Saturday 16th August 2008. 8am at Molesey, a sizeable crowd of members, neighbours, and interested townspeople is gathering to watch the first day of the rowing finals. People desperate for tea celebrate the urn is finally getting hot (thanks for finding a fuse Terry!) for those all-important cuppa's and the sausages are almost ready. Shortly before Alan Campbell's final, our previous Olympians arrive back from an outing in their 8. And then we're off through the finals... With members still rubbing their eyes, Steve Rowbotham and Matthew Wells get a Bronze!
And then it's 10.29. The gym is packed and strangely quiet. ATTENTION and then the beep. They're off! The Australian's are going out in front. To huge cheers from those gathered, Garry Herbert and Dan Topolski finally tell the world that Andy and Tom are from MOLESEY! The Australians are still out in front and have got up to almost a length. Oh no - The room is strangely quiet again. COME ON BOYS! GO! GO! GO! The entire room is desperately cheering them on. And then they're into the red buoys but gaining with every stroke. With each stroke an even louder shout from the crowd in the gym (so loud that we couldn't even hear Garry Herbert telling us all to shout for them!). With just a few strokes left, they're barely in front - surely they've won it now.
The finishing beep goes and they ARE the heroes we all expected them to be! The gym errupts! People slowly start breathing again. Everyone's just a little shaky after that experience but overcome with joy for Andy, Tom, Pete and Steve. Relief that the boys won Gold. Pride that the world has just witnessed the best that Molesey has to offer! (Thanks for reminding us again at the end Andy!).
Everyone who came will always share the memory of that excitement!
In case you missed it, here's how it went for the M4- : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/rowing/7564988.stm
