Crossing the finish line, my first emotion was frustration – I truly believed we could have won that race – followed swiftly by relief. We came to Rio to win the Olympic Games, there is no doubt about that, but we also knew that any place on the podium would be a groundbreaking first for a GB women’s eight.
There is no eloquent way to sum up the experience of an Olympic Games. We all give so much of ourselves to this goal: decades of dedication, and putting the rest of our lives, and our relationships with those close to us, on hold. Literal blood, sweat, and tears. Yet what it comes down to is just one short race, which barely seems adequate for the sacrifice and perseverance that got us to the starting line.