Highlight 2# of the decade: Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed become triple Olympic medallists

No 2# in our highlights of the decade: Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed won Olympic gold with the men’s eight at the 2016 Rio Games

The 2016 Rio Olympic Games is number two in our highlights of the decade with the GB rowers producing fabulous performances to finish top of the rowing medal table with five medals: two silvers and three gold – only one gold medal fewer than at London 2012.

One of the most memorable highlights was the men’s eights A final where GB won a fabulous gold on the Rio course, reclaiming the title for the first time since 2000. In the process, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed became three-time Olympic gold medallists after winning Olympic golds in the men’s four at the 2008 Beijing Games and in 2012.

Alex Gregory, double Olympic gold medallist, said: “Andy Triggs-Hodge and Pete Reed set the standard for the British men’s rowing team for many years. They were a connection between the generations of successful athletes and forged new routes forward in performance and approach.

“It was my very great privilege to row alongside them in daily training, in Olympic and World Championship winning crews and to call them my friends.  Individually, and as a crew, Pete and Andy truly are some of rowing’s greats.”

Read on to relive these special moments of the racing at Rio, as published on our website at the time. 

The GB eights brought the Rio 2016 Olympic Regatta to a glorious conclusion as they won gold and silver in the space of 30 minutes on another truly Super Saturday.

The men found the form that had made them world champions for the past three years as they produced a phenomenal performance to dominate their final from the first stroke to the last. That came just minutes after the women’s eight had produced – what is fast becoming a trademark charge – through the field in the second half of the race to go from last to second, claiming silver in a thrilling photo-finish.

Andy Triggs-Hodge and Pete Reed set the standard for the British men’s rowing team for many years

It was another moment of rowing history on the Lagoa, being the first Olympic medal won by a British women’s eight, and helped to ensure that GB finished top of the Rio 2016 rowing medal table with three golds and two silvers.

Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed both became triple Olympic champions with their success in the men’s eight, while Matt Langridge completed his set of Olympic medals after silver in 2008 and bronze in 2012.

“I’m proud to have been in such a crew,” said Hodge. “The eight is a wholly team event and we worked for each other.”

Reed added: “I’m just thinking about how grateful I am to our coach and to the crew. They are just the most amazing bunch of guys and that was a big, big race.”

I’m proud to have been in such a crew,” said Hodge

Jurgen Grobler, the Men’s Chief Coach, who has now led 12 GB crews to Olympic gold, said: “It’s just fantastic what the guys did. They matched the coxless four and it’s been a wonderful day. It’s wonderful for British Rowing, it’s wonderful for our sport.

“In the last four years we have developed winning athletes, medal athletes, podium athletes. We knew we had a good bunch of guys to win the eight as well and I feel so good for them, there is a good mix between older and younger ones.”

Read more of our highlights of the decade in our #1-#5 Summary and #6-#10 Summary