Saturday Rowing Finals Rowing: World Championships

There are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam and that's a fact.

And here are a few more for you, the Venice of the North comprises 90

islands across 1200 bridges spanning 1000 kilometres of canal so not a

bad venue for World Championships on water. More than 400 crews from 60

nations are here for this year 's World Rowing Championships. 12

months on from a golden week in Korea for Great Britain. Nobody is

going to catch Heather Glover and Polly Swann, they are world

champions. A well earned bronze medal for Great Britain. The British

will drive it to the line, a bronze medal. Sensational gold-medal! We

have made history in the men's eight at the World Championships! It is a

splendid, splendid result. Over the past 12 months, the make up

of many of the Cruise has changed but the British Gold Rush has

continued. This is class. Great Britain demolish the field. Glover

and Stanning are back in style. Imogen Walsh and Kat Copeland

finishing in style. A phenomenal season, up to the line, Great

Britain absolutely perfectly timed, a gold medal. All of which means

that over the next 48 hours, which is rowing is out to prove that it is

the best. We are going to win and to be our best. We packing a lot of

heat. The big picture is Amsterdam. If we are not on the podium I would

be incredibly disappointed. We will be happy with gold, that is what we

are going for. All sports experience and ebb and flow in fortunes,

British athletics is on a high, British cycling had a bit of a dip

but what about the rowing? Where does it stand as we approach the

climax of the season. A good question for Katherine Grainger. We

talk about Olympic cycles, we are just past halfway between London and

Rio and it is an interesting time to take stock. It is a mixed bag to be

honest. A lot of changes since 2012 but we want things to be bedding

down to get a smooth run to Rio. Who has most to win or lose in the next

two days? If you ask the athletes and coaches, they would all say that

everyone can gain and everyone can lose. The more results you have to

your name, the more results you have, more likely is you will start

in Rio. Feels secure until you are in the boat but the better results,

the more likely you will be there. The Cruise with individuals to lose

all things who have not got thing so far, and some seats are very hotly

contested. The lightweight women have two seats in the whole

Olympics. When there are only two places, they become fiercely fought

over. And how much more fiercely contested will this weekend be? In

the World Cups, most of the big nations turned up, some for the

first, some for the second. The World Championships, everybody is

here for the first time. And everybody is at their peak, this is

the biggest event short of the Olympics so without a doubt, this

will be the toughest racing all year. These are some of the British

crews anticipating a golden finale for Great Britain. The men's four

have not lost all season and they are hot favourites, we will look

back on an outstanding 2014 for the leading men's boat. We want to win,

if conditions are right we want to win in a fast time. Also unbeaten,

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, they are first up this afternoon,

and they finished their year in style? This year, the big picture is

Amsterdam. If we can have the final at the World Championships better

than in 2012, that is really good. And we will round up the programme

with the exciting men's quad, bronze in South Korea 12 months ago,

nothing but gold will satisfy this group. We showed we were the

fastest, and that is what we will try to achieve in Amsterdam. This is

our plan of campaign over the next couple of hours. Glover and Stanning

are in the women's pair which will be off in about 15 minutes.

This will be our first view of the Bosbaan course in Amsterdam which is

right in the heart of the city, built about 80 years ago. This is

our first look at Glover and Stanning going to the start for

their final in about ten minutes. It is an interesting course, not least

as it has a reputation for fast times but it is also dependent on

the weather and we have had extraordinary conditions in the last

hour going from a monsoon to almost humid than side and conditions will

play a big part and so will be lane draw. Who better than James

Cracknell, part of our commentary team along with Garry Herbert, to

give us a dyed from that end of the course to down here at the finish?

-- a guide. One of the things you don't want to hear is about unfair

conditions. But when you are about to raise, you don't want to hear

somebody saying it is unfair but that is what this course has a

reputation for being, unfair. The governing body have made it clear by

seeding the lanes. The fastest crew effectively through to the final

gets the best lane. You are going out knowing it is unfair and also

that the best crew is it a better lane than you. People have had to

race in the semifinals because of that to get the best final lane so

you are almost winning a medal before you make it to the final. You

have to combat extremely fast flowing conditions, world records

have been set all week so that creates an element of technical

difficulty but the big problem is the difference between the lanes.

The unofficial guideline, it is about a second lane difference

between lane one and lane six, about seconds. I was lucky enough to win

eight global titles but together I won five of them by less than one

second and that is how small the margins are, even over six or seven

minutes, a second can be a huge margin and that is vital to get

right and make sure you are racing on a fair playing field.

Unfortunately, this course does not have that reputation. Because of

that, the committee are prepared to cede the lanes also you get

penalised for qualifying badly and rewarded for qualifying well. The

downside is that some races become predictable but it is an outdoor

sport, you can moan about it or get on with it and get stuck in. James

obviously recorded that earlier. A couple of hours on, what do you make

of the conditions currently? It is pretty fair. The difference is not

the wind but the circulation, it blows the water, it can mean that

one lane has current and another does not. This site has been

favoured all week but at the moment the committee have decided it is

fair. Whether that is an assumption or they are using the ostrich

technique and burying their heads in the sand... How close can you change

the lane draw to the beginning? You get when your number is very close

before you race. Because where you end up is determined by the

semifinals yesterday, you will know where you are going to be. You will

be in lane one or two if you want your semifinal. -- if you won.

Talking about the wind, we were watching the finals yesterday, nine

world best time is that afternoon. If it simply because it is a

tailwind and it blows you to the end? I don't think the athletes

would agree with that! The difference in rowing compared to a

lot of sports, there is no maximum speed, everything is legal. You want

the strongest possible tailwind when you are racing but if it is too

fast, it can get churned up and it becomes difficult to row and people

make mistakes. We saw a tailwind coming straight down yesterday and

everybody managed to enjoy it and break those records. It is not like

the 100 metres where it has to be two metres per second or under. That

is a water temperature, hot water makes the time is fast. The big

difference is how it affects the crews mentally. When I was in a

four, we used to raise the Italians and if the wind was a tailwind which

is supposed to suit technical crews, they had a chance, but if it was a

headwind, a lot would go into their shells, because we were big and

heavy. A tailwind will close up the field and some crews will think they

have more of a chance, like a minnow in the FA Cup getting drawn at home.

It affects people mentally. When your boat is in the water, you have

to wipe everything from your head. Conditions have been variable but

there have been several finals in the Paralympic and non-Olympic

climbing all -- finals. The British mixed coxed four successfully

defended their title they won in South Korea, comprising of Pamela

Relph, Grace Clough, Dan Brown and James Fox with Oliver James the Cox.

And as they approach the closing stages, you can see they were a long

way ahead of their closest challengers who were the USA. That

got the British challenge off to a good start. Those medals go into the

medal tally at the end of tomorrow afternoon. Well done to these four.

Really good, so nice to come here, we have had pretty much the best

week training of the whole season out here so we felt confident going

into it and we knew we had a big final. It all paid off, all of the

training came into play. We dawdled off the start in the last race so

tried to go all guns blazing and it definitely worked. We were out in

front, but we knew we would pay the price so we had a solid pace for the

next 500 and in the last 250, personally I was gone! I was in the

bottom of the boat trying to hold my guts in! But really enjoyable, nice

to lead from the front. We don't normally do that. There was also a

silver medal for Tom Aggar in the men's single scull, great to see him

back on the podium Kersey has been the standard bearer of adaptive

rowing. -- because he has been. Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, the income

treble New Zealanders won the coxed pair. In second place was Alan

Sinclair and Scott Durant. They picked up a silver medal behind the

New Zealand pair. Henry Fieldman was the Cox. You can see that the margin

was huge. In the lightweight men's pair there was a bronze medal for

Jonathan Clegg and Sam Scrimgeour. Something for Sam to add to his

considerable sporting CV because just a few years ago he cycled 7001

kilometres from Singapore to Hanoi. He probably felt similar then as he

did at the end of that race! Sowed our first race today on finals

afternoon and this will be the great British gold rush at the Olympics in

2012. It was heaven -- Helen Glover and Heather Stanning. Last year it

was Helen Glover and Polly Swann that Heather is back from the army

which means once again it is Glover and Stanning.

A lot of my friends joke about the fact that it is like being with

someone, breaking up, going out with someone new, them fighting over

you! In the World Championships it was with Polly and now Heather is

back in the boat. That was mum of the main themes of the year, who was

going to take the seat -- one of the main themes. Lots of people asked if

it was weird watching her race with somebody else. If I regretted my

decision. Not at all, my decision was very personal, I wanted to go

back to work but I also realised that choice effected Helen. I was

glad to the her find somebody of in the squad and genuinely pleased to

see them do well. Helen Glover adds a European title to her world and

Olympic title. I wasn't asked directly who it

should be. I would not want to be a selector. I feel like that decision

is not mind and rightly so. -- not mine. When I came back I was at the

bottom of the team. You just look at the results from the December

trials! It is quite motivating to see the improvement and might

improvement over the winter was quite steep. At any stage did you

think you might not get your seat back? The head coach was very honest

from the word go and said I might not make it. That is quite hard.

This is what I want to do, even a few months in he said it might not

be your year! I had to keep going and keep leaving. I got ill just

before the European Championships and was underperforming. I thought I

had bitten off too much but we have such a great support network with

the medical team, I listened to them and did what they told me and within

three weeks I was back feeling myself again so that was quite

positive. Do you feel the decisions made from now until Rio? Absolutely

not and that is the same way I felt before London and that is the most

healthy way to have it. If you ever feel you have your seat, that is the

first step to complacency so no matter how well and fast we are

going, how it looks to be outside, to think selection is done and

dusted is not the feeling in camp. What would you like to see happen in

the World Championships? We would like to step on from 2012. That was

great that we want to be leading that progress in the pair through to

Rio. If we can make a step on and have a final at the world champions

it's better than in 2012, that is a good step to make. From each race

you get a sense of becoming a fuller package for that important race

which is Rio. That is the big picture. But for this year, the big

picture is absolutely Amsterdam. So here we go with the first final of

this years World Rowing Championships here in Amsterdam and

here is the voice rowing, Garry Herbert.

COMMENTATOR: It has been two years since they started and finished a

major global event together, then it was the Olympics and today it is the

World Championships and for Great Britain, the fairy tale continues.

Hard to see who could beat them, the incredible season they have had but

Helen Glover and heavens that Lakra Heather Stanning, in lane four,

perhaps the closest competition will come from Megan Kalmoe and Kerry

Simmonds of the USA who are in lane three. The full line-up, Australia

in lane one, Romania in two, USA in three, Great Britain in four, New

Zealand with Louise Trappitt and Rebecca Scown in lane five and South

Africa in lane six. That is closest to us. Already in the opening

stages, this is the sprint hard with fresh legs, everybody gets maximum

speed, the British crew edging out and not just edging out, dominating

the opening stages. Three quarters of a length, doing what they have

done all the time. Think back to Lucerne about six weeks ago when

they went into that regatta and Heather Stanning was not performing

at 100% and they still managed to win and win convincingly. Out of the

pack, this is a fresh crew, they are right on the top of their game and

we can see that in the opening stages. Glover and Stanning in lane

three out to a length. Moving now into the second quarter, Great

Britain leading in the transition period, the sprint is done, the

first 500. They will transition into a rhythm that will be sustainable

for the middle 1000. Great Britain led that transition, still holding

on a length over Romania in lane one and Australia also up there.

Australia under 23 world champions last year in the coxless four so a

fast, up and coming crew coming up into the senior event. Remaining and

the USA just slotting into third place. But ominously for the rest of

the world, the British crew at a length. They have not broken off, I

would be surprised in the boat if they would not want Clearwater and

they are getting that now as we come past 750 metres. Great Britain in

this second quarter in the final of the women's coxless pair. Helen

Glover, 28 years of age, Heather Stanning, 29, doing what they do

best, going out and dominating and from here, this is the strength,

this is where they can move on. All going according to plan. This

tailwind coming down the first 1000, not too bad on conditions right now.

For Heather and Helen, a good opening first thousand metres.

At the halfway point in this 2014 World Championships, the final of

the women's pair, from a Great Britain point of view, all going

according to script. Composed, quick in the first 500, now composed and

long with confidence rising with every stroke. This is Romania in

lane two, they are in their own fight with the United States. Megan

Kalmoe and Kerry Simmonds from the USA moving into second place in lane

three. To give you a rundown from the top, Australia in one, the under

23 champions, remain near in lane two, battling for the silver medal

against the United States who had a better second 500 than there first.

Great Britain are clear and gone in lane four. New Zealand in lane five

and South Africa bringing up the rear in lane six. That is now the

race for the sub medal position. -- silver medal position. James, they

are doing what we all expected, there was never any fear, we're

watching it develop, they were always going to be dominant in the

first 1000 metres. The key was for them to get out clean and to

maintain their pace in the second 500. They have not been pushed in

the last half of any race this season, it is the transition they

have struggled with a little bit but it is struggling on a high level and

they have maintained that level and risen above any fear of the

conditions. They have made a mockery of any fears that other crews may be

suffering. Interestingly for New Zealand, Louise Trappitt and Rebecca

Scown who came second in Lucerne six weeks back, they won the interval

battle and they are coming stronger in the third 500 but they will not

challenge the British crew going through your picture as we go past

1500 metres. Textbook stuff here, Great Britain in control. They are

on the home straight now, they have done everything asked of them and

when you get up to 1750, you are counting 25 glorious strokes. The

United States know they have to keep the pressure on because they are

terrier like, Megan Kalmoe from Minneapolis and Kerry Simmonds, 25

years of age from California, a pretty good crew, previous

medallists in various boats. They have the experience but whether they

have the guts in the closing stage of this final remains to be seen.

New Zealand have had their own internal battle to get selection

ahead of their under 23 pair which means they have had some of their

focus taken off the World Championships. There have been

selection issues with the British crew but they were sorted early and

they have gone away and concentrated and this is what you get. Now inside

15 strokes, 150 metres from the line, textbook stuff from Helen

Glover and Heather Stanning. No sprint and no fireworks required,

coming up to the line, an incredible journey, a wonderful partnership and

a story that is far from finished as Glover and Stanning become world

champions. World Championship gold medal number 24 Helen Glover and the

first four Heather Stanning. And a world record into the bargain. You

cannot take any more boxes in one race, leading from the start, win

the race, break the world record, thank you very much. Two years out,

very hard to see who will take them on. This is a seminal year where all

of the crews and the coaches will want to bed in the crews.

Qualification for the Olympics next year, this is a big year for every

country. Next year the coaches will lay their cards on the table for the

Olympics because that is when you qualify. If you look at the women's

pair this year, Heather has come back from serving in Afghanistan so

if they were going to have a weak year, it would be this year and that

was not very weak. They were really not pushed at all

in that race, they did everything asked of them and that it is. It is

a great relationship. Polly Swann was in the boat last year with

Helen. Heather Stanning won her seat back this year. Also, Polly will be

challenging again this winter, neither of them can rest on their

laurels because anybody in reddish women's rowing all want to be in

that pair. -- British rowing. Three seconds inside the previous world

best time, a nice tailwind and a good weeks work. Three seconds

inside the world record and in a race when they were not pushed which

is a sign of a quality crew, breaking the world record when you

are not racing flat out. As the opposition coach, you would think

that is quite difficult. There they are, about to get out of

the boat after a world best time. I doubt that if it is possible to

quantify degrees of exultation and joy but you get the sense that

Heather was more delighted than Helen because after coming back

after a year out, she is still the best. And it is her first world

title, she won the Olympics before the World Championships. That is her

first World Championship title and as much as we talk about the

Olympics, the World Championship is still a nice want to get. How

enormous and achievement is that? Having spent 12 month in Afghanistan

doing lots of other things that are probably more important than rowing

a boat, to come back and devote herself with the required intensity

and to get a world title at the end, how much of an achievement is it?

Massive when it all happened within 12 months. She did not come back

strongly until before Christmas. She admits herself, there was a dark

period where you doubt yourself. She was up against Polly Swann who was

the reigning world champion until five minutes ago and you want your

seat back from somebody outstanding. The boat has gone on without you,

you are not getting results, not as fit and strong as you want to be,

you are trying to get back to that standard and to do that in a few

months is very impressive. Sport is a brutal world and for everybody who

gets selected there is somebody who does not. I don't know if it was a

brave decision but obviously the right decision to pick Heather. When

they had those couple of years together before the Olympics, they

have been together since they both came into the team, they have quite

a history already and successful history the whole way through so it

was always seen as Heather having a break rather than losing her place.

She chose to step back but you have to earn your place back. Past

results are acknowledged and they would not guarantee your place so

you have to prove yourself. Obviously they are very good, but

the fact that they have posted this time, what does it tell you about

the conditions? They are a crew that are capable of that and they have

proven that but what you see, you need to be on form on any day they

ask of you, when the conditions turn in your favour, conditions were

right today, it fell in their time, and they had to nail it. What is

lovely, not just the first title together but the first with a world

record time. You can see they are approaching the pontoon, just past

the finish line. Many congratulations to a multi-world

champion now, Helen, and Heather, congratulations, your first world

title. Thank you very much. Your face at the end really told a

million stories! You are doing something very different one year

ago and here you are, about to go on a podium with a gold medal. Tell me

about it! It is a very surreal last 12 months, it has had its ups and

downs. Cannot believe it. Thank you, Helen, for believing in me this

summer, I have not been the most consistent training partner! Polly

is going to be rowing tomorrow, how does this title compare with 12

months ago? How does the partnership compare? It is different in the way

that I expected this, in the way that I knew that we were ready for

it. I think that last year, we were really proud of what we achieved

initial period of time. For Heather and I, it is a longer project that

we had in terms of history. Definitely expectation. Expectation,

we were new, it was going to be great whatever we did. A lot of

pressure and expectation. Very much a relief. As soon as Heather turned

around and looked at me, she looked at me and said, thanks! It was a

combination, it is a partnership. It is something we are proud of today.

Talking about expectation and pressure, the way that the programme

is mapped out, you are first to bat, first final. If you get off to a

good start, I'm sure it has a major impact on the rest of the team. That

is coming in Rio did you near a -- changing. It is not necessarily us

going first. -- it is changing in Rio de Janeiro. I think the

performances will have a different feel, it is something we have got to

get used to. Almost getting it over and done with early, letting other

people deal with the pressure afterwards. One final question, the

discipline of army life, very disciplined, but the discipline and

the regime of a Roman life is pretty disciplined as well! Are they in

many ways, entry because of that? -- rowing life. You are more

disciplined and more routines than anybody in the military! You have

got to be so dedicated and committed, it is a different

lifestyle to being in the military, being an athlete. I think I am a

sucker for both. It is on the days like today when it is worthwhile. It

was so nice out there, the weather was great conditions, I really

enjoyed it. And a yesterday we saw a lot of world records go to other

countries and we thought, we never get to race in those conditions!

Heather noticed when we cross the line, she looked at the time, I did

not believe her. You did. Probably our coach is going to be more

pleased with that. That was an extra, definitely. The podium

awaits. Well done. Britain's first gold medal at these world rowing

Championships of 2014. And so, to another pair who have been very

dominant, Murray and Bond, New Zealand, in the men's power. There

is actually a British pair here as well, Matt Langridge and James Foad,

they may be new but they have considerable experience.

COMMENTATOR: Men's pair away cleanly, South Africa in lane number

one, James Foad and Matt Langridge in two, all eyes on the All Blacks,

the awesome crew of Eric Murray and Hamish bond. The world champions,

the Olympic champions. Undefeated for a full six years. They have

doubled up in this regatta, they have already won the gold in the

men's clocks pair yesterday. Already we are seeing the German

struggling with their steering as they have sprinted out, and the

Kiwis, New Zealand, just down. James, we will not worry about that,

traditionally in the first 500, regardless of how they have doubled

up, they take it very steady, they get into the race in the first 500.

CO-COMMENTATOR: They do, they do not leave the race, but they are

generally not three quarters of a length down. -- lead the race. Every

time we won by a long way, there is no doubt that a spring will have

gone and unique that spring when you are sprinting either way. At the

moment we can do without the sprint finish. At the moment we have lost a

little bit of sprint, but such is the quality in the middle of the

race. Leading the way at the quarter mark stage, James Foad and Matt

Langridge, coached by Matt Dorsey. This will give them encouragement in

the British crew. They are like a shark, they slowly glide through the

pack. This is where we would expect normally to see them put on the

power, 600 metres, 700 metres, 750, and they are gliding back, they are

now into second place. Fully transitioning into the race rhythm,

they are long and they are hunting James Foad and Matt Langridge of

Great Britain. Normally, a minute ago, they would have been, where

Matt Langridge and James Foad. They are suffering lack of spring but

they are going to come through. It is easy to say that. They will show

how easy it is to do it. A good thing from the British perspective,

they have taken on the rest of the field, looks like they have secured

second place and they have got to make the decision, do they try and

stick one over on the New Zealand team? Will they risk that silver?

United States, the top American boat of the US team here. It is unusual,

usually the Americans focus upon their eight. This is the fastest

pair. It has become very predictable, it

never ceases to looks a tackle and in the first thousand, New Zealand

have done that, they are now through, into their position where

they are comfortable. They will have had a different day

yesterday, when Matthew Pinsent and I did it in 2001, there was two

hours between the start of the cox pair and the start of the coxless

pair. They have raced yesterday when nobody else has. They will suffer,

but they are a far quicker crew than Matthew and I work, pains me to say

it! They are a long way ahead of the field. They can afford to double up.

The encouraging thing is that their legs be stinging. Look at how

relaxed they are, they are incredibly relaxed.

If I was in the pairs, three to six, then I would be worried if I could

see how relaxed pair 's number one and number two look.

The three quarters mark. Graceful, smooth, oh so devastating, New

Zealand through and clear. Right now, they will know, they will be

pushing on for a world best, they said that themselves back in London,

at the Olympics, two years ago. They got the world best in the coxless

pairs, but look at them, they have not let up, they are up high, 40

strokes per minute, with clear water. They are gunning, they have

the gold medal but they are gunning for the tide. If they get world best

in this race, and especially with a relatively steady first half, that

will be an immense achievement. Six a way, having done three minutes and

five seconds, that is going to be a tall order. If any crew can rise to

the challenge it will be these two boys. New Zealand continue to Great

Britain, 40. Silver medal, looking good for the British crew here. They

have Clearwater over South Africa. James Foad and Matt Langridge,

coached by Rob Dorsey, and we can see them... The Kiwis are going for

the record, shouting at each other, you can see Murray shouting at Bond.

Inside the last 100, 41 strokes per minute, it goes up, the last five up

to the line to add yet another title, New Zealand over the line!

Just wait for the timing. Great Britain getting the silver. South

Africa coming over in the bronze medal. They have continued to do

what they do best, they have abolished it... They will be

disappointed, they have two world gold medals and one world record, I

do not think they got the world record... Just out of it. All they

did there was the second fastest time in the world ever, and they

have the fastest time as well... ! The British pair, annoying though it

is, the fastest British pair ever! They have just broken the time lapse

in. The world record for a decade. These boys, in second place, they

have shown the talent they have got in any other era, in any other race,

they would have won the World Championships. It is just these two

annoying bugs from New Zealand... ! Head and shoulders above any other

pair in history. They have been supreme for six years. They have got

to be the best pair that the world has ever seen... ? They are the most

consistent and the fastest. They are too incredibly strong athletes who

row well but are not that heavy. -- two. Like a cyclist, like Bradley

Wiggins: You have got to carry your weight from a to B, if you can be

strong and light, crews will struggle to beat you. On top of

that, the difference between the best performance and the worst

performance is so small, that even on a bad day, they will beat you buy

a long way! The commentary box is not a bad position right now. The

New Zealand supremacy by quite some margin over Great Britain, South

Africa get the bronze medal. gold medals in the space of 48

hours, worth repeating, you almost cannot say it often enough, they

have not lost in that event since Beijing, 2008. Ash macro that Kiwi

pair quite extraordinary. Very shortly we will have the first medal

ceremony of this event. -- that Kiwi pair quite extraordinary. Glover and

Heather Stanning, medal winners. The Americans picking up their medals,

looking at the times across the semifinal times, the Americans were

the ones that were going to be challenging. On the day... INAUDIBLE

Champions, Great Britain! Ruthless in their execution, graceful in

their acknowledgement and acceptance, they are the best in the

world! Helen Glover and Heather Stanning. Ellen, a very proud

Cornish woman. That is what it means to her, 29 years old, captain

Stanning. She took out a year, it was a personal decision, she has had

to fight for her seat back in the boat but it was like she was never

away. She has been fighting an important fight in Afghanistan.

There is one fight, and sport is different.

Hairs on the back of your neck still standing when you see that, all for

them. Great Britain, world champions in the women's coxless pairs.

And from gold medallist on the podium to silver medallist, leaning

against the rail. Congratulations... In a way, is that what you were

hoping for, is that the best you were hoping for? Yes, our intention

was to be the first crew in the world to push them... Felt like we

were well in the race, doing well. Really strong in that 3500. I'm very

pleased, I am very excited, I was very excited in the first half of

the race. Best ever time by a British crew. That is a notch on the

belt! It is unfortunate we came second but to be the fastest British

pair, very good! I was hoping James would be up here to interview us so

that I could rip him a little but unfortunately here somewhere else!

I'm not sure about the exact time, but I think it has beaten James and

Matt. Nice to take that scalp. The Kiwis have not lost for six years,

everybody talks about them being untouchable, given that, how do you

approach a race like that? Like I said, we know they are a fantastic

crew, we know how quick they are. Given that they also raced in

another event this year, we thought this was a great opportunity to take

it to them, to push them. We had great confidence in ourselves, we

believe that we could do that, and I think that we have shown that we can

do it as best we possibly can. How has the year been for you guys, in

relationship between the two of you? We got off to a good start, we get

on well, we have never been a pair before, so OK they have been

together for six years, we have been together six weeks! It was always

going to be a tall order, but in some ways that is quite nice, takes

the pressure off, the pressure is on them. Some of the first half of the

race was very good, and then perhaps our lack of time together showed in

the last kilometre. But in six weeks we have done a good job and it has

been fun. What is your assessment? Fastest ever British time, pretty

exceptional! Is this a crew that will stay together? I am not the

person to ask, the only person who can answer that, probably not here.

This year has been really good, we have enjoyed it, and I think that it

will be great, it is fun to carry on, it is a fun project. Another six

weeks together, we could be going even quicker. Could you be the crew

to crack the Kiwis? I would like to think so, today we gave it a go. In

the second half perhaps we tied up a little. This is race number six for

us together. Maybe the inexperience showed. They are the more

experienced crew and they held together better but it is good

experience. How are the conditions? Pretty nice! Nice British weather,

hoping for a bit of cooling rain, but it is very nice. Pretty straight

down the course, nice and firm. Pretty good fun. Obviously for me,

having seen the conditions, being in New Zealand in 2010, I was a little

concerned. I was happy to come here. Straight down the course. 2000

metres down there, tell us, were you aware that Heather and Helen had

one? Does it have any bearing on anything? Great Britain is off to a

flyer. We had no idea whatsoever, we do not know what is going on down

this end, we are in a bubble. We are quite focused on what we want to do

and what we want to achieve. For me, personally, just going through the

race. It is about what I'm going to do in each segment. I was completely

unaware of what is going on. Pretty handy start for Great Britain, two

races down, a gold medal and we have seen the four go past behind us,

going to the start. They will know what you have done and what the

girls have done, I am sure they are feeling pretty buoyant.

Congratulations, great achievement! And from the silver to the gold, if

we can bring in... It becomes tedious for us but not for them! Yet

more gold medals for the incredible... The awesome twosome!

Another title! It was not easy, the Brits really took it to us, pushing

hard through to the thousand and keeping on pushing, even when we

went through, I never felt that we had them broken. -- when we went

through the mud. Sometimes you feel you have done enough, you have

broken the back of the beast, but to their credit they really hung on and

we had to dig deep. It was always going to be a question of putting

out a nine second best time in the cox yesterday, people ask how it

went, but I was not going to know until the last 500 metres. My leg

was feeling not too dead, we have done a lot of conditioning work,

fitness work. We got the idea of doing the two races, we had that

idea because we know that we are in the best shape we have been in in

our lives and we were capable. I remember speaking with Ed Moses, 400

metre hurdler, he was unbeaten for years and years, I asked him about

that burden, it was self-imposed. Or you race, the more you want to keep

winning. Are you feeling that now? We are, when you are at the top

there is only one way to go! We are just trying to make sure that we

stay at the top as long as possible. For Hamish and I, it has been a

burden, we have set the benchmark of winning every race. We would love to

go there and just qualify and just qualify and throw everything in the

final! But now we have gone unbeaten, so if we do not go there

and win and do it well, we criticise ourselves. We put it on ourselves,

the pressure externally from the media and the public will be wanes

in comparison to what we expect of ourselves. We expect only the best

and that is what we achieve every time we go and race. Into

disciplines you remain the best, very well done. -- in two victories.

-- disciplines. The men's lightweight double sculls is one

race which does not have a Brit in the final.

Jamie Kirkwood and William Fletcher, you can see here, here they were,

winning the B final. It was fairly narrow, but they came through, as we

can show you now the a final. COMMENTATOR: Into the middle part of

the course, the water becomes popping. They will have to deal with

it. Light ways guys, average weight, 70 kilograms, much more to

play. They cannot overly rely upon pure power. As a sport, this does

not rely on pure power. COMMENTATOR: -- CO-COMMENTATOR: They should be

able to cope with faster conditions especially being a lighter group.

Because there is a following wind, the water is much flash at the start

than at the finish, you are a lot less tired at the start than at the

finish. When conditions are at their worst, the crews will be at the most

tired, and those that have a strong finish like the French and the

Norwegians, they will be stronger in that final quarter. The Italians, I

think, if they are going to make a playful gold, they will have to do

it now, in the middle-of-the-road is. -- if they are going to make a

play for gold. -- in the middle of the row. They led them in 3.01. Well

inside the world best time, that they themselves set in the

semifinal. Just a reminder here, from the British point of view,

William Fletcher and Jamie Kirkwood, this is a tough event, the

lightweight double sculls. They finished second in the B final

earlier today. Giving them an overall world position of eight. --

eighth. Norway are in lane two, the world champions having to start a

fight back. South Africa, one, Norway, two, the

Italians, who have really been on the heels of the French the whole

way down, three. The French, the world fastest, four. Completely

dominated the European Championships and the World Cup through 2014.

Germany, five. The Netherlands, number six. The problem now for the

Italians is that the Norwegians are coming through, so are the South

Africans. There is a battle for bronze between Norway and South

Africa. That impact right up to Italy. The French may have just

enough but they will be dragged into the fourth as well. For crews going

for three medals. You have got to be at the sharp end. At the moment, the

Italians have gone back. They went to try and beat the French. Their

play, they went for gold, and they end up with nothing. The Norwegians,

rather than chasing down gold, they are in a battle fossils. We are

going to... It is going to be close! It is going to be very close with

the world champions from Norway, from Norway, picking it up here, the

French are hanging on, they are right on the edge. James Thompson

and John Smith, South Africa. Just sneaking in. One last push from the

French on the line, it is going to be close. South Africa perhaps the

top, and France, who led, photo finish on your screen. The French,

who have dominated the event through 2014, looked as though they were

called on the line. Does not get any more cruel than that. It does,

because they got caught on the line, and they have lost their world

record! If there is anything else, they may well be losing their

girlfriends tonight! LAUGHTER

That is how tight this event is, confirmation there. South Africa

were fit at 500, they were fourth at 1000, second at 1500, first on the

line. That is a nice race profile. It is a nice race profile, the one

question, crews voting now, and performance directors, how come a

crew that came third in the semi can break the world record and win the

world title from an outside lane? I think they may be pressurising the

governing body to see the lanes, it is unfair that a team that qualified

last the final should be beating the world record holders who also won

the semi. We may see the lanes get changed, we may see crews go out

thinking, I am in a bad lane. The thing about lightweight races,

sometimes you get the most fantastic barnstorming finishes and that is

great and we have more to come later. The men's fours and the men's

quads coming up. As far as the women's equivalent race is

concerned, we were hoping Imogen Walsh and Kat Copeland would be in

the final, sadly they did not make it through to the final despite the

fact they were one of the favourites if not THE FAVOURITES AND THIS IS

WHAT HAPPENED, BUT NO consolation. How have the last 48 hours been for

you? Fairly torturous, it is difficult to pick yourself up from

what was a huge disappointment in the semifinal. Going out today, you

want to perform at your best and you cannot do that if you let your head

drop. There has been a lot of mental focus required, to keep on the right

page, and go out and do what we needed to do, which thankfully we

did today. The image of the both of you, at the finish on Thursday, both

looking utterly distraught, almost as though you were not quite sure

what had happened? Is that how you felt? Yes, I do not know, I do not

like talking about it... I don't know! Yes, I am gutted. We are both

gutted. Embarrassed... We are a bit devastated. I don't know... If we

can work out... At the minute I do not know what went wrong... But if

we can work it out when we get back in September, then I think we are

really going to make seriously sure that we do not do it again. The old

cliche, you learn more in defeat than victory, is there a lot to be

said? The girls talk about it brilliantly. We have all been there.

Although you do learn the biggest lessons from defeat, it is not a

lesson that anybody would like to learn. Especially when expectations

are so high. These girls will be aiming to be top of the entire

event. To not even be fighting for the medals... It is a tough thing to

do. event. To not even be fighting for

the medals... It is a In yet to come you look back and you say, we

learned so much from that moment, it will see us good in years to come.

It is difficult to live with at the moment. But you can analyse it and

detach from the emotion and say, we will be doing that race again in 12

months time, how do we do it better? I've seen that in training it has

been going well? Yes, it is hard to say.

better. Training has been going well. We had a hard camp. Maybe

mentally that was quite hard. But I don't know. Paul Reedy has been your

coach, he is known to be very cool and evenhanded, what was his

response? He has been really good with us, this regatta especially. He

is quite a rock. The people who are around you are very important,

friends and family, they support you in the good times but more

importantly in the bad times. That is one of the things that has been

really hard, we both have family and friends who have come out and you

feel disappointment, we are disappointed for the team but we

have friends and family who have come out to support us and you feel

you have let a huge amount of people down. But they have been brilliant

as well. Some of my friends said that they are over here to help you

through the bad times and celebrate the good and that is incredible,

they can pick you up. There is always a ray of sunshine somewhere,

you are an auntie now and you have not seen your knees yet! I am so

looking forward to it. I had a little knees born about a month ago

who I have not met yet --. I need to take a step back from rowing and

think about other things and then come back fresh and raring to go.

Good to talk to you both, sorry it is in these circumstances but there

is always a next time. In their absence, here is the lightweight

race at the start, this is James and Gary.

COMMENTATOR: They are coming under starter 's orders. China, New

Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Australia and Italy, all of whom

Great Britain have beaten this season.

The green light goes in near-perfect conditions. The wind picks up the

course as we come through 2000 metres. China in lane one, New

Zealand in lane two, Canada, Lindsay Jennerich is in the bow, herself a

world champion in this event in 2010, South Africa in lane four.

Canada and South Africa currently in the fastest lanes, three and four,

Australia in five, the Lucerne Silver medallists from six weeks

ago, and the Italians just being dropped in this opening stage, they

are in lane six and they are the world champions. The crew average,

they way into hours before the a lot of starts on, 57 -- 57 kilograms.

The Italians a little slow out of the blocks. Their whole season has

been as a prize, they are world champions -- a surprise. They have

struggled for form. They struggled a bit in the semifinal but look to

have reverted to type. The Canadian girls are interesting because three

quarters of their race in the semifinal was average, the last 500

metres was spectacular. I don't think they can back that up. It will

be a very level playing field. Not a lot in it so far. Going into the

second 500, a little move with the wind picking up. Maybe starting to

move the bow was a bit. Very important to be fully composed. You

can see New Zealand in lane two. Sophie Mackenzie and Julia Edward in

that boat. And you can see how far back Canada are. They'd knocked out

the British in the semifinal but they are two lengths behind and they

will have two rely on a spectacular last 1000 metres. The Chinese have

the quickest last 1000 in their semifinal. But they are out of it at

the moment. If South Africa can take something, they will not know that

there men's lightweight double won the previous race, but they have a

good training system in place and they have peaked well for these

World Championships, it is whether they can show the same strength in

the last 1000 metres as their countrymen did. Heading towards

halfway. This is the only Olympic event, Olympic category event for

lightweight women, which makes it such a hard and tough fought event

over the four years running into each Olympiad. South Africa and New

Zealand out in front and leading the way. The big surprise at halfway is

China. Into the third 500 metres, New Zealand, South Africa and

Australia. China is ace apprise because -- a surprise, because their

bow roller was the Olympic silver medallist in 2012. -- bow rower.

You would have thought that the Chinese were starting to get a quick

crew here with youth and experience. Meanwhile it is New Zealand in lane

two and South Africa in lane four macro but we cannot write out

Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obie. The Canadians are sneaking back into

it. South Africa will not be happy with where they are. In the

semifinal they would never headed by New Zealand. Canada are starting to

get overlapped with South Africa. They will be sniffing around for a

silver medal which might push everybody back up to New Zealand so

it is not over. China moving up on speed, they are

third in speed so they have pushed on. Whether that is sustainable,

they will be a bit protected in this closing quarter. They had the

fastest last 500 in their semifinal. They have some sustainable pace but

they are a long way down. Out front, Clearwater now, New Zealand in lane

two looking very impressive, Sophie Mackenzie and Julia Edward. They

were in a battle earlier in the year at the first World Cup regatta in

Sydney between two New Zealand double sculls and this is the crew

that has come out. They have not raced in Europe this year so this

regatta is the first time we have seen them perform. As always, New

Zealand does well in the small boats, men, women, heavyweight,

lightweight. And that is partly because they have a number of

successful crews training with each other on a similar programme. They

are competitive in training and they bring each other on which is being

shown here. Wonderful composure from New Zealand as they come inside 200

metres. Sophie Mackenzie and Julia Edward, it is all coming together

nicely. Watch out for Canada because there are 100 metres to come and on

the far side, China sneaking in for the bronze perhaps. Out front, they

have held them off, it is a matter of getting to the line. New Zealand

will be the new world champions, they come over in first, Canada

securing the silver medal and as we called it, China just sneaking in

for that bronze medal. The Italians, the world champions, just coming

over in fifth place. That was the race that Kat Copeland

and Imogen Walsh would have loved to have been in. It is easy to talk

when you have one, a lot harder when you have lost, especially so

combines a bleak -- when you have won. Do you just walk away for a bit

and try to rationalise things and come back renewed and fresh? If only

life was that simple! Everybody deals with it in different ways.

Even in my career, sometimes you deal with it differently than the

following year. You can agonise about it, sometimes I would not be

able to sleep. It can haunt you for a while. Sometimes you can walk away

and leave it for a break and come back fresh. But the great thing is,

they did not have the answers yet but they felt they could talk about

it. You have to front up and admit that. But they are both talking

about the future which is positive. If you have just joined us, you have

missed couple of British medals, at the above -- Helen Glover and

Heather Stanning winning gold and in the men's pair, here they are on the

podium getting their silver medals behind the ubiquitous New

Zealanders, Murray and Bond. But it was a tremendous performance and at

some stage in the future, they may be the pair that could finally

defeat that extraordinary unbeaten New Zealand pair. And talking about

a dominant crew, the next race is the one that everybody involved in

British rowing and perhaps people out of the sport look to, the

coxless four with the sport going back to Redgrave and Pinsent and

Cracknell to the current quartet who have carried all before them so far

this year. It is a nice being to have, knowing

you are the top boat. The new look crew, George Nash, Moe Sbihi, Alex

Gregory, they have only been together a couple of weeks but they

are a tight-knit unit. The roles are natural, I am the big guy, the

power,, Hodge sets the rhythm, Alex is smooth and technical and George

is all three of those things. Other people watching this will be

thinking, I will struggle to get Mike seat in that. This is class. We

are going to win and to be our best. Great Britain demolished the field

here at the European rowing Championships and make it look easy.

We've worked hard to put this together, it has been a long winter.

This is what we are aiming to do. They have demolished the pack twice

in a row now this year, a masterclass. The prospect has been

very exciting of this coming together. When it finally happened,

, is kind of as good as I hoped it would be, very new and very exciting

and I love being in this boat every day. It is a wonderful product to be

part of. The crew has improved the ridiculous amount but we cannot rest

on our laurels, we have to keep being motivated to improve every

race and we are doing that, there is no confusion, it is simple rowing

and that is how I like it. Great Britain here completely dominating

the 2014 World Cup series. They are European champions, World Cup

champions, it does not get any better as they head off for their

summer training camp. We already had a really good camp up an amount in.

It puts us in a position of great strength compared to everyone. It

has gelled surprisingly well. On the water it is pretty slick, we have a

good sense of how we each want to row. Obviously we want to win, that

goes without saying given our season, but I guess if conditions

are right, we want to win in a fast time.

People who know about these things say this could be the best men's

four ever, including the great athletes that have gone before and

the great thing about rowing, it is real teamwork. All of the elements

have to work together. Let's talk with Catherine and James and Gary

who are in the commentary box about the individuals concerned. James,

you are a huge fan of Alex Gregory, tell us what his role is and what he

brings. He is in the bow seat which is the first man across the line. I

was in that position in Sydney and it is a key one because you can see

what the others are doing, you are almost coaching them in training.

Because of the order, the two guys in front of him both rowing on the

same side in what is called a tandem and Andy Hodge in the stroke seat,

he is a long way away, it is a key seat in setting the boat up. He is

calling the technical shots and arguably in the hardest technical

position. If he can set the boat up and get his work on, that puts the

whole crew in a good place and he does it incredibly well. I think he

is the best in the boat and he is in the best position. Talk about the

giant man in front of him. He was the talisman of the Olympic eight in

2012 at London and the journey he was on had given him the nominal

evidence. He was always going to step on and move into this -- given

him phenomenal confidence. Steely determination, he is a lovely died

but in the boat, he flicks a switch -- lovely guy. You always want

someone like that, a big strong athlete who can row. And a quick

word about the man in front of him. Mostly he has the engine, no doubt

about it but you need a spark plug to get it going -- Moe Sbihi. George

Nash connects really well. Without his finesse and aggressive attitude,

you would not get the best out of the big guys. Everybody has a

different role but they all seem to fill it. Some of the cruise take a

while to find it, and I bought the London crew never did but these guys

have got it from the first race and hopefully they can finish it off.

Catherine, you have known Andrew Triggs Hodge for a long time, tell

us about him as a talisman. He has passion, consistency, desire and

nothing less than winning, he is in that mould of great British rowers,

he is a champion. They are odds-on favourite to win it. Can they do it?

COMMENTATOR: Netherlands are in lane one, USA into, Great Britain in

three, Australia in four, Greece in lane five and Canada in lane six.

They started the competitive year as European champions, can they finish

it as world champions? What they do best, as you will know James, Jurgen

is all about powering it out in the first 500, start to dominate. He

must say the same thing for every crew the coaches. In one way, yes,

he wants you to be in the race at the start but not faster than it

needs to be. This start is better than normal for them. What they do

really well, after a minute through to four minutes, that is when they

take everybody apart. I would find it worrying if I was the opposition

that they are half a length up already. The Dutch in lane one are

fast finishing world champions. Lane one has shown to produce some fast

last 1000 metres so they will be mindful not to take their eyes off

them. But right now they can see everybody and that is the perfect

place. The hallmark of a British boat coached by Jurgen Grobler is to

get to be called to mark first and they have done that so now it is

about getting into transition. They are being chased hard by the

Americans. They are bronze medallists from last year, the

British crew were all in the men's eight in the World Championships so

coming into this event but the Americans will be on their tails.

They were in the semifinal until halfway but the race is 2000 metres,

not 1000 metres. The reality is, to live with the British the whole way

down the track, no other country has found the ability to do that. They

can live with them until halfway but that is irrelevant, you don't get a

medal for halfway. If they are going to take on the British, they have to

make sure it does not cost them another medal. The USA art squeezing

on as we come through 800 metres -- they are squeezing. There is Seth

Weil in the stroke seat. The power and pressure have been put on and

that halfway, Great Britain from the USA, those two crews have opened up

clear water from a pack led by the Netherlands, the world champions.

This is where we would expect the British to do their biggest push of

the race so far. Until this point, the USA have been throwing

everything at the British crew just to stay level and have contact and

the British have dealt well, they have been composed and sat there but

now we would expect in the third 500 them to start to push on. Led by

Andy Hodge in the stroke seat. It is like watching Michael Johnson down

the back straight of a 400 metres, taking it in his stride and about to

open up a whole can of you know what on the other crews! That is what

they are doing, they are about to open it up and there they go. Coming

up towards the length app. United States in silver medal position.

Netherlands, let's not write them off, they are in the bronze medal

position currently but have just slipped back as the Australians in

lane four come through. They may have some wind and course advantage

in the closing stages. At the three quarters mark, Great Britain have

composed, a brilliant third 500, they have pushed and lifted the boat

out of the water out to a length. They were playing with the USA in

the first 1000 metres, they put some work on in the third quarter and

they are reaping the benefits of that. When you have clear water from

any crew coached by Jurgen Grobler, with guys like this in it, it is

very hard to come back. Andy Hodge in the stroke sheet, George Nash,

Moe Sbihi, Alex Gregory, they will enjoy the paddle in -- stroke seat.

They will not paddle in, they want around off their season with a world

record. These are fast conditions, they are a fast crew, they have had

a perfect season and they will want to take a risk and revel in these

last 35 seconds. They are going for it. One last time, Andy Hodd driving

for the line, the world best time is 5.37, they can smell it here. --

Andy Hodd show. USA under pressure from Australia. The British crew

coming towards the line, they know they are world champions but the

world 's fastest crew? Over and clear, the fists go up, the USA are

in second place. Australia holding out for the bronze medal. We will

see on the screens, waiting for the confirmation, it is gold. It is

5.40.24, three seconds outside the world record, not today for them.

James, I thought at 1500 it did not look like a crew that was going for

the world best time. They knew they had it in control but they never

looked on the edge here. Correct me if I am wrong, you have got to be on

the edge and a bigger crew, not relying on the last 250 Sprint. You

are right, you have got to be on the edge and you can either go that way

from the start... Which they don't do. Which they didn't have to do

because they were in control. Either that or you have to be in a real

race, one way or another. They saw off the American challenge and in

the last 500 they turned it on and tried to get it but they were not on

the edge for long enough to break it. They have got another couple of

years. Looking at the last couple of strokes coming up to the line here.

The world champions, they will have to come back another year to get the

world best time. There they are just going past us,

the victorious quartet. It was a race that they won it pretty

emphatically. Like the women's pair, it is not surprising they won

but still pleasant to watch and it is a stunning display. That is a

stack event with some fantastic boats but they were clear and away

with it. And unbeaten for the year. You have targets set and I am sure

they wanted to be unbeaten all year and they have done it. Not just

that, the men's field in the Great Britain squad is very competitive

and this is the lead boat, everybody wants to be in it. Every time they

raise they have to prove they are the right people to sit in those

seats -- they race. When you talk to them, they are enjoying it,

relishing it, winning never gets old. Just to mark your card, the

men's quad is still to come in about 20 minutes, a potential medal for

Great Britain there. James, it is always invidious comparing

generations in any sport but how good is that quartet and how much

better might it get? I am not sure if they actually heard

the question so I will ask you. Maybe he is ignoring you! The thing

is, everybody talks about it, the event moves on every year and

improves, we don't always see faster times because it is weather

dependent. James and Steve and Matt and all of those big names, they

have respect for what they do. For the men's four to go out and

repeatedly win in fierce competition, it shows their class.

James, talk about what potential that quartet might have. They have

immense potential. As I said before the race, they have the right people

in the right seats. Andy sets the rhythm, George Nash is Sparky to get

the power out of Moe and Alex Gregory is incredibly powerful. They

will get the best out of themselves, only when someone pushes them.

People are only really with them until halfway. They have to dig in

on their own to break a world record. The most important thing for

any crew, especially coached by Jurgen, is to win the race. That

time is eight seconds quicker than Steve, Matt or I ever went in a

fall. That is a mark of how they have moved the event on. You talk

about tactics in football terms, explain for the non-rowing

fraternity watching, you talk about having the right people in the right

seats, if you almost randomly put people in a different seat, how

would that change the dynamic of the boat and maybe impact on

performance? There are issues with who you put in the stroke seat, you

need somebody with a natural rhythm, paddling around in a steady

state through to racing flat out, they have to have a consistent

rhythm regardless of intensity. Then you need somebody who feeds down the

rhythm. If you break that link, it will not work and unless you find

the right stroke man and the right man to transition it, making sure

you are getting the power out of the people in the bud, you will not be

fast. The crew I was in in Sydney, in any other order, we were

rubbish! We happened to find that order because we tried every other

order and that was the perfect one! Here are four more gold medallists,

congratulations. How do you compare one gold medal to another? Each one

is great, the slate is wiped clean every year. We were under a bit of

pressure to perform. We have had an unbeaten year so far, we had to

carry it off and thank goodness we did. I am really pleased, really

really pleased. We can see it on your face. Moe, the first time among

this group, how has it been? It has been a great year, a wonderful

journey from the first session in the boat, we were together and in

unison and I have loved every single stroke. Not just the race but the

journey to get their as been great. People have written or commentated

about you as the group, how much fun you seem to be having. Is that fair?

I think so, we have a quite a good time of the water, we all enjoy

having a bit of a dated at each other and looking around back at

base so it has been a great season, with the relaxed, a relaxed group.

It makes it really fun to go out and go fast and it is just the cream on

the take. He has gone to find his wife and

child! He has his priorities right. Somebody earlier today in the press

was saying, one of the key factors in your success which has bound

together the group, astronomy... ? Stargazing! We are very fortunate to

go away to some incredible places in the world and one of those places

just happens to have pretty good astronomy. We have been out looking

up at the sky is, every night training camp. Are you experts? We

are doing quite well. -- skies. Now we have the youngest addition to the

team! Were you the cox! And we did not see you? Who would have

thought, Gold medallist again, all of these years on... Bad hands, that

is what you gave up rugby! How was it for you? It was a tough one, we

knew what the Americans were capable of, from the semifinal. We really

started to them. Credit to these guys, technical skill, the power...

We pushed on from there and we dominated the field. Tough

conditions. But an excellent base. You have been involved so long, so

much expectation that you win. How much does that impact on how you

approach doing it? It is the same story, every time you go on the

water, whether it is training camps or at home, you have got to train

your hard disk, you have got to keep pushing. No matter what you think

about where you will come in the world, the moment you stop fighting

for it and think it is a given, that is the day that you will lose. --

train your hardest. It is something I have learned in the past, and days

like today prove that hard work pays off. Must keep fighting. That is a

product of a lot of hard work, from Juergen, from the team, from the

support from the national lottery. It is a big picture put together to

produce these results. Across the field. We have another farther down

here, does this change your approach, being a father? It cannot

change the approach, but it does make it more challenging. The

reward... He makes life much richer. Winning gold medals is awesome but

when you can come home to a little man like this, to the family unit,

it means a lot more. You are bringing home the medal for them.

They have put a lot into this performance, helping them do what I

do. -- helping me do what I do. I have seen him only two days in a

month and a half, so to be here as world champion, does not get much

better! I must ask you, they have postponed racing for an indefinite

period now, because of the conditions. You got in just in time

in a sense! How difficult was it? I did not really notice it that

much... Pretty choppy in the last 500 or so... When it gets like that

is, your blades catch here and there and it can get dangerous, going that

speed, for the boys on the quad, it can produce nasty injuries. Probably

the right call. They have run a great event here, they have made

every effort to be as fair as they can. All credit to them. On another

note I would like to thank all of the support team and the coach,

Juergen, for helping us over the year, and on the way here. They are

very important and without them, we would not be able to do what we do.

Final word with you, these guys have been involved in the four, for a

long time, but for you, because as you are growing up probably, you

were watching growing when you were at school, the coxless forward as

the mythical group of athletes, and now you are a part of it. How much

did it matter to you? It was very special, growing up, watching them

win repeatedly, year after year. Drawing huge inspiration from that

as a youngster. Hopefully that is what we are doing, inspiring the

young generation through what we are doing and what the team is doing. We

will have some young whippersnappers filling our shoes. The governing

body screaming at you to be on the podium, so well done,

congratulations! Gold medallist, the coxless four, once again. They have

got to rush. And I think that he is going to make sure that his son is

going to be on the podium! I think he is going to do that. Dennis Wise,

what did he start at that FA Cup final all of those years ago for

Chelsea? Coming here, I think that we are going to have to talk a

bit... We do not have any rowing because of the conditions. George

did not think it was anything particularly difficult, but the

governing officials have decided it is unfair, is the assessment at the

moment. One eye on the clock. The men's four have the potential to

break it again. The flags at the end were not even blowing. It did not

look very strong and hence they did not break the record, as has been

pointed out, the problem with the course, the wind can circulate, as

soon as it begins circulating, unfair conditions, lanes have got to

be redrawn. Or they may even postpone things. Because it has been

so blustery. As an athlete it is not good to have a 24-hour delay, you

want to race in the best possible conditions. They have options, they

have time. The women will be down at the start line. In this kind of

situation how difficult is it, as the athlete concerned, you will have

done your preparation because you know that you will race at 2.43. --

2:43pm. It would be far more difficult if it was just your boat,

but everybody is in the same situation, and so, as Catherine has

said, you want to race in the best, possible, fair conditions. -- best

possible, fair conditions. From looking at it, I should imagine the

crew in lane number one would like to go on with it. Do the seeding

again, or do not do the race. That is what I would say. Would you

agree? As you are there, you may as well race. We are hearing that they

are putting the quads onto the start, the starter has told them,

eight minutes to go. When you have a short period of time, they will

still be focused on the race, right now, but when... I do not know how

many of these crews have used team psychologist, whether they do it

themselves, it is always about being in the moment. You cannot control

the uncontrollable. This is where medals can be won and lost. They

have changed the lanes here. In this race. Obviously that is going to

have an impact on the draw and on the outcome. Bring back to talk

about the coxless four, for a moment. Having heard them

interviewed. As you have been a part of a group of individuals like that,

just standing here, talking to them, you get a very good vibe from them,

that to use those awful cliches, they are in a very good place at the

moment. Yes, they are in a good place, they are undefeated, world

champions, best possible place. They have pretty much made up the mind of

every other international code, do not put your best athletes in the

four, you have got to race the British. They will not want to go up

against a crew perform like that. Andy Hodge does not have his little

boy with him, I am glad to see that. I took my boy onto the landing stage

in Athens, and I decided that my son should not join me on the podium!

They never let me live that one down. Here they are on the podium,

talk us through what we were expecting to happen. Here is the

gold medal we were hoping for. They are going to finish the year as

they started. European champions to begin with, world champions to

finish. It is not a bad year all round, given that we are two years

out, but James, this is the crew, without a doubt, that will represent

Great Britain in two years time. I cannot see anybody else coming into

this. You cannot see any be else coming into it but I guarantee, no

other member of the British men's rowing team will agree with what you

have just said, they will see a target on the head of one of those

guys, they want to be on the boat. It is going to be hard to get into

it but not impossible. There are some that are key. Look there... Six

foot five, Alex Gregory, knee is not a short man. They are a big unit. To

make this boat you have got to be big and strong and able to grow. It

is a difficult thing to match. -- big and strong and able to row.

CHEERING Great Britain receiving the

accolade, a word in the background, full credit goes to one Jurgen

Grobler, the men's chief coach of the team.

It is a point that Helen and Heather made early on, how much they were

looking forward now, to three weeks away from the water, but that goes

for the guys as well, they will be delighted, after the brutality of

the last few weeks, in many ways, to be able to forget about running for

the next three and a half weeks. The last few weeks are ramped up but the

last few months... Just because those crews are winning and continue

winning does not make it easier, the as Andy was saying, the standards go

up and you have got to push yourself, you have got to be the

ones pushing yourself, when you are leading the rest of the world, they

are aiming for you but you have got to push beyond that. Constant

intensity and pressure, to keep moving, keep pushing the standard

higher. When the weeks come, the weeks come when you can switch off.

The lovely thing is, some of them have families, some of them have

their own kids. That is when you absolutely, you get a different

perspective, horizons broaden, you get to travel, you get to see

friends and family all year -- you get to see friends and family you

have not seen all year. The discipline of sport is like a drug,

after a couple of weeks you cannot wait to get back into the routine,

it is what generates the enthusiasm. There is always another medal to

win, that is you need a break, you need a mental and physical break,

but then your mind starts thinking, next year 's World Championships,

and there is World Cups to win, and what if the opposition is back

training, and reedit generic is not far away. That is what gets you

back. -- and Rio DJ Nero is not far away.

-- flags streaming towards us. We will be several minutes late off,

but when the wind is this strong, and blowing straight down the

course, how does that affect the flow of the water and the way you

put the blade in the water and the rhythm of the boat? It affects the

entire course, it is 2000 metres and what happens, the start of the

course is very flat, because it is right at the end of the lake, it is

very protected. As it unfolds, the waves begin picking up and rolling

down the course. The last 400 metres, when they are at their

fastest, you are physically exhausted and mentally drained. The

water is at its roughest and most technical and if you are not sharp

on it you can lose things. We do not have a British crew in this, but we

do have one for the men's. We are very optimistic for a men's medal,

in a moment, and here we go with the women's.

Given the wind and the conditions, the two favoured lanes, Lane one and

Lane two. BELL Always a great view in the opening

stages of the quads, going off the line. The first 150 out. Not much in

it. New Zealand in Lane number five, closest to us. The early picture

here. Lane one and Lane two will be the two crews to watch as we move

towards the first timing mark. Germany, the world champions.

Olympic silver medallists, only two of that boat returning from under

2012. -- London 2012. We are seeing what you have said previously, it

should be reasonably predictable, because of the conditions, and

moving the pot boat over and in underneath the bank, when they get a

bit more shelter. What has happened here, they have crews that have

qualified the fastest, they have got the fastest lanes. What that means

is that the racing will not be that exciting. In Lane six, little chance

of winning. Lane one is going to be ahead of the game, and Lane six is

going to be at a disadvantage. The real problem for the other crews,

Germany are quick out on the first half, very consistent in the last

1500 metres. They will be hard to hold back down. The Americans, as

their country seems to rampage out of the blocks, they may well fade.

China look very relaxed. They enjoyed their semifinal, I think

they will come through the field. The Germans have a relentless

consistency about their quad history in sculling. The Germans are the

world champions. We approach the 750 metre mark.

They came first at the last two World Cup regattas in this 2014

World Cup season. Laying it down, China, we have not really seen China

in this combination this year. Two of the crew. They raced pretty early

on in the season. It is a nice view down on the water, you can see how

the wind behind is beginning to make the water pop in the middle

thousand. The Germans racing very well, looking very relaxed, yes, I

know they are in the best Lane, but the Chinese are effectively in an

equally good Lane and they are a length ahead of them. The Americans

have held on for longer than I had thought. Very gutsy skull and race

in the first thousand metres of this. Germany, in the redrawn

favoured Lane of Lane one, out by a length. China redrawn into Lane two.

You can see the struggle they are having now. Particularly because

they are not as long and fluid as Germany in front of them. What is

gutsy and fighting, US, Lane number four, and a crew that finished

fifth, it was a different line-up back in the World Championships last

year. A new combination, a whole load of youngsters here, and they

are in amongst it, they know that they are in a disadvantageous Lane

but they are fighting hard, currently second or into bronze

medal position. Note, they are long and fluid, and moving... The look is

effortless. Germany making it look very easy. They have a strong

tradition in women's quad sculls, do America risk a medal altogether by

that brave start? Is that what has happened? Has it broken Australia.

Germany now, if they lose from here, their coach will give them a hell of

a telling off! Nice and tight on the technique, three quarters of the

race down, we are now into the last quarter, Germany, Lane number one,

retaining a clear lead over the United States. Australia in among it

all, sitting in Lane number three. A game, on the redrawn lanes, one,

two, three the favoured lanes, clear order from Germany, and a reminder

that the British sculls finished third in the B final earlier today.

Placing the ninth overall in the competition. Huge disappointment.

Again, stepping up from the last World Cup regatta, in Lucerne,

finishing seventh there are, they have a lot of work to do in that

crew. Meanwhile, China, fighting, and look at this... Look at this for

the crew closest, the United States, the one thing that the Chinese do,

there may not look pretty in terms of technique but my goodness, they

push it down. They have shortened up, three quarters slide... They

have basically thrown in the kitchen sink, that is how you would

technically term it! You can see the Americans are struggling in the

rough water. Up to the line, world champions again, Germany over by

Clearwater, and just fighting it out into the silver medal position,

China, and the United States of America, full hats off to them. They

were in Lane number four, right in the middle of the course, and a

well-deserved bronze medal for the United States. It was always going

to be, as soon as the lanes were redrawn, it was always going to be

Germany. Exciting to watch the Chinese, when

they shortened up the slide. If you do it effectively you can get the

speed. It is not a conventional way of sprinting at a World

Championships. Same with the Americans, the Americans risk it by

going out hard. The Chinese did not go off so hard but they threw

everything at it from early on. Two different ways to win a medal and it

shows how important medals are. The Germans did it the perfect way. The

Americans and the Chinese tried different ways. All three end up on

the podium. Whether or not -- redrawn Lane or not, fantastic. The

Chinese have such a pool of athletes also on the day, reminder, Great

Britain, finishing third in the B final, ninth overall, the world

champions, two in a row, for Germany.

Great aerial shot of a crew in perfect synchronicity. First things

first, that was a redrawn race, how much impact did the lane draw have

on that? What happens... What happens when they get redrawn, the

fastest crews get favourite, they end up in the more sheltered lanes.

The two middle crews, the winners of the semifinals, go to the protected

lanes. It almost means it is even more likely to be unobvious gold

Silver five. The Germans got the marginally quicker Lane, if you can

call it that, but there are domination was expected over China,

because China look like a crew on the rise. Germany have been

successful all season and looked outstanding. Great calibre in the

boat. China is a regrouping nation, as far as rowing is concerned. They

have a new chief coming in. They did not challenge as much as they could.

Beijing was a key moment for Chinese rowing, they knew they needed to be

competitive if they were hosts, and they were. We see it across many

sports and Olympics, the host nation makes a big push for its own

domestic event and then says, we have done that now, now we will

focus on someone else. Did China let go of the end, but now getting

serious again? Combination: They take the Asian games very seriously,

that is something we are not even aware of. They have their own

competition in that part of the world that they prioritise. They

have a new coach coming in, he's going to be targeting the World

Championships, the Olympic Games. After the Beijing Olympics, there

was a dip, but it is no surprise seeing them challenging again. There

was no British crew in that, but over the course of the next seven

minutes, the British crew are going to try to row the perfect race.

We have a fast moving boat, but the start is essential, that is an area

we have tried to work on. For me, cooling in the boat is very

important, you have got to get rain delight macro into the right rhythm.

-- you have got to get into the right rhythm. All of this practice

is on technique, you practice technique because when you are

racing you are not thinking about it, you are thinking about in the

zone, what can I do that I have practice, stroke after stroke of the

strokes. Commentator the next 400 metres is going to be critical,

stepping into the sustainable rhythm, taking them into the middle

thousands. Coming into the next, the idea is to keep on going, and that

is where I come into my strengths, my engine is quite good in the

middle part of the race. Coming up to 1000 metres, the idea is to be in

the race. Halfway mark, Great Britain, third, moving up from

fourth... In the perfect race, I suppose that you would be just in

front. If we are anywhere close to the leaders or leading at the 1000

metres mark, that is when we know, and the first thing is when we know

if we can do it. I think that we can go deeper than we realise, in the

first kilometre, and still click on in the second kilometre, because

crews will want to stick with us. 750 to go, you will be looking to

turn the screw slightly on everyone. Gaining the Menson, from 750, to

500, then at 500 that is when you want to be looking to establish your

lead. -- gaining momentum. We would like to be in front with 200 metres

to go so that we can be in control crossing the finish line. Impressive

second thousand metres from Great Britain's men's quad. Looking at how

we race individually, it is probably a brilliant combination. We have a

crew, we have people that can sprint in the last 250 and 750 and people

who can spring from the start, and everyone has their strengths. Put

them all together, we have a really solid Crew. Up to the line, Great

Britain, absolutely perfectly timed, gold medal from them over Estonia.

Europeans, we finished a race and came second and I looked across and

we were all disappointed with being second place. We will be happy with

a gold medal, that is why we are going there, to win it. There are

down at the start at the moment. If you are going to row the perfect

race, by definition, you have got to start absolutely perfectly, so, as

we can see them on the pontoon, what is the perfect start? Difficult one.

I think that... I think that it is such an explicit start, two, four,

eight people, you need maximum power, maximum intensity. You have a

lot of adrenaline around your body, nerves and tension and pressure. The

ideal is when you... You harness the power, you do it in complete perfect

timing but you have incredible composure and relaxation. The top

crews, you will see the power but you will not see tension or stress.

It shortens things, it will stop you flowing with the rhythm of the boat.

I combination of relaxation but maximum intensity, that is a tricky

balance to get right. Here we go, we already have two gold medals.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover began thing so fantastically, now we

have the final final of the opening day of coverage in Amsterdam for

Great Britain to make it a fantastic hat-trick. We will see if they can

do it. This was always going to be a

seminal year, bronze last year, was that a run ash macro? -- run-off --

This as shown to be the latter, one last race. One last race on this

incredible story, this incredible journey. Redrawn, Great Britain one,

Ukraine two, Germany three, China four, Estonia five. And,

Switzerland, six. And the Germans are the Olympic

champions. Three of that by returning. Into this year. The world

champions from last year, Croatia, we have not seen them this year.

champions from last year, Croatia, we have not Great Britain, Ukraine,

and Germany, Lane one, two, three. We will be watching out for them,

particularly in the opening stages. Britain are looking for the perfect

race, the race of their lives so far and looking at Peter Lambert,

storming off, leaving out Charles Cousins behind him, Sam Townsend in

the two seat and Graeme Thomas in the bow. Great Britain in one,

Ukraine into, Germany in three, China in four, Estonia in five and

Switzerland closest to us in six. Already the early stages, Ukraine

just starting to squeeze but the British will be all about getting

good boat speed so they can transition into a solid rhythm. The

crucial thing is they gave themselves a massive favour by

winning the semifinal. Estonia came third in the semifinal and they are

in and outside lane, they beat Germany so they are outside them so

they are in the best possible position by winning their

semifinal. Ukraine are currently leading, they also won there's only

final. Arguably the second best crew is right next to them. Through the

first quarter mark, Ukraine from Great Britain, that is OK, they will

not be worrying. The next 200 metres is critical, the next 20 strokes,

length, composure, stretch out, get into the rhythm so they can think

about the crew on the left in lane two, Ukraine. But look at the crews

in third, fourth, fifth, Olympic champions Germany in third being

pushed hard by China. China came forth at the Aiguebelette World Cup

regatta. They are starting to move through. Our high-quality field

here. It is but there are two key things to think about, Ukraine have

disappeared from Pete Lambert's vision. From the German position and

the Chinese position in third and fourth place, both Ukraine and Great

Britain have gone so you feel isolated in the stroke and you have

to keep believing you are in the race. Great Britain have got to hold

down Ukraine and Germany have got to hold down Great Britain and Ukraine.

It is close. Almost neck and neck. Halfway mark of the men's

heavyweight core Drupal skulls -- quadruple sculls. Regardless of the

result of this final, we are looking at something very special here in

the men's quad scull. Peter Lambert, Charles Cousins, Sam Townsend,

Graeme Thomas, but remember they get stronger as they churn out every

quarter of this race, they know they have a sprint and they will have to

rely on that if they will come through Ukraine. Their heads will be

high, they will be thinking this is on. And thinking that because they

are closing down Ukraine. Through halfway I was slightly worried,

there looked to be a lot of tension in the crew but that will be easing

now as they are level pegging. Ukraine still look fairly relaxed

but the British crew have a strong last 750 metres and they will need

it. 12 months ago we were ecstatic, the celebration of a bronze medal

but this is far removed from the minds of the British crew in lane

one now. Ukraine and Great Britain out to the right of your picture.

Now approaching the last 500 metres, in towards the home straight, it is

looking like Ukraine have moved out a little bit here but this race is

far from over. Ticks or seven feet down, definitely doable. -- six or

seven. It is but Ukraine still look relaxed, Great Britain have not

slipped back but they need to move on now. Sport is in context, and

Ukraine as a nation is in all sorts of trouble and I imagine this would

be some release for the guys as well do have something else to focus on

if only for six minutes. It will mean more to them and their

supporters at home. That was the shot of Germany, the world champions

struggling and fighting it out for a bronze but now the British machine

starts to wind up because they have 200 metres remaining. They are

stroke for stroke here, surely Ukraine have done enough. One last

push from Great Britain on the far side, the crowd are on their feet.

Down to three feet here, they are going to run it out, run out but

they have got the push... Ukraine just holding on! The power that was

Great Britain was not enough on the day but there I say it, bronze

medallists last year, we will celebrate writing history here again

today in Amsterdam because Great Britain in the men's quad sculls are

world silver medallists. It is just slowly getting better and better.