Team GB gold medallist Lola Anderson cried as she revealed how her late father kept her Olympics 2024 dream alive before he passed away. Anderson tasted glory in the women’s quadruple sculls alongside Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott and Georgie Brayshaw to clinch Great Britian’s sixth medal of the Games.
Great Britain appeared to be out of the contest as they trailed the Netherlands with 250 metres remaining.
But the stars dug deep to hunt down the Dutch team’s lead and snatched victory on the line following a photo finish.
The victory means Great Britain have won the women’s quadruple sculls for the first time in their history after landing three silvers in a row in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Team GB were only able to finish seventh in Tokyo three years ago, with Scott the only survivor of that team.
And the four British stars were full of emotion as they were presented with their medals by the Princess Royal on the podium on the River Seine before singing the national anthem.
“It feels like it’s been ages working towards this,” Anderson told the BBC after the enthralling race. “We were sticking to what comes next but it comes to the end of the cycle and it doesn’t get bigger than this. It’s been quite overwhelming to experience something like this but just incredible.”
Anderson was then asked about the moment she wrote on a piece of paper that she wanted this moment to come and replied: “[That was] 13 years ago. I’d forgotten about it but a couple of years ago my dad reminded me and I know that he would be so, so proud. I’m thinking a lot about him right now.”
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