McKellar describes silver as 'redemption' for women's eight

Rowan McKellar and Britain's women's eight rowers admit their multi-sport European Championship silver felt like 'redemption' after navigating a choppy 12 months both on and off the water. Glasgow star McKellar, 28, helped fire Britain's women's four to one of four gold medals won on Saturday and followed up those heroics by clinching a silver on Sunday in Munich.

Ad The Scot joined forces with Lauren Irwin, Esme Booth, Emily Ford, Rebecca Edwards, Heidi Long, Samantha Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten to finish second behind Romania and help cap a memorable weekend for British Rowing. RowingLucy Glover and co eyeing World Championships glory after European successA DAY AGO Britain racked up ten medals in total to finish top of the rowing medal table and go some way towards righting the wrongs of last summer's dismal Olympic campaign in Tokyo, where their one silver and one bronze medal marked their worst return for 49 years.

Considerable internal structural changed soon followed and Northern Irish star Edwards, 28, believes times are changing ahead of the Paris Olympic cycle. Edwards, speaking a year after the women's eight boat crashed out in the heats in Japan, said: «This year's been full of emotion for both me, and everyone else.

»We gave it everything we could today and winning the silver medal feels like redemption. «This women's eight are going to be a force to be reckoned with.» The women's eight finished second in Thursday's heats — behind eventual champions Romania — and knew they faced a tough test in Sunday's final on the final day of rowing action at this week's German multi-sport event.