Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020: Helen Glover “proud” after finishing fourth with Polly Swann in the women’s rowing pair | Olympic news

Helen Glover and Polly Swann finished the women’s pair final just behind third-placed Canada; in the women’s lightweight double scull, Emily Craig and Imogen Grant missed a bronze medal by just 0.01 seconds

Comeback rower Helen Glover said she was proud to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s doubles with Polly Swann and is dying to return home to see her children.

Glover, the two-time Olympic champion who, after almost four years hiatus to raise a family, sought fame at the third consecutive Games, couldn’t quite pick up another medal as she and Swann placed on winners New Zealand, the Russian Olympic Committee and the third placed Canada followed.

While the 35-year-old – who became the first mother to row for Britain in the Olympics – missed another chance for a medal, she said she was proud of her efforts.

The mother of three tweeted: “SO proud to reach the Olympic final and with the 4th

“Thanks !! Can we now invent a teleport machine to take me straight home to the little ones?”

Glover told reporters that she and Swann gave everything but a mixture of pride and frustration remained.

“The reward is knowing we crossed the line and gave it our all. The frustration will go away when we think we had more and we didn’t,” she said.

“If it had been a flat water day we would have expected to finish last but it wasn’t.

“It was very difficult to challenge in the final sprint, but we tried anyway.”

Helen Glover and Polly Swann narrowly missed a medal in the women’s double final

Glover also sent an emotional message to her children. She and her husband, broadcaster and adventurer Steve Backshall, are parents to three-year-old Logan and one-year-old twins Kit and Willow.

She said, “They’re up at this time sometimes in the mornings, so now you could watch.

“I love them so much, they were my inspiration. I never saw myself get into a rowboat again until they passed. You can do what you want

“Trying and failing is not a problem as long as you try. All parents who supported me along the way, thank you for your messages.”

Helen Glover has retired for Tokyo 2020 while Polly Swann worked as an NHS doctor during the pandemic

UK Sport praised Glover and 33-year-old Swann, who trained to be an NHS doctor during the coronavirus pandemic – and said both were inspirations.

“Helen Glover makes history as the first mother to row for Team GB with Polly Swann, who juggled training with work as an NHS junior doctor during the pandemic,” the organization tweeted.

“No woman needs a medal to prove that she is superhuman and inspires the world.”

Britain claims silver in the men’s four-four

Britain’s run of five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men’s foursome came to an end before a surprising silver medal in the foursome lifted the mood for British Rowing.

Backshall said he ran out of words after the race and referred to former rowing master Matthew Pinsent for his expert opinion.

“I don’t know what to say, but Matt kind of sums it up (as always),” Backshall tweeted.

Pinsent said Glover and Swann “did well not to move too fast too soon” and then “risked everything to try to come back”.

“Sport can be brutal at times. And 4th is amazing and hard to take, ”Pinsent tweeted.

Swann said, “I think we always knew that people were going to go out hard in the Olympic final.

“We thought we could have a little more buffer, but it shouldn’t be.”

Meanwhile, there was more rowing heartache for Britain in the women’s lightweight double sculls, with Emily Craig and Imogen Grant missing out on a bronze medal by just 0.01 seconds.

In an incredible finish, the top four were only half a second apart, with Italy taking gold from France and Holland.

Team GB finished fourth in five rowing competitions in Tokyo.

Elsewhere, the British women started their rugby sevens campaign with a 14:12 win over the Russian Olympic Committee team, thanks to a final attempt by co-captain Abbie Brown.

And the joy for Ireland in rowing was great. Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan won the country’s first gold medal in these games in the men’s lightweight double scull and overtook Germany by less than a second.