Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport in Rio

It's been a traumatic season for defending Olympic double sculls champion Katherine Grainger and new partner Vicky Thornley, who finished fourth at the European Championship, had their boat disbanded as they tried to get into the women's eight crew, and then reformed after failing to make the grade. 

But they have now reached the final with a confident display, which is all they can do at this stage. Can Grainger go onto earn a fifth medal, making her the most decorated GB Olympian? 

They were fourth fastest in the two semis, but only by 0.01 seconds, 

After Vicky Thornley and Katherine Grainger finish second in the second semi-final of the women's double sculls, commentator Gary Herbert says the reigning Olympic champion Grainger is "back in it". 

Five time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave however, says they were "never meant to be in it in the first place but now have a chance to win it". 

Great Britain's hopes of success in the individual and team events suffered a major blow with a disappointing performance in Monday's cross-country round, but Team GB have moved top of the standings after a solid opening effort from Gemma Tattersall in the show jumping. Admittedly, the rest of the field has yet to get under way.

Image source, Getty Images

London 2012 gold medallist Katherine Grainger has qualified for her fifth women’s double sculls final less than two years after her return from a two-year sabbatical.

Grainger, 40, and her 28-year-old partner Victoria Thornley came second in their semi-final, just under two seconds behind the winning pair of Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj from Poland, with France coming in third.

Grainger, competing at her fifth Olympic Games, and Thornley make it five British boat crews in the finals at Rio 2016.

James Cracknell
Double Olympic Rowing gold medallist

"First thing the Brits need to do is get in their heads: 'hundredths of a second will count'. 

At the moment Australia and Poland are moving quicker than the GB women"

Watch here.

Folkard will take on Brazil's Ane Dos Santos in the last 16.

James Cracknell
Double Olympic Rowing gold medallist

"Watching the last semi final and the current World champions from New Zealand going out, Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley will approach this in a different way but the Australian crew on their day are very fast but they are inconsistent" 

Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport in Rio

I reckon even Graeme and Shirley Bond (see below) could have relaxed watching that heat as their son Hamish and NZ men's pair partner Eric Murray led from the front and didn't let it slip to finish three seconds ahead of the British boat. 

Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes have now made it four British crews who are in finals

Can Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley - in the women's double sculls - make it five?. 

Libby Kettas: Laughing out loud at Steve Redgrave and John Inverdale talking about James Bond at the Olympics...

Sean Kelly: Excellent work by John Inverdale and Sir Steve Redgrave by constantly referencing James Bond films in the rowing coverage :)  

Anna, of Albion: Row, row, row your boat; Murray and the Bond; Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily; Trying to win a gong!  

Others, not so much...

Agnes: How do I unsubscribe from James Bond Facts With John Inverdale, please?  

Karl Minns: Steve Redgrave is one glib comment away from punching John Inverdale right in the coupon.  

Owen G. Bevan: Current level of banter between Redgrave and Inverdale: PARTRIDGE...  

Team GB's Katherine Grainger will get to her fifth women's double sculls final if she qualifies from today's 14:20 BST race with teammate Victoria Thornley. 

Earlier Grainger spoke about her anguish of missing out on gold three times, and finally reaching the top podium at London 2012. 

Great Britain’s Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes have qualified for the men’s pair finals after finishing second in their semi-final.

The European silver-medal pairing were three seconds behind winners Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand, after pipping South Africa’s Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling to second place in the final 500m of the race.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport in Rio

Image source, .

On exiting Deodoro Stadium last night it became evident what an Olympic medal of any colour means.

Under the floodlights stood a couple of members of Canada's women's sevens team and as their families spotted them there were warm embraces, tears, kisses and photos. This could have been Great Britain.

Today I'll get around to see if we have British colours wearing a medal at Canoe Slalom before ending the night at hockey where Brazil host Great Britain in men's competition. A slow start means GB must win.

Image source, Twittter

Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten has tweeted a picture of herself for the first time since that horrible crash on the descent in the women's road race on Sunday.

The 33-year-old suffered severe concussion and three small fractures in her lower back, but team-mate Anna van der Breggen went on to win the title.

Image source, BBC Sport

Victoria Pendleton
Olympic cycling gold medalist on BBC Radio 5 live

"I disagree whole heartedly with the idea of fellow athletes booing at the Olympics. Don't cheer, fine, but don't boo"

Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport in Rio

Image source, BBC Sport

You have to feel sympathy for parents watching their offspring in action at the Olympics. 

New Zealand men's pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond look as nailed-on favourites to defend their Olympics crown as you can imagine. They haven't lost a race since 2009 and yet Bond's parents Graeme and Shirley told me they still go through the mill. "I've had my blood pressure pills," Graeme said. 

Despite their enormous success, which includes a world championship title and the world and Olympic records, the Bonds say the pair aren't huge stars back home but that might change if they win successive Olympic golds. 

The pair certainly have a lot of support as the crowds here at Lagoa swell. 

A corking first semi-final in the men's pairs won by the Italian duo ahead of Australian and France.

Now though it is time for the red-hot title favourites - New Zealand's Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. The defending champions are unbeaten in their last 67 races as a coxless pair.

They are joined by Britain's Stewart Innes and Alan Sinclair. Three to go through.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer in Rio on BBC Radio 5 live

In Usain Bolt's main event, the 100m, there is a litany of doping cheats - Asafa Powell, Justin Gatlin and  Johan Blake have all served bans for doping. 

Last night in the aquatic stadium, when Yulia Efimova walked out for the final of the 100m breaststroke, I have never heard a reception like it. The majority of the boos came from the athletes section, particularly the USA team". 

An excellent discussion that is still going on the radio. Tune in here.

Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow waited anxiously before joyously celebrating after they found out they had won the bronze in the men's synchronised 10m diving.

Since then, according to Google trends, there has been a 4,650% spike in search interest for 'Tom Daley wins bronze celebration' globally in the last 24 hours.

Amazingly, the top trending question in the past 24 hours about Team GB is: Why are we called Team GB?

Yes, really.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AP

The next British boat on the water is the men's pair combination of Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes.

Their semi-final is up at 14:00 BST.