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New Zealand takes women's double sculls crown
Xinhua
Updated: 2008-08-16 17:01
Beijing - New Zealand claimed the Olympic title in women's double sculls held in Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on Saturday with a racer thin margin of 0.01 second.
The twin Swindell sisters finished the race with 7 minutes 7.32 seconds, followed by the German crew with 7:07.33 and the British crew 7:07.55. The contest results were so close that one could not recognize which team was the real winner.
Caroline Evers-Swindell and Georgina Evers-Swindell were born on October 10, 1978. They won the gold medal at Athens Olympics in the same event in 2004 with 7:01.79.
Chinese team Li Qian and Tian Liang finished the race in the fourth place with 7:15.85. They took the lead in the first part of the race, but were surpassed by other boats in the second part. The Swindell sisters rowed very hard and made a perfect sprint in the last 200 meters.
"I can't believe it. It is a record. It has been a long way," Caroline said in the mixed zone.
As to their psychological condition before the Olympics, she said, "We had a week before the Olympics. It's all part of the Games. Actually, the World Championships and any other big regattas are also part of the Olympic Games."
On their plan after the Beijing Olympics, she said that they were in the middle of the journey to more glory.