Imogen Grant and Emily Craig end their Tokyo 2020 heartache as they clinch gold in the

Imogen Grant and Emily Craig clinched gold for Team GB in the women’s double sculls at the 2024 Paris Olympics Games on Friday morning. 

The duo agonisingly finished fourth at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but hit back today to clinch yet another medal in the rowing in Paris. 

The pair missed out on a spot on the podium in Tokyo by a matter of 0.01 seconds with the pair using the heartbreaking result to fuel their desire to clinch a medal in Paris. 

Team GB’s rowers have excelled in Paris over the last few days, with Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgina Brayshaw sealing a sensational victory the women’s quadruple sculls on Wendesday. 

Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten also clinched silver on Thursday in the women’s coxless four on Thursday as Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde took bronze in the women’s pair earlier in the day. 

After banishing their ghosts from the Tokyo games, a jubilant Grant and Craig held their arms aloft, celebrating their victory before embracing on the jetty. 

Romania, who have clinched four medals in rowing at the Games came second, with Greece snatching the final spot on the podium. 

Craig had considered giving up on rowing following the Tokyo Games, stating that it had taken her some time to get back into the sport. 

‘Tokyo was going to be a fantastic fairytale in that we would win a gold medal in the country whose art I love but it turns out fairytales don’t happen. There’s a lot of art in Paris though,’ Craig told BBC Sport.  

‘It took until February the next year until I was sure I wanted to come back and give it another go,’ she added.

‘I think for both of us going away, finding value in ourselves, away from sport, was quite important to come back feeling refreshed and attack it with a new attitude.’

More to follow…