Five-time Olympian Emma Twigg has claimed a silver at the Paris Olympics. Photo: BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
Emma Twigg was unable to defend her Olympic title, settling for silver as she was pipped in the women's single sculls final by Dutch rower Karolien Florijn in Paris.
Twigg powered home in the final stretch on Saturday night NZT, but could not close the gap on Florijn in a frantic finish.
The Kiwi made a strong start to sit just behind her Dutch rival.
Twigg stretched the gap between herself and third as she began to chase down Florijn.
Closing in on the 1000m mark, Twigg edged closer to the front as she found another gear.
Just 500m to go, and Twigg was storming home with Florijn fading.
At the final marker just one second separated Twigg from first, both women emptying the gas tanks as the finish approached.
In an intensely tight finish, the gap proved too much for Twigg, as the Dutch claimed the gold and New Zealand claimed silver. Lithuania took the bronze medal.
Paris marked the 37-year-old's fifth Games and the result brings New Zealand's rowing medal tally to four, after the team claimed a bronze, silver and gold earlier in the week.
The total haul sits at seven.
Twigg told RNZ that she "couldn't have asked for more" from the race.
"That race, I really put it all out there and looked across with 500m to go and was level with Karolien and I thought for a moment there that I was just going to keep walking, but the legs only got me to about the 1800m mark today. But yeah, really proud of that."
She said she was up against some amazing competition.
"Karolien is an amazing sculler, she has really set the benchmark over the last three years and I'm proud as a 37-year-old that I'm keeping up with a 25-year-old, so I can't ask for more."
Twigg said she was proud that she "emptied the tank" in the race.
Getting a silver was "phenomenal", she said.
"I've been to three Olympics where I have been so disappointed, just missing out on a medal, so very proud."
Twigg told Sky Sport the race was the perfect way to end her career.
"It's amazing to come away with a medal and be a part of a wider team effort that has just blown my mind."
She admitted she was questioning her form leading up to the Games.
"I was proud after Tokyo so this was always going to be a cherry on top. It certainly had its ups and downs so this week has been a blast for me and I didn't want it to end."
Mackintosh misses out on podium
Meanwhile, Tom Mackintosh came fifth in the men's single scull final.
He was sitting in third-place position for much of the race, but was shunted down the standings in a last-minute push from independent neutral athlete (AIN) Yauheni Zalaty and Belgium's Tim Brys.
"I gave it everything I physically and emotionally had and I put myself in the race and that's something I'm incredibly proud of. It's an Olympic final and it requires every ounce of your soul to get into the medals, and today in the last 200m my tank was empty," he told RNZ.
"I'm very proud of what I've done, I'm not going to die wondering."
Mackintosh said it was "a little bit gutting" not to be on the podium, but that was the way the competition went sometimes.
He was absolutely exhausted at the finish line, he said.
"You feel very shallow in your stomach, physically just completely exhausted. Your body is swimming with lactate, it's sort of that feeling when your body just can't push any more.
"I'm proud that I took my body to that place today. As aerobic athletes you strive to be in races where you physically exert yourself to your limit."
