Imogen Grant and Emily Craig end their Tokyo 2020 heartache as they clinch gold in the women’s double sculls at the Paris Olympics

Imogen Grant and Emily Craig won gold for the British team in the women’s double sculls at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday morning.

The duo finished in a painful fourth place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but today in Paris they managed to win another medal in rowing.

The duo missed out on a podium finish in Japan by just 0.01 seconds. Craig and Grant used this heartbreaking result as motivation to secure a gold medal in the French capital.

Team GB rowers have been performing in Paris in recent days, with Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgina Brayshaw claiming a sensational victory in the women’s quadruple on Wednesday.

Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten also took silver in the coxless four on Thursday, while Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde took bronze in the pairs earlier in the day.

The British team have now won two bronze, two silver and two gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events, underlining Britain’s excellent start to the Games.

After chasing away their memories of the Tokyo Games, Grant and Craig raised their arms in celebration, then embraced on the pier.

Romania, which won four medals in rowing at the Games, came second, while Greece took the final spot on the podium.

The British duo’s victory came after Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George won silver in the men’s doubles earlier on Friday morning.

Craig considered quitting rowing after the Tokyo Games, saying it took her some time to get back into the sport.

‘Tokyo would be a fantastic fairytale because we would win a gold medal in a country whose art I love, but fairytales don’t seem to exist. There is a lot of art in Paris,’ Craig told BBC Sport.

“It wasn’t until February the following year that I knew for sure that I wanted to come back and try again,” she added.

“I think it was important for both of us to find value in ourselves, outside of the sport. That way we came back refreshed and with a new attitude.”

Grant will soon get her first job as a doctor.

“As soon as the Olympics are over I will start my preparatory years in the Oxfordshire Deanery,” she told the BBC.

“It’s my first year of basic training… you do a couple different internships in medical units, in the community, and also a couple surgical rotations. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little scared, but ultimately this is something I’ve been working toward for years.”

More to follow…