Team GB take bronze in men’s eight to end worst Olympic rowing performance since 1972 on a high

Great Britain ended a difficult regatta with bronze in the men’s eight but it is unlikely to be enough to lift the mood on the country’s worst Olympic performance since 1972.

For the first time 1980, Britain will leave the Games without winning a gold medal on the water and their final haul of one silver and one bronze is the poorest since they went home from Munich empty handed entirely in ’72.

The men’s eight crew of Josh Bugajski, Jacob Dawson, Tom George, Moe Sbihi, Charles Elwes, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, James Rudkin, Tom Ford and cox Henry Fieldsman finished third at the Sea Forest Waterway, just 0.13 seconds behind Germany and New Zealand took gold in a thrilling finale.

Team GB had not looked like medal contenders when finishing last in their heat and being forced to come through the repechage, but improved markedly and were in contention throughout, just 0.15 seconds down on leaders Germany after 500m and then 0.07 down on New Zealand at halfway.

The Kiwis put in what proved the decisive push over the next 500m before holding off several charging boats late on.

Earlier, Vicky Thornley had come agonisingly close to a medal, missing bronze in the women’s single scull by less than half-a-second as she became the sixth British boat to finish fourth at these Games.