Newz Forum: OLYMPICS: Brit duo take sculls bronze

Britain's Sarah Winckless and Elise Laverick won the bronze medal in the women's double sculls on Saturday. The pair finished in seven minutes 7.58 seconds to cruise into a comfortable third behind New Zealand and Germany.

They had started strongly and were pushing for second place early on before slipping back as the dangerous New Zealand twins Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell - the eventual winners - took charge.

At 500m Britain lay fourth, 2.2 seconds down and were over five seconds off the leading pace at half-way - but perfectly placed for a charge into the medal places. And a powerful third quarter then carried Winckless and Laverick past the Bulgarians and into third place. They had over two seconds to make up on Germany in the final 500m to snatch silver and could not manage it, but finished a comfortable third to follow Grainger and Bishop in winning a medal for Britain. Winckless revealed she was stunned by their bronze medal success.

Bulgarians Miglena Markova and Anet-Jacgueline Buschmann finished fourth. And an exhausted Markova had to be stretchered away for medical treatment after collapsing straight after crossing the line. But the 21-year-old came around eventually and was able to gingerly walk away.