Post race comments from athletes in the M4-, W1x, LM2x and LW2x finals, plus additional post-regatta comments from coaches and Olympians. updated 5pm EDT
Men's Four
Sean O'NEILL, Chris HARRIS and Jade URU (NZL) after finishing fifth in the B final of the men's fours at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On finishing 11th overall, the same position as at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games:
"I'm getting on a bit. The same result as Beijing is a bit sad."
Chris HARRIS (NZL)
On the success of the New Zealand rowing team:
"It's been great motivation to keep going and to come back and do better."
Jade URU (NZL)
On the result:
"I'm pretty disappointed. We haven't seemed to come together as a team but we don't doubt anybody on the team."
On supporting his brother Storm URU (NZL), who races in the final of the lightweight men's double sculls later today:
"I saw him this morning and will be watching him later on today."
Vincenzo CAPELLI (ITA) after finishing second by a bow ball to Belarus in the B final of the men's four at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On not making the A final:
"There is lots of disappointment. We prepared for four years and in just the last 10 days found our formation. We need more time together to make it to the A final. When we left Italy we were the last boat and now we are eighth by a bow ball to Belarus, a very good crew."
On rowing together as a crew:
"This is the first 2000m we have rowed together in this formation. My first time as a stroke. We have just been baptised in the Olympic Games."
Luca AGAMENNONI (ITA)
On his tattoos after bronze in Athens and silver in Beijing Games:
"We will continue to row to get gold, that missing medal. My gold medal tattoo will go across my back."
Scott GAULT (USA), Glenn OCHAL (USA), Henrik RUMMEL (USA), and Charles COLE (USA) after winning bronze in the men's fours at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On winning a medal:
"We're on the podium. It was a great job. We laid down a powerful rhythm and pounded down the course, and now we can go home with smiles on our faces. Before the end we had nothing left, and in the last 250m we put everything on the water."
On their first Olympics:
"The guys to my right (GBR and AUS) have plenty of experience, plenty of gold medals, we have never been to an Olympics before but we couldn't have been better prepared."
On the crew never having raced at international level together before:
"We may not have raced together at that level, but we have all raced lots of times, we all know how to race. We just focused on our rhythm and trusted our coach."
Glenn OCHAL (USA) - bronze
On coming third behind Great Britain and Australia:
"It wasn't the two-boat race everyone thought it would be."
"We came here and wanted to have our best race. We were against good crews and we're damn excited to get where we are."
Henrik RUMMEL (USA) - bronze
On how the race went:
"It feels good but we really thought we were catching them, but they did a great job holding us."
Charles COLE (USA) - bronze
On the future:
"We have a lot to be excited about, a lot to look forward to and a lot to be positive about. We are young guys, we're going to reflect on the race and let the dust settle but we have a lot to be proud of."
On the challenge of an Olympic final:
"It's a challenge we all looked forward to. Even with two crews that everyone knows how good they are. We just focussed on putting our best foot forward."
Joshua DUNKLEY-SMITH (AUS) and Drew GINN (AUS) after winning silver in the men's four behind Great Britain at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On finishing second:
"It is pretty shattering. We worked for the whole year for these last two weeks. We were always looking at that ultimate prize and to come up short is pretty shattering."
On the future of the crew:
"We're all still young and keen to keep this going. It has been a really enlightening experience to train with Drew (GINN) who has done it all before. We have learnt a lot in the last two years."
"We are looking forward to the challenge of the next four years."
Drew GINN (AUS) - silver
On the race:"We felt if we stuck to those guys we could get to the finish first. It's not the result we came here for but we can walk away with our heads held high."
On the rivalry between the Australian and British crews:
"When you have quality guys out there it's a lot of fun to be on the water together and mix it up."
On his teammates' future:
"They have a huge future ahead of them. What they have managed to do is incredible. They have never shirked from any challenge."
On his own future:
"It's not easy. For me at 37, I would love to go on but it takes a lot and that's what you see, everyone gives their everything. You dig deep but it takes a toll on your body and on your family. I will make no brash statements but the reality is I have had two back surgeries and after Beijing I never thought I'd make it back."
Alex GREGORY, Pete REED, Tom JAMES and Andrew TRIGGS HODGE (GBR) after winning gold in the men's fours in front of Australia and United States at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
Alex GREGORY (GBR) - gold
On rowing in an Olympic final:
"It didn't feel real. Going off the start, I just thought, 'oh my God, this is happening'."
On what he was feeling when he crossed the line:
"Relief. Massive relief."
On the race itself:
"We were ahead at the 500 (metres) which was unusual. I was so confident we could hold on."
On what the gold means to him personally:
"Everything's been worthwhile. My little boy will take the medal to school with him in a few years and tell about his dad being an Olympic champion."
On the pressure before the race:
"I was pretty nervous before that race, the others said they weren't, which helped, but I think they were probably lying. The challenge is being able to perform under that pressure."
"These guys (JAMES/REED/TRIGGS HODGE) won gold in Beijing, I was the new man and if it hadn't gone to plan I felt as though all eyes would be on me."
Pete REED (GBR) - gold
On the feeling of winning:
"I can't believe it. The hours, the hours we do, the pain - but it's all worth it."
On his feelings before the race:
"It's been an amazing build up the last five weeks. We had a good warm-up but we've had better. The heavens opened and the rain poured (before our race) but the heaven's for us and it just felt right somehow."
"It didn't feel like the Olympic final. I have the two strongest guys in the world in front of me - my engine is as strong as ever. I'm in a great shape. I feel well."
On the final itself:
"We got our bow ahead and it didn't cost us that much. The second 500 (metres) we needed to make it count. We're sending in big strokes, and that sets up the rest of the stroke cycle. At 1000m, I told them to wait. We waited and waited - be patient."
"With 800 (metres) to go, I told them to go. I could feel Hodgey (Andrew TRIGGS HODGE, GBR), I could feel Alex (GREGORY, GBR) and we stepped up again. I knew we have never been beaten in the last 500 (metres). I was praying that the line came before the Australians."
On racing the coxless pair three years before switching to the coxless four:
"I said to Steve WILLIAMS (GBR) in 2005, because I wasn't an Olympic champion yet and he was: 'Would you give up all your world championship medals for Olympic gold?' And he said yes. Me and Andy had a silver Olympiad. The New Zealand pair (Eric MURRAY/Hamish BOND) are the best crew here. Better than our four - 6:08 in the heat is amazing."
On being happy winners:
"I can only feel happy right now it has been a very tough Olympiad, there have been some very dark and tough times but we showed resilience."
On moving from the pair to the four with TRIGGS HODGE:
"We were very excited straight away. We knew we were joining a strong quartet."
"We knew we could do something special. Tom (JAMES) and Alex (GREGORY) led the way and we worked out how to row together."
On the crew:
"Today is the end of something very very special that symbolises what this sport is all about."
On their rivalry with Eric MURRAY/Hamish BOND (NZL) in the pair:
"Looking back, racing the Kiwis made us stronger."
On Drew GINN (AUS), after he became emotional talking about his future in rowing:
"Big respect for Drew, we feel that too."
On the challenges of the race and preparation beforehand:
"What we did today took guts, it wasn't just the Australians in the final, we knew the other crews were there or thereabouts. We didn't want to get left behind. We had a lot of strong guidance from Jurgen (GROBLER, GER, their coach), making it come together."
"It takes courage from all four and simple ideas - we had a simple idea that the first stroke counts."
"We were thinking about our mid-race pace from the beginning. We did what we said we would do, it takes bravery to get that done."
"We knew the USA and Australian crews would never give up and we were determined to make no mistakes in the last 500 metres, because we know we're strong there. We wanted to stay composed. We practiced that, so it's the simple things."
Tom JAMES (GBR) - gold
On how the race went:
"It felt good. It was quick, I was confident. It started raining and I just thought 'this is for us'."
On the support from the grandstands:
"The atmosphere, it's beyond epic. Magic, phenomenal."
On Steven REDGRAVE (GBR) helping them out of the boat after the race:
"He said well done. He was just pleased that we attacked the race and executed what we set out to do. This is amazing for the four, four years of the coxless four and four gold medals, it started with Steve and he feels part of this story."
Andrew TRIGGS HODGE (GBR) - gold
On the race:
"It was impeccable rowing. It took four years to make that. It was a masterpiece."
On the achievement of Olympic gold:
"We owe a debt of thanks to everybody who helped us on our way. I'm the happiest man in the world."
On continuing on to Rio 2016:
"Tomorrow's another day. Rio's a bigger challenge - if I continue."
On when they knew that had got gold:
"It was not until we had crossed the finish line, we were against top quality crews. Huge respect. We took nothing for granted at any stage."
On the race:
"We got our heads down and took the race on."
On being captain of Molesey Boat Club:
"I was made captain four years ago and it was my job to try to bring it together and utilise the assets of our members. We have increased our support structure with more coaches and more sponsorship."
"Teamwork is essential, I was inspired by what you can do at this level (Olympic level)."
"It was my dream to build a foundation to bring young people into this sport."
On the Molesey rowers in the Great Britain team:
"I am proud of all the guys in the GB team no matter what crew they are in and I am glad to be a small part of that."
On the race:
"We have always gone out to row as well as we can technically, to get the boat moving, but today we underpinned that with brute power. Rowing is an infinite balance between technique and power."
On the Olympics being hosted by his home country:
"Utterly terrifying, that was my first thought. In Beijing (2008) and Athens (2004) I was nervous to reach the standards we had set ourselves through training."
"In Beijing we were removed from the country and it wasn't until we got back that I realised how much the country had taken to the Games. Here you feel it every day."
"There is so much support and goodwill, even in training and as we entered the venue, the crowds would be gathering hours before racing and cheering us on. It really built our confidence and belief but it also takes you closer to the cliff edge. It could be great or it could be a disaster."
"In the race today I was waiting for it to go wrong. We all sacrificed so much to achieve this huge honour. We've all done so much to achieve this. To sit here as an Olympic champion in front of a home crowd - I can't put it into words, I am humbled by this one."
Women's Lightweight Double
Lindsay JENNERICH (CAN) after winning the lightweight women's double sculls B final with Patricia OBEE (CAN) at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On going to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games:
"Well not for me probably, but I did tell her (Patricia OBEE, CAN) that if she made six minutes 52 seconds (on the indoor rowing machine) between now and then that I'd come back to try for Rio with her."
"It's a real disappointment to not be in the A final when you've trained in a way that you really believe that you can be. But it's a true test to be able to rise up for the B final because you've spent 48 hours really upset. We did it exactly as our coach said today, and we still got to race 500 metres on the Olympic course knowing that we were going to win a race. That was fun. We finished the regatta with a race that we can be proud of."
Julia EDWARD/Louise AYLING (NZL) after finishing third in the B final, behind Canada and Netherlands, and finishing ninth overall in the lightweight women's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On coming into the boat, replacing her former rowing partner Lucy STRACK (NZL) who rowed in the lightweight women's double sculls for New Zealand last year:
"It's always good to have different partners. Everyone has their own advantages. It's nice to race together and learn from each other."
"The first time we (EDWARD/AYLING) stepped in a boat we just clicked."
Louise AYLING (NZL)
On being disappointed with the result after a good world cup season:
"This is the Olympics, anything can happen. We had a lot of confidence when we came in here. We had a crap first heat, our repechage was okay, and the semi was hard. But we have no regrets."
On enjoying the rest of the London 2012 Olympic Games:
"Next week we're staying in the main village. We're going to support the rest of the Kiwi team."
On being role models as the first New Zealand lightweight women's double sculls to race at the Olympic Games:
"I think we set the bar really high. I hope we succeed in inspiring other athletes. We looked up to Storm (URU, NZL) and Pete (Peter TAYLOR, NZL) because they'd been here already and we thought to ourselves: 'Yeah, we can'. We talked to Mahe (DRYSDALE, NZL) and Eric (MURRAY, NZL) about their experiences. Everyone had to go through B-finals to get to where they are right now (Olympic champions). What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Maaike HEAD/Rianne SIGMOND (NED) after coming second in the B final behind Canada in the lightweight women's double sculls, finishing eighth overall at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On coming in second in the B final:
"It was a good race. Obviously we wanted to win, but that's never easy. The Canadian girls are (usually) big A final candidates, so this was a real race. It's nicer to race good opponents (rather than having an easy run)."
On being happy with their overall performance during the London 2012 Olympic Games:
"I've decided for myself that I'm satisfied with the result. We've never been higher up the ranking in a big tournament before. Last year we were ninth at the world championships, right now we're eighth. People told us that we shouldn't expect anything higher than 10th place."
On continuing her rowing career:
"I don't want this to be my last race."
Rianne SIGMOND (NED)
On racing together:
"We wanted to race with each other, no one else."
On dealing with disappointment:
"We've always focused on the task ahead. We could've been really sulky after the semifinal, but we felt that we still had a job to do. That was pretty tough, everyone went off partying because they were already done."
On what guilty pleasure she is most looking forward now that she doesn't have to focus on her weight:
"I've been looking forward to a pizza the whole week, but right now I'm not feeling like anything."
On continuing her career:
"We asked each other: 'This is just the beginning, right?' and then we touched hands. But we don't make any promises."
Katherine COPELAND/Sophie HOSKING (GBR) after winning gold in the lightweight women's double sculls ahead of China and Greece at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On winning an Olympic gold and it being marked by a stamp issued by the Royal Mail:
"I can't believe this is real. Yeah, we're going to be on a stamp tomorrow."
"I really don't see myself like any of those people (the other Great Britain medal-winning crews) so I can't believe it."
"I know this isn't the Oscars, but can I just thank my mum and dad?"
On how she feels now she's an Olympic champion:
"Now, I still don't believe we've won. Coming into this I tried really hard to convince myself that it's just another regatta. When I crossed the line I realised it was the Olympics. It's brilliant."
On the highs and lows of the past few years:
"Everyone has highs and lows. I had a low year. I moved away and I wasn't happy. I moved back home, had my friends with me and got back to enjoying rowing and training again."
On what she said to Sophie HOSKING (GBR) at the end of the race:
"We're going to be on a stamp."
On changing to the bow seat:
"When we first got together we did it both ways. Paul (REEDY, GBR, their coach) wanted me in the stroke seat so I could just row and not think too much. Sophie had the experience and could make the calls. After the world cup, we swapped and it worked so we kept it that way."
On being in the spotlight now they have won the Olympic gold medal:
"I don't think we have any added pressure. I'm just going to enjoy being Olympic champion."
Sophie HOSKING (GBR) - gold
On the achievement:
"I just can't believe it. All that hard work."
"It proves that it was worth all the training, the sacrifices that me and my family had to make."
On how she was feeling at 1000 metres:
"I wasn't aware what was happening. We've done some good stuff in training and I knew that we just had to repeat what we'd done in training."
On the support of the crowd:
"We've had support all week, both in training and in all the heats. It makes you think you're not worthy (of that much support). It's been better than I've hoped and dreamed. All of the supporters and volunteers have made the Olympics."
On whether or not they knew the British men's four had won:
"We tried not to think about it too much. We thought we'd know from the cheers whether or not they'd won. We heard a loud cheer and thought they had done, but nothing touches you."
On the build-up to the final:
"The last week has run so smoothly, we even stopped talking about it. We knew what we were doing."
On the reaction of her parents who are Games Makers at Eton Dorney:
"They were given some time off to watch the race. I can't repeat what my dad said to me. They're massively proud. My dad was a world champion and said to me I could be, but I don't think I believed him."
On their progress as a team:
"Our improvement in the past six months has probably been better than I could have hoped for."
On her partnership with Katherine COPELAND (GBR):
"We first rowed together two years ago at a training camp and we rowed well. Last year I rowed with Hester GOODSELL (GBR) and we couldn't have done this without her. Katherine won the trials and since March, April, we have worked together constantly."
On her father as an inspiration:
"My dad is an inspiration as he never gives less than 100%. His dedication to everything he has done in his life is an inspiration. He was a world champion in the 1980s (Great Britain lightweight men's eight) but I wasn't really part of his rowing life so it's more his inspiration in everything else."
XU Dongxiang/HUANG Wenyi (CHN) after winning silver in the lightweight women's double sculls final behind Great Britain at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On being the older half of the partnership:
"I'm very happy to row with Wenyi. I'm an experienced rower and have been able to give her encouragement. It is her first time rowing in a big competition. We only became a pair this year and it is very difficult to be a new pair."
On winning gold at the 2006 world championships:
"Eton is a fortune place."
On China's poor rowing performances at London 2012:
"After 2008 some changes were made. We used to train together but now have one coach for each team. Since last winter our training has been pretty good so I think we'll do better in future events."
On the crew's improvement since fifth place in Beijing:
"After the last Olympics I had a rest for two years. Since last July I started training and prepared for this Games. I am pretty happy to win silver. We're pretty strong at lightweight."
On her experience at Eton Dorney:
"It is my third time here at Eton Dorney so it's very lucky for me. I'm glad to be here."
HUANG Wenyi (CHN) - silver
On rowing with XU:
"She gives me a lot of help."
Alexandra TSIAVOU (GRE) after winning bronze in the lightweight women's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday behind Great Britain and China.
On the bronze medal:
"There's no word for this feeling."
Women's Single
Genevra STONE (USA) after winning the B final of the women's single sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On the way the race went:
"It was a great race. I wanted to put my best together today and I was fortunate to be in lane six. I was with everyone at 500 (metres) and that's never happened to me before at international level."
On racing hard in the B final:
"You never know how many chances you'll get to ride the Olympic horse."
On the support from her father on the bank:
"It's reassuring and good to know he's out there with me."
Julia LEVINA (RUS) after finishing third in the B final of the women's single sculls on Saturday at Eton Dorney.
On the result:
"I hoped for a different outcome and hoped at least to get into final A, unfortunately it didn't happen. The result was worse than expected."
"I don't know what went wrong, but I was very upset after the semifinal. I just couldn't concentrate."
On her future rowing career:
"Next I am planning a rest to let everything come back to normal. I will analyse the performance and don't know what is next for me."
Miroslava (Mirka) KNAPKOVA (CZE) after winning gold in the women's single sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On her victory:
"I think it's something incredible. It's my dream since I was a child and everyone who does sport."
On her feelings:
"I think that it's incredible. When you win a gold medal at an Olympics, it's fantastic."
On what she was thinking during the first part of the race:
"I was surprised that I'm in the lead."
Kim CROW (AUS) after winning bronze in the women's single sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday, behind Miroslava KNAPKOVA (CZE) and Fie Udby ERICHSEN (DEN). CROW also won silver in the women's double sculls yesterday.
On the achievement:
"I think it'll take a little while to sink in. That was all I had."
On the weather:
"I felt really bad for all the guys who came out when it was bucketing down. I couldn't help but think I had the easy job."
On rowing today:
"I just tried to get my oars in, get my oars out, without catching a crab."
On what future events she will compete in:
"I've always just done what I've been told to do. I don't know what the future brings."
On whether her performance will inspire Australian girls to choose rowing:
"You've got blisters, slideburns, chafes. It's not pretty, it's not really girly, not very glamorous. But if this inspires anyone to continue this sport after school, I'd be happy."
Fie Udby ERICHSEN (DEN) after winning silver in the women's single sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday behind Miroslava KNAPKOVA (CZE).
On winning her first international medal in the single sculls:
"I'm just overwhelmed. If you'd asked me two years ago, I had a back problem and didn't even know if I was going to race again."
On her feelings before and during the race:
"I was so excited."
On racing in a single:
"In a single you have to be comfortable with yourself. Once you are in the lane, keep the focus."
On what she thought when she realised that she was sitting in second place:
"I didn't look around. But it was fantastic to cross the line second."
Men's Lightweight Double
Elia LUINI (ITA) after finishing first in the B final of the lightweight men's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On the race:
"Today was good, I'm sorry that we didn't make the final A, but small changes make big differences and we have shown ourselves that we have potential."
On rowing with Pietro RUTA (ITA) instead of Lorenzo BERTINI (ITA) who suffered a hernia and had to be replaced in the boat:
"I rowed with BERTINI for three years and I have only rowed with Pietro for 20 days. He is a fantastic athlete, but at this level the smallest changes make big differences."
On his year:
"This year has been unlucky for me, I wanted to be in the A final, but sport is like this and you don't know what's coming."
Eleftherios KONSOLAS/Panagiotis MAGDANIS (GRE) after finishing second behind Italy in the B final of the lightweight men's double sculls on Saturday at Eton Dorney.
On the result:
"We are very happy. This is the result of good training."
"We didn't get affected by the weather. It was worse in the semifinals."
Panagiotis MAGDANIS (GRE)
On the performance:
"We are definitely stronger and getting closer to the others. Next we start training for the next championships and we will worry about Rio (2016) afterwards. It is still a few years until then."
Zac PURCHASE/Mark HUNTER (GBR) after winning silver behind Denmark in the lightweight men's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On the result:
"We had the very best race we could. The crowd were amazing."
"I'm completely gutted. We'll spend days, weeks, months, the rest of our lives, trying to work out if we could have done more."
On the technical fault which halted the race after the first start:
"(My seat) came off the slides."
On his thoughts on winning the silver medal:
"Even though it's a silver medal it still hurts when you've come here for gold."
On what happened at the start of the race:
"My seat jammed, the clip that holds the seat on to the slide got twisted, and you can't row obviously when that happens."
On the feelings of the other competitors when the boat had technical issues:
"The other guys wouldn't have wanted to race without us there."
Mark HUNTER (GBR) - silver
On failing to defend their Olympic title:
"Sorry to everybody we've let down. Sorry once again."
On his thoughts on winning silver:
"We feel like we've let everyone down by not winning. Obviously losing your Olympic title hurts tremendously."
On whether restarting the race could have affected the outcome:
"We're good at not being influenced by that. It wouldn't have affected the outcome."
On their training:
"We'll always say that we have the best programme in the world and we came to win, simple as that."
On his plans for the next week:
"There'll be a lot of partying and getting drunk next week. It's way too early to think about anything else."
Mads RASMUSSEN/Rasmus QUIST (DEN) after winning the gold medal in the lightweight men's double sculls, beating Great Britain on the line, at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On the British team:
"The British team had the advantage of the sixth lane."
On whether there's another feeling like winning an Olympic gold medal:
"Maybe the first time you hold your baby in your arms."
On catching up on the British boat of HUNTER/PURCHASE:
"I didn't know if we would have been able to catch them so then I just shut my eyes and we did our best."
On what the Danish are doing to produce such successful athletes:
"I don't know, we just eat healthy."
On the future as a double with Rasmus QUIST (DEN):
"Maybe this is the last race together."
Rasmus QUIST (DEN) - gold
On winning the gold medal after being world champion in 2006 and 2007:
"It's great to be back in the middle of the podium again."
On winning the gold after a close finish:
"It wasn't clear to me when we crossed the line that we had won the gold. I only saw it later when I saw it on the screen. It was fantastic."
On having to start over again after a seat in the British boat broke:
"It was good for us as we had a bit of a bad start at first. Because we needed to start over it gave us the time to have a quick chat. The wind also picked up and we had a much better second start. It was an advantage for us."
On rumours that the British boat should be disqualified:
"If I was silver then maybe but I am holding gold so I don't really care."
Storm URU/Peter TAYLOR (NZL) after winning bronze in the lightweight men's double sculls behind Denmark and Great Britain at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
On the race:
"That was real tough. It's just cool we got a medal for New Zealand."
Peter Taylor (NZL) - bronze
On winning bronze:
"A bronze medal is a bronze Olympic medal, so you can't complain."
On what he believed had happened at the start of the race when the British team called for the race to be stopped:
"I'm not too sure what happened. I just stayed calm."
On not winning the gold medal:
"At the moment it's a bit of mixed emotions. We all came here to get that elusive gold medal."
Linus LICHTSCHLAG/Lars HARTIG (GER) after coming in sixth in the final of the lightweight men's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday. Denmark won gold, Great Britain silver and New Zealand bronze.
On their race:
"The first start of the race was stopped. I have no idea what was going on (with the British crew). Hopefully, it was an actual problem."
"We couldn't really row. There were a lot of waves and a nasty headwind. We had hoped for fair conditions."
On their ability to qualify in second instead of third place in the semifinal:
"We didn't realise we were so close. Maybe we made the wrong decision not to sprint for second place."
On being satisfied with the Olympic performance:
"The final was our aim, but our dream was to go for a medal. We woke up this morning and thought 'this is our day'. We were in a great condition."
On what food he is most looking forward to now that he doesn't have to worry about his weight anymore:
"Ice cream and chocolate."
Lars HARTIG (GER)
On the final:
"These conditions are unworthy of an Olympic final."
Additional Comments: Olympic Coaches & Athletes
Great Britain women's and lightweights chief coach Paul THOMPSON (GBR) after Zac PURCHASE/Mark HUNTER (GBR) were second in the final of the lightweight men's double sculls and Sophie HOSKING/Katherine COPELAND (GBR) won gold in the lightweight women's double sculls at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
Paul THOMPSON (GBR) - coach
On the performance of the British rowing team:
"It's a fantastic day. Three golds, two silvers and everyone in the final - its a great result. It's definitely that standard, what we need to continue."
"We knew we had fast crews. I'm very proud of them."
On the gold medal-winning effort of Sophie HOSKING/Katherine COPELAND (GBR) in the lightweight women's double sculls:
"They were going fast in training, so we knew they had speed, but it was how they would handle the Olympics."
On COPELAND's coach James HARRIS (GBR):
"He's an outstanding young coach and has really brought her on."
On the silver medal for the lightweight men's double:
"It's reminiscent of the women's quadruple sculls in Beijing (who won silver)."
On the future for the squad:
"The Rio Olympiad has already started, and we need to push them forward. It's tough to follow, but that's our challenge."
Eskild EBBESEN (DEN) after the last rowing race of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on Saturday. Denmark won three medals: bronze in the lightweight men's four, gold in the lightweight men's double sculls and silver in the women's single sculls.
Eskild EBBESEN (DEN)
On the overall performance of the Danish team:
"It's amazing. We were already proud of qualifying five teams for the Games. To get three medals is big."
On how he feels about his bronze medal in the lightweight men's coxless fours (won yesterday, 3 August):
"I've been happy with my medal all the time. At the Olympic Games, anything can happen. You should be way ahead if you want to be certain of a gold medal. It was a tight race - the first three boats were within three metres (of each other)."
"It's extra special with a fifth medal (in five Olympic Games)."
On continuing his career:
"I'll stop. It's too big a challenge physically. I didn't have problems, but I was a little slower than when I was 26 or 28. I (wouldn't) know how to keep up physically."
Legendary rower Vaclav CHALUPA (CZE) after the final rowing race of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney on Saturday. Czech Republic won two medals - gold in the women's single sculls and silver in the men's single sculls.
Vaclav CHALUPA (CZE)
On seeing Miroslava KNAPKOVA (CZE) win the gold medal in the women's single sculls:
"We have three gold medals in rowing now. The first was in 1952 (men's coxed fours) and the second one was in 1960 (men's double sculls). I'm very proud."
On how he was feeling during the race:
"I am a TV commentator for Czech television. I was so excited that I was screaming in the live broadcast. When she crossed the line, I was so happy - I can't describe it."
On the importance of the Czech rowing success:
"This is a great success for Czech sport in general. Rowing is a small sport and we are a small country so this is a big success. There are just a few thousand people rowing in the Czech Republic. Right now we (rowing) are the most successful sport at the Olympic Games."
On KNAPKOVA's win breaking the curse of Czech rowing always coming in second:
"Last year in Bled, I said on the TV coverage that the success in Czech rowing was only possible because I quit rowing. In 2009 I quit, and in 2010, 2011 and 2012 we have won gold. I am a gold mascot (laughs)."
Juergen GROBLER (GER) Great Britain's men's rowing chief coach after the last of the rowing events at Eton Dorney on Saturday.
Juergen GROBLER (GER) - GBR chief coach
On the British team's performance:
"Everything goes so quickly, we had to wait until the last minute. Waiting for the last race was big pressure and big expectations."
"We knew we could do it but it still had to be done. They did what I asked them to do. It was a big relief, we did it!"
On the men's eight winning bronze:
"We took a big risk to strengthen the eight. Having come second in the last two Olympics we wanted to win."
"We knew right from the beginning that we would race for gold and not settle for silver, we all agreed and big respect to the guys for that."
Peter Cookson (CAN) - High Performance Director, Rowing Canada Aviron
“We had some real highlights of this regatta, including two silver medals in the big boats - the men’s and women’s eights. They were terrific races that showed a lot of guts and proved that their preparation was indeed on the mark. What great show for fans here and back home! Other results were not as hoped, but I feel that we can take a lot away from the Games and apply it to the lead up to the next Olympics. Our development program is getting into high gear and with the continued support of Own the Podium, Sport Canada and the National Sports Centres, among many others, I am confident that rowing will continue to win medals for Canada.”
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08/09/2012 9:23:54 AM