The United States underlined their star status with a dominant win in the women\'s eight at the London Olympics rowing regatta on Thursday.
The Beijing 2008 and world champions preserved their four-year unbeaten run, comfortably holding off Canada in silver with the Netherlands filling the bronze position.
Winning cox Mary Whipple beamed: "There\'s no place I would rather be, I\'m so proud, I\'m satisfied.
"I\'m nothing without my teammates, they\'re my heroes, I love them so much."
She added, "When we crossed, it was game over. I felt so much power. And when we took our stride, we were a little high, but it was beautiful.
"I just told them to breathe, to enjoy the moment, to feel each stroke. We got into our rhythm, and it was just a crushing rhythm, it was relentless.
"It was exactly what we planned to do, what we had practised, what we have visualised.
"An Olympic gold medal, it never gets old."
© Copyright AFP Agence France-Presse GmbH - All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed. All reproduction or redistribution is expressly forbidden without the prior written agreement of AFP.
KATALOG FIRM W INTERNECIE