World champions Australia rowed to a stunning victory in the women’s four final, setting an Olympic best time of 6:15.37, just 0.34 seconds ahead of the Netherlands. The Aussie team, made up of Lucy Stephan, Rosemary Popa, Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre, looked as if they would saunter to victory before a spirited Dutch team rallied.

However, Australia would not be denied Olympic glory, as they dug deep to win the gold medal by the smallest of margins. The Netherlands, silver medallists in the world championships, will once again have to content themselves with the second spot on the podium, while an impressive Ireland team finished third to take bronze.