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Page last updated at 08:19 GMT, Sunday, 17 August 2008 09:19 UK

GB duo win first lightweight gold

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Purchase and Hunter grab lightweight rowing gold

Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter won Great Britain's first ever lightweight Olympic rowing medal and made it gold.

The lightweight double scull completed an unbeaten season as they eased ahead with 600m gone and held off Greece. World champions Denmark were third.

There was disappointment for GB's lightweight four - the defending world champions - who finished fifth.

But Team GB ended the Olympic regatta as top nation with six medals in all - two gold, two silver and two bronze.

It bettered their Athens haul of four (one gold) and their conservative pre-Games target of four medals of any colour.

On Sunday there were also silvers for the women's quadruple scull and men's eight.

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"We've had an excellent regatta," said Team GB's rowing leader David Tanner.

"Twenty-three athletes won medals which is more than half the rowing team and we've had our best results in a long time."

Hunter had to receive medical attention after clinching gold - his first in international rowing, eight years after he first joined Great Britain's senior squad and 13 years after his first junior appearance.

"I'm in a bit of a daze," he admitted. "National anthem, flag it's a dream come true."

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Gold medal joy for exhausted scullers

Purchase, who was holding his partner upright, added: "It was unbelievable.

"We knew they would come back but we put the work in early so we could hold on at the finish."

Hunter's father Terry, who coached his son as a youngster, was clearly overjoyed.

He told BBC Sport: "He's worked 15 years. When he got his first international vest, he said, 'My dream is to be on that podium with a medal,' and he's won gold."

In the following race, Great Britain's lightweight four were unable to match the double's feats.

Richard Chambers, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick and James Clarke were in third place at the half-way mark but faded as Denmark defended their Olympic title.

"Right now we feel really down but we did everything we could," said Richard Chambers.

"To be honest we had a good race - a good, clean race and it just wasn't good enough."


Rowing medals table

Sunday, 24 August 2008 10:17 UK
RankCountryGoldSilverBronzeTOTAL
1also show each event results forGreat Britain2226
Men's Double Sculls001
Men's Eight010
Men's Four100
Men's Lightweight Double Scull100
Women's Double Sculls001
Women's Quadruple Sculls010
2also show each event results forAustralia2103
Men's Double Sculls100
Men's Four010
Men's Pair100
3also show each event results forCanada1124
Men's Eight100
Men's Lightweight Four001
Men's Pair010
Women's Lightweight Double Scu001
4also show each event results forUSA1113
Men's Eight001
Women's Eight100
Women's Single Sculls010
5also show each event results forChina1102
Women's Pair010
Women's Quadruple Sculls100
6also show each event results forNetherlands1102
Women's Eight010
Women's Lightweight Double Scu100
7also show each event results forPoland1102
Men's Lightweight Four010
Men's Quadruple Sculls100
8also show each event results forNew Zealand1023
Men's Pair001
Men's Single Sculls001
Women's Double Sculls100
9also show each event results forDenmark1012
Men's Lightweight Double Scull001
Men's Lightweight Four100
10also show each event results forRomania1012
Women's Eight001
Women's Pair100
11also show each event results forBulgaria1001
Women's Single Sculls100
12also show each event results forNorway1001
Men's Single Sculls100
13also show each event results forGermany0112
Women's Double Sculls010
Women's Quadruple Sculls001
14also show each event results forCzech Republic0101
Men's Single Sculls010
15also show each event results forEstonia0101
Men's Double Sculls010
16also show each event results forFinland0101
Women's Lightweight Double Scu010
17also show each event results forGreece0101
Men's Lightweight Double Scull010
18also show each event results forItaly0101
Men's Quadruple Sculls010
19also show each event results forBelarus0022
Women's Pair001
Women's Single Sculls001
20also show each event results forFrance0022
Men's Four001
Men's Quadruple Sculls001

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see also
Canada take eights gold from GB
17 Aug 08 |  Rowing
British four win thrilling gold
16 Aug 08 |  Rowing
Tufte takes second Olympic gold
16 Aug 08 |  Rowing
Beijing 2008
14 Feb 08 |  Olympics


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