It was a thrill and earned Helen Glover a silver medal, but the price of lost gold was written all over her aching body.
An hour from Paris, near Disneyland, the clock was ticking towards midday, the sun was scorching, the flags were flying, the lake was ready for one of the most fantastic stories ever written. At 38 and a mother of three, Glover was aiming to become the first British rower to win a third Olympic title.
The facts certainly supported this idea: the four formed by Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten had not lost all year and were favourites.
However, they were never in the lead of the race, but neither were they out of it. They fought against the Dutch, world champions last season, and at the halfway point of the race they were only halfway behind. In a brilliant duel, as the finish line approached, the Dutch were just ahead. That same halfway mark, or 0.18 of a second, separated them at the end.
Glover collapsed on her oar and lay disconsolate for a long time. She was exhausted, of course, but dejected. There was not a ripple of joy to be seen. The two girls at the stern, Redgrave (no relation to Sir Steve) and Shorten, had their feet dangling in the water. There was not a cry. It was a melancholy scene with the wild trees as a background to the most beautiful rowing lake in the world.
Team Great Britain came close to taking gold in the women’s four-man final on Thursday morning.
Led for much of the race by a confident Dutch team, Helen Glover and company were unable to overtake the Dutch.
Sam Redgrave, Rebecca Shorten, Esme Booth and Helen Glover celebrate after winning their silver medals
The foursome regrouped and rowed to the podium, passing British fans in the packed stands. Glover’s husband, wildlife TV presenter Steve Backshall, sat in the heat with their children, who have become an important part of Glover’s remarkable story: Logan, six, and four-year-old twins Kit and Willow.
There was a huge cheer. Why not? A silver medal is a wonderful, life-enhancing achievement, especially for Olympic debutants Booth, 25, and Redgrave, 29. Shorten, 30, was in Tokyo three years ago but had to settle for fourth place.
That trio all have bright futures in the sport if they want them, while Glover’s next move is less clear.
He retired after winning two golds, in London and Rio, to start a family, then returned in Tokyo with Polly Swann, but missed out on a medal.
Now that he has this money, and with age inevitably limiting the duration of his participation in a power endurance sport, will he give up?
She dismissed the question, saying she was simply enjoying the moment, before adding: “Half the team thinks I’ll keep going. I don’t plan to, but I guess I was just focused on getting across the finish line and then we’ll see.”
One theory is that Glover will be competing in a new adaptation of rowing to be held at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. It’s called Beach Sprint, a coastal sport that British Rowing says “combines racing, racing, sailing and power on a playing field where anything can happen.” It’s T20 or BMX for rowing.
Glover, who was keen to succeed as the mother of a rower, said afterwards: ‘In an Olympic final you expect a close race so you should be proud to come away with a medal.
Glover (right) said after the race that the team had put everything into their performance in Paris.
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‘Both crews thought they could take gold. I feel very resolute. Now I want to spend time with my family and enjoy being a ‘mum’ and not think about rowing. I need to relax.’
They say that silver is the most painful medal to win, so we can celebrate two less complicated bronzes with greater peace of mind. The first was a joyous one in the women’s double sculls for Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Becky Wilde.
At the end of the race, Hodgkins Byrne learned that she had beaten Glover by a few minutes and had become the first British rower to stand on the podium as a mother. She laughed uncontrollably. “I’d never thought of it,” she said honestly. “It’s crazy.”
Her little boy, Freddie, has just turned two. He shouted “mummy” as he waved to her. “Freddie didn’t understand what had happened, but he knew everyone around him was clapping, so he joined in,” she said. “Then he tried to steal my medal.
“Being a mother means coping with things, and when they go wrong, it doesn’t feel like your life is going to end. It’s reassuring to have Freddie.”
Not to be outdone, the Kiwis who won the race are first-time mothers. Who isn’t?
The men’s quartet, Britain’s legendary boat, took bronze thanks to Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson. The team race, with these three medals in an hour and the quad gold on Wednesday, is a clear step up from Tokyo. And there should be more gold to come.
