Day 8

A bonanza indeed. 'Super Saturday' was full of excitement, if not full of rowing gold medals. Another swimming gold for Rebecca Adlington, more cycling medals and Michael Phelps's seventh gold, then on to the rowing.

I found the W1x on Eurosport while the BBC were busy chattering, coming in at halfway when Knapkova was out in front. Once I'd recovered from the shock of a female commentator, it was clear that things weren't going Karsten's way for, really, the first time this Olympiad. Then Neykova through, and Guerette flying behind her. Predictions smashed again.

On to the BBC for the men's singles, and a real battle with the same men - including Belgian dark horse Maeyens - in the hunt all the way. It looked like Drysdale had it in the red buoys, but then suddenly both Tufte and Synek were through. For the first time in the last few years, Drysdale looked spent at the finish, and was stretchered off.

Through the pairs, with it really being a private match race between Australia and Canada in the M2-, won by Australia and the bowman was up and dancing in the boat, then a fantastically close race in the W2x, the medals all within a few hundreths of a second. Then another smooth performance from Australia in the men's pairs, and a surprisingly quiet performance from the vaunted NZ duo.

Coverage of the W2x medal ceremony was cut off for much guff about the 'iconic' coxless four then, at last, on to the real thing. The Brits won in a well-judged race, though for most of it Australia were out front, living the dream. Bronze to France, who were celebrating like they'd won gold.

Cue further ramblings about the 'iconic' coxless four (TM) and the 'legacy' of Redgrave and Pinsent, and the coxless four as the 'blue riband event'. Since when? What seems to have conveniently been overlooked is that the Sydney golden boys - Pinsent and Cracknell - were in the pair until their poor performances in 2003 saw them unceremoniously, and not uncontroversially, shoehorned into the coxless four as it was the event in which they were more likely to medal.

A day of the sport at its very best, though, and high hopes for tomorrow.

Only one of my predictions was correct, however: Synek's silver medal in the singles.

W1x 1: Czech Republic, 2: Belarus, 3: United States
1: Bulgaria, 2: United States, 3: Belarus
M1x 1: New Zealand, 2: Czech Republic, 3: Great Britain
1: Norway, 2: Czech Republic, 3: New Zealand
W2- 1: Canada, 2: United States, 3: New Zealand
1: Romania, 2: China, 3: Belarus
M2- 1: South Africa, 2: New Zealand, 3: Croatia
1: Australia, 2: Canada, 3: New Zealand
W2x 1: China, 2: Great Britain, 3: New Zealand
1: New Zealand, 2: Germany, 3: Great Britain
M2x 1: Great Britain, 2: Slovenia, 3: Australia
1: Australia, 2: Estonia, 3: Great Britain
M4- 1: Netherlands, 2: Great Britain, 3: New Zealand
1: Great Britain, 2: Australia, 3: France