Brit rowers are back in business as they reach finals in style

TEAM GB’S Tokyo Olympics rowing debacle looks destined to be banished to history, with two British boats qualifying for finals in eye-catching style this morning.

Regulars on global podiums in recent years, the men’s pair of Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George booked their spot by advancing third-fastest from the semi-finals.

They were soon followed by the lightweight women’s double sculls duo of Emily Craig and Imogen Grant, who confirmed their status as gold medal favourites with a hugely impressive semi-final victory.

Craig (below) and Grant (right) have been the shining lights in a British rowing set-up largely overhauled in recent years, coming into these Games unbeaten since finishing fourth in Tokyo, where they were just 0.5sec behind the gold medal winners and 0.01sec away from a podium spot.

The duo are the only GB crew to return unchanged from the squad that failed to deliver a gold in Japan and have dominated their event since that Tokyo disappointment, claiming successive world and European titles.

They flew into an early lead in today’s semi, opening up a large gap on the field with only their New Zealand rivals for company. The Kiwis’ challenge was short-lived, though, as Craig and Grant blew them away to triumph in 6min 59.79sec.

Should she win gold in Friday’s final, medical graduate Grant will not have long to celebrate before starting her foundation year on placement in hospital next week.

Despite starting slowly today, Wynne-Griffith and George edged their way up the field to finish in 6min 31.56sec — good enough for second in their semi-final behind Romania. Croatia’s reigning Olympic champion Sinkovic brothers, Valent and Martin, also bettered the British pair’s time.