Paris 2024 rowing: British pair Emily Craig and Imogen Grant win women’s lightweight doubles sculls gold – all results
Great Britain's Emily Craig and Imogen Grant dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls final to secure the rowing gold medal at Paris 2024 on Friday (2 August).
The pair finished well ahead of the second-placed Romania and Greece in third place.
Craig and Grant led from the first stroke to the last racing home in a time of 6:47.06 with Romania following in 6:48.78 and Greece clocking 6:49.28.
Three years ago, Craig and Grant were shut out of the medals in the lightweight women's double sculls in Tokyo 2020 by just 0.01 seconds. The disappointment drove the pair to new heights as they went on an unbeaten run at major competitions including winning back-to-back World Championships titles.
The duo was an unstoppable force at the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne where they advanced through the heats and semi-finals unscathed. They carried that air of invincibility into the final and delivered on the promise of an Olympic gold.
The Romanian pair of Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc – the 2017 and 2018 world champions – launched an attack over the final quarter of the race. But the British crew would not be denied as they crossed the finish for a good dollop of redemption.
"There was a certain inevitability about it this morning, I think we woke up this morning and looked at each other,” Grant told Team GB.
"I think we both knew that we had it in us today.
"I think those tears were just an outpouring of every early night, every hard training session, every wedding and party that we've missed, every time stressing over a bad session, every selection pressure, every early morning, every horrendous crosswind. Just all of it, all coming out at once."
The lightweight double sculls will not return to LA 2028 where it will be replaced by coastal rowing.
Women’s lightweight double sculls podium:
Gold: Emily Craig and Imogen Grant (Great Britain)
Silver: Gianina Elena van Groningen and Livia Cozmiuc Ionela (Romania)
Bronze: Dimitra Eleni Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou (Greece)