Katherine Grainger and Victoria Thornley win Olympic Silver Medal

Katherine Grainger became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian by taking silver alongside Victoria Thornley in the double sculls.

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 11: (L-R) Victoria Thornley of Great Britain and Katherine Grainger of Great Britain celebrate with their silver medals after finishing second in the Women's Double Sculls Final A on Day 6 of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Lagoa Stadium on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Photograph: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty Images

The pair led for much of the race but were beaten to the gold medal by Poland’s Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj, who won by 0.95 seconds, with Lithuania in third.

Grainger, 40, won gold in London after silvers in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

The Scot was only paired with Welsh rower Thornley, 28, last year.

After winning gold in London with Anna Watkins, Grainger opted to have a two-year sabbatical before returning in September 2014.

She won European bronze alongside Thornley last year, but their qualification for Rio was a difficult journey.

Their partnership was dissolved after they failed to make the podium at this year’s European Championships.

They both tested for the women’s eight crew but fell short of their team-mates’ times and were made to wait before being confirmed in the squad for the doubles.

Grainger and Thornley led by 0.64 seconds at the halfway mark but the Poles powered through to win in seven minutes and 40.10 seconds.

Grainger’s silver takes her past swimmer Rebecca Adlington’s four Olympic medals, and level with tennis player Kathleen McKane.

Seven-time major champion McKane, known as Kitty, won five Olympic medals in the 1920s, one gold, two silver and two bronze.

Social media reaction

Four-time Olympic champion Matthew Pinsent: ”Brilliant brilliant brilliant. One of the most amazing @TeamGB stories this year. Thornley/Grainger silver.”

London 2012 gold medallist Alex Gregory: ”Oh wow Katherine & @VickyThornleyGB just brilliant!”

Rower Polly Swann: ”So incredibly happy for @VickyThornleyGB and Katherine. What a result!! Well done girls.”

 Article Care of BBC Sport