Hodge brings the gold home for Yorkshire after final masterpiece

And it was all worth it.

Like many an Olympian, and particularly this phenomenally successful British rowing squad, Andrew Triggs Hodge put his life on hold in a bid to win gold.

The influential stroke of the flagship men’s four, the 33-year-old from Hebden, near Grassington was the spiritual leader of the entire team.

Just as people looked up to Sir Steve Redgrave, so they look up to Hodge.

Just as Redgrave led by example, so does Hodge.

He is a role model, a double Olympic champion for whom first place is everything and second is nothing.

Hodge is the type who will push himself through the pain barrier to beat his opponent one minute, and then console him the next with a great big Yorkshire bear hug, as he did with emotional Australian opponent Drew Ginn just hours after their epic battle on Eton Dorney.

“We’ve sacrificed a lot in our lives to pursue this,” said Hodge, who is one of Yorkshire’s greatest Olympians.

“We’ve all done so much to achieve this and it’s a huge honour to be Olympic champions and in front of our home crowd

“I’m humbled by it all.

“I’m on top of the world and I’m bringing that gold home for Yorkshire.”

Hodge orchestrated a masterful race on Saturday morning as the British men’s four continued their long tradition of winning the Olympic regatta’s blue riband event.

Controlled throughout the race with their heated rivals Australia always within sight, he gave the order to Tom James, Pete Reed and Alex Gregory to step up the pace with 800 metres to go.

A gap that had been 0.3 seconds doubled and the Australians had nothing left to give.

“We’ve had to produce one of our finest races in a four-year period and we did it today,” said Hodge.

“These guys provided an impeccable race, it was executed to perfection.

“If we were Picasso that would be our masterpiece.

“Absolutely phenomenal race and to be sitting as the stroke of that crew, I’m blessed.”

The rivalry with Australia had been bubbling nicely all week, with Ginn’s gold and green men taking the honours in the heats, and the British crew in the semis.

Respectful needle prevailed in the hours between, but for Hodge it was all about Saturday’s Olympic final.

“We looked back at the previous races and took a lot of inspiration from Munich and we stepped on,” he said, in reference to their brutal pre-Olympics training camp in Austria. “Today we managed to underpin that with some very affective brute force.

“It was the complete package.

“Rowing is an infinite balance between technique and power and we struck that balance today.

“This is a top quality crew and I don’t think any of us took winning for granted.

“We really got our heads down and took the race on because we knew we had to.

“We fought hard for that and we’re just so thankful to everyone who helped make that happen.

“To all the team, the coaches, the doctors etc, a massive thanks. And for Tom, James and Pete I have equal amounts of respect.”

The road since his first Olympic title in Beijing had not been an easy or orthodox one, with Hodge and Reed suffering 14 consecutive defeats to the New Zealand world beaters of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond.

But once placed back in the four by British rowing mastermind Jurgen Grobler, Hodge and Reed – the Redgrave and Pinsent of the day – felt at home once more.

Reed said: “Hodgey and I went through some very dark times during those years in the pair, so when Jurgen spoke to us about the four we were really excited.

“Looking back, racing the Kiwis made us stronger, made us better and made us fight harder.

“I have no regrets about the last four years.”

What’s next for Hodge even he does not yet know.

At 33, another Olympic cycle would take him to 37, and if he rows on there is no point doing so for a world championship.

Hodge lives for winning Olympic gold and thinking about that is as far ahead as he ever looks.

“Tomorrow is another day,” was all he would say, other than to express a desire to use his position as captain of Molesey Boat Club to try and get more people into rowing.

It is clear he was moved by the support he received from around the Hebden home he grew up in, and on the banks of Dorney lake this past week where the British crowd screamed themselves hoarse.

Hodge said: “In Beijing we were very removed from what was happening back in Britain.

“We were surprised to learn how the the country took on the Games. Since we’ve been at Eton, there’s been so much good will, so many well wishes coming our way.

“The crowd give you belief and confidence.

“Strangely, though, it could be great or it could be a disaster. Even in the race there was a part of me waiting for it to go wrong.”

But it did not and as he crossed the line he threw his arms aloft in the direction of the grandstands.

All the emotions of the last few years of sacrifice and hard work came pouring out of him.

Hodge is an Olympic champion again.