Helen Glover heartache as she and Polly Swann finish fourth at Tokyo 2020 after comeback from retirement and three kids
HELEN GLOVER failed to make a medal-winning comeback on her Olympic return from becoming a mum.
The 2012 and 2016 pairs champ and new partner Polly Swann have always had their backs against the wall at the Sea Forest Waterway.
New Zealanders Grace Prenderghast and Kerri Gowler, who have looked the class act from the starter of the regatta, set a world and Olympic record in the semis yesterday.
And as the Kiwi pair rowed away from the field again, Glover and Swann saw their bronze hopes fade and die as they could not haul back the fast-starting Canadian boat as Russia took silver.
It was a dose of hard reality for Glover, 35, who took time out of the sport after her Rio gold with Heather Stanning, having three kids with hubby TV presenter Steve Backshall while her boat partner returned to her role in the Army.
The three-time world champion only announced she was coming back to the water in January, making the task of landing a third successive Olympic crown unlikely.
And so it proved although it was the Canadian boat, in lane one, who flew off the start.
The Canadians led at 500m with GB third behind New Zealand and were still ahead of the same pairings at the half-way mark.
But New Zealand, with both rowers also part of the eight, came through to take the lead in the third quarter of the race as Glover and Swann lost third place to the Russian boat.
As Russia tried to hunt down the leaders, Glover and Swann were hoping that the Canadians would fade to allow them into the top three.
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It was not to be, with GB finishing a length and a half off the Canadians.
More to follow…