W2X handled sweeping winds admirably to qualify

Katherine Grainger negotiated some of ‘the worst Olympic conditions I’ve ever raced in’ to avoid the fate of the Serbian men’s pair in the race prior to hers.

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On a day dominated by sweeping winds across the downtown lagoon, Milos Vasic and Nenad Benik became the first to capsize at the Games since Athens 2004. The gusts caused delays but not an outright postponement, which some rowers wanted.

Most came off the water with tales of being blown around, but 40 year-old Grainger was just pleased to have come second in her women’s double scull opening heat with partner Vicky Thornley.

‘I don’t know if it’s the absolute worst but it’s the worst Olympics conditions,’ she said. ‘As beautiful as it is here, because it’s so open it’s open to the conditions, so we all knew we could get anything.’ The biggest problems were in the middle kilometre of the 2,000m course, where the kidney-shaped lagoon is at its widest.

Article care of The Daily Mail