are one in a setting like this.

:01:08. > :01:12.Welcome to Bled in Slovenia, home of sumptuous lakes and forests and

:01:12. > :01:18.close to the borders of Italy and Austria and home to a team of

:01:18. > :01:21.British athletes who, in the next 12 months, could define their lives.

:01:21. > :01:25.Every country has peaked for these world championships and it is a

:01:25. > :01:29.chance to test ourselves against the rest of the world. We are all

:01:29. > :01:33.desperate to be world champions. We have put a lot of hard work in.

:01:33. > :01:39.When I looked back, I wanted our I gave it my best shot. We have a big

:01:40. > :01:46.job to do. Winning is definitely what it is about. -- I want to know

:01:46. > :01:50.I gave it my best shot. It is more special before London. It is very

:01:50. > :01:54.special to fill you will be part of that. So many people are talking

:01:54. > :01:59.about it already. I have started thinking about the Olympics.

:01:59. > :02:04.Nothing wrong with that. London is everywhere. He can't help but feel

:02:04. > :02:07.it is closer than it ever is before and bigger than it has been before.

:02:07. > :02:13.There is pressure and there is business to be done. It is where

:02:13. > :02:18.everybody is on top form. Steven Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, the

:02:18. > :02:25.mission accomplished! It is gold! Great Britain are the Olympic

:02:25. > :02:30.champions! Gold medal, Great Britain, wonderful! The Olympic

:02:30. > :02:37.final, that is the only thing that matters. I won't be there for any

:02:37. > :02:43.other reason other than to win not gold. -- that gold.

:02:43. > :02:48.This is a truly amazing place. These castles are a 1,000 years old.

:02:48. > :02:53.It was an outward banding Makah force -- bikers and a ski resort,

:02:53. > :02:59.none of which is a concern for the rowing team, who want to view this

:02:59. > :03:02.as an essential stop -- stepping stone for London 2012. Next she

:03:02. > :03:06.will be Katherine Grainger's moment of truth. After three Olympic

:03:06. > :03:12.silvers, she desperately wants gold. But before that, there is another

:03:12. > :03:17.world title to Secure. Hodge and Peter Reed have a Olympic golds

:03:17. > :03:20.from Beijing but that was part of the coxless four. Here, they have

:03:20. > :03:23.the challenge of a lifetime against the seemingly unbeatable New

:03:24. > :03:28.Zealanders. Greg Searle has an Olympic gold medal but that was 19

:03:28. > :03:32.years ago in Barcelona. His age really no barrier and that 40 years

:03:32. > :03:36.old, could he win another gold? It is the 4th time the

:03:36. > :03:40.championships have been held in Bled, the last time was in 1989

:03:40. > :03:44.when Steve Redgrave won two gold medals of his reign -- record-

:03:44. > :03:51.breaking five. You were playing old steed in those days. Yes, great

:03:51. > :03:54.regatta, so picturesque, not great memories for me here, but a great

:03:54. > :03:57.place. From the British point of view, if the public have been

:03:57. > :04:01.following the World Cup regattas through the summer, they will think

:04:01. > :04:05.all we have to do is turn up and win gold here. There is certainly

:04:05. > :04:08.no complacency from the British team. The World Cup is very

:04:08. > :04:12.important but not all of the nations are there, because all

:04:12. > :04:16.three World Cup races are in Europe. Not all of the other continents

:04:16. > :04:20.actually come. So this is the first time that all of the contenders for

:04:20. > :04:24.the Olympics are here. It is the biggest event of the year and it is

:04:24. > :04:27.what everyone has been building up to. Maybe from the public point of

:04:27. > :04:33.view, they will think we were one lots of medals, which I think we

:04:33. > :04:37.will, but there is no complacency - - we will win. From an Olympic

:04:37. > :04:42.perspective, all of these races are centred on a Olympic qualification.

:04:42. > :04:47.Again, qualification is very important. The team is very strong.

:04:47. > :04:53.14 Olympic events, most of them are 11 to qualify, so it is only the

:04:53. > :04:57.last place in the B final that doesn't qualify. The worst one is

:04:57. > :05:00.the Women's eight, only five qualifiers. So six boats in the

:05:00. > :05:04.final. Someone is going to come last in that final and the

:05:04. > :05:07.disappointment of coming last is also the disappointment of not

:05:07. > :05:10.qualifying for the Games, and they will have to go to a qualifying

:05:10. > :05:15.regatta next year which is only four weeks away from the Games

:05:15. > :05:17.itself. If we start with the first raised, the women's pair, there is

:05:17. > :05:21.a great Olympics story, from somebody who three years ago

:05:21. > :05:26.watched Beijing on telly and next year will actually be competing,

:05:26. > :05:31.all things being equal. Yes, Helen Glover, came through the sporting

:05:31. > :05:34.giants. She saw the programme and thought she would give it a go and

:05:34. > :05:37.is now a contender for medals. She won a silver medal at the World

:05:37. > :05:44.Championships last year and has a very good chance of winning gold

:05:44. > :05:49.next year. And she has a really good story to tell.

:05:49. > :05:52.What a 10 months it has been for Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.

:05:52. > :05:58.Holding on for a well deserved Holding on for a well deserved

:05:58. > :06:04.silver medal. Sell that the last World Championships. -- silver at.

:06:04. > :06:14.Gold at the World Cup in Munich. And very good race by the British

:06:14. > :06:20.

:06:20. > :06:24.race to the line. The British group had held off. They have held off

:06:24. > :06:26.the New Zealand. They go into these championships with being one of the

:06:26. > :06:30.championships with being one of the favourites for glory.

:06:31. > :06:33.Three years after learning to Road, here you are on the eve of the

:06:33. > :06:38.World Championships, one of the favourites. You must ensure cells

:06:38. > :06:43.that the progression you have made. I do a little bit, and I look back

:06:43. > :06:47.and it seems like it has happened very quickly. -- you much pinch

:06:47. > :06:51.yourself. When I think about individual days and weeks and

:06:51. > :06:56.months, and I have worked very hard. I am also very pleased with the

:06:56. > :07:00.justification of a lot of hard work. So a spectacular rise to prominence

:07:00. > :07:05.for the former PE teacher Helen Glover and the army officer Heather

:07:05. > :07:08.Stanning, who complement each other well to form a potent combination.

:07:08. > :07:13.Off the water, I am really lucky, she organises me really well. When

:07:13. > :07:18.we get on the water, I have sat behind her, so why do the calling

:07:18. > :07:22.and we sort of switch roles and I tell her what to do -- I do.

:07:22. > :07:27.have our own roles in the boat and I like having my job and Helen

:07:27. > :07:32.having her job. We fall into them very well. By have complete trust

:07:32. > :07:36.that at 1,900 metres in a race, we are both exhausted and need to find

:07:36. > :07:39.another gear, I will call and she will do it. With the roles firmly

:07:39. > :07:44.established, the British pair got the better of the Kiwis in Lucerne,

:07:44. > :07:48.the first time they had both raced since the World Championships.

:07:48. > :07:52.Having not been at Hamburg, we went to Lucerne and there were targets

:07:52. > :07:57.we wanted to achieve. I think we did them. We also came away with

:07:57. > :08:02.things we can improve. Having beaten them was a big tick in the

:08:02. > :08:05.box, but it at the same time, the process is more important. That

:08:05. > :08:08.victory and the fastest qualification for the final in Bled

:08:08. > :08:13.me is the expectation on the British pair is far different to

:08:13. > :08:18.what it was last year -- means. Last year, we were pretty much the

:08:18. > :08:25.underdogs, the unknowns, and we knew we were fast, but nobody in

:08:25. > :08:29.the world and bid. -- bid. We were quietly confident and I would like

:08:29. > :08:34.to think we are still like that. We have a confident feel about the

:08:34. > :08:38.boat. Do you visualise the race and allow yourself the feeling of what

:08:38. > :08:42.it would be like being world champions? I think about it but I

:08:42. > :08:47.don't dwell on it. You have got to go through the processes of

:08:47. > :08:51.thinking about all the things that might happen and then come back to

:08:51. > :08:54.reality and go, right, this is what I have got to do to achieve it.

:08:54. > :09:04.is great to have had a consistent and exciting season and we are

:09:04. > :09:08.

:09:08. > :09:18.looking forward to racing. There is women's coxless pair. They are down

:09:18. > :09:24.

:09:25. > :09:29.They are looking to go one better than the silver medal they won last

:09:29. > :09:33.year at the World Championships. A new year, a crew that has moved on

:09:33. > :09:37.in huge amount of confidence. Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, they

:09:37. > :09:43.now number three. This is the final of the women's pair, and it is

:09:43. > :09:48.going to be a fantastic race. South Africa in one, Australia in two.

:09:48. > :09:52.Great Britain in three, winners of the first semi-final. New Zealand

:09:52. > :09:58.won the other semi-final to book their place in this final, they are

:09:58. > :10:04.in four. China in five and Romania in lane number six. It is a fairy

:10:04. > :10:08.tale that is a long way away from the finish. A year before the

:10:08. > :10:13.Olympic Games in London, accrue that was put together any surely as

:10:13. > :10:18.a spare pair -- a crew. They have found a combination and an ability

:10:18. > :10:23.to be so quick, so fast. We are seeing that now as Great Britain,

:10:23. > :10:30.in the early stages, lane three on the right up your picture, leading

:10:30. > :10:34.by about three-quarters of a length. Going from 5th in the trials last

:10:34. > :10:38.year, they moved right the way through into that silver medal

:10:38. > :10:42.position. Helen Glover had only been rowing for a year before that,

:10:42. > :10:47.she has improved extraordinarily. She has gone from being fit in the

:10:47. > :10:51.women's pair trials last year to an Olympic place, probably at at the

:10:51. > :10:57.end of this year -- 5th. This is a Stanning rate, they are so mature,

:10:57. > :11:04.they are long, relaxed and technically, they miss nothing --

:11:04. > :11:08.stunning. Rob Williams has taken them on as a coach this year and

:11:08. > :11:13.really moved them up a gear. They just know how to race. They are

:11:13. > :11:19.wonderfully in tune with each other. Helen Glover, Heather Stanning, a

:11:20. > :11:24.bit of a wobble there, but that is more to do with the water. 1,000,

:11:24. > :11:28.starting to pop along here, but they are dealing with it. They

:11:28. > :11:31.won't be fazed by that. We don't know, because they haven't had to

:11:31. > :11:35.race in these conditions. Even the most experienced athletes get

:11:35. > :11:39.caught up in difficult water. This will be quite crucial for them to

:11:39. > :11:43.see if they can handle this rough water in the middle of the race

:11:43. > :11:47.better than New Zealand. Zealand, the world champions, Great

:11:47. > :11:54.Britain, the world silver medallists. We are the king at

:11:54. > :11:59.Australia, they were 6th in the eight back in Beijing -- looking.

:11:59. > :12:03.7th and 9th respectively at Lucerne, the final World Cup regatta of this

:12:03. > :12:09.season. Australia are still trying to find that elusive combination

:12:09. > :12:13.that Great Britain have in a Glover and Stanning. Typical here, you can

:12:13. > :12:18.see New Zealand at 39 strokes per minute, they are pushing it away as

:12:18. > :12:21.they do, a higher rate, but it doesn't make them go faster. The

:12:21. > :12:25.British pair are three strokes per minute the lower, but because of

:12:25. > :12:30.their length and their relaxation in the boat, they are going along

:12:30. > :12:34.just as fast as New Zealand. That is a very good comparison between

:12:34. > :12:38.those two boats. They go a lot more in hand when it comes to the

:12:38. > :12:42.business end of the race. They will be able to move somewhere. New

:12:42. > :12:46.Zealand will have nowhere to go. It will be interesting, because New

:12:46. > :12:55.Zealand are moving and that high pressure is getting them back on

:12:55. > :12:59.New Zealand coming back strongly at the halfway mark. Great Britain

:12:59. > :13:06.have three-quarters of a length and are starting to move on. A call

:13:06. > :13:10.from Helen Glover. And Great Britain have to respond to the high

:13:10. > :13:16.rate of their New Zealand crew. New Zealand are the world champions and

:13:16. > :13:20.this is developing into a sensational third 500 metres.

:13:20. > :13:25.Britain are still at 33 strokes per minute compared to New Zealand at

:13:25. > :13:33.38. That is a huge difference and New Zealand will have to pay for it

:13:33. > :13:37.If they can keep their heads, keep their length, stay longer and build

:13:37. > :13:45.on it in the last 500 metres, they should get home in front and that

:13:45. > :13:47.At the moment, Great Britain had At the moment, Great Britain had

:13:47. > :13:53.checked the Bush backed by New Zealand. The water is still quite

:13:53. > :13:56.bouncy in the middle of the lake -- at the posh. It is a testament to

:13:56. > :14:02.the personalities of this group from Great Britain that they are

:14:02. > :14:07.still able to do with it -- deal with it. What they will need to do

:14:07. > :14:11.is definitely find that final gear to step up, because the experience

:14:11. > :14:15.that is New Zealand, they will push on hard. It is all about revenge

:14:15. > :14:20.for New Zealand and right now, they are taking that away from Great

:14:20. > :14:24.Britain. Great Britain has to react, you can hear the calls come in from

:14:24. > :14:28.the New Zealand boat, they are really aggressive and pushing on.

:14:28. > :14:33.Great Britain at the lower rate of striking are holding their own and

:14:33. > :14:38.they really have to push on now. Enter the last 500 metres, luck

:14:38. > :14:44.that the gap that has opened up between the two outstanding crews

:14:44. > :14:48.of the women's coxless pair event. It is Great Britain and New Zealand.

:14:48. > :14:52.Five seconds to Australia for the bronze. It is all about the gold

:14:52. > :14:57.medal for Great Britain and still Helen Glover and Heather Stanning

:14:57. > :15:01.after push on hard, because New Zealand refused to roll over --

:15:01. > :15:07.have to. They refuse to hand over their gold medal that they won last

:15:07. > :15:12.year. This is all about the experience here and the youth of

:15:12. > :15:15.Great Britain. We are seeing a titanic battle. It is extraordinary

:15:15. > :15:20.how they are maintaining this stroke rate for so long. They don't

:15:20. > :15:26.seem to be paying for it. It is a very tough thing. Great Britain has

:15:26. > :15:36.to react, they have to make their move. They are moving now. Pushing

:15:36. > :15:43.

:15:43. > :15:49.up to 37 strokes per minute and have the entire Grandstand on their

:15:49. > :15:54.feet here. The British contestant - - contingent are screaming their

:15:54. > :16:00.heads off. New Zealand of the world champions, Great Britain are the

:16:00. > :16:06.world champions from last year. Both crews are hunting a gold medal.

:16:06. > :16:13.This will come down to the line. The water is still quite bouncy.

:16:13. > :16:19.Great Britain appeasing ahead but it is only just and it is not over.

:16:19. > :16:24.Again, New Zealand comeback. It will be a photo finish. It is so

:16:24. > :16:34.hard to call their because into the line it was great Britain, over the

:16:34. > :16:34.

:16:34. > :16:39.lined the, New Zealand came back. - - over the line. A sensational race.

:16:39. > :16:46.We are hearing on the Grandstand Tannoy that New Zealand has been

:16:46. > :16:51.awarded the gold medal, but it is getting closer and closer for Team

:16:51. > :16:56.GB. No bad thing for them, because they will be so angry and hungry

:16:56. > :17:01.now, they are so close to it, they led all the way. But how did New

:17:01. > :17:07.Zealand keep that up all the way through? They are always at 37, 38

:17:07. > :17:13.strokes a minute and the British pair, 33, 34, at one point. So you

:17:13. > :17:21.can see exactly where they have got to make the present -- the

:17:21. > :17:25.improvement. So New Zealand, it does not get any closer than that.

:17:25. > :17:34.Successfully defend their gold medal from last year. Britain's

:17:34. > :17:40.Is that congratulations or commiserations? A bit of both. We

:17:40. > :17:44.came to win but we go away with a really close silver medal. It was a

:17:44. > :17:48.really key race and it may be one that actually makes us take the

:17:48. > :17:53.next jump for ourselves. People always talk about rowing races in

:17:53. > :18:01.segments. At halfway, you were leading. What were your thoughts at

:18:01. > :18:07.that stage? It was quite rough out there. I suppose I was not really

:18:07. > :18:13.too aware how close they were then. I know we had done all right

:18:13. > :18:19.starting. It was very rough and it was difficult to find a rhythm. It

:18:19. > :18:29.was not like we were sat there going, this is ours! They really

:18:29. > :18:35.

:18:35. > :18:45.kept coming. They just keep going. Great Britain, but the story is far

:18:45. > :18:51.

:18:51. > :18:55.it has to be said. They know they have beaten New Zealand. They have

:18:55. > :19:05.beaten them their back in Lucerne. They had the measure of them but it

:19:05. > :19:09.It is always hard talking to people who have come second. How would you

:19:09. > :19:14.view that performance? Certainly after the silver medal last year,

:19:14. > :19:17.it was a surprise to everybody. Not everybody, some people in the team

:19:17. > :19:22.knew they were going well in training but it was a certainly a

:19:22. > :19:28.surprise to me. Their season this year has been outstanding. They had

:19:28. > :19:33.a good, tough race with the Kiwis at Lucerne but managed to over all

:19:33. > :19:37.of them by the end. They came here as favourites to win and they are

:19:37. > :19:41.put it that they have not done that. But looking at the bigger picture,

:19:41. > :19:46.I do not think that is too bad a result. They are now very, very

:19:46. > :19:51.close to the world champions. They put themselves as favourites to win

:19:51. > :19:54.the Olympics next year, I think. Here, just as they started racing,

:19:55. > :20:01.a cross wind came up and pears that have not been in the same boat for

:20:02. > :20:06.a long period of time, as a pair, you are in charge of balancing half

:20:06. > :20:09.the boat so where you put your hands upsets the other person. In a

:20:09. > :20:14.double scull it is different because each person has plates on

:20:14. > :20:18.both sides. So that upset them. You could see every now and then they

:20:18. > :20:23.were just missing the catch. That was due to the conditions. Another

:20:23. > :20:32.ten months of rowing together, they will be absolutely fine. That is a

:20:32. > :20:37.very upbeat prognosis. We move on now to a crew who would have given

:20:37. > :20:41.anything to have made the final. They were women's champions 12

:20:41. > :20:44.months ago and missed out on the final altogether here after what

:20:44. > :20:49.they describe in their own words as a pretty shocking row earlier in

:20:49. > :20:52.the week. So they found themselves in the B final and the key point

:20:52. > :21:02.was they had to win this to ensure qualifications for the Olympics

:21:02. > :21:13.

:21:13. > :21:19.the women's quadruple sculls and Britain have been laying three. --

:21:19. > :21:24.Britain are in lane three. And what they line up. He would have guessed

:21:24. > :21:29.that Great Britain, in lane number three, the world champions from

:21:29. > :21:36.2010, would be languishing in this the final? Vietnam will be in the

:21:36. > :21:41.top of your picture in lane 1, Romania in lane two. Here the world

:21:41. > :21:47.champions, Great Britain, in lane three. Paul and Elaine four and the

:21:47. > :21:57.Italians in lane five. What a task for Great Britain to regroup. --

:21:57. > :22:03.Paul and in lane four. All of these crews battling for the Bournemouth

:22:03. > :22:07.Olympic spot on offer here. A few weeks ago we would never have

:22:07. > :22:10.guessed that Great Britain would be in this position. They were caught

:22:10. > :22:16.napping in the opening heat when they were beaten by a fraction of a

:22:16. > :22:20.second. Again in the repechage, caught just on the line. And just

:22:20. > :22:24.now, they were the last to leave the box. They were sitting there

:22:24. > :22:31.when everyone else was coming up for the second strip. That was

:22:31. > :22:36.really extraordinary, when they are so hungry to get going, eager to

:22:36. > :22:42.show what they are worth, they were late of the start. They have to win

:22:42. > :22:49.this. Only one remaining place for the Olympics. They have to get it.

:22:49. > :22:57.The world champions are now being led by Poland in a lane four. We

:22:57. > :23:01.are in desperate territory for Great Britain. Not to underestimate,

:23:01. > :23:06.they have had to really pull themselves back. They had a pretty

:23:06. > :23:12.good season. There was second at Lucerne, the last final World Cup

:23:12. > :23:16.regatta of the 2011 C Rees. The writing was on the wall when they

:23:16. > :23:20.came third in the heat and they were really caught napping third in

:23:20. > :23:28.the repechage, and the second opportunity to progress. Now the

:23:28. > :23:34.fight is on. Their time was eight seconds faster so wide they are

:23:34. > :23:38.languishing here, half a leg behind Poland, I do not know. There is

:23:38. > :23:43.something uncomfortable in the boat that is not dynamic. They are not

:23:43. > :23:48.really challenging Poland. They are going to have to make a mark pretty

:23:48. > :23:53.soon because everything depends on this. Otherwise they will be in the

:23:53. > :23:58.mix next year, in May, trying to qualify in Lucerne. They have it in

:23:58. > :24:03.them. They should be able to move right through now. Poland are very

:24:03. > :24:08.fast and looking good. You can see number three now, Great Britain,

:24:08. > :24:14.just beginning to creep up the boat now as they apply the pressure,

:24:14. > :24:19.coming up to 1,000 metres. You are witnessing an incredible sporting

:24:19. > :24:24.story here with the 2011 World Rowing Championships at Bled.

:24:24. > :24:29.Wonderful weather, glorious water, but all of that is to no avail.

:24:29. > :24:35.Great Britain, through the 1,000 metres mark, have to win this race,

:24:35. > :24:42.the B final of the women's quadruple sculls. The first final,

:24:42. > :24:47.they were quite lazy in the 500m. The British now have a fight on

:24:47. > :24:53.their hands because although Poland in lane four led them by half a

:24:53. > :25:01.length at the 500m mark, gone. At the halfway mark, they are still

:25:01. > :25:08.holding on, albeit narrowly, to that first position. 33 strokes per

:25:08. > :25:12.minute. That is still quite low. Psychologically, to be the only

:25:12. > :25:17.crew that is as of the finals and being world champions last year, it

:25:17. > :25:24.is pretty hard to take. Pretty difficult for them. They have hit

:25:24. > :25:34.the front, finally. They are getting Poland -- past Poland now.

:25:34. > :25:37.Now they really ought to murder on as Poland fade away. 750m remaining

:25:37. > :25:41.in this B final of the women's quadruple scull. The world

:25:41. > :25:46.champions on your screen there, Great Britain, in lane number three.

:25:46. > :25:52.They have finally hits the front here. Now they can just settled

:25:52. > :25:56.back. It is all about pride in this particular race. No other regatta

:25:57. > :26:02.in a World Championship is as important as this particular piece

:26:02. > :26:06.final because it on it rests the one remaining qualification spot

:26:06. > :26:13.for the Olympic Games in London next year. Poland are hanging on

:26:13. > :26:18.very well. 500m remaining. The British crew have gone out to about

:26:19. > :26:24.a quarter of a length but Poland is fighting back. Vietnam also in this

:26:24. > :26:32.race, in a number one, way out the back. Romania in lane two, also way

:26:32. > :26:38.at the back. Italy in lane five. It is all about to boats. Great

:26:38. > :26:43.Britain leading there now to three- quarters of a length against Poland,

:26:43. > :26:50.whose best performers this year it was eighth at Lucerne. What a farce.

:26:50. > :26:55.A chasm of difference there between experience. Some had Britain has

:26:55. > :27:01.not moved on and their coach is going to have to work very hard at

:27:01. > :27:04.keeping them together. -- somehow. The Olympic silver medallists come

:27:04. > :27:10.back into the grip for winter training and they will probably

:27:10. > :27:14.look at reforming this squad. In the last 500m they are now opening

:27:14. > :27:23.up and doing what they should have done from the outset. Poland are

:27:23. > :27:32.still there. The last 200m. Great Britain's Melanie Wilson, Beth

:27:32. > :27:40.Rodford, Andy Burnham, -- Andrea Vernon, Debbie Flood. Inside 100m

:27:40. > :27:44.now. It is a moment of individual pride for the screw. They have now

:27:44. > :27:49.secured that all important boat. They know there are no gold medals

:27:49. > :27:59.today but there is that all- important final place for London

:27:59. > :27:59.

:27:59. > :28:02.2012. So as consolation prizes grow, -- go, Great Britain's is not bad.

:28:02. > :28:11.But the world champions from last year will regroup and no doubt come

:28:11. > :28:16.It has been a really difficult week. We wanted to be stood here talking

:28:16. > :28:21.to you with medals around our necks but we narrowly missed out in our

:28:21. > :28:25.heat and on our rep. The B final for us, there was a lot of pressure

:28:25. > :28:31.on that. We really needed that qualifying spot. Massively

:28:31. > :28:37.important for us to finish off the week on a relative height. So any

:28:37. > :28:41.really good job done. It needed to be done. Can you explain how the

:28:41. > :28:45.crew has gone from being the best in the world to not being the best

:28:45. > :28:49.in the world? Unfortunately, I am not sure we really know the answers

:28:49. > :28:54.to that at the moment. We have to sit down and figure out what has

:28:54. > :28:59.happened. I do not think it is any big changes we have made. His is

:28:59. > :29:03.probably a lot of little things through the winter. We can always

:29:03. > :29:11.be stronger and faster on the water so I am sure we will have a winter

:29:11. > :29:15.of hard training. The important thing is we take the important

:29:15. > :29:19.things from this regatta. It is all too playful.

:29:19. > :29:29.So in the absence of a British crew, here is what happened in the main

:29:29. > :29:42.

:29:42. > :29:52.second place now. They have put in a good time. They are 6.23. Germany

:29:52. > :30:16.

:30:16. > :30:26.They are doing that right now. Better are penned in the stroke

:30:26. > :30:28.

:30:28. > :30:33.seat for Germany, being forced to drive -- but a bank. They Team GB

:30:33. > :30:40.Quartet. -- no. It is for Germany and the USA for the gold medal.

:30:40. > :30:45.100m. 10 strokes remain and still the United States come back. They

:30:45. > :30:51.have but absolutely everything into it but they won't catch Germany. It

:30:51. > :30:56.will be cold for Germany. A silver for the United States. -- gold. New

:30:56. > :31:01.Zealand coming into the bronze medal position. We can only think

:31:01. > :31:11.where Great Britain would have been had they indeed qualified for this

:31:11. > :31:15.

:31:15. > :31:19.and New Zealand for the bronze medal, definitely a crew to the

:31:19. > :31:21.lookout for as we head for two London 2012.

:31:21. > :31:24.London 2012. JOHN INVERDALE: Consolation

:31:24. > :31:29.suggested it is that the Women's accord have qualified for the

:31:29. > :31:34.Olympic Games. Which leads us on and 82 Greg Searle, 19 years ago

:31:35. > :31:39.and a Olympic champion in Barcelona. -- Bonn to. Here, two decades on,

:31:39. > :31:42.trying to win a gold medal in the world championships and at London

:31:42. > :31:46.2012 next year. This time in the men's eight, and where ever he has

:31:47. > :31:51.been on this extraordinary journey back to Olympic glory, his camera

:31:51. > :31:56.has gone with him. The last Sunday before I go off on training camp

:31:56. > :32:06.and I am knackered. I'm trying to look after myself, so I am not even

:32:06. > :32:07.

:32:07. > :32:10.batting or bowling, I am just Has been a pretty weird day. I took

:32:10. > :32:16.the kids after school for the last day of term. They are quite excited

:32:16. > :32:20.about that but also a bit sad that daddy is going away. I am flying

:32:20. > :32:28.across Europe, going to Austria. By will be there for a few weeks,

:32:28. > :32:32.training with the rest of the team. And then the father's room with

:32:32. > :32:40.Alex Partridge, who is a new dad. He has just been outside in the

:32:40. > :32:44.cold. So here I am in Austria. It is the

:32:44. > :32:48.1st August the 2011, exactly one year to the day to the Olympic

:32:48. > :32:54.final in London 2012. An excited feeling this morning. Training

:32:54. > :32:58.camps like this can be pretty tough, a lot of hard work, lots of time

:32:58. > :33:05.and many men in a small, confined space together. But today is a good

:33:05. > :33:10.day, we have lots of work to do, it is all good steps on the way. I

:33:10. > :33:19.think today is the day to get better, to get stronger and a day

:33:19. > :33:23.to get closer to what is now not This is quite exciting, this is

:33:23. > :33:29.where we come for our food. I have been coming here for 20 years, so

:33:29. > :33:32.it is a little piece of history. If you have a look around here, we

:33:32. > :33:38.have the ladies who are going to serve this than just up there,

:33:38. > :33:44.memorabilia from years gone by. -- it then. Lots of sign stuff that we

:33:44. > :33:48.give them every Olympic year. -- signed.

:33:48. > :33:52.2011, as we get the call it, it is very good and we have an

:33:53. > :34:00.interesting dynamic of guys. We are now in the warm-weather camp in

:34:00. > :34:07.Portugal. I am shedding my winter code. We have been doing a bit of

:34:07. > :34:12.hairdressing, set up a salon. role is sometimes the Moody one,

:34:12. > :34:16.that is by natural thing to play, but I have changed it slightly.

:34:16. > :34:23.Some people might not see it but I know I have become a little bit

:34:23. > :34:30.more positive. One of the real factors I enjoy is learning about

:34:30. > :34:37.each other, learning about how everybody races. My Hamed is a lot

:34:37. > :34:47.quieter, -- Mohamed Sbihi. But he is as passionate for the sport as I

:34:47. > :34:48.

:34:49. > :34:58.am and it is a great feeling at the That looks good. Look at that!

:34:59. > :35:03.

:35:03. > :35:13.that is beautiful. -- that is. There you go. I dare you to leave

:35:13. > :35:15.

:35:15. > :35:19.it like that for a bit. That is awesome.

:35:19. > :35:23.We wanted to beat the Germans at some point in the season so far so

:35:23. > :35:29.we have left it until the last race. We planned to do it in Hamburg,

:35:29. > :35:34.which didn't happen because of the e-coli, and then Henley -- Lucerne

:35:34. > :35:41.didn't work out quite where. Germans are only doing the two

:35:41. > :35:45.races there, it has been, I wouldn't say negative, but it

:35:45. > :35:49.hasn't planned out as we exactly wanted to work, but we have high

:35:49. > :35:54.hopes for the World Championships. I feel like we have it in our hands

:35:54. > :35:58.to go and win a gold medal. Something very special event to

:35:58. > :36:01.race at the World Championships, and for me on this comeback trail,

:36:01. > :36:07.I thought that getting a medal would be a success but having got

:36:07. > :36:17.silver last year, it feels Like Gold us what we are going for. --

:36:17. > :36:30.

:36:30. > :36:33.final of the men's heavyweight men's eight. Australia, Canada,

:36:33. > :36:38.Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Poland. Great

:36:38. > :36:42.Britain really now have to push out and with it up and get into this

:36:42. > :36:48.race in the first 500 metres. Bashir we pick up a. They have to

:36:48. > :36:52.be fast, they have always been lagging. A bit slow in those first

:36:52. > :36:57.500 metres, then they have to catch up. They are really very keen to

:36:57. > :37:02.try and get into a position where they can challenge Germany. So

:37:02. > :37:08.there is a lot for them to think about. Canada has been going very

:37:08. > :37:11.well since they brought Malcolm Howard back into the boat, it has

:37:11. > :37:15.transformed the Canadian eight and they are now really very

:37:15. > :37:22.competitive. But the Germany are the front-runners on theirs.

:37:23. > :37:27.Germany. They are the world champion team, and they are getting

:37:28. > :37:31.the early lead as we always expected them to do. About half-a-

:37:31. > :37:35.length over Great Britain. The British crew in the middle of your

:37:35. > :37:41.picture. Great Britain are the world silver medallists. They have

:37:41. > :37:46.been dropped out of it by Canada. Australia also going well in a

:37:46. > :37:55.number one. The first 500 is crucial, at that they get up, and

:37:55. > :37:59.Great Britain are currently in 4th position. 1: 23. 1: 19 is

:37:59. > :38:05.sensational for Germany. And Australia are up there as well,

:38:05. > :38:11.also breaking the 1: 21 over 500. And a tail wind will help, which

:38:11. > :38:15.will get stronger and stronger as they come down the course. Canada

:38:15. > :38:22.really pushing on to Germany. But it Germany are so slick. They are

:38:22. > :38:28.not very big men, but they rose so well together -- they rarely so

:38:28. > :38:32.well together. And they have such a metronomic way of moving. The last

:38:32. > :38:37.time there was a dominant age of three years as world champions was

:38:37. > :38:42.the United States and they came 5th in the Olympic final. So it is very

:38:42. > :38:46.hard to stay on top. Great Britain are hunting them down. They will

:38:46. > :38:50.come on in the second half but they have given themselves a lot to do.

:38:50. > :38:55.I was sitting with Juergen Grobler at the final training camp and he

:38:55. > :38:59.let slip that he believes Great Britain will catch Germany. Whether

:38:59. > :39:07.it is this year or next year, he absolutely believes in his Crow

:39:07. > :39:12.that is out there right now. -- crew. Germany leading in the way

:39:12. > :39:16.that he believes Great Britain will challenge. They push on through the

:39:16. > :39:20.halfway mark and Great Britain are still in 4th position. A lot of

:39:20. > :39:25.boats now with tandems. If you remember the Boat race in April,

:39:25. > :39:32.everybody was a lot surprised that there were tandems, people Rowing

:39:32. > :39:38.on the same side. Now they have that to help the boat go straight

:39:38. > :39:43.and bring more power to the stern. NS 500 metres, Germany are still

:39:43. > :39:50.moving away, they look a great -- in this. They are doing everything

:39:50. > :39:57.that has been asked of them by their Cox. He is just pushing hard.

:39:57. > :40:01.There is the British crew, stroked by Dan Richie and they have a

:40:01. > :40:04.tradition of coming back and they will come back. It is all about

:40:04. > :40:08.have they left it too much to overhaul the Germans that are

:40:08. > :40:13.leading the race? It is Germany had front and the rest of the world

:40:13. > :40:16.chasing. Canada has the edge on Great Britain. That is what the

:40:16. > :40:22.situation was in their heats earlier on but Great Britain came

:40:22. > :40:28.through in the last 200. But there is no stopping Germany. They will

:40:28. > :40:34.have to do a lot to get back on terms. Out to three-quarters of a

:40:34. > :40:39.length. We now have 500 metres remaining in this final of the

:40:39. > :40:43.men's heavyweight eight and the British crew have moved up again.

:40:43. > :40:47.It is Germany and Great Britain going through that particular mark.

:40:47. > :40:51.The British are racing for one medal. They have got that the

:40:51. > :40:56.silver medal from last year. Or here, they have been focused on one

:40:57. > :41:03.colour, one medal -- all here. It is gold and they are pushing on and

:41:03. > :41:08.they need to. A bit of discrepancy on the timing of the British aid.

:41:08. > :41:12.Number seven, just behind the stroke, he is going in a bit late

:41:12. > :41:19.behind the rest of the crew. A on the far side, at Australia and

:41:19. > :41:25.Canada also battling it out for the bronze medal. The British crew are

:41:25. > :41:29.still pushing hard. Less than 20 strokes. You can count them in from

:41:29. > :41:34.here. The Germans have perhaps done enough but Great Britain have to

:41:34. > :41:38.throw absolutely everything. Still the Blades slap across the water.

:41:38. > :41:42.It is going to be so tight but I don't think Britain will be able to

:41:42. > :41:48.do it. There is a bit of mistiming in their boat and it won't help.

:41:48. > :41:53.Germany are moving on to the line. Inside the last 50 metres it will

:41:53. > :41:57.be the gold medal, 2011, going to Germany. The cell that is pushed

:41:57. > :42:04.hard and Great Britain will have to hang on. Silver for Great Britain

:42:04. > :42:09.and bombs for Canada. -- bronze for Canada. The Germans now, three in a

:42:09. > :42:13.row. They have been outstanding in the men's 8. There will be huge

:42:13. > :42:18.disappointment. It is a silver medal for the British crew. They

:42:18. > :42:21.sit slumped over. They got close and that they knew they had it in

:42:21. > :42:26.them this year. Then some of those World Cup regattas, they were

:42:26. > :42:30.showing great speed in the closing stages, but the conditions here,

:42:31. > :42:34.the waters, there was a few slapping of the blade, it didn't

:42:34. > :42:39.allow them to get the rhythm that the Germans had.

:42:39. > :42:43.They are a very good crew but they are lacking that first push in the

:42:43. > :42:47.first 500 metres to keep them level in the first part of the race.

:42:47. > :42:52.Silver again for Great Britain behind Germany to get stronger and

:42:52. > :42:57.stronger. But there is no tradition of the Earth -- an old tradition of

:42:57. > :43:05.three in a row. The British crew have got to regroup and they will

:43:05. > :43:08.and will come back a quicker and People will allies that race and

:43:08. > :43:12.say you almost get yourself too much to do in the second half --

:43:12. > :43:16.analysed. Talk us through the start. We have work done that because we

:43:16. > :43:20.know we have to get away and be in the race. Normally the crew that is

:43:20. > :43:24.winning at 500 ends up winning the race. We used as much power as we

:43:24. > :43:29.have got to get away and tried to find a sustainable pace. Maybe we

:43:29. > :43:34.are not as strong as the others, may be the rest of them are younger

:43:34. > :43:37.crew and we don't necessarily have the power out of the start. But we

:43:37. > :43:42.have a good cruising speed and that is the way we have to use the

:43:42. > :43:46.strength, get away as quick as we can. Yes, exactly the same. He is

:43:46. > :43:52.getting a bit old so we have to get a few wins in before he kick said.

:43:53. > :43:56.But it is difficult, we leave ourselves more to do and come back

:43:56. > :44:01.strong usually and it is disappointing been further away

:44:01. > :44:07.than we were last year. Two seconds, it was not 0.6 last year. It is a

:44:07. > :44:11.bitter pill to swallow. -- it was 0.6.

:44:11. > :44:15.They had a huge event of expectation and rightly so. Not a

:44:15. > :44:25.bad World Cup season through 2011. They had a great training camp

:44:25. > :44:34.through Portugal in the lead-up to But on the day, conditions just did

:44:34. > :44:44.not work, they were 4th at the 500 metres mark, for that 1,000 metres.

:44:44. > :44:45.

:44:45. > :44:49.You just cannot allow Germany to move away for you -- from you.

:44:49. > :44:58.Mohammed so be he, one of the talisman in the middle of the boat.

:44:58. > :45:02.-- Mohamed Sbihi. And Greg Searle will be hugely disappointed. They

:45:02. > :45:12.will reflect on this. They all slumped over their blades as they

:45:12. > :45:13.

:45:13. > :45:23.went through the line, they went Dan Ritchie, a great stroke. Very

:45:23. > :45:29.

:45:29. > :45:34.It is a great rivalry now between the German crew and the British

:45:34. > :45:39.crew. What was your take on that race? I suppose the Germans have

:45:39. > :45:43.been very outstanding all season, the last two seasons in fact. I was

:45:43. > :45:47.hoping our team would have been closer. I was still expecting them

:45:47. > :45:51.to get the silver but what was a bit worrying was how close everyone

:45:51. > :45:58.was behind. You could say the Germans were ahead of the field of

:45:58. > :46:05.everyone else and everyone else was battling for the minor medals.

:46:05. > :46:12.and large, in men's eights especially, the crew who is in

:46:12. > :46:16.front at 500m ends up winning. How do you do that, get out in front?

:46:16. > :46:20.Because it is a sport that goes out backwards, there is a huge

:46:20. > :46:24.advantage at being in front. You can see what everyone else is doing

:46:24. > :46:28.and respond to it. You're cruising speed and flat-out speed is not

:46:28. > :46:32.very much between that but trying to change that is very difficult

:46:32. > :46:38.because you have always got this sort of mental stigma in the back

:46:38. > :46:44.of your mind that, if I go out to hard I will not last the distance.

:46:44. > :46:48.But then in the next race you are talking 5.5 minutes, you just have

:46:48. > :46:58.to go for it. The last few Olympic champions are the people who have

:46:58. > :47:05.

:47:05. > :47:08.Olympic sports can be found on the Let's hear about one of the men's

:47:08. > :47:18.Archers former colleagues doing something perhaps more important

:47:18. > :47:21.

:47:21. > :47:26.He has handled the pressure of an Olympic final but now for Tom

:47:26. > :47:32.Moussi the stakes are even higher. Today he is leaving his -- leading

:47:32. > :47:38.his men on another patrol in Helmand province, the part of the

:47:38. > :47:46.Afghanistan where peak fighting has been fiercest. But he has no qualms

:47:46. > :47:55.about giving up his Olympic chances to serve in the Marines. It is all

:47:55. > :47:59.I have ever wanted to do. I got as far as I hoped in running and after

:47:59. > :48:06.that it was time for a change. was the youngest member of the

:48:06. > :48:15.Great Britain training squad in Beijing at just 20 years ever age.

:48:15. > :48:19.-- 20 years of age. He looked set to have an Olympic career. Some

:48:19. > :48:29.people would be disappointed with the silver but for me, just winning

:48:29. > :48:34.

:48:34. > :48:38.an Olympic medal was fantastic. You just take it. He keeps talking

:48:39. > :48:43.about it all the time. Should have got a gold medal, should have got a

:48:44. > :48:49.gold medal... He blames the rest of his team. This is Tom's first tour

:48:49. > :48:53.of duty as a Royal Marine, and the work is varied. Earning respect is

:48:53. > :48:59.vital. The company is helping to run a veterinary clinic where local

:48:59. > :49:04.Afghans can have their animals checked. It is very important. It

:49:04. > :49:09.develops a relationship with locals. It helps them to learn to look

:49:09. > :49:19.after their own animals as well. With security, there is still a

:49:19. > :49:19.

:49:19. > :49:29.threat out there. Small arms and suicide bombers, IEDs. We are

:49:29. > :49:29.

:49:29. > :49:35.providing protection at the moment. There are some obvious similarities

:49:36. > :49:45.between life as a row and a marine. Steyn c received it is a necessity

:49:46. > :49:47.

:49:47. > :49:51.for both. -- staying very fit. think when I watch the races next

:49:51. > :49:58.year I will think, that would be quite good. But that is just a

:49:58. > :50:04.small moment in time. Carrying on a Redding into the London Olympics

:50:04. > :50:11.would have made the tradition into this Korea more difficult. -- a

:50:11. > :50:17.transition. And there is no guarantee you are going to get my

:50:18. > :50:25.goal you want. But he has not given up hope of returning to Bury one

:50:25. > :50:34.day, but it will not be until well after the 2012 Olympics. There is a

:50:34. > :50:37.lot that I want to achieve in the Marines. I am looking forward and

:50:37. > :50:43.if I could get myself back into shape again, I would definitely

:50:43. > :50:47.give it another shot in the future. And I am short Tom has been

:50:47. > :50:51.following events here. During the World Championship there are also

:50:51. > :51:01.several events that are not Olympic disciplines and Britain had high

:51:01. > :51:07.

:51:07. > :51:13.hopes in several of these, notably British crew just going through

:51:13. > :51:20.500m. New Zealand growing lane number one, absolutely stormed out

:51:20. > :51:25.in the first 500m. They maintained their pace at the halfway mark but

:51:25. > :51:29.the third part has really been about Great Britain. They have been

:51:29. > :51:36.taking less strokes per minute than they cruise around them and that

:51:36. > :51:43.really has come to their benefit. - - Les strokes per minute than the

:51:43. > :51:48.cruise around them. The crew average cannot exceed 70 Joe grams.

:51:48. > :51:51.They have taken it up, though. They have gone up to 40 strokes per

:51:51. > :51:56.minute. That is what New Zealand have been doing from the start.

:51:56. > :52:04.Great Britain have timed their push very well and they are now moving

:52:04. > :52:08.away from Germany. Very good running. Kieren Emery, this is the

:52:08. > :52:12.race for the gold medal in this final of the men's lightweight

:52:12. > :52:17.coxless pair. It is not an Olympic event but for Great Britain and

:52:17. > :52:22.many other nations, it is an important feeder event into the

:52:22. > :52:29.mid- lightweight coxless four. So it is imperative that the British

:52:29. > :52:34.do well. 100m now. And the British have timed this race right down to

:52:34. > :52:39.the last stroke. It is perfection to the line and there are rewarded

:52:39. > :52:44.with a gold medal. The first of these championships. A gold medal

:52:44. > :52:48.to Great Britain, and New Zealand are slumped over their oars. Where

:52:48. > :52:58.were they in the closing stages? It is great Britain getting the gold

:52:58. > :53:00.

:53:00. > :53:07.World champions. How good is that? Pretty awesome. We worked for it.

:53:07. > :53:11.We are very impressed. At 1,000 metres it was very tight, four

:53:11. > :53:16.boats in a line. Are you looking across? How are you playing things

:53:16. > :53:21.at that stage? I have a habit of looking about but we stuck to our

:53:21. > :53:31.guns in the middle of the race, stuck to what we know best. We got

:53:31. > :53:39.

:53:39. > :53:44.It has been a sensational year for Peter Chambers and Kiernan and

:53:44. > :53:52.Marie, they add the gold medal to their under 23 medal that they were

:53:52. > :54:02.earlier this year. -- Kieren Emery. It is just getting better for these

:54:02. > :54:03.

:54:03. > :54:08.youngsters, in sensational style John Inverdale sadly that success

:54:08. > :54:11.could not be replicated in the women's event. Adam Freeman-Pask

:54:11. > :54:16.from Windsor finished back of the field in the men's final bi-by

:54:16. > :54:19.Denmark. Plenty of medal opportunities ahead for Katherine

:54:19. > :54:23.Grainger and Anna Watkins there will be sure to be gold, defending

:54:23. > :54:28.champions in the double scull and in imperious form in the last World

:54:28. > :54:32.Cup regatta. For Hodge and read in the men's pair, it might be silver

:54:32. > :54:37.but can they produce a golden moment to be the seemingly unbeaten

:54:37. > :54:42.All -- unbeatable New Zealanders? And for the light weight four, the

:54:42. > :54:46.same again would do nicely. Chambers, Bartlett, Mattick and

:54:46. > :54:51.Williams were victorious a year ago in New Zealand. Can they double up

:54:51. > :54:56.here in Bled? The thing with growing, as with so

:54:56. > :54:59.many other international sports, is that every passing year more and

:54:59. > :55:07.more countries get involved. There are 1,200 athletes here from

:55:07. > :55:12.countries as diverse as Iran, Egypt, Venezuela, Thailand and ITV this

:55:12. > :55:20.man from Angola. The only man flying the Angolan flak here in

:55:20. > :55:28.Bled. How proud are you to be here? I am proud to represent my country.

:55:28. > :55:32.Tell us about running in Angola. How many people are doing is?

:55:32. > :55:38.three but it will be much more in the future. Being in Bled, trying

:55:38. > :55:45.to qualify to the Games and Shereen to the England people that you can

:55:45. > :55:50.do great things here. -- Shereen. Are the people in Angola aware that

:55:50. > :55:56.you are competing here? Some are aware of it. We are trying to get

:55:56. > :56:01.more attention because pribbling is not a very popular sport. --

:56:02. > :56:07.because rowing is not a very popular sport. We have two based

:56:07. > :56:17.wet it is possible to row. Is it all about money, that it costs

:56:17. > :56:18.

:56:18. > :56:22.money and there is not much money in Angola? Of course, but I know

:56:22. > :56:27.that and on it can support sports. It is normal that we have to prove

:56:27. > :56:32.that you deserve the money. But we have to show it. All around the

:56:32. > :56:37.world, it is normal. We did not have medals, we are not popular,

:56:37. > :56:42.but I know that after we qualify, because we will, I am sure, I will

:56:43. > :56:48.work for that, and the other guys are helping, we will get more money.

:56:48. > :56:53.See you in London 2012? I have to! It is very important for us to go

:56:53. > :56:59.to London because there are a lot of people working, helping, I have

:56:59. > :57:05.my partner that his injured... very best of luck. We look forward

:57:05. > :57:11.to seeing you in 11 months' time. Lovely Jimmy Choo. I promise you we

:57:11. > :57:15.will talk in 11 months' time. -- lovely to meet you. Back to events

:57:15. > :57:25.on the lake. This is Pateman and Wells, a real medal opportunity in

:57:25. > :57:25.

:57:25. > :57:32.the men's double sculls. My name is Matt Wells. I am Marcus Bateman. I

:57:32. > :57:37.am in the double sculls. Togetherness, unity. Marcus's big

:57:37. > :57:44.strength is that he is Eyke really strong dive. He is mentally very

:57:44. > :57:49.tough. If I could change one things -- one thing about Marcus, it would

:57:49. > :57:54.be used diet of salt and vinegar crisps. He is always trying to be

:57:54. > :57:59.the bigger guy. He knows exactly what winds me up. I would probably

:57:59. > :58:09.get him some platform shoes so he could be as tall as me. Thank you

:58:09. > :58:16.

:58:16. > :58:23.double sculls, lane two, Great Britain's Matthew Wells and Marcus

:58:23. > :58:28.Bateman. Germany have taken not only lead but they will be

:58:28. > :58:33.challenged a lot by New Zealand. New Zealand come on well. High

:58:33. > :58:42.stroke rate. But they are sitting quite a long way back, New Zealand.

:58:42. > :58:50.Great Britain have moved a very well up to the 750m. Wells and

:58:50. > :58:54.Bateman from Leander Club. A great combination, these two. The

:58:54. > :59:02.characters, the personalities. They really have gelled very well. And

:59:02. > :59:10.they are in amongst it all now. Rt Hon the money. That is Luka Spik

:59:10. > :59:14.in the stroke seat. The younger man now. Usually it would be another

:59:14. > :59:20.rower in the stroke seat but now Luka Spik is the man. He is the

:59:20. > :59:24.younger man and he will be fighting hard to get on the podium. Coming

:59:24. > :59:29.up to the halfway mark now, Great Britain in lane number two, just

:59:29. > :59:34.starting to suffer, then coming back into fourth position now.

:59:34. > :59:40.Moving back slowly here. Something not quite right in amongst the

:59:40. > :59:46.boats. We move into the third 500m. Germany, New Zealand, Australia and

:59:46. > :59:50.now Great Britain moving back to fourth place. Great Britain is

:59:50. > :59:54.usually really strong here. They don't usually get on quite so fast

:59:54. > :59:59.that they are usually strong in the middle of the race and then have a

:59:59. > :00:03.kick at the end. So to see them sitting back there is unusual.

:00:03. > :00:07.second 1,000 metres of this final, the men's heavyweight double sculls

:00:07. > :00:13.and Australia in lane one, the Olympic champions really putting on

:00:14. > :00:20.the pressure here for Britain's Matthew Wells and Marcus Bateman.

:00:20. > :00:30.They were up in amongst it towards the 750m mark. Starting to suffer,

:00:30. > :00:36.

:00:36. > :00:40.right to the line. His Zealand are already up to just under 40 strokes

:00:40. > :00:46.per minute -- New Zealand. Germany, two or three strokes per minute

:00:46. > :00:56.less, but again, New Zealander, attacking all the time, trying to

:00:56. > :00:57.

:00:57. > :01:01.where the opposition that -- where the opposition down. 500 metres

:01:01. > :01:05.remain in his final of the men's heavyweight double sculls and Great

:01:05. > :01:11.Britain are languishing towards the back of the pack. It is Germany,

:01:11. > :01:15.New Zealand and Australia. The mood is changing from each market. Now

:01:16. > :01:21.the Australians have moved back to third, Germany have retaken the

:01:21. > :01:25.lead than the New Zealand, back in a lane number three, the world

:01:25. > :01:30.champions, will have to draw on that experience. The Germans are

:01:30. > :01:34.going absolutely mad in a number four. Stephen Krueger, winner of

:01:34. > :01:40.this event two years ago, with a new partner at this time around, he

:01:40. > :01:46.is lifting the double sculls up and they are moving. Germany have taken

:01:46. > :01:51.on that same a less than, they held off before they pushed the stroke

:01:51. > :01:57.rate up. They are now up to 40 and matching New Zealand and so it New

:01:57. > :02:01.Zealand have nowhere to go. race is really on for the silver

:02:01. > :02:07.medal. The New Zealanders are coming back again, they have thrown

:02:07. > :02:13.just about all they have. Surely they will not overhaul Germany

:02:13. > :02:17.here? The Germans are going mad end the crowd. Matthew Wells and Marcus

:02:17. > :02:20.Bateman are really out of the pack, something going on there, but for

:02:20. > :02:27.the gold medal, it is coming down to the line and the Germans are

:02:27. > :02:31.hanging on for dear life. Here come New Zealand. Up to the line. And

:02:31. > :02:36.they are through! They won't know it but it looks as though New

:02:36. > :02:42.Zealand, by one inch on a line, have successfully defended their

:02:42. > :02:46.gold medal from last year. And Germany have just collapsed. It is

:02:46. > :02:51.a photo finish, but New Zealand are celebrating and the Germans have

:02:51. > :02:55.their heads in their hands. So New Zealand, the world champions

:02:55. > :03:05.two years in a row. Germany second. A France are the bronze medallist.

:03:05. > :03:08.

:03:08. > :03:14.Today was a very difficult day. I woke up in the middle of the night

:03:14. > :03:17.with Marcus being ill, literally all night. We were undecided as to

:03:17. > :03:21.whether to race today and made the decision to do it and I think we

:03:21. > :03:26.put in a good performance. All credit to this guy, when it

:03:26. > :03:30.actually mattered, he really put it out there. Considering what our

:03:30. > :03:35.preparation was like, it was good. I felt like that had the worst

:03:35. > :03:40.hangover. It was not ideal preparation, but you had to perform

:03:40. > :03:45.on the day. Trying to take the race by the scruff of the neck and

:03:45. > :03:50.trying every stroke, just put it out there, put it out there. We

:03:50. > :03:54.were hanging in there and it was a gutsy race, but in the final length,

:03:54. > :03:57.it was just too much. I had no energy.

:03:57. > :04:03.A I suppose the only question that needs to be asked is should they

:04:03. > :04:06.have raised? It is always difficult. The golden rule should be if you

:04:06. > :04:09.are not going to do yourself any harm and it is the last race of the

:04:09. > :04:13.season, you go out and raised. I will probably get in trouble for

:04:13. > :04:20.that, because it is the team doctor that makes that decision -- race.

:04:20. > :04:24.And she is? My wife. Hopefully she won't see Best Broadcast. At the

:04:24. > :04:29.end of the day, he must have thought he wouldn't do himself any

:04:29. > :04:33.harm. I would have raised. You need to have closure, it is not like you

:04:33. > :04:40.are going to race in another three weeks -- I would have raced. The

:04:40. > :04:45.golden rule, if you don't have -- think you are going to do yourself

:04:45. > :04:50.any harm, go out. You will unlike - - you will likely have a poor

:04:50. > :04:53.result but you need that closure. That move on to the crew that were

:04:53. > :04:57.world champions in New Zealand last year, the men's lightweight four.

:04:58. > :05:01.It was agonising, spectacular, going down to the last stroke.

:05:01. > :05:09.Garry Herbert asked them to leak -- really of the race from beginning

:05:09. > :05:12.to end. Sitting at the start line, I'm probably my most relaxed.

:05:12. > :05:22.was pretty confident, feeling pretty good. And off we went -- I

:05:22. > :05:25.

:05:25. > :05:30.was. We started to power away from Great Britain in lane four. We get

:05:30. > :05:34.to 500, how is it at this stage? The birds are moving away from us

:05:34. > :05:39.but we had been used to that. -- the boat. There was a bigger

:05:39. > :05:42.crosswind that we weren't dealing with. But I was still confident at

:05:42. > :05:48.of what would happen later in the race.

:05:48. > :05:52.COMMENTATOR: The Germans taking it on. Just riding over the top of

:05:52. > :05:57.that. Just look at that, perfect timing are coming towards the

:05:57. > :06:02.halfway mark. We get to 1,000, it is a quick race.

:06:02. > :06:08.We have always had as strong a third of 500.

:06:08. > :06:13.COMMENTATOR: They really thrive in the second half of the race.

:06:13. > :06:16.will often get a bit of a lead. We didn't get the usual amount.

:06:16. > :06:20.COMMENTATOR: There are now three boats in the hunt for that precious

:06:21. > :06:26.gold medal and the British are finally squeezing on.

:06:26. > :06:33.If you are ahead at 1,500, you know you have to work pretty damn hard

:06:33. > :06:37.to get past. COMMENTATOR: About six feet over

:06:37. > :06:41.Germany with 400 metres remaining. They will be under attack from

:06:41. > :06:47.Australia and China. I think the feeling within the Crow

:06:47. > :06:53.was go as hard as you can now. COMMENTATOR: 25 strokes.

:06:53. > :06:59.Our I could see the Australians getting closer. -- I could say.

:06:59. > :07:03.COMMENTATOR: It is a matter of feet and inches. 100m. The Chinese came

:07:03. > :07:13.from nowhere. COMMENTATOR: You have to watch the

:07:13. > :07:17.

:07:17. > :07:20.Part a view is really happy that it is over, because obviously it had

:07:20. > :07:24.quite the better -- part of you. The I may have been a little over

:07:24. > :07:29.confident that we had one. Then I saw the result and I started

:07:29. > :07:39.jumping up. It is incredible to win. To do it with this crew is

:07:39. > :07:45.

:07:45. > :07:55.final of the men's lightweight coxless four, Great Britain in lane

:07:55. > :08:01.

:08:01. > :08:07.Richard Chambers, Chris Bartley, Rob Williams in the stroke seat

:08:07. > :08:12.responsible for driving of the crew off the start. The British are the

:08:12. > :08:17.defending champions. They were first at the Lucerne, the last

:08:17. > :08:24.World Cup regatta of the 2011 series. Denmark will be pushing

:08:24. > :08:34.them hard. They made a change since last year in the order. When they

:08:34. > :08:34.

:08:34. > :08:38.had any injury and trained as a minute to support them, they are

:08:38. > :08:43.won and it was outstanding, but it meant that Rob Williams went to

:08:43. > :08:48.stroke, and they decided to keep him and the have Paul Mattick down

:08:49. > :08:53.to number three. The arrangement makes it more muscular -- then have

:08:53. > :09:00.a. It makes it more dynamic and I think they may be a faster Crow

:09:00. > :09:06.than they were last year. I think it works very well -- a faster crew.

:09:06. > :09:13.Italy, 6-in the world championships last year, in name and number three.

:09:13. > :09:23.At the top, Denmark led by Ed Genson, two-time Olympic champion

:09:23. > :09:28.in this event -- Edmondson. Through the 500 metres. China, Italy,

:09:28. > :09:32.Denmark... Great Britain in last position. That shows you how tight

:09:32. > :09:36.the field is and secondly, how quick they are going. Having said

:09:36. > :09:41.what I just said, I would think they would be faster. It is

:09:41. > :09:46.surprising there have slipped down the back. They are looking relaxed,

:09:46. > :09:52.but they are a length down on the field. The maximum individual

:09:52. > :09:58.weight in this category, the individuals cannot exceed 72.5

:09:58. > :10:03.kilograms. The group average cannot exceed 70 kilograms. China have

:10:04. > :10:09.gone out fast. Denmark with all of that experience, three-time Olympic

:10:09. > :10:13.champion Edmundson, he has got a lot on his shoulders, he has come

:10:13. > :10:18.back to help Denmark and try and help himself to a 4th Olympic gold

:10:19. > :10:28.medal. That would be spectacular. Italy are looking very strong but,

:10:29. > :10:36.

:10:36. > :10:40.sitting low and the driving hard of the men's lightweight coxless

:10:40. > :10:45.four. Three of this Italian boat came 6th in the world championships

:10:45. > :10:50.last year. They have taken it on and they are leading the field

:10:50. > :10:54.through the halfway mark. It is 1,000 down, 1,000 to go. Great

:10:54. > :11:02.Britain have moved back up into 5th place. They have got a lot to do,

:11:02. > :11:08.the defending champions, Rob Williams, Paul Mattick, Chris

:11:08. > :11:11.Bartley and Richard Chambers. One thing is for sure, the British do

:11:12. > :11:16.get stronger and stronger as the cause goes down. So they will

:11:16. > :11:21.relish the challenge here, but it is a big challenge. They didn't

:11:21. > :11:25.seem to be too slow off the start. They seemed to get off OK, so there

:11:25. > :11:30.was nothing wrong there. Just assuming that everybody has gone

:11:30. > :11:35.off too fast to try and take advantage, but I think that they

:11:35. > :11:42.have got a sense of rhythm in that boat that could carry them through,

:11:42. > :11:52.at least into the medals hopefully. Look at how tied it all is, six

:11:52. > :11:53.

:11:53. > :11:59.feet from lane number two, the move away in other events, such is

:11:59. > :12:08.the nature of these crews being at the same average wait. The British

:12:09. > :12:13.are starting to move. They can wind it up and they will have their.

:12:13. > :12:18.They are now just edging into third place -- if they will have to.

:12:18. > :12:21.Denmark are fast finishers and they will be pressing. Into the last

:12:21. > :12:31.quarter of the men's lightweight coxless four and Great Britain have

:12:31. > :12:34.

:12:34. > :12:38.come back in. Into third position. But that will not be enough for the

:12:38. > :12:43.British crew, because Great Britain are the defending world champions.

:12:43. > :12:49.They have got one medal on their mind. It is going to be a big push

:12:49. > :12:53.for all of the crews. 400 metres remaining. Australia are looking

:12:54. > :12:59.very sweet out there. Technically beautiful, very good connection,

:13:00. > :13:02.good link-up in the way they are rowing and they are moving away.

:13:02. > :13:09.Nearly 40 strokes per minute and they are moving away with 50 metres

:13:09. > :13:13.to go. Absolutely breathtaking from the Australians. It has been a very

:13:13. > :13:17.long time since we have seen a distance of one length in this

:13:17. > :13:22.event, but still, the defending champions, the world champions,

:13:22. > :13:27.Great Britain, know they have 15 strokes to go to recapture that

:13:27. > :13:33.medal, which is stepping away. China, closest to us had shortened

:13:33. > :13:38.it up. They are in maximums Brent. They are right on the edge. It is

:13:38. > :13:44.Australia, it is Italy, and Australia. Australia within five

:13:45. > :13:49.strokes. We will have a new world champion. Australia, Italy and

:13:50. > :13:55.Great Britain in the bronze-medal position. The Great Britain heads

:13:55. > :14:04.go down but the arms of punching the air for Australia, who are now

:14:04. > :14:08.crowned the new world champions of champions. Italy in second and

:14:08. > :14:14.Great Britain had a huge fight just have to get back into the third

:14:14. > :14:18.have to get back into the third It is the nature of a lightweight

:14:18. > :14:23.fours that they are always competitive and sometimes you win

:14:23. > :14:29.and some time she died. Is that how you view that? Yes, it is so

:14:29. > :14:33.competitive. -- sometimes you don't. We wanted to win but when they

:14:33. > :14:38.margins are so small, there is no room for error and the Australians

:14:38. > :14:44.had a blinder. We may be wound our best but that is what happens. --

:14:44. > :14:48.we may be weren't at our best. there an airy you can pinpoint?

:14:48. > :14:53.didn't get into the best rhythm in the middle of the race. We didn't

:14:53. > :14:56.do the job we had to do and it left us too much at the end. We fought

:14:57. > :15:00.hand -- hard and we are happy to be on the podium but we would prefer

:15:00. > :15:07.to win it. The British crew accepting the

:15:07. > :15:11.bronze medals. Only one year ago, they were top of the podium. They

:15:12. > :15:16.will go away and reform. They just got absolutely dropped in the first

:15:16. > :15:20.500 metres and from there on in, they were on the back foot. They

:15:20. > :15:23.were on the back foot in Lucerne but you can't afford it at World

:15:23. > :15:31.Championships. As ever, the lightweight four is

:15:31. > :15:40.unbelievably competitive. Would you Would you be downhearted by a

:15:40. > :15:45.bronze in the lightweight fours? Certainly disappointed. For... Did

:15:45. > :15:49.not really think that they would win gold at this time, the women,

:15:49. > :15:53.but we did think that the lightweight fours would. They

:15:53. > :16:00.drifted further back than they normally would. They are not

:16:00. > :16:04.normally very fast Stratas. -- starters. But we cannot be upset

:16:04. > :16:09.with a bronze medal. They are a very talented crew as they proved

:16:09. > :16:14.last year and through the season. There is no reason they cannot get

:16:15. > :16:22.back on to form for next year. are genuine gold medals contenders.

:16:22. > :16:30.The women's eight is actually nine people, eight people in the back

:16:30. > :16:35.and one -- in the boat and then gone out the back. Garry Herbert is

:16:35. > :16:42.our own Olympic medal winning cox. Here with Caroline cox and of the

:16:42. > :16:47.women's and we are in -- and the women's eight. We are in what I

:16:47. > :16:53.call the cockpit of the boat. The shoes for one thing, that is a new

:16:53. > :16:58.invention. Yes, this is one thing I came up with myself. I found I was

:16:58. > :17:02.moving about quite a bit. Your voice is transmitted to the

:17:02. > :17:08.athletes but because I was not using the old equipment there was

:17:08. > :17:13.more manoeuvrability. So I decided to buy these shoes and have then

:17:13. > :17:18.screwed in place. What else is going on here? This allows me to

:17:18. > :17:26.download a lot more data at the end. I can see if there is, perhaps, a

:17:27. > :17:31.drop in Greece or in speed -- increase in speed. It gives me a

:17:31. > :17:35.lot of good feedback which I can then link up. You have a head said

:17:35. > :17:42.here. This is what you are communicating through to the rest

:17:42. > :17:46.of the boat. And they are speakers under the seats? No, we only have

:17:46. > :17:52.three speakers in the boat and that enables me to talk to the Rovers

:17:52. > :17:58.rather than shout. One of the main jobs for a cox is to steer the boat.

:17:58. > :18:04.You want to use the rider as little as possible. Off the start, are you

:18:04. > :18:08.calm and relaxed or do you scream and shout? At the moment we are

:18:08. > :18:12.really focusing on making sure we get out of the blocks hard but come

:18:12. > :18:15.on to a really good race with them. With that you need to make sure

:18:15. > :18:22.everything is quite clear and succinct so that everyone knows

:18:22. > :18:32.what is going on. The really important thing is that the eight

:18:32. > :18:35.

:18:35. > :18:40.row has -- people -- rowers are in Great Britain in learn five. They

:18:40. > :18:49.were faults at the World Championships last year. -- they

:18:49. > :18:53.were fourth. We are a way in what will be, for Great Britain, one of

:18:53. > :18:59.the most important races of the year. This in the final of the

:18:59. > :19:04.women's eight. In lane one, China, Romania in lane two, cancer in lane

:19:04. > :19:07.three, the Olympic and defended were champions from the sense of

:19:07. > :19:16.America in at lane four. Great Britain are in lane five and the

:19:16. > :19:20.Netherlands in lane six. 6 boats. A repeat of last year's World

:19:20. > :19:24.Championship final. All boats racing for a medal but only five of

:19:24. > :19:31.these crews will automatically qualify for these Olympic Games in

:19:31. > :19:38.London next year. I desperately awful situation to be in if you are

:19:38. > :19:42.the sixth boat. We can see how it, compared to last year, everyone has

:19:42. > :19:46.really moved on, and Great Britain will have to be careful in this

:19:46. > :19:56.final to make sure they understand that and that they push on and do

:19:56. > :20:01.something supreme. Canada are the world silver medallist. Lesley

:20:01. > :20:07.Thompson-Willie Olympic champion back in 1992 in Barcelona with the

:20:07. > :20:11.Canadians. Years and years of experience here. One of the most

:20:11. > :20:20.important seats here. Driving the women on in the final of the

:20:20. > :20:22.women's eight. Not much in it through the first 500m. China have

:20:23. > :20:28.dropped by three-quarters of a length. Netherlands and Canada

:20:28. > :20:37.leading the way. The Netherlands are a bit of a dark horse. They are

:20:37. > :20:42.languishing out in a lane six. They were fifth last year. But their

:20:42. > :20:47.World Championship bronze medallists from 2009. A lot of

:20:47. > :20:50.experience in this boat. They always come on well. They always

:20:50. > :20:56.come on world was the Olympics. A lot of countries really bide their

:20:56. > :21:03.time as they head towards the Olympics. Now Britain is well in

:21:03. > :21:07.place there and they should be clear of that as danger zone --

:21:07. > :21:12.that the danger zone of sixth place. The United States are languishing a

:21:12. > :21:19.little bit as cows that have gone out front. The Canadians are so

:21:19. > :21:24.powerful. Really long, sweeping strokes. Very efficient around the

:21:24. > :21:30.front and the USA of the world champions, really just handing off

:21:30. > :21:34.the handle. They use brute power and forced to move it along. To the

:21:34. > :21:39.left of your picture did concede the British crew. Great Britain

:21:39. > :21:48.went through the 500m mark in fourth position. Currently sitting

:21:48. > :21:54.in the same place now. She has now moved down to the stroke seat and

:21:54. > :21:58.it is working. At the halfway already and Canada, the world

:21:58. > :22:03.silver medallists, are leading. The world and Olympic champions from

:22:03. > :22:09.the United States of America are at Next and Great Britain have just

:22:09. > :22:14.moved into fifth position. 6 boats Racing, only five will get

:22:14. > :22:18.automatic qualification for the Olympic Games next year before

:22:18. > :22:22.Canada and the United States, it is only one thing on their minds.

:22:22. > :22:27.Winning this gold medals. United States have moved back from

:22:27. > :22:32.quite a long way back for about 800m before. They have now proved

:22:32. > :22:41.up on the shoulder of Canada and they have the experience and power

:22:41. > :22:47.to push on back and push right through. 750m now remain. China in

:22:47. > :22:52.lane one, who have rightly dropped out to the top left of your picture.

:22:52. > :22:57.So the race is now on for the medals here. Everyone here has

:22:58. > :23:02.qualified. So now we are bracing for the gold medal through to the

:23:02. > :23:06.bronze medal. The British team is starting to move again. There is

:23:06. > :23:11.absolutely no doubt they can get on to the medal podium. They were

:23:11. > :23:16.fourth last year. They are looking long and strong here compared to

:23:16. > :23:23.their competitors. The Dutch have shortened up and are hacking away

:23:23. > :23:30.at it. Romania are very experienced. It is rare you go into the last

:23:30. > :23:37.500m of a final in eight and cannot call what is going on here. As they

:23:37. > :23:41.went through, Canada where leading and then the silver medallists. A

:23:41. > :23:47.couple of feet between them and the USA. The race is on for the bronze

:23:47. > :23:51.medal. Here come Romania, also on the far side, in lane two. The

:23:51. > :23:56.British now in their own fight with the Netherlands in lane six. So

:23:56. > :24:01.much going on, so little water left. Great Britain are moving past the

:24:01. > :24:05.Netherlands but they know they are not going to catch Romania for the

:24:05. > :24:11.bronze. The United States have really forced their way back

:24:11. > :24:16.through and past Canada and now in this last the run-in, 250m, they

:24:16. > :24:20.look like they are flying. Canada is just back down, the United

:24:20. > :24:25.States just up and taking the lead, the Olympic and world champions,

:24:25. > :24:31.but with them here come Great Britain. 20 straits remaining, a

:24:31. > :24:37.little under. Now gripped Britain fighting for this bronze medals. --

:24:37. > :24:47.Great Britain. It is imperative that all power is used. The last

:24:47. > :24:51.100m. Still on USA for gold medal, Canada for the silver medal. The

:24:51. > :24:57.USA are first. Canada is second and the British crew will get the

:24:57. > :25:03.bronze medal. We watched the arms go up here. They do not know they

:25:03. > :25:05.have won yet but the British have got bronze here today. So the

:25:05. > :25:10.United States successfully defend their Bob Champion should medal for

:25:10. > :25:19.last year, Canada silver and Great Britain, and the last time Great

:25:19. > :25:23.Britain got a bronze medal was back Brilliant. So happy. We knew we had

:25:23. > :25:27.a good line and we had to just believe in that. We went nuts and

:25:27. > :25:34.it was brilliant. At the halfway point to do things you were out of

:25:34. > :25:38.it? No I knew we had a strong finish so we just kept on and kept

:25:38. > :25:45.plugging away at it. Caroline was really good at telling us where we

:25:45. > :25:51.work. I bet you were shouting and the last 300m? Yes. At halfway I

:25:51. > :25:56.think we were in fifth but it was really close, there was two-thirds

:25:56. > :25:59.of a length maximum between the Holtsfield. We could see China were

:25:59. > :26:06.not in it so we knew that was qualification done and we just had

:26:06. > :26:10.to push on for a medal. We built early because I knew we had to go

:26:10. > :26:16.all we were going to leave it too late. It was just fantastic and so

:26:16. > :26:20.committed. We had a really good last 500. This will be a well

:26:20. > :26:30.received bronze medal from the supporters in the crowd. They

:26:30. > :26:34.

:26:34. > :26:39.John Inverdale a great finish. have to be pleased with a bronze

:26:39. > :26:44.medal. Disappointed that if they could put in a finish like that,

:26:44. > :26:48.they should have put in something like that earlier in the race. You

:26:49. > :26:53.cannot fault them for a bronze medal. They would have taken that

:26:53. > :27:01.at the beginning of the week all season. It is expected, if we are

:27:01. > :27:04.honest? Yes and No. I suppose if you are going to market up

:27:04. > :27:09.beforehand you would have said fourth or fifth, and that gets

:27:09. > :27:13.close to the qualifying slot. Fourth I would have put my money on

:27:13. > :27:17.but very pleased with a bronze medal. But the way they raced, they

:27:17. > :27:22.know that they can do better by racing in a search -- slightly

:27:22. > :27:29.different way. To another element of the world regattas and these are

:27:29. > :27:33.the Atlantic -- adopted events, the Paralympic events. We will focus on

:27:33. > :27:38.the men's single scull, Tom a car competing this, a former rugby

:27:38. > :27:43.player who was involved in a very serious car crash. -- Tom Aggar.

:27:43. > :27:49.He's looking for his fourth world title. The final of the arms only

:27:49. > :27:59.men's single scull adaptive eventer raised over 1,000 metres, Tom Aggar

:27:59. > :28:16.

:28:17. > :28:21.in at lane three will be up against the Russians. -- Tom a car. Looking

:28:21. > :28:26.there at Tom in lane three. USA in lane one, Australia lane two, Great

:28:26. > :28:34.Britain lane three, Russia lane four, Spain lane five and Korea

:28:34. > :28:37.lane six. He has been the Paralympic champion and world

:28:37. > :28:41.champion since he started doing this and immediately he was a big

:28:41. > :28:45.player on the scene. They can only use their arms and shoulders and

:28:45. > :28:50.they cannot swing and the swing of the body, the drunk, is really

:28:50. > :28:57.important in rowing, so this is a very strong restriction. -- the

:28:57. > :29:02.drunk. They are in harnesses so they cannot actually swing at all.

:29:03. > :29:12.The Russian bass drum's strongest of rival and he has been going very

:29:13. > :29:17.

:29:17. > :29:21.well. But Tom is quite experienced. He is a very powerful man.

:29:21. > :29:26.rower from the United States of America is in lane number one. This

:29:26. > :29:31.is starting to develop into a fascinating race in the first half

:29:31. > :29:35.as the scullers make their way to the 500m mark. Australia and the

:29:35. > :29:42.United States of America are definitely picking up the pace from

:29:42. > :29:47.their semi-finals. Interesting that it is all arms for Tom. He is not

:29:47. > :29:55.sitting back at all, finishing off his stroke at all, like the Russian.

:29:55. > :30:00.The Russian has a longer stroke and is rather slow. You can see how it

:30:00. > :30:10.Tom has built up his upper-body strength a lot in the gym. He is

:30:10. > :30:11.

:30:11. > :30:18.doing very well. The Great Britain rower was named adaptive group of

:30:18. > :30:22.the year bike are rowing federation in 2010. He was Olympic champion

:30:22. > :30:28.from 2008 and rightly so. But he has been put under pressure through

:30:28. > :30:32.the halfway mark on this final here at players. The 2011 World Rally

:30:32. > :30:42.Championship final is Great Britain being put under pressure from

:30:42. > :30:47.

:30:47. > :30:52.starting to use a bit more swing. Just sitting back and little bit

:30:52. > :30:59.more and it is giving him more of a sense. One would hope he will open

:30:59. > :31:04.it up over the second part of the race. It is a close race. Tom, from

:31:04. > :31:13.the Royal Docks Rowing Club, a real stalwart of that club. And

:31:13. > :31:19.testament to the focus of adapted Rohlin at the club. -- rowing. They

:31:19. > :31:26.played rugby for the first 15 at University prior to an accident in

:31:26. > :31:30.2006, unrelated to the sport. He took up rowing in 2006 and as they

:31:30. > :31:37.say, the rest is history. He has gone from strength to strength in

:31:37. > :31:44.this event. Coached by Tom Dyson. Just putting on more pressure. 250

:31:44. > :31:53.metres remaining. Still the Russian, in lane number four, hasn't given

:31:53. > :31:59.up the battle yet. It has just stayed at about three quarters of a

:31:59. > :32:08.length all the way. A very close tussle between these two. A all of

:32:08. > :32:17.these scholars have qualified for the Paralympic Games next year --

:32:17. > :32:22.scullers. Now it really is all about racing for medals. Tom Aggar

:32:22. > :32:29.from Great Britain. Just starting again to put the pressure on, just

:32:29. > :32:34.increasing the boat speed. He is away by one length. They are inside

:32:34. > :32:42.the closing stages of this 1,000 metre race. And the Russian is

:32:42. > :32:46.putting in the final sprint towards the line. But Tom Aggar, two-time

:32:46. > :32:53.world champion, will look to make it three in a row after the World

:32:53. > :33:00.Championships. Not a bad effort at all. Defends successfully, Tom

:33:00. > :33:10.Aggar, again, 2011 world champion. The Russian in second place.

:33:10. > :33:12.

:33:12. > :33:18.by Russia in the Medway Mark, but Tom Aggar is now the three-times

:33:18. > :33:26.world champion -- midway. He must now be the favourites for the

:33:26. > :33:32.Paralympic Games in London next Well earned and well deserved from

:33:32. > :33:37.Tom Aggar. Next year, at that if rowing will celebrate a decade of

:33:37. > :33:41.introduction -- adaptive rowing will celebrate a decade are sport

:33:41. > :33:46.since its introduction, and Tom Aggar will certainly go in as the

:33:46. > :33:51.favourite. Another title. Yes, I am obviously

:33:51. > :33:54.really pleased. It was a tough race but I have come out on top again.

:33:54. > :33:57.Are you getting better? I am getting stronger and fitter but the

:33:57. > :34:03.rest of the field is getting better so it is a matter of working hard

:34:03. > :34:07.and staying go-ahead for next year. In a race like that, do you get a

:34:07. > :34:11.chance to sample the scenery and think, my God, I have won a world

:34:11. > :34:16.title in one of the most beautiful places on earth? It is one of the

:34:16. > :34:20.most beautiful places to train. I had a few days to enjoy it and take

:34:20. > :34:25.it all in but it was a fantastic atmosphere on the start-line.

:34:25. > :34:29.have three or four weeks of and then it is starting a game. Yes,

:34:29. > :34:32.back to the grind and back into it for next year. It is the big one

:34:32. > :34:36.where it counts, in front of the home crowd so it will be health --

:34:37. > :34:39.all guns blazing. The British pair in be adapted

:34:39. > :34:49.The British pair in be adapted mixed doubles, Sam Scown and Nick

:34:49. > :34:53.

:34:53. > :34:58.Beighton, faced a tougher above are all strapped in so there

:34:58. > :35:07.is no movement -- the. It is all about getting a great read them, as

:35:07. > :35:09.we come to the last 200 metres. -- getting a great rhythm. The Ukraine

:35:09. > :35:14.struggling to hang on with Australia putting them under

:35:14. > :35:17.pressure. It is between France, Ukraine and Australia for the

:35:17. > :35:26.silver medal, but China look like they are well out in front and

:35:27. > :35:34.pretty secured. They are fabulous demonstration of team work by China.

:35:34. > :35:40.-- Athar Abbas. They can smell the line, they can sense it -- that is

:35:40. > :35:46.a fabulous demonstration. China absolutely moving to the line.

:35:46. > :35:49.Great Britain in a number six cannot compete. They have qualified

:35:49. > :35:54.for the Paralympic Games but out front, and up to the line, it is

:35:54. > :36:00.going to be a gold medal for China. That is what it means, well

:36:00. > :36:10.demonstrated by China. In second place, France. And the Ukraine

:36:10. > :36:12.

:36:12. > :36:15.drift over as Australia move time. Great Britain, although they

:36:15. > :36:23.are last in this final, they can take a lot of credit, because they

:36:23. > :36:26.have qualified for the 2012 Katherine Grainger is a multiple

:36:26. > :36:30.world champion but she and Anna Watkins though another try and

:36:30. > :36:34.there would be the precursor to being Britain's first ever Olympic

:36:34. > :36:38.women's rowing champions next year. The big showdown Nears. If you have

:36:39. > :36:45.lost 13 times on the trot to the same opposition, you would surely

:36:45. > :36:49.throw the towel then? Not if you are Andy Hodge and Peter Reed. Andy

:36:49. > :36:57.has won a world bronze and a world silver. And Alan Campbell complete

:36:57. > :37:01.the set before he gets married? We seem to have spent a lot of time

:37:01. > :37:08.over the last few years discussing it Andy Hodge and Peter Reed and

:37:08. > :37:14.whether they can beat Bond and partner. What is your view of this?

:37:14. > :37:17.13 Thames and they have lost every time -- 13 attempts. The last World

:37:17. > :37:22.Championships, they got the closest they have ever done and that has

:37:22. > :37:26.given them confidence that their season, they can overturn them. --

:37:26. > :37:32.this season. The reality is they haven't embraced them once this

:37:32. > :37:35.year, at Lucerne, -- they have only raced them once this year, at

:37:36. > :37:43.Lucerne, and they got beaten by the biggest margin out of the 14 times

:37:43. > :37:50.they have raised. -- raced. What can they do differently? Is this a

:37:50. > :37:53.physical battle? Or is it a mental battle now? It is half-and-half.

:37:53. > :37:59.Obviously, rowing is very physical but it is a mental sport as well.

:37:59. > :38:04.When you need to go that few tenths of a second quicker, how do you do

:38:04. > :38:09.that? You need more effort, more bigger, more determination, which

:38:09. > :38:13.then causes more attention and that actually make you go slower --

:38:13. > :38:18.pension. You have to go faster without trying harder. How do you

:38:18. > :38:26.do that? Let's hear from the guys on the eve of arguably the biggest

:38:26. > :38:32.. Andy Hodge and Peter Reed are two of the best runners in the world.

:38:32. > :38:35.They are the two best in the British team. -- rollers. Belief in

:38:35. > :38:40.their own ability and the knowledge of the facilities they enjoy and

:38:40. > :38:45.their coaching support is as good as it gets. They live in a no

:38:45. > :38:49.excuse environment. Nationally, they are our best athletes.

:38:49. > :38:58.only trouble is that out there on the water from the other side of

:38:58. > :39:07.the world, to others are a fraction better. -- two. New Zealand looking

:39:07. > :39:11.absolutely spectacular. My Zealand looking very confident.

:39:11. > :39:16.Peter Reed and Andy Hodge won gold in Beijing in the coxless four.

:39:16. > :39:22.British are coming! Gold Medal! Absolutely amazing. Then they set

:39:22. > :39:26.off on their own to attend gold at 2012 in the pair. -- attempt. In

:39:26. > :39:32.the past couple of years, they have raised Bond and Murray 13 times and

:39:32. > :39:36.have lost the lot. -- raced. courageous push by Great Britain

:39:36. > :39:41.but New Zealand when and look at that distance. Limping over the

:39:41. > :39:46.line into second place. A lot of coaches will be thinking that is

:39:46. > :39:52.not the boat to go for. Silva 2 Great Britain. Such a grudge match

:39:52. > :39:56.between these crews -- silver medal for Great Britain. 10 in a road for

:39:56. > :40:01.New Zealand. They are a great crew, a lot of respect for them. It has

:40:01. > :40:06.been a big debate, should they move back into another boat and pursue

:40:06. > :40:11.Olympic glory elsewhere, leaving the pair to the Kiwis? Throwing in

:40:11. > :40:15.the towel is not in their DNA. did go home and cry about not

:40:15. > :40:21.beating them. We have a lot of fortitude and the boat. We are

:40:21. > :40:27.close. At the World Championships last year, it was almost the last

:40:27. > :40:30.throw of the dice. After such a run of defeats, a drubbing here would

:40:30. > :40:34.surely force the British team's handed to making a change. It was

:40:34. > :40:39.handed to making a change. It was so nearly a watershed moment.

:40:39. > :40:42.Zealand on home water. But Great Britain are holding on. We haven't

:40:42. > :40:50.seen Great Britain at perform like this in the two years they have

:40:50. > :40:55.been together. Inside 500 metres. The British Crow are ahead. Now New

:40:55. > :41:00.Zealand move. Great Britain have to hand in. New Zealand from Great

:41:00. > :41:04.Britain. It is so close. What a performance from Peter Reed and

:41:04. > :41:09.Andy Hodge. It is a silver medal today but it is as close as they

:41:09. > :41:10.have got. That was the first time have got. That was the first time

:41:10. > :41:15.they have had us through the middle and coming into the finish. We

:41:15. > :41:20.usually think we can walk away with will -- at well but we had to dig

:41:20. > :41:23.deep. That is as good a fight as we can put a bad they have been worthy

:41:23. > :41:28.competition for 18 months. There has been a lot of speculation but

:41:28. > :41:33.we don't know if this is the end of the pair internationally. If it is,

:41:33. > :41:37.we got a lot of silver medals but a lot more fun than that suggests.

:41:37. > :41:41.that in defeat but defeat nonetheless. The winter to consider

:41:41. > :41:49.the options and decide. This is a battle they still believe can be

:41:49. > :41:54.won. This is not a kid club. -- Kids Club. They like to be

:41:54. > :42:01.competitive. Of course, an Olympic champion and silver medallist, it

:42:01. > :42:05.is a bit of a drop. This pair's project really isn't about doing

:42:05. > :42:10.something different of getting our own back. I just feel like this is

:42:10. > :42:14.the fastest boat that Great Britain Canfield and it is still improving.

:42:14. > :42:24.Until we get it absolutely right I am willing to give it ago -- can

:42:24. > :42:28.

:42:29. > :42:35.eagerly awaited final at this World Rowing Championships. It is the

:42:35. > :42:42.men's coxless pair. The world champions from New Zealand, 13

:42:42. > :42:47.consecutive wins over Great Britain, looking to make it 14 in a row. The

:42:47. > :42:55.world silver medallists and Olympic champions from the men's coxless

:42:55. > :43:01.four, Peter Reed and Andy Hodge. Will they turn it around today? So

:43:01. > :43:04.much riding on the outcome of this race. Not just for Peter Reed and

:43:04. > :43:08.Andy Hodge from Great Britain in lamed number four, but for the

:43:08. > :43:14.whole of the men's team. Is this the last time we see the men's pair

:43:14. > :43:20.blasting off the start end the first 100? Alongside them, 13

:43:20. > :43:26.consecutive wins, New Zealand, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, the world

:43:26. > :43:29.champions, in the black strip. Just a fabulous race away its four-star

:43:29. > :43:35.up here it comes under great Britain have been trying out a new

:43:35. > :43:42.strategy. -- here it comes. They have been trying to keep their

:43:42. > :43:46.rates of strokes higher to try and match the New Zealand team. Peter

:43:46. > :43:52.Reed who says it is his job to set the Botha before Andy Hart, his

:43:52. > :44:02.stroke man, not to muscle it along -- set the boat up for Andy Hodge.

:44:02. > :44:07.

:44:07. > :44:11.But it looks as though it Germany as they come towards the first

:44:11. > :44:15.timing mark, it will be 500 metres, New Zealand in lane three starting

:44:15. > :44:19.to ease out. They are taking more strokes per minute, so they are

:44:19. > :44:29.getting faster boat speed but they are not continuous with bat boat

:44:29. > :44:34.speed. -- that. They have taken quite a lead. 500 metres down and

:44:34. > :44:38.New Zealand are out to three- quarters of a length. Over Great

:44:38. > :44:45.Britain in a number four. Peter Reed and Andy Hodge really have to

:44:45. > :44:51.just step into, jump into the second 500 metres, otherwise the

:44:51. > :44:56.key ways of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, two-time world champions, the

:44:56. > :44:59.king to make it 14 in a row -- Kiwis. The that is disappointing,

:44:59. > :45:05.because great Britain have been practising this fast-moving stroke.

:45:05. > :45:09.They looked a little bit laboured them. We got a shot of them. The

:45:09. > :45:13.New Zealanders have already got a length. They are notoriously slow

:45:13. > :45:18.starters but they really move in the second and third 500. Now they

:45:18. > :45:24.are over one day in the head and visions of Lucerne six weeks ago, -

:45:24. > :45:34.- one leg the head, they begin to loom again. This is not good for

:45:34. > :45:34.

:45:34. > :45:38.demonstration of racing in the men's heavyweight coxless pair. The

:45:38. > :45:42.New Zealanders have not only taken this race by the scruff of its neck

:45:42. > :45:47.but they are laying down a youth market. But there is one thing they

:45:47. > :45:52.can be sure of, Peter Reed and Andy Hodge from Great Britain will not

:45:52. > :45:58.give up. Not one single stroke. They will be right on it and they

:45:58. > :46:05.will believe in the second 1,000 as they must do that they have enough

:46:05. > :46:10.in the tank to overhaul the world champions. Through the halfway mark.

:46:10. > :46:15.This is an incredible display now. The New Zealand rowing champions,

:46:15. > :46:21.two in a row. Looking as if it is going to be three. They have opened

:46:21. > :46:30.up a length of clear water. Their confidence will be get -- getting

:46:30. > :46:34.better and better. There are really only two boats in this, the world

:46:35. > :46:39.champions New Zealand, the world silver medallists, Great Britain.

:46:39. > :46:44.New Zealand are up at 38 strokes a minute. That is what they like.

:46:44. > :46:50.They are moving along very fast. Now an enormous job there for Great

:46:50. > :46:55.Britain. They have moved up again from 34, 35, which is rather sedate

:46:55. > :47:00.at this level. They have moved it up now and they are beginning to

:47:00. > :47:04.close it up again. Maybe they have a plan. They have been very fast in

:47:04. > :47:13.the middle of this race. Great Britain have to keep it long and

:47:13. > :47:19.relaxed. Andy Hodge is in the stroke seat. These guys are Olympic

:47:19. > :47:23.champions in the men's coxless four so they have all the experience in

:47:23. > :47:28.the bank to overhaul the skies. The main thing is that New Zealand have

:47:28. > :47:34.not gone away any further and Great Britain have to take a huge

:47:34. > :47:41.confidence in that, but time is starting to run out. We are in it

:47:41. > :47:45.towards the last 500m. It is going according to script. The New

:47:45. > :47:51.Zealanders at 1,500m now lead out by half a length. Undoubtedly,

:47:51. > :47:57.Great Britain are starting to move back. They are four at other boats

:47:57. > :48:05.but the world is only too far coast -- only focused on the two that

:48:06. > :48:11.matter. Britain are coming up towards an overlap with New Zealand.

:48:12. > :48:16.We will see fireworks coming. have 400m to go. It is not a long

:48:16. > :48:20.way but, my goodness, they are shifting. New Zealand have this be

:48:20. > :48:25.a change that they can do. They have seen the danger and they have

:48:25. > :48:33.changed gear and moved away again. They are right on the edge now,

:48:34. > :48:39.Peter Reed and Andy Hodge. You can count the strokes from here, 200m.

:48:39. > :48:45.They are giving it absolutely everything. We are now 175 metres

:48:45. > :48:50.from the line. Still the world champions from New Zealand hand on.

:48:50. > :48:57.A fantastic comeback from Great Britain. 200m to go and they are

:48:57. > :49:01.moving very well. Here comes Great Britain. 100m remaining. This is

:49:01. > :49:09.the desperate, dying part of the race but surely the New Zealanders

:49:09. > :49:14.are going to make it three in a row. It is New Zealand three in a row,

:49:14. > :49:19.gold medal for New Zealand! 14 consecutive second places for Team

:49:20. > :49:25.GB, but a fantastic race from start to finish. That surely has to be

:49:25. > :49:33.the last time we see Peter Reed and Andy Hodge of Great Britain in the

:49:33. > :49:38.men's coxless pair. That was half a length, a great fightback from

:49:38. > :49:42.Great Britain but in the middle of the race they gave that too much.

:49:42. > :49:46.At 34 strokes a minute they could not sustain that and had to move.

:49:46. > :49:54.The Italians moved up from fourth into third this year but really it

:49:54. > :49:57.was all about tot -- two boats. The Kiwis now it must go into 20 prom

:49:57. > :50:02.on the Olympic Games as the odds on favourite because they are getting

:50:02. > :50:08.better and better, faster and faster. Great Britain into second

:50:08. > :50:18.position. They believe, deep down in their heart of hearts that they

:50:18. > :50:19.

:50:19. > :50:23.would get it today. New Zealand Very difficult. We had this

:50:23. > :50:29.interview last year and I know how this feels from them. I did not

:50:29. > :50:34.want to feel it again. We have enjoyed the build-up. It has been a

:50:34. > :50:42.fantastic regatta and Just So tough to be beaten again. We trained so

:50:42. > :50:48.hard every day and we have everything we need. A faster group

:50:49. > :50:54.and -- the fastest crew and in these conditions, you are more like

:50:54. > :50:58.the third quickest group ever. had to do a double-take when I saw

:50:58. > :51:04.the time coming out. I would like to see any other crew get so close

:51:04. > :51:09.to the world record. But we know we are racing one of the best Chris.

:51:09. > :51:17.We are proud to be part of that, and pushing them as well. What

:51:17. > :51:23.happens for the next year, only Jurgen knows that and I am going to

:51:23. > :51:27.fight to make sure I am in the gold medal race. At 500 metres, when

:51:27. > :51:30.they were a length and a bit ahead, how did you keep your will and

:51:30. > :51:36.concentration at that point? Part of you must have thought, oh no, we

:51:36. > :51:42.let them go? Any crew can do something special and do -- spend

:51:42. > :51:45.too much money in the first part of the race. I can see what we are

:51:45. > :51:50.doing and the conditions. I knew that we were where we should be on

:51:50. > :51:54.the pace, maybe they had gone off too fast. It is hard when they are

:51:54. > :52:00.in front but that was always a possibility. We pushed on in the

:52:00. > :52:04.middle and at the end. It is a great rivalry. A we saw that when

:52:04. > :52:10.you pushed each other into the water. Would you like it to

:52:11. > :52:20.continue? I want to win. Next year, being in the middle of the podium

:52:20. > :52:23.is the most important thing. Steve won 5 gold medals. Many people note

:52:23. > :52:30.he has five but not everyone knows what events they were in. So the

:52:30. > :52:40.colour of the medal is the only factor here? Absolutely. There are

:52:40. > :52:41.

:52:41. > :52:47.very significant differences between rowing in Paris. -- rowing

:52:47. > :52:52.in a pairs of two and four. Come what may, we want to be in the top

:52:52. > :52:55.boat and I want to be leading the GB team to a gold medal. It may be

:52:55. > :52:59.second place but it was a great race and you are an integral part

:52:59. > :53:03.of it. Thank you for your help and support throughout these World

:53:03. > :53:08.Championships. Steve, just to bring you in on this. You taught

:53:08. > :53:11.throughout the race might pan out. You almost predicted it to a tee.

:53:11. > :53:15.said they would come second by three-quarters of a length and

:53:15. > :53:19.unfortunately they did. It seemed like they try to do make a

:53:19. > :53:23.difference. I do not think they planned to hold back on purpose.

:53:23. > :53:29.Surprised the other boats were leading them in the first half. It

:53:29. > :53:34.did stay a little closer in that 750m. The burst at the end may have

:53:34. > :53:42.caught them. The Kiwis are very fast. The second fastest time in

:53:42. > :53:51.history. Andy and Peter are probably the fourth fastest time in

:53:51. > :53:55.history. You can hear their hearts. It is all about a gold medal. It is

:53:55. > :53:59.easy to say it is going to be Jurgen's decision but if their

:53:59. > :54:07.hearts are saying, we are going to do the pair, there is nothing that

:54:08. > :54:13.is going to stop them from doing that. You might say that it is a

:54:13. > :54:21.combat, saying it is Jurgen's toys. Last year theirs came so close to

:54:21. > :54:27.winning. -- they came so close. It is extremely tough to go into the

:54:27. > :54:32.Olympics to win. I think that the Kiwis could fall to doing that. We

:54:32. > :54:36.have seen it so many times, people being world champion every year, it

:54:36. > :54:41.comes to the Olympics and they fail to do it. If they walk away from

:54:41. > :54:47.this they could be walking away from an Olympic gold medal.

:54:47. > :54:52.that great rivalry ends 14-0 to New Zealand. Great. I think it is safe

:54:52. > :54:56.to say that a lot of debate will happen about their futures. Also

:54:56. > :54:59.the Great Britain at sculling teams, particularly after the men's quad

:54:59. > :55:09.narrowly failed in the most traumatic of circumstances to

:55:09. > :55:13.

:55:13. > :55:16.measure through to the final. -- a remaining. The British crew had

:55:17. > :55:22.started to come back in the first semi-final of the men's quadruple

:55:22. > :55:26.scull. There are now four boats hunting three places into the final.

:55:26. > :55:34.The British crew have to step it up. There have been fourth all the way

:55:34. > :55:43.along. It is a big task to ask of the British group. Holland are in

:55:43. > :55:49.lane two, currently leading. Holland Park the Olympic champions.

:55:49. > :55:58.-- Poland in lane two, the Olympic champions. Croatia are the

:55:58. > :56:03.defending world champions. They are in lane four. Croatia moved up a

:56:04. > :56:11.very well. They moved up well in that 500. Great Britain will move

:56:11. > :56:19.up now. Russia are starting to slide back. But they have only got

:56:19. > :56:23.250m to go. Now down to the last 200m in this race. Great Britain

:56:23. > :56:28.have to throw absolutely everything at this. They are fourth. Only

:56:28. > :56:33.three will go through. Still the British crew come. This is a

:56:33. > :56:38.desperate part of the race. They are on the tail of the Russian crew,

:56:38. > :56:44.on the tale of Poland but they will not do it today. They have been

:56:44. > :56:50.edged out. The confirmation then, agonisingly close for the British

:56:50. > :57:00.crew. They were fourth all the way down the track but that is how it

:57:00. > :57:03.

:57:03. > :57:13.came in the final sprint to the So, five European cruise lined up

:57:13. > :57:17.

:57:17. > :57:23.Germany lead through over the Australians and in third place,

:57:23. > :57:28.Croatia finally moving up on the world champions.

:57:28. > :57:34.Starting then move towards the line. Look how relaxed the Germans are.

:57:34. > :57:42.38 strokes a minute but they look very loose. It does not feel that

:57:42. > :57:46.tents. That urgent. And yet there they are, spinning along. Australia

:57:46. > :57:51.are throwing up a lot of water at the finish of the stroke, so they

:57:51. > :57:58.are losing pace just at the end of the street where, if they kept them

:57:58. > :58:02.buried, they would get more pace. They find that Croatia is really

:58:02. > :58:11.trying to row them down. Croatia look like they may have too much to

:58:11. > :58:19.do. 200m just inside 20 straits remaining. All of these crews are

:58:19. > :58:24.on maximum speed now. One last time, the Australians in lane to throw

:58:24. > :58:34.everything at them. It will be close to the line. 75 metres.

:58:34. > :58:45.

:58:45. > :58:53.caught a blade and that allowed Australia to rob them of a gold

:58:53. > :59:00.medal. If ever there is a bad time to do that, two strokes out from

:59:00. > :59:05.the line is it. An absolutely incredible event from the Germans.

:59:05. > :59:11.The others in his boat stopped rowing. They all just stopped. If

:59:11. > :59:18.they had actually carried on, they would have scrambled across, but

:59:18. > :59:28.they stopped. It does in a flat on the catch. He has scored his left

:59:28. > :59:31.

:59:31. > :59:36.blade, he goes out again. He stops. Wait do the strokes stop? -- why.

:59:36. > :59:41.result, then, that will be talked about for years to come. Australia

:59:41. > :59:49.get the gold by default from Germany, in silver. And by such

:59:49. > :59:53.tiny margins are gold medals are If you are going to put your bird

:59:53. > :00:03.house on one British crew returning to the UK with a gold medal it

:00:03. > :00:04.

:00:04. > :00:09.would undeniably have been the The unforgettable images of the

:00:09. > :00:13.Sydney Olympics. Great Britain get the gold medal! Steve Redgrave,

:00:14. > :00:19.five in a row. What a great Olympian.

:00:19. > :00:22.But on the undercard was a rowing silver for a Women's quad,

:00:22. > :00:32.including somebody who has gone on to be Britain's greatest-ever

:00:32. > :00:35.

:00:35. > :00:43.female runner. It is still on the line. -- rower. N Coldplay is,

:00:43. > :00:51.Germany. In Silver Place, Brighton! -- in a cold place., in summer

:00:51. > :00:55.place, Britain. -- silver. Romania get gold again as Britain put

:00:55. > :00:59.everything into the melting pot. to Beijing and a dominant British

:00:59. > :01:04.crew would surely make it third time lucky for the indomitable

:01:04. > :01:09.Scot? It is China for the gold medal. It will be another silver

:01:09. > :01:12.for Great Britain. When you have won three silver medals at great --

:01:12. > :01:17.consecutive Olympics, the choices are give it everything or give it

:01:17. > :01:22.up and Helen Grainger chose to go for it, a 4th crack at the most

:01:22. > :01:29.cherished prize in sport. She had a brief hiatus on heroin, winning

:01:29. > :01:36.silver at the single sculls -- on her own. But she has always really

:01:36. > :01:41.wanted to be a part of a team. me, rowing has been being part of a

:01:42. > :01:45.crew, I love Rowing with other people. With very obvious goals and

:01:45. > :01:50.exciting things that will stretchers and putting all of the

:01:50. > :01:54.building blocks into place to get that result. -- stretchers. Like

:01:54. > :01:58.any sport, it is being it is the right thing to do and this was

:01:58. > :02:01.right from the off. It was early 2010 and we went out training in

:02:01. > :02:04.Portugal to the training camp and we were swapping around with the

:02:04. > :02:10.different combinations in double sculls and we sort of paddled off,

:02:10. > :02:15.and thought, I'm just doing my thing, and Katherine is doing her

:02:16. > :02:20.thing but we are exactly together. I made a few calls and she changed

:02:20. > :02:24.in exactly the way that I meant without me having to explain in

:02:24. > :02:28.detail, and knowing how strong we both are physically, I knew that if

:02:28. > :02:32.we had this kind of technical synergy, then it could be really

:02:32. > :02:36.special. It felt good and it was good. In

:02:36. > :02:40.long distance pursuit of that elusive Olympic gold, the 2010

:02:40. > :02:44.campaign ended in world championship glory.

:02:44. > :02:53.COMMENTATOR: Luck that this year determination from Katherine

:02:53. > :02:58.Grainger in the stroke -- a look at They have stretched out, having

:02:58. > :03:01.annihilated the field. Impressive from the first to the last and well

:03:01. > :03:06.and truly and. Great Britain are the new world champions in the

:03:06. > :03:10.Women's double scull. JOHN INVERDALE: 2011 hasn't gone

:03:10. > :03:16.exactly to plan. Anna was ruled out of Munich with a back injury so

:03:16. > :03:19.Grainger trained up -- teamed up with Melanie Wilson. But normal

:03:19. > :03:25.service was resumed last month, and are back in the boat and back on

:03:25. > :03:28.the podium. -- and that. But Olympic gold are still elusive.

:03:28. > :03:33.London will be Grainger's last chance to stand on top of the

:03:33. > :03:37.podium and she wants it badly, but so does her crew made, which is why

:03:37. > :03:41.they have the air of a winning combination. I would like to

:03:41. > :03:45.succeed. We all know what Katherine is capable of, but I also wanted

:03:46. > :03:51.for myself. Nobody in the women's team has ever won an Olympic gold

:03:51. > :03:55.medal. This crew is special and deserves to get special results.

:03:55. > :04:01.think 20 top has never felt closer. We are very much in the countdown

:04:01. > :04:06.that -- 2012. But we can't fast- forward to that. So it is all about

:04:06. > :04:10.focusing on the steps on the way there. In some ways, it feels right

:04:10. > :04:20.around the corner, in others it feels like there is a lot to be

:04:20. > :04:37.

:04:37. > :04:41.Grainger on the left of your picture. Great Britain away cleanly

:04:41. > :04:47.in lane number four, at the final of the women's double sculls. The

:04:47. > :04:50.Czech Republic in one, New Zealand in two, Australia three, Great

:04:50. > :04:54.Britain in four, the Ukraine in five and Poland in the name and

:04:54. > :05:04.number six. Great Britain are the defending world champions in this

:05:04. > :05:12.

:05:12. > :05:16.event. Australia are the silver back into the field later on. The

:05:16. > :05:20.long, rangy athletes to spin along pretty well. But Great Britain have

:05:20. > :05:30.got off to a good start and have to demonstrate that power in the first

:05:30. > :05:38.

:05:38. > :05:43.they came 6th in Lucerne this year, well beaten by Great Britain --

:05:43. > :05:47.lane at number two. The British crew now start to ease out to the

:05:47. > :05:53.front. They are half a length up, it is a good side and it is an

:05:53. > :05:59.excellent start. The danger area was the start, where Anna Watkins's

:05:59. > :06:04.a worrying injury might have been damaged by that sparked -- start.

:06:04. > :06:08.Now they have got back rhythm. They won in Lucerne when they felt they

:06:08. > :06:14.were rusty and they have had six weeks to make it work, and they are

:06:14. > :06:19.stretching out, it is wonderful. Encouragingly, three-quarters of a

:06:19. > :06:24.length almost, going through the 500 metre mark. Australia's second

:06:24. > :06:29.and New Zealand currently in third position.

:06:29. > :06:34.Now in the second 500. All of the crews will stretch out into their

:06:34. > :06:37.rhythm. It is imperative for Katherine Grainger just to keep it

:06:37. > :06:42.longer and relaxed, so they can be efficient. They want their

:06:42. > :06:46.efficiency. They have done a good first 500, nothing else is needed

:06:46. > :06:50.right now, but it is just containing their position and you

:06:51. > :06:59.would expect at the halfway mark, to step up and attack that middle

:06:59. > :07:02.market. They are moving very well. I noticed that one of the earlier

:07:02. > :07:07.races that Anna Watkins is just beating on the stroke side, at the

:07:07. > :07:11.side nearest to us, she is beating Katherine into the water. That is

:07:11. > :07:18.quite tough on her back, because she is taking the weight of the

:07:18. > :07:22.boat ahead of her partner. Australia were the fastest crew to

:07:22. > :07:28.the halfway mark in the comparisons of semi-final times. We are now

:07:28. > :07:33.seeing the Australians moving back. It has gone from three quarter of a

:07:33. > :07:37.length to half-a-length. -- three- quarters. New Zealand are in the

:07:37. > :07:42.lane for number two and also making an effort. The crews realised the

:07:42. > :07:52.importance of this final and some of them are beginning to move. New

:07:52. > :07:56.

:07:56. > :08:01.Zealand looked to be picking up the move that the halfway mark in this

:08:01. > :08:05.final of the women's double scull, led by Great Britain's Anna Watkins

:08:05. > :08:08.and Katherine Grainger, defending champions. It has been a bit of an

:08:09. > :08:14.unsettled season for this combination. Anna Watkins was out

:08:14. > :08:18.of the early part of the season with a back injury. They came back

:08:18. > :08:25.to Les CERN. It was shaky but they won. They are looking good now --

:08:25. > :08:30.Lucerne. The Czech Republic RNA in one, New Zealand at two, Australia,

:08:30. > :08:36.will sell medalists are in lane three. Great Britain 4, Ukraine

:08:36. > :08:40.five and Poland six. You can see a stroke is more punchy and upright

:08:40. > :08:44.but the rich and the connection of the British double, as they reach

:08:44. > :08:53.out and put their schools into the water at four reach, they have

:08:53. > :08:57.moved out into the length ahead -- scull. Great Britain haven't needed

:08:57. > :09:01.to increase the rating but they are keeping it long and have increased

:09:01. > :09:06.the speed. That is putting Australia and New Zealand under a

:09:06. > :09:12.tremendous amount of pressure. A wise head on the strolled as a

:09:12. > :09:16.Katherine Grainger, she has done it all before. -- shoulders of. Three-

:09:16. > :09:21.times Olympic silver medallist. She has five world championship gold

:09:21. > :09:25.medals. So all of that experience is being drawn into this crew and

:09:25. > :09:32.Anna Watkins, what a find, she has got better and better over the

:09:32. > :09:42.years. Great Britain for defending, a one-length lead, into the 1,500

:09:42. > :09:42.

:09:43. > :09:45.the women's double scull and Great Britain's Anna Watkins and

:09:45. > :09:50.Katherine Grainger have done absolutely everything that has been

:09:50. > :09:57.asked of them. It has been cool and calm in the first 500. They got out

:09:57. > :10:00.quickly. In the middle 1,000, they have established that fantastic

:10:00. > :10:06.ribbon -- rhythm that has allowed them to float across the water

:10:06. > :10:10.while all the time, Australia, the world silver medallist, have

:10:10. > :10:14.attacked and fought just to stay on their tail. Likewise, New Zealand,

:10:14. > :10:17.who are starting to struggle. They were right up against the

:10:18. > :10:22.Australians but they are starting to find it harder to live with this

:10:23. > :10:27.pace. We have 300 metres remaining. Australia are moving. They have

:10:27. > :10:32.been very tenacious. They haven't let Great Britain get away. Last

:10:32. > :10:39.year, it was six seconds that Great Britain was leading. Now there is

:10:39. > :10:43.an overlap. Catherine has seen the danger. They are moving on again --

:10:43. > :10:53.Katherine Grainger. It is a very closely fought battle between these

:10:53. > :10:57.two and every bit as intriguing as the men's coxless pair. Great

:10:57. > :11:03.Britain's scull with such panache. Surely they have done enough as

:11:03. > :11:07.they come to the last 100m? But New Zealand are coming on for one last

:11:07. > :11:12.attack against Australia, and that has forced the Australians to

:11:12. > :11:17.respond. We have sigh of -- five or six strokes remaining. Here come

:11:17. > :11:20.Australia on the heels of Great Britain, but it is going to be a

:11:20. > :11:28.gold medal, to be a row for Great Britain in the women's double

:11:28. > :11:33.sculls. -- 2 in a row. Executed with such class and one with such

:11:33. > :11:37.style. Great Britain are again the world champions in the women's

:11:37. > :11:42.world champions in the women's double scull -- won.

:11:42. > :11:45.That was closer than last year, it reflects a difficult season, with

:11:45. > :11:50.Anna Watkins being injured for much of the season. But I would think

:11:50. > :11:55.that probably any thought of doing any other boat, I think that will

:11:55. > :12:05.be thrown out. They needed to focus absolutely on this double scull.

:12:05. > :12:10.

:12:10. > :12:12.They need to make sure they nurture Britain but they won't have it all

:12:12. > :12:13.their own way come the Olympic their own way come the Olympic

:12:13. > :12:18.their own way come the Olympic their own way come the Olympic

:12:18. > :12:22.Games next year. JOHN INVERDALE: UN controllable.

:12:22. > :12:27.absolutely delighted. It was a stressful build up this year, and

:12:27. > :12:34.the elation of getting over that line first today, it is better than

:12:34. > :12:38.last year, it is the sweetest thing. Even though it was tougher? Yes,

:12:38. > :12:44.and when you look after overcome more obstacles, the successes

:12:44. > :12:48.although sweeter -- when you have to overcome. We knew we could come

:12:48. > :12:53.out to this on top -- out of this on top band it will put us in good

:12:53. > :12:58.stead. But the race go to plan? There was a bit of window and it

:12:58. > :13:04.was probably quite splashy, we will look at the video that bit of wind.

:13:04. > :13:07.But it was absolutely committed, we were enjoying being in it and we

:13:07. > :13:11.could feel the excitement and that is what you need to lift you that

:13:11. > :13:16.bit faster than the boats around you. How do you feel about the

:13:16. > :13:20.synchronised diving of the pontoon? A bit of practice needed? It wasn't

:13:20. > :13:28.something we plan that everything else we do is planned to the minute

:13:28. > :13:36.detail. It was like a spontaneous moment. If we had planned it, it

:13:36. > :13:39.wouldn't have been synchronised! Steve, how good was that? Fantastic.

:13:39. > :13:44.As we said, they have had a difficult season. What I would like

:13:44. > :13:50.to ask is, how much speed did you lose through the injuries in the

:13:50. > :13:55.summer? I Anna numbers person, we are four or five seconds slower

:13:55. > :14:02.this year -- I am a. Compared to the rest of the squad. I think that

:14:02. > :14:08.showed in the race. We know that we are capable of more speed, so we

:14:08. > :14:12.have defined it again. That is what I like to here. -- we have to to

:14:12. > :14:16.find it. The whole of the summer has been in turmoil with the back

:14:16. > :14:20.injury. But to come out with a performance like that is

:14:20. > :14:22.outstanding. Another good win, because they had a good winter last

:14:22. > :14:28.year and a good summer next year, finishing off with what we know

:14:28. > :14:35.they can do. Do you almost not want to talk about next year? What is

:14:35. > :14:42.happening next year? What about next year? The local regatta?

:14:42. > :14:46.is what it is. It is around the corner. This regatta was about

:14:46. > :14:50.qualifying for London 2012. So in some ways, until we got this done

:14:50. > :14:55.and our position secured, there was no point thinking about next year.

:14:55. > :14:58.Having achieved that, it opens up the season for 2012. The first

:14:58. > :15:02.thing is to go and have a bit of break, some downtime and get

:15:02. > :15:08.mentally relaxed before we come back. The start of next year will

:15:08. > :15:11.be full tilt from the beginning. COMMENTATOR: They are back and they

:15:11. > :15:15.have found form and what is ominous for the rest of the world is that

:15:15. > :15:21.they are going to get quicker and quicker. What a journey for

:15:21. > :15:25.Katherine Grainger following Beijing, contemplating retirement.

:15:25. > :15:30.Some strong words from her coach and friends and family. And here

:15:31. > :15:35.she is on the eve of the Olympic year, top of the world in this

:15:35. > :15:45.event. Is this the events that will get Katherine Grainger that elusive

:15:45. > :15:50.gold medal that she so desperately Is that the one boat that you would

:15:50. > :15:55.say, yes, all things being equal, fitness, is that the one boat where

:15:55. > :16:01.we can rely on a gold medal? have to be on top of your game.

:16:01. > :16:06.They have not been on top of their game during the summer season, and

:16:06. > :16:10.have won a gold medal. So the signs are very positive. They are

:16:10. > :16:14.certainly favourites as it stands. A lot of things can happen in that

:16:14. > :16:19.time. But I cannot see any body around the world coming out with

:16:19. > :16:23.anybody quicker. They have to make sure they are on good form, or half

:16:23. > :16:29.good form. Let's move on to the men who do it on their own, the single

:16:29. > :16:39.scullers. Solitary, introverted because? Not in the case of Alan

:16:39. > :16:42.

:16:42. > :16:48.COMMENTATOR: Alan Campbell rips it up again... It is Alan Campbell

:16:48. > :16:51.taking the gold medal. I am happy. We are here at the gold -- at the

:16:51. > :16:56.World Championships. It has been a long season and we have trained

:16:56. > :17:02.hard. You have been second and third, so you would quite like to

:17:02. > :17:07.the first? I would. It would be really nice going into the Olympics

:17:07. > :17:13.as a favourite, as the gold medallist. I am here and I am here

:17:13. > :17:18.to do that job and to see what we can do. I am bored of asking you

:17:18. > :17:25.this question, about the endless rounds, it seems, of illness and

:17:25. > :17:30.injury that you seem to battle with. Is you? You know what, the single

:17:30. > :17:35.is a very hard event. The guys I am running against on the supermen of

:17:35. > :17:39.their countries in the sport and everything else. Been ordered to be

:17:39. > :17:43.able to compete at that level, sometimes we have to take

:17:43. > :17:48.extraordinary physical risks. Sometimes the jump is maybe too big

:17:48. > :17:54.and we get knocked on by a bitter pill has. Unfortunately this year,

:17:54. > :18:00.my body was not able to cope with all of it. We have dealt Blewitt,

:18:00. > :18:06.we have worked closely with the Medical team, -- We have dealt with

:18:06. > :18:12.it, I have got myself here and I am healthy and ready to race. And very

:18:12. > :18:19.cool shoes! They were a Christmas present from my beautiful wife to

:18:19. > :18:24.be. Friday next week I am getting married. Are you? Yes, I will be a

:18:24. > :18:31.married man this time next week. She knows me very well and she

:18:31. > :18:35.thought these suit my colourful personality. But I like to think of

:18:35. > :18:41.myself as an ordinary guy. They would go well with a gold medal.

:18:41. > :18:45.think it would set them off nicely. But more than that, an Olympic gold

:18:45. > :18:51.medal, and I would give it the gold medal this year if I could

:18:51. > :18:59.guarantee that gold medal next year but I am here to race and anything

:18:59. > :19:08.can happen. I feel very good this week and we will just have to see,

:19:08. > :19:18.rugby little magic charms and seek. -- Rob the little magic charms and

:19:18. > :19:26.

:19:26. > :19:32.mark. He has to nail this second 500. He has to find a rhythm that

:19:32. > :19:38.allows him to be so efficient because one thing is for sure, the

:19:38. > :19:43.world champion will find such speed in this second 500 he will be hot

:19:43. > :19:52.on his heels. The people who sit back and tracker and then turn on

:19:52. > :19:59.the panel from 1,000 metres on our New Zealand, Norway and

:20:00. > :20:05.Czechoslovakia. Those are the people alongside Alan Campbell. He

:20:05. > :20:08.is moving well. He is well connected. He is sitting low in the

:20:08. > :20:18.boat and that is driving his streak through in a horizontal way and he

:20:18. > :20:26.is moving well. He has good pace. - - driving his streak through.

:20:26. > :20:29.a very tall athlete who keeps an eye on what is going on. Alan

:20:29. > :20:39.Campbell is sticking in there, staying in their very effectively

:20:39. > :20:42.

:20:42. > :20:50.at the moment. Alan Campbell is pushing out big

:20:50. > :20:59.finishes. He was old friend and just managed a bronze medal. Rooms

:20:59. > :21:08.are different these days. So at the halfway mark, Alan Campbell for

:21:08. > :21:16.Great Britain only just handing aunt. The lead in front East bake

:21:16. > :21:20.for it now. It is now looking as though... The New Zealander, Alan

:21:20. > :21:28.Campbell from Great Britain and the rower from the Czech Republic are

:21:28. > :21:33.breaking free of a chasing group. It includes the Olympic champion.

:21:33. > :21:40.Sitting in third at the moment is Mahe Drysdale. Two strokes lower.

:21:40. > :21:46.Biding his time. He can really move fantastically well in the last 500m.

:21:46. > :21:51.He is just creeping up now. Look now, three scullers in line but

:21:51. > :21:57.Alan Campbell really struggling now. He took it on early on. He will

:21:57. > :22:02.have a big job to strike -- to try to hold on to these two extremely

:22:02. > :22:12.talented scullers. Alan Campbell is a man looking for markers down the

:22:12. > :22:13.

:22:13. > :22:23.line. He has just pushed the 1002 engine 50m remark. -- the 1250m

:22:23. > :22:27.

:22:27. > :22:35.mark. On his right, Mahe Drysdale is starting to move away. New

:22:35. > :22:42.Zealand's Mahe Drysdale, and taking on the world champion, Ondrej Synek,

:22:42. > :22:47.from the Czech Republic. An incredible last 500m. Alan Campbell

:22:47. > :22:53.had a blistering first 500m. He managed to hang on into the first

:22:53. > :22:57.wave mark but he is starting to pay for that now because starting to

:22:57. > :23:01.come in from the position behind into strength, we see Mahe Drysdale,

:23:01. > :23:07.the one-time world champion, just blasting his way ahead of Alan

:23:07. > :23:13.Campbell but taking with him Ondrej Synek from the Czech Republic. Now

:23:13. > :23:20.these three scullers are starting to stretch out. About 350m remain.

:23:20. > :23:24.Alan Campbell trying to crack it now. He could have a very fast

:23:24. > :23:33.finish if he had not paid so much earlier on in the race. He is

:23:33. > :23:38.handing on to the coat-tails of these two. Ondrej Synek, a very big,

:23:38. > :23:48.strongman. Another year from the New Zealander, another year and now

:23:48. > :23:49.

:23:49. > :23:54.he can move away from a sign it. -- from Ondrej Synek. And Mahe

:23:54. > :24:04.Drysdale is looking as though he may retain his title but here comes

:24:04. > :24:08.

:24:08. > :24:18.Andrei Tremlett -- Ondrej Synek From the Czech Republic. Inside 50m

:24:18. > :24:25.

:24:25. > :24:35.two ft over Ondrej Synek from the Czech Republic and then Alan

:24:35. > :24:41.Campbell from Great Britain. Mark - - Mahe Drysdale From New Zealand

:24:41. > :24:45.regains the gold medal that he gave up two years ago. Ondrej Synek from

:24:45. > :24:53.the Czech Republic and Alan Campbell. In the end, it was a well

:24:53. > :25:01.You seemed in agony towards the end. I was tired and my legs were sought.

:25:01. > :25:05.I did not have enough distance. I am a bit disappointed. I had a good

:25:05. > :25:12.semi-final and I really felt I pushed on this one, so the time is

:25:12. > :25:19.quicker, but they showed real class again today. I have had a bit of

:25:19. > :25:24.illness. I had glandular fever in March. I was not diagnosed until

:25:24. > :25:29.after an event and so I trained too hard. This time next year or a

:25:29. > :25:34.month earlier, August 3rd, I am planning to go two better. This

:25:34. > :25:44.time next week you will be married. Yes, I am really looking forward to

:25:44. > :25:47.

:25:47. > :25:51.getting married. My fiance has been really been good to me. By may have

:25:51. > :25:57.come third today but I had the five times Olympic gold ahead of me.

:25:57. > :26:03.Bass was a tough race. He never disappoints. -- that was a tough

:26:03. > :26:08.race. He gives it everything. The season he has had has been really

:26:08. > :26:14.bad and to come out with a result like that. I thought three years

:26:14. > :26:19.ago with the injuries he had and then he came out fifth... This has

:26:19. > :26:23.got to give his confidence so much of a boost. With one day to day in

:26:23. > :26:27.these championships, how do you assess where the British team are?

:26:27. > :26:34.Really good. We have more medal chances tomorrow. More gold medal

:26:35. > :26:40.So to one of the Phnom Olympic classes that are part of these

:26:40. > :26:50.World Championships, the women's lightweight quad Steph Cullen,

:26:50. > :26:57.

:26:57. > :27:05.to come from China. Try not are the world bronze medallist. They beat

:27:05. > :27:12.Great Britain last year. Great Britain have to hold on. 150m

:27:12. > :27:17.remain. China with that very young crew. A 15-year-old, a 16-year-old

:27:17. > :27:23.in the boat. They are pushing back on a brave Britain but great

:27:23. > :27:30.Britain have enough in hand. Inside the last ten strokes, Great Britain

:27:30. > :27:39.are holding their lead. It is going to be gold medal for Great Britain

:27:39. > :27:45.in the women's lightweight and China's second. And we wait for

:27:45. > :27:51.the confirmation of the bronze medal. Great Britain from the

:27:51. > :27:56.halfway mark stepped up and moved out from the Italians. They were

:27:56. > :28:01.impressive in the third 500. Outstanding in the last. Just to

:28:01. > :28:05.alert you to the bat that our coverage of the final day of this

:28:05. > :28:11.World Championships starts on the red button at 11:00am tomorrow and

:28:11. > :28:19.are a round-up of the day is on 3:45pm on BBC Two. Also tomorrow,

:28:19. > :28:29.the final day of beef three-day horse trials. That is on BBC Two at

:28:29. > :28:30.

:28:30. > :28:39.2pm. And then the programme about our Olympic hopes, on Saturday by