Great Britain wins eight’s to top rowing medal table

● USA’s women’s eight claims gold for 11th consecutive world and Olympic title

The U.S. women’s eight delivered on their status as the preOlympic favorites, breaking open a close race just after the halfway point to take home the gold ahead of Great Britain and Romania. The crew of coxswain Katelin Snyder, Amanda Elmore, Elle Logan, Meghan Musnicki, Tessa Gobbo, Lauren Schmetterling, Amanda Polk, Kerry Simmonds and Emily Regan pulled away from early leaders Canada and the Netherlands to establish control of the race enroute to gold.

This is the third consecutive Olympic gold medal for the United States in this event, and the U.S. has now extended its unbeaten streak in world- or Olympic competition to 11 years. U.S. rower Logan captured her third consecutive gold medal in this event, while Musnicki took her second.

A brilliant race from U.S. women’s single sculler Gevvie Stonebrought her a silver medal behind pre-regatta favorite Kim Brennanof Australia, who fol- lowed up her silver from London 2012 with gold here in Rio. The U.S.’s Stone held off a strong challenge from China’s Duan Jingli to seal her podium finish.

In the men’s eight, Great Britain stormed ahead early ahead of 2012 Olympic champions Germany and medal contenders the Netherlands and U.S. and finished strongly to take their first gold medal in this event since Sydney 2000. Germany finished in silver medal position, while the Netherlands took the bronze.

Great Britain became the second country after Germany to complete the full four year cycle of world championship and Olympic racing unbeaten. "From the first stroke just go and don’t look back," Great Britain rower Will Satch said after the race.

The U.S. men’s eight finished fourth for the second consecutive Olympics. The Rio Games marked the first non-boycotted Olympics since 1912 in which the U.S. men have failed to bring home any medal.

In one of the closest finals in Olympic men’s singles history, New Zealand’s Mahe Drysdale defeated Croatia’s Damir Martin at the finish by less than one onehundredth of a second to win his second Olympic gold medal after taking gold at London 2012. London silver-medalist Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic was third.

Great Britain topped the medal table at the 2016 Olympic rowing regatta, capturing a total of five medals, three gold and two silver. The U.S. finished with one gold and one silver.

Scott Durant, Tom Ransley, Andrew T. Hodge, Matt Gotrell, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Matt Langridge, William Satch and Phelan Hill, of Britain, celebrate winning gold in the men's rowing eight