Oarsome Foursome! Australia wins GOLD in the men’s rowing at the Tokyo Olympics – ending a 12-year curse of coming second to the United Kingdom
The Australian men’s four have rowed to a gold medal during a nail-biting final at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Aussies went head to head with rivals Great Britain who had taken out gold in the coxless four event at the last five Olympic Games.
Australia had finished second best to the Brits for the past three Games and all eyes were on the green and gold to break the 12-year curse.
Rowing for Australia is Alex Hill, who is considered to be one of the world’s best, along with Alex Purnell and Olympic debutants Spencer Turrin and Jack Hargreaves.
The Australian men’s four have rowed to a gold medal? during a nail-biting final at the Tokyo Olympics (pictured is team Alexander Purnell, Spencer Turrin, Jack Hargreaves and Alexander Hill)
Australia had earlier won their heat in five minutes and 54.27 seconds – the fastest time from Saturday’s heats.
Great Britain had rowed in at five minutes and 55.36 in the heat, and Italy behind at five minutes and 57.67.
Australia and Great Britain are the only countries to win gold in the coxless four event since 1992.
The Aussie team had been carrying the legacy of the ‘Oarsome Foursome’ which was the crew that took out gold in the 1992 Olympics.
Australia had finished second best to the Brits for the past three Games and all eyes were on the green and gold to break the 12-year curse
The boat consisted of now rowing legends Nicholas Green, Drew Ginn, James Tomkins and Mike McKay.
Ahead of the event Hargreaves said he and his team tried not to let the pressure affect them.
‘Everyone knows the Oarsome Foursome so there is a bit of pressure there,’ he said.
‘But we don’t really feel it.
‘Great Britain have pretty much owned the event since 2000 so it would be awesome to get one over them.’
A typhoon in Japan had nearly thrown out the event altogether but fortunately for the Aussies the race went ahead.
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