Wife, mother, three-time Olympic medallist … not necessarily in that order. As Helen Glover crossed the finish line and slumped forwards, letting the oars hang loose at her sides, it was almost as if a great weight was being lifted from her, a sensation not dissimilar to the soul leaving the body.
To either side, pure elation: for the victorious Dutch on the right, for the bronze medallists from New Zealand to the left. What did she feel? An hour later, silver medal around her neck, she still wasn’t quite sure. “Very mixed,” she said. “Because on the one hand, we knew we had the potential to win. On the other, we felt like we raced as strong as we could.”
