PRESS RELEASE: A day of firsts in rowing at Eton Dorney

The first highlight of the day was Great Britain's win in the women's pair – the nation's first ever Olympic gold medal in women's rowing. The victory of Heather Stanning and Helen Glover will go down in history books as a turning point in British women's rowing. Australia's Kate Hornsey and Sarah Tait took silver in this event, while New Zealand's 2010 and 2011 Olympic Champions took bronze.

Ukraine has not lost a race in the women's quadruple sculls this season and today they prolonged their winning streak to win the ultimate prize – Olympic gold – and by doing so, Kateryna Tarasenko, Nataliya Dovgodko, Anastasiia Kozhenkova and Yana Dementieva won their country's first ever Olympic gold in rowing. Germany took silver (giving Britta Oppelt her third Olympic medal) and the USA took bronze (the country's first ever Olympic medal in this boat class).

The German men's eight have been the leading crew in this boat class since 2009 and have not suffered a single loss internationally. Today, the bitter disappointment of Beijing 2008 was forgotten when they won Olympic gold – the first Olympic win in this boat class for the re-unified country. In one of the most spectacular finishes of the regatta, World Best Time holders and 2008 Olympic Champions Canada followed with silver and Great Britain with bronze.

A-finals will be staged tomorrow 2 August in the men's double sculls, the lightweight men's four and in the women's eight from 11:50 GMT.

In the men's double sculls, Slovenia's Iztok Cop and Luka Spik and Argentina's Ariel Suarez and Cristian Rosso occupy the favoured middle lanes three and four. The last time Argentina won an Olympic medal in rowing was back in 1972, in the men's single sculls. The Slovenian scullers are 2000 Olympic Champions and Cop won the first Olympic medal for his country in 1992. Now aged 40, Cop, who has not medalled at World Championship level since 2007, will attempt to add a fourth Olympic medal to his collection.

In the lightweight men's four, Denmark's legendary lightweight rower Eskild Ebbesen will aim for a fourth Olympic gold medal in this boat class at age 40. 2010 World Champions Great Britain will be racing in lane three, with 2011 World Champions Australia racing in lane six. Great Britain will be aiming to win its first Olympic medal in this boat class tomorrow.

The clear favourites in the women's eight are the USA. They have won World Championship and Olympic gold since 2006 and also hold the World Best Time. But they will be facing the very experienced Canadian crew, who pushed them to the line at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne last May. Also lining up will be Romania, who have not missed an Olympic podium in this boat class since 1980.

Olympic rowing finals will also be staged on Friday 3 August and Saturday 4 August in the remaining of the 14 Olympic boat classes.

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Today's race report can be found here.

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