Thomas snatches surprise rowing bronze in Racice

Graeme Thomas powered through the toughest race of his career to win an unexpected World Championship bronze medal he admits felt like gold. The Preston rower, 33, bagged single sculls bronze in Racice after crossing the line behind decorated duo Oliver Zeidler and Melvin Twellaar. Ad Thomas' usual terrain is part of the quadruple or double sculls crews but he took a bold leap into the unknown in the Czech Republic to fly solo for the first time in a decade.

RowingFord rounds off Invincible campaign with rowing World Championship goldAN HOUR AGO The former rugby star battled to fifth at last month's European Championships in Munich and admits hauling himself onto the podium at world level exceeded his wildest expectations. Thomas said: «The magnitude of that race, it was the hardest race I've ever been involved in all the way to the line. »I'm physically spent and to be honest, pretty emotionally spent as well.

«People say single sculling is a lonely game, and it can be at times, but I've had every coach who's ever coached me, and every sculler I've ever rowed with, in my mind out there. »A bronze for me in this event is like a gold — I don't feel like I'm some big superhero athlete, and it took everything I had to get that. «It's been a dream for a long time to be able to win a medal in the single — it's the ultimate boat class.

You ask anyone which class they want to win a gold medal in, it's the single. »It's 100 per cent you, it's all on you. «It's definitely a [career] highlight — there's no hiding place out there and that was everything I had to offer today.