Southend's Cath Bishop ended her rowing career on a high with an Olympic silver medal in Athens.
She partnered Katherine Grainger to second place in the women's pairs final on Saturday morning, after a valiant battle with the defending Romanian champions.
It rounded off a testing week for the pair, who began with a disappointing defeat to Belarus in the opening heats before romping through the midweek repecharge to clinch a spot in the final.
In the big race itself, there was a huge battle between the British pair and the crews from Romania, Belarus and Canada.
Coming into the last 500 metres of the 2000m course the pair were in danger of missing out on the medals altogether, but a storming finish saw them overhaul the Canadians and Belarussians and close in on Romanians Georgetta Danian and Viorica Susanu.
For former Westcliff High School pupil Bishop, 32, it will be her last competitive race as the politics graduate prepares to take up a Foreign Office posting in Sarajevo.
Published Monday August 23, 2004
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