Rio 2016: Katherine Grainger earns place in history with fifth rowing medal

Katherine Grainger has become the most decorated female British Olympian, having defied the odds with Vicky Thornley to win a double sculls silver she ranks as a greater achievement than topping the London 2012 podium.

Rio de Janeiro’s picturesque Lagoa bore witness to a historic moment as the 40-year-old from Glasgow secured a medal at a fifth successive Games.

While unable to match the podium-topping performance with Anna Watkins four years ago, clinching silver alongside Thornley was no less remarkable after their turbulent journey to Brazil. Grainger only decided to return to the sport two years ago and they abandoned the double sculls project midway through the season, but reformed having failed to qualify for seats in the eight.

That decision paid dividends as the oldest member of the rowing squad fought with Thornley for a thoroughly-deserved podium place.

Kitty Godfree, nee McKane, a five-time tennis medallist in the 1920s, is the only female British athlete that matches her Olympic haul, but the Scot now has four silvers and a gold to her name. Godfree won a gold, two silvers and two bronzes.

Britain’s Justin Rose ensured golf returned to the Olympics in spectacular fashion with a hole-in-one on the first day of competition in Rio. The former US Open champion aced the 191-yard fourth hole to augment a positive reintroduction to the Games after an absence of 112 years. Australian Marcus Fraser led after carding nine birdies and a bogey in his 63.

Rose finished with a four-under-par 67 while Sheffield’s Danny Willett, the Masters champion, carded 71.

Great Britain clocked a world record in qualifying fastest in the women’s team pursuit on day one of action in the Rio Olympic Velodrome.

After Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner set an Olympic record in qualifying for the three-man, three-lap team sprint, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald set a world record in the four-rider, four-kilometres team pursuit.

The quartet finished in 4mins 13.260secs to qualify for tomorrow’s first round, which is effectively a semi-final.

Britain will meet Canada and must merely beat them to advance to the final. Canada qualified in 4:19.599, more than six seconds behind Britain.

The United States will meet Australia in the second semi-final after qualifying in 4:14.286.

Australia, who set the world record in Paris in February 2015 but crashed in training earlier this week, finished in 4:19.059.

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro delivered a stunning display on their return to the Olympic arena as Great Britain’s dressage team ended day two in Deodoro holding silver medal position.

The combination that lit up London 2012, winning team and individual gold, proved a class apart, posting a score of 85.071 per cent.

That proved more than two per cent clear of the field and hauled the British team of Dujardin, Carl Hester, Fiona Bigwood and Spencer Wilton from fourth to second.

The team competition concludes today, with Britain lying on a team score of 79.252. per cent. Germany lead on 81.424.