China’s first ever Olympic rowing champions claimed they are equipped to continue challenging Europe in years to come following their victory in the women’s quadruple sculls yesterday.
The Chinese quartet of Tang Bin, Jin Ziwei, Xi Aihua and Zhang Yangyang upset Britain’s reigning triple world champions thanks to a storming final 500m in which they clawed back a 1.5 second deficit on the Brits and powered on to win by 1.3 seconds.
In so doing they became the first Chinese to strike Olympic gold in the sport, although still no other Asian nation has ever medaled at the Games.
It was the third Games in a row that the British had won silver in this discipline.
In the women’s eights, Romanian Georgeta Andrunache missed out on becoming the most successful Olympic rower of all time as the US claimed gold.
Romania finished third, but had they won Andrunache, whom with Viorica Susanu won the women’s pairs on Saturday, would have claimed a sixth Olympic gold, surpassing the record tally of five she shares with compatriot Elisabeta Lipa and Britain’s Steve Redgrave.
The men’s quadruple sculls went to form as Polish triple world champions Konrad Wasielewski, Marek Kolbowicz, Michal Jelinski and Adam Korol led from start to finish.
World champions Canada also won the men’s eights gold, with Britain taking silver ahead of the US in bronze.
Denmark’s Eskild Ebbesen won his third Olympic gold medal in the lightweight men’s four as he joined teammates Morten Joergensen, Mads Andersen and Thomas Ebert, who also won gold in Athens, to beat Poland into second, with Canada winning bronze.
Britain’s Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter won the lightweight men’s double sculls ahead of Greece, while reigning double world champions Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Hansen of Denmark had to settle for bronze.
Dutch pair Kirsten van der Kolk and Marit van Eupen won the women’s lightweight double sculls ahead of Finland and Canada, with 2006 world champions Xu Dongxiang and Yu Hua disappointing in fifth.
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