GLASGOW’S Angus Groom dedicated his Olympic silver to British scullers who build the platform for him to win the nation’s first medal in men’s quadruple sculls.

Groom and Edinburgh’s Harry Leask helped Team GB write another chapter of Olympic rowing history with silver at Sea Forest Waterway.

Groom and Harry Leask, joined in the boat by Jack Beaumont and Tom Barras, caught the field cold from all the way over in lane one, leading beyond the halfway mark.

They were reeled in by Netherlands who took gold in a world record time, but held off charging Australia by 0.22s.

Team GB finished fifth in the event at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. Despite a lack of medal heritage in the discipline, Groom feels he was walking in the footsteps of giants.

“We have had history over the years and there have been some phenomenally quick British quads,” he said.

“We’ve just come a little bit unstuck at the Olympics. There's been so much work building up to this, long may it continue.

“These medals are a thank you and they're as much down to people like Charles Cousins (2012 Olympian), Sam Townsend (2012 and 2016 Olympian), Alan Campbell who got his Olympic medal in London.

“Pete (Lambert) and Jonny (Walton) this Olympiad too, even John (Collins) and Graeme (Thomas) in the double.

“They've all been part of this quads project building over the last five years. These medals are as much for them as they are us.”

There was heartbreak for the women’s four who held a podium position for the majority of their race but faded and missed the medals by more than a second.

Glasgow’s Rowan McKellar and Edinburgh’s Karen Bennett, who won silver in the women’s eight in Rio, made a similar impression from lane one but were caught by Ireland in the final throes.

They ended 1.06 short of the Olympic podium and a full five seconds behind the Australian boat who won gold in 6:15.37, an Olympic best time.

Bennett said:  “Obviously it was really gutting we didn’t medal, but as the girls said we did our best race out there.

“We have not really been together for that long. So I think we should be really proud of that performance.

“It is just really frustrating and gutting, that our performance was only good enough for 4th rather than 3rd.

“You want something to show for everything you have been through. We are all going to be gutted and thinking what if.

“But we always train with no regrets. Being there for each other is something we do really well, that is something we also had in Rio.

“I feel lucky to be with these girls, and to share the experience with them.

“I’m just devastated but at the same time, I have got them and we have all the support we need.”

Elsewhere on a dramatic morning on the Waterway, assailed by crosswinds and delays to racing due to Typhoon Nepartak, Edinburgh’s Polly Swann sealed a place in the pair final alongside Helen Glover.

Having finished third in their heat, the celebrated duo finished second in their semi-final behind only Greece.

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