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SJA Team of the Year: The case for Great Britain’s Paris Olympics rowing team

Voting has closed for SJA members to decide the winners of three major categories at the British Sports Awards 2024; winners will be announced live on Sky Sports News on Wednesday 20 November; Stuart Broad, Mary Earps and Manchester City’s men’s team claimed the 2023 honours; who will take the top prizes this year?

By Harry Crichton

Team GB’s Olympic Rowing Team delivered a performance in Paris that will be remembered as one of the finest in British Olympic history.

Winning medals in eight out of 14 races – including three gold, two silver, and three bronze – they were standout performers of the Games.

After the disappointment and inquests that followed the Tokyo regatta, they reclaimed their place among the world’s elite. Their resilience, teamwork, and determination make them clear contenders for the Sports Journalists’ Association’s Team of the Year award.

No one embodied this winning spirit more than Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, whose lightweight women’s double sculls win was a regatta highlight. Missing out on an Olympic medal by 0.01 seconds in Tokyo, their gold in Paris was poetic justice. Leading from start to finish, they etched their names as eternal champions, claiming victory in the final renewal of this event.

The women’s quadruple sculls of Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson, and Georgina Brayshaw also stormed to gold, wiping the memories of Tokyo’s struggles.

Their breathtaking final stroke sealed the first-ever British victory in the event, proving British rowing had rediscovered its elite status.

It wasn’t just about gold. Helen Glover, already a two-time Olympic champion and mother, returned to claim silver in the women’s four alongside Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave, and Rebecca Shorten.

Their race came down to a bowball, finishing second to the Dutch, marking the first-ever podium finish for Britain in the women’s coxless four.

For the men’s pair, Tom George and Oliver Wynne-Griffith, silver was bittersweet. They rowed with heart but were outmatched by Croatia’s dominant Sinkovic brothers, who claimed their third consecutive Olympic title. Despite this, the British pair delivered their best performance of the Olympic cycle.

The climax of the regatta came with the eights. The women’s eight, bronze medalists after finishing last in Tokyo, showed they belong at the top of the sport.

The men’s eight brought the regatta to a triumphant close with gold, embodying the power, precision, and perseverance that define this team.

Behind these athletes stands Louise Kingsley, the first female performance director of the Olympic programme. Taking over after Tokyo, she led a team that prepared more athletes across more boat classes than ever before, delivering extraordinary results. 

Peaking at the Olympics requires technique, power, pacing, and, above all, belief. Kingsley and her coaching team created that synergy across the board and the achievements of the team are remarkable. 

Sports journalist Harry Crichton is a member of the SJA Academy – find out more about membership here.

Visit our SJA British Sports Awards 2024 hub article for more information.

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