Out of 250, you only need to win one!
In olympic 2000m rowing over the course of the race a boat crew will make between 240 and 250 strokes, upping and dropping their stroke rate as the tactics of the race plays out.
But the only stroke that ultimately counts is the one that takes you over the line.
Yesterday, the women’s quad skulls crew picked up Gold ahead of the Netherlands by an absolute whisker.
The dutch team led the race from start to almost finish. They set off strong took out half a length lead and kept it until the last 250 metres of the race, when the British crew started their last ditched push for the line.
Over that final eighth of the race, the British rowers closed down the Dutch drawing level.
Eventually the British boat overtook the dutch and led the race for just one single stroke. The last stroke. The stroke that crossed the line. But it was the only stroke that counted.
Britain take Gold and The Netherlands have to settle for silver, but for a single stroke.
Sometimes you only need to be in front for one stroke, if you choose your moment carefully.
As always, the Olympics has given us so many incredibly emotional and exciting moments, but the “never say die, take it to line, four years work comes down to this” attitude from this rowing crew is the moment of the games for me.
Congratulations to Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgina Brayshaw.
You can watch the final quarter of the thrilling race here: https://lnkd.in/eGgFjvx8