Three children and two Olympic gold medals later, Helen Glover still feels the same on the start line as she did at London 2012.
Glover was in the bow seat of the women’s four that won their heat by nearly three seconds in perfect conditions at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
We will see Glover, Rebecca Shorten, Sam Redgrave and Esme Booth in the centre lanes in Thursday's final, set for a battle against the Netherlands.
“The weird thing is, if you transport me onto any start line in the last decade, there’s not much difference,” said Glover, who can become the first British mum-of-three to win an Olympic medal.
“The way I think, the way I feel, the way I act, it’s just me. Whether I’ve got three children or whether I’m at my first Olympics, it just feels like I’m in a place where I’m ready to go out and do what I can.”
That's a final spot for GB! 🚣♂️🇬🇧
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 28, 2024
The favourites for the gold medal cruise through to the final of the women's four.
Congratulations to Helen Glover, Rebecca Shorten, Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave!#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/shT7VzIuCA
Four GB crews cruised through to the next phase.
Emily Craig and Imogen Grant were so relaxed in winning their women’s lightweight double sculls heat that the former’s thoughts turned to food.
“I got quite hungry in the middle of it,” said Craig, who will race again in the semi-finals on Wednesday. “I was just thinking about lunch - dreamy.”
The men’s pair of Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith watched their Swiss rivals squeezed out of the automatic qualification places in the first of three heats.
After an early scare from Germany, they held their nerve to ease past them and into Wednesday’s semi-finals.
“I think we executed pretty well,” said George. “We knew people would jump out, it's the Olympics, the Germans clearly had a remit to not come last and get through to the semi-final. We stayed really calm.
Freddie Davidson, Matt Aldridge, Oli Wilkes and David Ambler came second in their heat, behind a speedy Kiwi crew, to progress directly to the final of the men’s four on Thursday.
Chloe Brew and Rebecca Edwards will have to go through the repechage round after placing fourth in their heat, with the eights heats also tomorrow.
Sportsbeat 2024