After the agony of Tokyo came the ecstasy of Paris for Cambridge rower Imogen Grant after she and teammate Emily Craig delivered the “grand finale” to their three-year revenge tour.

The pair were dominant in the women’s lightweight double sculls final and won by a length to banish the demons of missing a medal by just 0.01s three years ago.

Since the last Olympics, Craig and Grant have bossed their event to such an extent that this race was sized up as a foregone conclusion.

They arrived unbeaten in 22 races, with two World Championship wins in their back pocket. 

But number 23 was always going to be the one that really mattered, and despite the gutsy challenge of Romania’s Elena van Groningen and Livia Cozmiuc, they won by a length to deliver Team GB’s second gold at Vaires-sur-Marne.

Along euphoria, there was also relief when they crossed the line. Grant and Craig were supposedly the banker of the Games for Team GB and, though it was not comfortable, they rarely looked troubled. 

“Tokyo was part of our story, and this Olympics was the grand finale,” the 28-year-old said.

“Not every Olympian gets it right on its first try and we didn’t back in Tokyo. But we have put in so much work and we are much better people this time around.

“I think there was an inevitability to the racing today.”

Craig and Grant were happy to let Romania open up a small lead at 500m but as soon as they hit the throttle, they were gone.

The Romanians upped their stroke rate in the last 250 metres, while Greece’s Dimitri Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou came charging through as well.

But it was too little, too late as Craig and Grant crossed in 6:47:06 – just six seconds off their personal best.

“Honestly, it feels like an absolute blur,” she added.

“We were held on the start for slightly longer than we were anticipating. Then as soon as we set off, it was just so single mindedly focused. 

“At Lucerne, the last race, one of the other coaches said we looked like we were on a mission, and I think we were definitely on a mission today.

“There was a certain inevitability about it this morning, I think we woke up this morning and looked at each other. I think we both knew that we had it in us today.”

Grant, who starts as a foundational doctor in Slough after the Olympics, shed tears on the medal podium and said she finally felt like the destination was worth the journey.

“I think those tears were just an outpouring of every early night, every hard training session, every wedding and party that we've missed, every time stressing over a bad session, every selection pressure, every early morning, every horrendous crosswind. 

“Just all of it, all coming out at once.”

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