Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Rebecca Wilde Secure Bronze in Women's Double Sculls at Paris 2024

Great Britain's success on the water continued on Thursday as Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Becky Wilde won a bronze medal in the women's double sculls rowing final. The duo pipped the Netherlands to the third spot, while New Zealand took gold and Romania settled for silver. "It is beyond anything we could have imagined," Wilde told Eurosport, while Hodgkins Byrne said it felt "completely impossible."

Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Becky Wilde secured a bronze medal for Team GB following a late battle with the Netherlands in the women's double sculls rowing final. The British duo held off strong competition from the Dutch crew in the final stages, finishing behind New Zealand and Romania, who claimed gold and silver respectively.

After the race, Wilde expressed her delight at medaling after coming into the race as underdogs. "Our head coach from qualifiers said there's always one boat who springs a surprise, and in the back of our minds, we wanted to be that crew," she told Eurosport. "To actually do it is beyond anything we could have imagined."

Hodgkins Byrne shared that they felt fortunate to be in the final but made the most of their opportunity. "I've always had a chip on my shoulder for people who think it's not possible; I want to make it possible," the 29-year-old told Eurosport. "We got selected in March and shouldn't have even been sent to qualifiers—definitely shouldn't have qualified—so we wanted to make that happen. The two of us have always been honest; we wanted a medal even though it seemed completely impossible. That was our aim, and we managed to do it!"

For large parts of the 2000m race, GB were in contention for a gold medal as Romania and New Zealand scrapped with the Brits for the top prize. The Netherlands were firmly in fourth place but continued to threaten the top three teams from the outside right. As the race entered the final 500m, Hodgkins Byrne and Wilde began to drift back into the bronze medal position as Romania and New Zealand powered into a battle for gold.

The Netherlands closed the gap on the British duo, who suddenly knew a medal was not guaranteed after the fast start. As the Romanian duo of Simona Radis and Ancuta Bodnar competed in a neck-and-neck finish with Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis of New Zealand, Britain dug deep in their attempts to hold off the Dutch. New Zealand pipped Romania to the top spot in a time of 6:50.45, crossing the line just 0.24 seconds quicker than Romania. Then came Hodgkins Byrne and Wilde, who sealed third place and their maiden Olympic medals after completing the race a little over a second quicker than the Dutch.

The Netherlands’ Martine Veldhuis and Lisa Scheenaard narrowly missed out on a podium spot despite their spirited effort, finishing well over three seconds quicker than France. Norway finished the race last, roughly eight seconds adrift of winners New Zealand.

Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Rebecca Wilde's bronze medal in the women's double sculls at Paris 2024 is a significant milestone for Team GB and a proud moment for British rowing. Their exceptional performance, marked by determination and teamwork, showcases the strength and potential of British athletes on the world stage. As they celebrate their achievement, the rowing community looks forward to their continued success and contributions to the sport.